Name ______________________
Book Report: Fictionalized Biography
Props and Costumes
Due Wednesday, January 25
A biography is the story of a person’s life. A fictionalized biography is a made-up
story based on known facts from a person’s life. You must read a fictionalized
biography from the Childhood of Famous Americans series.
Project Assignment – props and costumes
 Your task is to portray the individual in your biography, with the use of costumes
and props.
 Create a short speech (see below), explaining the life of your biography character, in
the first person (as if you were him or her).
 Create a simple costume to wear (over your uniform), that the character could
have worn.
 Choose three props to present to the class. A prop is an object, small enough to
hold, that is used in a play or performance.
 Each prop should represent a characteristic of your character, or an
important event occurring in the character’s life.
 A prop may be part of the costume, if significant to the character.
 Be prepared to (1)turn in the written report, (2)present your speech, (3)wear your
costume, and (4)describe your props to the class on the book report’s due date.
The Speech
 Create a short speech, explaining the life of your biography character, in the first
person (as if you were him or her).
 The speech should answer (and explain/describe) EACH of the following
questions in the first person:
1. In what time period do you live? (be sure to describe what the time period was
like)
2. What was your childhood like? (interests and hobbies; did you work or go to
school; important life events)
3. Who was in your family? (be sure to describe them)
4. Where did you live? (be sure to describe what your town was like)
5. Why are you famous: What contribution did you make to society, or how
did you inspire others?
6. What are your 3 props, and what do they represent? (Be sure to give a
good explanation!)
 During your speech to the class, you may use notes on note cards, but may not read
word-for-word from a written script or your written report.
 However, I would advise writing your speech out ahead of time and
practicing it.
 The notes used during your speech will be collected.
 How long should your speech be? Long enough to answer the questions and show
and explain the props. [You may tell us about your costume, too, if you wish.]
NOTE: THE SPEECH AND THE WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT ARE NOT THE
SAME!
Written Assignment – explanation of the props
 Begin the written assignment by writing the title and author of the book as the
heading.
 The written assignment should be in the third person – tell about the character.
 In just a sentence or two, briefly tell the reader the character’s name, where and
when s/he lived, and why s/he is famous.
 Then, list each of the three props, and explain how the prop represents a
characteristic of, or event in the character’s life. [Why did you choose the prop, and
what does it have to do with the character?]
 Good example: I chose a Mickey Mouse doll to represent that Miss
Hubert loved Disneyland, because Mickey lives at Disneyland. Miss
Hubert went there many times as both a child and an adult. Her
favorite ride was Space Mountain.
 Bad example: I chose a picture of Disneyland to show that Miss Hubert
liked going to Disneyland.
 The written assignment should be written in your best cursive (pencil, on lined
paper). Do not forget to include your name and the date!
Other:
 You may use the internet, library books, or an encyclopedia to find additional
information on your character, not found in the biography book.
 An excellent report will demonstrate insight and understanding of the
character and props, as well as project effort. Effort is shown by including
details and descriptions to the explanations of the speech and written report.
Grading Guide
+ excellent  satisfactory - needs improvement
SPEECH
Presentation
Clear, expressive voice
Eye contact and facial expression
Notes (should NOT be written out in complete sentences)
Topics (explanation and inclusion of…)
Time period
Childhood
Where lived
Why Famous
Family
Description of Prop 1
Description of Prop 2
Description of Prop 3
Costume (appropriateness)
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT
Heading (name, date, title, author)
Neatness
Spelling and Grammar
Character Information
Explanation of Prop 1
Explanation of Prop 2
Explanation of Prop 3
 missing
Please sign, detach, and return by Friday, December 16:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Biography Book Report
(a home assignment)
Student’s Name: _______________________________________
I have read the requirements for the Book Report.
_______________________________
Parent’s Signature