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Fifth Graders Hype Their Famous Figures In Massapequa

Pictured: Samuel Chang and Ariella Portillo learned about Jackie Robinson and Jane Goodall, respectively, during the biography unit.

Photo courtesy of the Massapequa School District

Just like movie trailers spark interest for an upcoming flick, fifth graders at Fairfield Elementary School in the Massapequa School District wanted to generate the same type of buzz for their biography reports.

Christine Gooden’s students used Canva to make movie trailer-inspired promos about the famous people they researched. The project spanned several weeks, during which students did research, wrote a report and built a bottle doll model.

The young biographers each picked a notable person from the past or present to study. Their subjects included athletes, entertainers, entrepreneurs, scientists, world leaders and more. The purpose of the research project was for students to learn more about people who have made positive contributions to the world.

Students become immersed in the biography unit through multiple components. The bottle dolls engaged students with hands-on creation, while the Canva promos added a digital element for today’s tech-savvy learners.

Their biography movie trailers had to include an opening slide with the subject’s name, interesting facts and a picture of the bottle dolls. Students could include fun graphics and background music to liven up their projects. They explored different elements like a background remover feature and animations, and students who quickly mastered Canva helped out their classmates. Ms. Gooden said that she wanted the trailers to be both informational and creative.

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