Teacher’s Guide: Biography
™
Reading Objectives
•C
omprehension: Evaluate fact and opinion;
Analyze historical perspective
• Tier Two Vocabulary: See book’s Glossary
• Word study: Word origins
• Analyze the genre
• Respond to and interpret texts
• Make text-to-text connections
• Fluency: Read with inflection/tone: stress
Julius Caesar
Cleopatra
Level W/60
Writing Objectives
• Writer’s tools: Strong lead
• Write a biography using writing-process
steps
Related Resources
• Comprehension Question Card
• Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart
• Using Genre Models to Teach Writing
• Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela
(Level X/60)
Unit-at-a-Glance
Day 1
Prepare to Read
Day 2
Read “Julius Caesar”*
Day 3
Read “Cleopatra”*
Day 4
Reread “Cleopatra”*
Day 5
Literature Circle Discussion/Reinforce Skills*
Days 6–15
®
B
While you are meeting with small groups, other
students can:
• read independently from your classroom library
• reflect on their learning in reading response
journals
• engage in literacy workstations
Write a biography using the process writing
steps on page 10.
e n c h m a r k
E
d u c a t i o n
C
o m p a n y
Day 1
Prepare to Read
Build Genre Background
• Write the word genre on chart paper. Ask: Who
can explain what the word genre means? (Allow
responses.) The word genre means “a kind of
something.” Square dancing and ballroom dancing
are different kinds of dance. Each has its own
characteristics that we can use to identify it. In the
same way, we can identify each kind, or genre, of
literature by its characteristics. When we read, we
pay attention to the genre because recognizing
the genre helps us know what to expect. When we
write, we use our knowledge of the genre to help us
develop and organize our ideas.
•S
ay: Let’s list some literary genres. As students
respond, capture their ideas in a list.
• Draw a concept web on chart paper or the
chalkboard. Write Biography in the center circle of
the web.
•S
ay: Biography is one example of a literary genre.
Think of any biographies you know. How would you
define what a biography is?
•T
urn and Talk. Ask students to turn and talk to
a classmate and jot down features of biographies.
Then bring students together and ask them to
share their ideas. Record them on the group web.
Reinforce the concept that all biographies have
certain common features.
Introduce the Book
• Distribute a book to each student. Read the title
aloud. Ask students to tell what they see on the
cover and table of contents.
• Ask students to turn to pages 2–3. Say: This week
we are going to read biographies that will help us
learn about this genre. First we’re going to focus
on this genre as readers. Then we’re going to study
biographies from a writer’s perspective. Our goal this
week is to really understand this genre.
• Ask a student to read aloud the text on pages 2–3
while others follow along. Invite a different student
to read the web on page 3.
• Point to your biography web on chart paper.
Say: Let’s compare our initial ideas about
biographies with what we just read. What new
features of this genre did you learn? Allow responses.
Add new information to the class web.
• Post the chart in your classroom during your biographies
unit. Say: As we read biographies this week, we will
2
come back to this anchor chart. We will look for these
features in each biography we read.
• Ask students to turn to pages 5–7. Say: Caesar and
Cleopatra were leaders of ancient empires. Let’s read
about these empires.
• Have a student read aloud the background
information while others follow along.
•S
ay: The ancient governments of the Roman
Republic and Egyptian Empire were often ruled
by more than one person. What can you infer, or
tell, from this? Allow responses. Prompt students
to understand that the ancient leaders had more
success expanding their empires and defeating their
enemies when they formed alliances.
Introduce the Tools for Readers and Writers:
Strong Lead
• Read aloud “Strong Lead” on page 4.
•S
ay: Nonfiction writers begin their writing with a
strong lead to get readers interested in the topic and
encourage them to read on. The biographies in this
book have strong leads. Let’s practice recognizing
their characteristics so we can identify strong leads in
the biographies we read.
• Distribute BLM 1 (Strong Lead). Read aloud the lead
with students.
•M
odel Identifying Strong Lead: This lead begins
with a quote. The quote introduces us to the subject
of the biography, Eleanor Roosevelt. Then, the author
lists some of Eleanor’s accomplishments and explains
her importance as a historical figure. This technique
arouses readers’ interest and makes them want to
learn more.
• Ask students to work with a partner or in small
groups to answer the questions about the strong lead
and write their own strong lead.
• Bring the groups together to share their findings.
Point out that a lead often uses both indirect and
direct techniques.
• Ask the groups to read one of the leads they wrote.
Use the examples to build students’ understanding
of how writers create a strong lead. Remind them
that a strong lead can help readers focus on the
subject, understand his or her importance, and
predict what information the biography will
contain.
• Ask groups to hand in their leads. Transfer studentwritten leads to chart paper, title the page “Strong
Lead,” and post it as an anchor chart.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the
guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-4509-3023-9
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
Day 2
Name _________________________________________________
Date _________________
A Strong Lead
Before Reading
Directions: Read this lead for a biography. Then answer the questions.
Introduce “Julius Caesar”
“I am my husband’s legs,” Eleanor Roosevelt declared while visiting a coal
mine disaster. Eleanor’s husband was Franklin Roosevelt, President of the
United States from 1933 to 1945. Due to polio, Franklin could not walk on
his own. Eleanor accomplished many things in her own right. She was a
delegate to the UN General Assembly, worked tirelessly on behalf of women’s
rights, spoke out for civil rights, and wrote a popular newspaper column.
• Reread the biography anchor chart or the web
on page 3 to review the features of a biography.
• Ask students to turn to page 8. Ask: Based on the
subheadings and illustrations, what do you think
you will learn about Julius Caesar? Allow responses.
• Invite students to scan the text and look for
the boldfaced words (philosophy, rhetoric,
plebeians, gladiator, triumvirate, provinces).
Say: As you read, pay attention to these words. If
you don’t know what they mean, try to use clues
in the surrounding text to help you define them.
We’ll come back to these words after we read.
1. Is this lead direct, indirect, or both? Explain.
It
is both. It begins with a quote. (indirect) Then it
________________________________________________________________
names
the subject of the biography. (direct)
________________________________________________________________
2. Does this lead make you want to read on? Explain.
Possible
answer: The lead makes me want to read on
________________________________________________________________
because
it makes me curious about Eleanor Roosevelt.
________________________________________________________________
3. What would you expect to learn if you read the biography?
Possible
answer: I would expect to learn more about
________________________________________________________________
Eleanor
Roosevelt’s life and why women’s rights and
________________________________________________________________
civil
rights were important to her.
________________________________________________________________
Directions: Think of a person you know something about who interests you. Write a
strong lead for a biography.
Leads
will vary. Example: How would it feel to be
________________________________________________________________
the
author of one of the most popular series of
________________________________________________________________
novels
ever written? Just ask J.K. Rowling. She has
________________________________________________________________
achieved
more success than she had ever imagined.
________________________________________________________________
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
BLM 1
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Reflect and Review
•T
urn and Talk. Write one or more of the following
questions on chart paper.
What is a literary genre, and how can
understanding genres help readers and writers?
What did you learn today about the
biography genre?
How can readers recognize a strong lead?
Ask partners or small groups to discuss their
ideas and report them back to the whole group
as a way to summarize the day’s learning.
Management Tips
•T
hroughout the week, you may wish to use
some of the reflect and review questions as
prompts for reader response journal entries in
addition to turn and talk activities.
•H
ave students create genre study folders. Keep
blackline masters, notes, small-group writing,
and checklists in the folders.
•C
reate anchor charts by writing whole-group
discussion notes and mini-lessons on chart
paper. Hang charts in the room where students
can see them.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Set a Purpose for Reading
• Ask students to read the biography, focusing on
the genre elements they noted on their anchor
chart. They should also look for characteristics of
a strong lead and think about how the author’s
lead makes them want to read on to learn more
about the subject.
Read “Julius Caesar”
• Place students in groups based on their reading
levels. Ask students to read the biography
silently, whisper-read, or read with a partner.
• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor
their understanding of the text and their use of
fix-up strategies.
Management Tip
Ask students to place self-stick notes in the
margins where they notice characteristics of a
strong lead or features of the genre.
After Reading
Build Comprehension: Evaluate Fact and Opinion
• Lead a student discussion using the “Analyze
the Subject” and “Focus on Comprehension”
questions on page 16. Then, use the following
steps to provide explicit modeling of how to
evaluate fact and opinion in a biography.
•E
xplain: We learned yesterday that a biography is
a factual retelling of another person’s life. Authors
can prove facts through research. However,
biographies may also include opinions, which
cannot be proven. For example, the author says
Julius Caesar was born in 100 B.C.E. The author
can prove this fact using a reference book. The
author also says Caesar was not humble. The
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
3
Day 2 (cont.)
author can support this opinion with evidence, but
she cannot prove it. Distinguishing facts from opinions
helps readers judge the accuracy and value of the text.
• Distribute copies of BLM 2 (Evaluate Fact and
Opinion) and/or draw a chart like the one below.
•M
odel: In “Julius Caesar,” the author says Caesar
married a woman named Cornelia at the age of 17.
I know this is a fact because I can check reference
books and prove it true. At the end of the text, the
author says Caesar had become one of the greatest
statesmen who would ever live. I know this is an
opinion because it contains the clue word greatest.
The author has supported this opinion with details
about Caesar’s accomplishments, but she cannot
prove it. Evaluating facts and opinions helps me
analyze the information in a biography.
•G
uide Practice. Work with students to evaluate
facts and opinions in the biography. Then, ask them
to describe the role of opinions and the balance of
facts and opinions in an effective biography.
• Have students keep BLM 2 in their genre studies folder.
Facts
Evidence
Opinions
Evidence
As a young man,
fact that
Caesar served as a can be
military aide . . . proven
Caesar was
certainly not
humble.
humble
Caesar pardoned
Pompey’s chief
generals . . .
fact that
can be
proven
Caesar was
ambitious as ever.
ambitious as
ever
Caesar remained
with Cleopatra in
Egypt . . .
fact that
can be
proven
Caesar’s death was major
a major tragedy
tragedy
...
Caesar died of 23
stab wounds.
fact that
can be
proven
Caesar had
become one of
the greatest
statesmen who
would ever live.
greatest . . .
who would
ever live
Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for
ELA Assessment
• Remind students that when they answer questions
on standardized assessments, they must be able
to support their answers with facts or clues and
evidence directly from the text.
• Use the Comprehension Question Card with small
groups of students to practice answering textdependent comprehension questions.
• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Find
It! questions. The answer to a Find It! question is
right in the book. You can find the answer in one
place in the text.
•M
odel. Read the first Find It! question. Say: When
I read the question, I look for important words that
4
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
tell me what to look for in the book. What words
in this question do you think will help me? (Allow
responses.) Yes, I’m looking for the words Caesar,
wrote, and book. On page 12, I read, “. . . Caesar
wrote a book he called The Wars in Gaul . . .” This
sentence answers the question.
•M
odel. Use the Flip Chart to help you develop other
Find It! questions.
Focus on Vocabulary: Word Origins
•E
xplain/Model. Read aloud “Word Origins” on
page 4. Say: A word’s origin is its history. When
you know a word’s background, you can make
connections to learn its meaning. For example,
the author says that Julius Caesar came from an
impoverished family. Impoverished comes from the
French word for poor. Julius Caesar’s family was poor.
•P
ractice. Ask students to use a dictionary to identify
the origins of other words in the biography, such
as manual (from the Latin word for hand) and
population (from the Latin word for people).
•S
ay: Let’s find the boldfaced words in this biography.
What can you do if you don’t know what these
words mean? (Allow responses.) Along with looking
for clues in the text, you can look in a dictionary to
learn the origin of the word. The history helps you
understand the current definition of the word.
•A
sk students to work with a partner to complete the
“Focus on Words” activity on page 17 using BLM 3
(Focus on Word Origins). Explain that they should
look in a dictionary to find the origin, history, and
definition of each boldfaced word. They should think
about the connection between the current definition
of the word and its history.
•T
ransfer Through Oral Language. Ask groups
of students to share their findings. Then challenge
individual students to use the words in new sentences
that give context clues to their meaning. Ask other
students to listen carefully and explain the connection
between the word’s original meaning and the context in
which it is used. Encourage students to use at least one
of the words later today in their conversation or writing.
• Ask students to save their work in their genre studies
folders to continue on Days 3 and 4.
Reflect and Review
•T
urn and Talk. Ask partners or small groups to
reread the “Features of a Biography” web on
page 3 and decide whether all of these features are
present in “Julius Caesar.” Ask groups to share and
support their findings.
Fluency: Read with Inflection/Tone: Stress
• You may wish to have students reread the
biography with a partner during independent reading
time, focusing on stressing, or emphasizing, important
words. Model by reading aloud the second sentence
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Day 3
Page Word
Word Origins Word History
Definition
philosophy Greek philo,
“loving”
+ sophos,
“wise”
philosophia
(“love of
wisdom”): 1300
9
rhetoric
Greek
rhetorike,
“the art of
oratory”
about 1300;
the art of
term rhetorical speaking
question in 1840 or writing
effectively
11
plebeians
Latin
plebeius, “of
the common
people”
around 1530;
later used
to mean
“unrefined,”
lowerclass
Roman
citizens
11
gladiator
Celt gladius,
“sword”
1540s; today
refers to
athletes
who engage
in serious
competitions
trained
swordsman in
ancient Rome
who fought
against other
gladiators or
wild animals
11
triumvirate Latin
1580s; includes
triumviri,
common prefix
“commission tri- (“three”)
of three men”
a ruling body
of three
11
provinces
countries or
regions often
ruled by
another power
9
Latin
provincia,
“care”
early 14th
century; pro(“before”) +
vincere (“to
conquer”)
study of ideas
and values
based on logic
on page 9, emphasizing the words intelligent,
brilliant, and skillful. Explain that you stressed these
words to emphasize Caesar’s traits so they would
stand out in listeners’ minds. Then, ask students to
read the last three paragraphs on page 15. Remind
them to think about meaning to help them figure out
which words to emphasize as they read.
Note Regarding This Teacher’s Guide
Each book provides an opportunity for students
to focus on an additional comprehension strategy
that is typically assessed on state standards. The
strategy is introduced on page 4 (the third item
in the “Tools for Readers and Writers” section)
with text-specific follow-up questions found on
the Reread pages. Some Reread sections also
introduce an advanced language arts concept
or comprehension strategy, such as protagonist/
antagonist, perspective, or subtitles, because
students at this level should be able to consider
more than one comprehension strategy per text.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Before Reading
Introduce “Cleopatra”
•A
sk students to turn to page 18. Say: Today we
are going to read “Cleopatra.” This biography
is written in a different format from the other
biography we read. Notice how in the margins
there are notes to you, the reader. The first time
we read the text, we will read to understand the
biography, focusing on details about the subject.
Tomorrow, we will read this biography like a
writer and think about the notes in the margin
as a model for how we can write biographies.
•S
ay: Let’s look at the subheadings and
illustrations of this biography. What do you
predict you will learn about Cleopatra? Give
students time to share their predictions.
• Ask students to scan the text and look for the
boldfaced words (administrator, agriculture,
spectacle, mortally). Ask: What do you notice
about these words? Why do you think they
appear in boldfaced type? Allow responses. Then,
explain that all of these words have Latin roots.
•S
ay: As you read, try to figure out the meanings
of these words. Think about other words you
know that share a root or word part with the
boldfaced word. After we read, we will talk about
how you used word origins and context clues
provided by the author.
Set a Purpose for Reading
• Ask students to read the biography, focusing
on details about the subject’s personality and
significant events in her life. Encourage them to
notice the author’s use of a strong lead.
Read “Cleopatra”
• Place students in groups based on their reading
levels. Ask students to read the biography silently,
whisper-read, or read with a partner.
• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor
their understanding of the text and their use of
fix-up strategies.
After Reading
Build Comprehension: Evaluate Fact and Opinion
•S
ay: Yesterday we evaluated facts and opinions
in “Julius Caesar.” What facts and opinions did
you read in today’s biography? How do you
know which are facts and which are opinions?
Allow responses. As students share their analyses,
synthesize their responses into a whole-group
chart like the one here.
•D
iscuss Evaluating Fact and Opinion Across
Texts. Lead a discussion using these questions.
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
5
Day 3 (cont.)
Facts
Evidence
Opinions
Evidence
Cleopatra was
f act that
born in Alexandria, can be
Egypt in 69 B.C.E.
proven
Cleopatra was
striking in
appearance if not
beautiful.
striking,
beautiful
Cleopatra fled
back to Egypt
after Caesar was
murdered.
I n a character­
istically bold move,
Cleopatra had
herself rolled into a
carpet and taken to
Caesar’s room.
c haracter­­
istically
bold
Antony established fact that
Cleopatra and
can be
her son as joint
proven
rulers of Egypt and
Cyprus.
C leopatra was a
practical person.
practical
Cleopatra
poisoned herself
with a snakebite.
C leopatra had an
incredible life and a
tragic death.
f act that
can be
proven
f act that
can be
proven
Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for
ELA Assessment
• Use the Comprehension Question Card with small
groups of students to practice answering textdependent questions.
•S
ay: Today I will help you learn how to answer
Look Closer! questions. The answer to a Look Closer!
question is in the book. You have to look in more
than one place, though. You find the different parts
of the answer. Then you put the parts together to
answer the question.
•M
odel. Read the second Look Closer! question. Say:
I will show you how I answer a Look Closer! question.
This question asks me to identify a stated main idea.
I know because it says, “What sentence tells the main
idea . . .” Now I need to look for other important
information to find in the book. What information
do you think will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes,
I need to reread the second paragraph on page 26.
The first sentence says, “In 30 B.C.E., an immense
battle took place at Actium, in western Greece.” The
rest of the paragraph tells details about the battle, so
the first sentence states the main idea. I have found
the answer in the book. I looked in several sentences
to find the answer.
•G
uide Practice: Use the Flip Chart to help you
develop other Look Closer! questions.
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the
“Focus on Words” activity on page 29 using BLM 3,
which they started on Day 2. Have groups of students
share their findings.
•T
ransfer Through Oral Language. Invite pairs
of students to take turns reading the sentence in
which each target word is used and making up a
new sentence with the word. Invite pairs to share
some of their sentences to the class. Other students
should listen carefully, identify the target word in
the sentence, and offer its definition.
Page Word
Word Origins Word History
Definition
19
administra­
tor
Latin
1510s; first used
ministrare, “to to refer to
serve”
estates
a person in
charge of
government or
business affairs
22
agriculture
Latin ager,
“field” +
cultura,
“cultivation”
1600; combined
with business
to form
agribusiness
organized
system of
farming
24
spectacle
Latin
spectare, “to
watch”
mid-14th
century;
spectacles
referred to early
eyeglasses
unusual,
eye-catching,
or entertaining
event
26
mortally
Latin
mortalis,
“death”
mid-14th
century; mortal
a human or
other living
thing (1520s)
fatally;
to death
incredible,
tragic
What opinions does the author give?
Do the opinions help you better understand the
facts? Why or why not?
Do the biographies include more facts or more
opinions? Why do you think the author does this?
What kinds of leads does the author use? How do
the leads get you interested in reading on?
6
Focus on Vocabulary: Word Origins
Reflect and Review
•T
urn and Talk. Ask partners or small groups to discuss
the following questions and report their ideas to the
whole group.
Do you agree with the author that Cleopatra had an
“incredible life” and an “unparalleled mystique”? Give
examples to support your opinion.
Think of a person in public life who interests you.
What traits make the person fascinating?
Fluency: Read with Inflection/Tone: Stress
• You may wish to have students reread the biography
with a partner during independent reading time,
focusing on stressing, or emphasizing, important
words. Remind them that they need to think about
the author’s “hidden” meaning to help them figure
out what to emphasize as they read. Model by
reading aloud the second paragraph on page 22,
stressing words and phrases such as now, father,
expansion of agriculture, sound administrative
decisions, and wealthy to highlight Cleopatra’s
accomplishments. Then ask students to choose their
own paragraph to analyze and read aloud.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Day 4
Before Reading
Set a Purpose for Rereading
• Have students turn to page 18. Say: Until now, we
have been thinking about biographies from the
perspective of the reader. Learning the features of
biographies has helped us be critical readers. Now
we are going to put on a different hat. We are going
to reread “Cleopatra” and think like writers. We’re
going to pay attention to the annotations in the
margins. These annotations will help us understand
what the author did and why she did it.
Reread “Cleopatra”
• Place students in groups based on their reading
levels. Ask students to read the biography silently,
whisper-read, or read with a partner.
• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor
their understanding of the text and annotations and
their use of fix-up strategies.
After Reading
Analyze the Mentor Text
• Explain to students that the text they have just read
is a mentor text. A mentor text is a text that teaches.
This text is designed to help them understand what
writers do to write a biography and why they do it.
• Read and discuss each mentor annotation with
students. Encourage them to comment on the
writer’s style, choice of facts about the subject’s
actions and character, and use of literary techniques
such as a strong lead.
Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for
ELA Assessment
• Use the Comprehension Question Card with small
groups of students to practice answering textdependent questions.
•S
ay: Today I will help you learn how to answer Prove
It! questions. The answer to a Prove It! question is
not stated in the book. You have to look for clues
and evidence to prove the answer.
•M
odel. Read the first Prove It! question. Say:
I will show you how I answer a Prove It! question.
This question asks me to make an inference.
I know because it says, “What clues tell you . . .”
Now I need to look for other important information
in the question. What information do you think will
help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I need to read about
Cleopatra as a ruler on page 24. I read that Cleopatra
spent the next several years concentrating on ruling
her kingdom and increasing the Egyptian treasury.
In so doing, she became one of the richest and most
powerful women in the world. I have located the
clues I need.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
•G
uide Practice: Use the Flip Chart to help you
develop other Prove It! questions.
Analyze the Writer’s Craft
• Ask students to turn to page 30. Explain: In the
next few days, you will have the opportunity to
write your own biography. First, let’s think about
how the author wrote “Cleopatra.” When she
developed this biography, she followed certain
steps. You can follow these same steps to write
your own biography.
• Read step 1. Say: The first thing you’ll do is
decide on a person to write about. Let’s turn
back to pages 9 and 19 and reread the leads of
the biographies to see why the author chose
to write about these people. I might write
a biography about an inventor, explorer, or
musician. What other people would be good
subjects for a biography? Why? Allow responses.
Write down students’ ideas on chart paper.
• Read step 2. Say: In the biographies we read, the
author includes information about people who
were important in each subject’s experiences. For
example, Julius Caesar and Antony both played
a big part in Cleopatra’s public and private life.
What people are important to the subject of our
biography? Let’s make a list of people and their
impact on the subject’s life. Allow responses.
Write down students’ ideas on chart paper.
• Read step 3. Say: Before you’re ready to write,
you need to list the important events in the
subject’s life and the times and places they
happened. “Cleopatra” takes place in Egypt
and the Roman Republic. The biography tells
about the most important events in Cleopatra’s
political and personal life. When you write
your biography, think about your subject’s
experiences and accomplishments. In what
settings did these occur? Choose one of the
subjects and some of the important people
the class has brainstormed. Work as a group to
outline important events and accomplishments
and when and where they occurred.
Build Comprehension: Analyze Historical
Perspective
•E
xplain: Authors who write about the past
describe how people lived in that period of
history. Some details may seem strange or
even illegal or immoral to readers today. For
example, an author writing about the American
West in the 1870s might describe everyday
citizens engaging in a gunfight in the middle of
town. Today, we have laws about weapons. In
“Cleopatra,” the author describes how Cleopatra
uses her personal relationships to form political
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
7
Day 4 (cont.)
Day 5
alliances. These actions would not be acceptable in a
political leader today. Analyzing historical perspective
helps readers better understand the people, places,
and events in a biography.
•M
odel: In “Julius Caesar,” the author describes life
during the ancient Roman Republic. Slaves made up
as much as one-third of the population and did all
the manual labor. In most countries today, slavery is
illegal and considered immoral and cruel. Analyzing
these types of details helps readers better understand
what ancient Rome was like and how it contrasts
with modern cities.
•G
uide Practice. Invite students to work in small
groups to find at least two more examples of
details that require readers to consider the historical
perspective in each biography. Remind them to
compare life in ancient Roman and Egyptian times
to life today. Then, ask the groups to explain how
analyzing historical perspective helps them better
understand the text.
Analyze & Synthesize
Reflect and Review
• Ask and discuss the following questions.
How is reading a biography similar to writing a
biography? How is it different?
What new words have you added to your vocabulary
this week? Why do you think they will be useful?
Which biographical subject do you find most
interesting? Why?
How can you use strong leads and word origins to
make your writing stronger?
Fluency: Read with Inflection/Tone: Stress
• You may wish to have students reread the biography
with a partner during independent reading time,
focusing on stressing, or emphasizing, important
words. Ask students to read aloud page 27. Prompt
them to think about the author’s “hidden” meaning
and then decide which words they will emphasize
as they read. For example, they might want to stress
the word prisoner in the first sentence as a way of
highlighting the seriousness of Cleopatra’s situation
for their listeners.
8
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for
ELA Assessment
• Use the Comprehension Question Card with small
groups of students to practice answering textdependent questions.
•S
ay: Today I will help you learn how to answer Take
It Apart! questions. To figure out the answer to a
Take It Apart! question, think like the author.
•M
odel. Read the second Take It Apart! question.
Say: This question asks me to think about the text
structure. I know because I must find a description.
Now I need to look for other important information
in the question. What information do you think
will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I need to read
about Cleopatra’s entrance into Tarsus on page 23.
I read, “She sailed up the river in a barge with a
golden stern and heavily perfumed purple sails.”
I have found the description in the text.
•G
uide Practice. Use the Flip Chart to help you
develop other Take It Apart! questions.
Summarize & Make Connections Across Texts
• Engage students in a discussion about the
biographies in this book. Invite a different student to
summarize each biography. Encourage other students
to add their ideas and details.
• Ask students to turn to the inside back cover of the
book. Say: Good readers think about how literary
works are related. We know, for example, that
both of these biographies share certain features.
They both describe the life of a person. They both
describe people who affected that person. What else
do they have in common? (Allow responses.) Today
we will think about how the subjects in these two
biographies are alike and different and the impact
each made on history.
• Ask students to work individually or in small
groups to complete BLM 4 (Make Connections
Across Texts).
•C
lass Discussion or Literature Circles. Facilitate
a whole-class discussion or keep students in their
small groups for a literature circle discussion. If you
choose to conduct literature circles, share the rules
for good discussion. Each group should discuss and
be prepared to share its ideas about the following
prompts.
Which details taught you the most about each
subject? Why?
What kinds of information are included in both
biographies?
In your opinion, what was the greatest
accomplishment of Julius Caesar? Of Cleopatra?
What question would you have liked to ask Julius
Caesar? Cleopatra?
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Day 5 (cont.)
• Tell students that at the end of their discussion, you
will ask them to share their important text-to-text,
text-to-world, and text-to-self connections.
• While each small group of students discusses the
book, confer with individual or small groups of
students. You may wish to revisit elements of the
genre, take running records, or model fluent reading.
Julius Caesar
Cleopatra
Attributes of
main character
brilliant general,
good communicator,
conscientious leader
intelligent, courageous,
loyal, physically
striking, a good
administrator
Important
influences
Crassus, Pompey,
Brutus, Cassius,
Cleopatra
Julius Caesar, Antony
Challenges
fighting the war
in Gaul with little
military experience;
fighting a civil war
against Pompey; being
the subject of an
assassination plot by
former associates
being driven out of
Egypt by her brother;
choosing sides in
the Roman conflict;
fighting Octavian
conquered lands to
add to the Roman
Republic; led the
Republic; reduced
taxes for poor; began
great building projects;
created a new calendar
ruled Egypt and
made it wealthy by
expanding agriculture
and trade; became
the richest and most
powerful woman in the
world
Historical
importance
For example, “Sophisticated has the Greek root
word sophos meaning ‘wise.’ So does the word
philosophy.”
• Continue until students have matched all the
new words and target words.
Reread for Fluency: Oral Reading Performance
• Discuss with students the emotions described in
the biographies.
•S
ay: Because a biography is about people, it
portrays their feelings at different times in their
lives. For example, at the end of “Julius Caesar,”
Caesar has an emotional confrontation with his
assassins. When you read scenes like this aloud,
you can use expression to demonstrate your
understanding of how the people feel and help
listeners appreciate the event’s importance.
• Invite individual students to read a section of one
of the biographies that portrays emotion.
• Encourage students to have fun with their
readings and to make them dramatic.
• As a whole class, discuss each reader’s
interpretation. Think about alternate ways to
interpret the emotions.
Review Writer’s Tools: Strong Lead
Rules for Good Discussion
• Pay attention to the person who is talking and do
not interrupt him or her.
• Think about what others are saying so you can
respond and add to their ideas.
• Allow and encourage everyone in the group to speak.
• Be respectful of everyone’s ideas.
• Ask students to look for other examples of strong
leads in titles from your classroom library or the
school’s library. Each student should select one
title at his or her independent reading level. Ask
students to read pages specifically to find an
example of a strong lead.
• Invite students to share their examples with the
class. Ask the other students whether they agree
that each lead is strong and, if so, why the lead
gets their attention and makes them want to read
what follows. Point out that students will not find
strong leads in all the books they chose. Strong
leads are not a tool all writers use all of the time.
Reinforce Skills
If time permits, choose from the following activities to
reinforce vocabulary and fluency.
Reinforce Vocabulary: Word Origins Challenge
• Ask pairs of students to find new words that share
word origins with the glossary words. Allow them to
use BLM 3 and a dictionary as they compile their list.
• Have two pairs of students meet. The first pair should
say one of their new words. The second pair should
identify the root word and matching target word.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
9
Days 6–15
Write a Biography
• Use the suggested daily schedule to guide students
through the steps of process writing. Allow
approximately 45 to 60 minutes per day. As students
work independently, circulate around the room and
monitor student progress. Confer with individual
students to discuss their ideas and help them move
forward. Use the explicit mini-lessons, conferencing
strategies, and assessment rubrics in Using Genre
Models to Teach Writing for additional support.
• Before students begin planning their biographies,
pass out copies of BLM 5 (Biography Checklist).
Review the characteristics and conventions of writing
that will be assessed. Tell students that they will use
this checklist when they complete their drafts.
• This daily plan incorporates the generally accepted
six traits of writing as they pertain to biographies.
Days 6–7: Plan
• Ask students to use BLM 6 (Biography Planning
Guide) to brainstorm someone to write about and
the important people, places, and events in the
subject’s life.
• Encourage students to refer to the “Features of a
Biography” web on page 3 and to the steps in “The
Writer’s Craft” on pages 30–31 of the book.
• Confer with individual students and focus on their
ideas. Did students begin their biographies with a
strong lead? Did they include facts and quotes?
Days 8–9: Draft
• Tell students that they will be using their completed
Biography Planning Guides to begin drafting.
•S
ay: Remember that when writers draft their ideas,
they focus on getting their ideas on paper. They can
cross things out. They can make mistakes in spelling.
What’s important is to focus on the person’s early life
and accomplishments. You will have an opportunity
to make corrections and improvements later.
• Confer with students as they complete their drafts.
Use the Biography Checklist to draw students’
attention to characteristics of the biography genre
that they may have overlooked. Focus on how
students have organized their ideas and the voice
of the writer. Did students introduce their subject at
the beginning of the biography? Did they describe
the person’s character traits, accomplishments, and
challenges? Does the biography have a strong voice?
Will the voice keep readers interested?
• Pair students for peer conferencing.
Days 6–15
• Remind students to use the Biography Checklist as
they edit and revise their biographies independently.
• Confer with students, focusing on sentence fluency,
word choice, and conventions. Did students include
both long and short sentences? Do the sentences read
smoothly? Have students used interesting words and
phrases? Did they use a strong lead? Did they use
appropriate spelling, punctuation, and grammar?
• You may want students to continue their editing and
revision at home.
Days 12–13: Create Final Draft and Illustrations
• Ask students to rewrite or type final drafts of
their work.
• Invite students to illustrate their final drafts with
one or more drawings that depict specific people or
events in their biographies.
• Confer with students about publishing plans
and deadlines.
Days 14–15: Publish and Share
•E
xplain: Authors work long and hard to develop
their works. You have worked very hard. And one
of the great joys of writing is when you can share
it with others. Authors do this in many ways. They
publish their books so that people can buy them. They
make their work available on the Internet. They hold
readings. We can share our writing, too.
• Use one or more of the ideas below for sharing
students’ work:
Make a class display of students’ completed
biographies.
Hold a class reading in which students can read their
biographies to one another and/or to parents.
Create a binder of all the biographies and loan it to
the library so that other students can read them.
Create a binder of all the biographies for your
classroom library.
Name _________________________________________________
Biography Checklist
Features of the Genre Checklist
1. My biography has a strong lead.
• Based on your observations of students’ writing,
select appropriate mini-lessons from Using Genre
Models to Teach Writing.
Yes
No






Biography


Name _________________________________________________
2. My biography is logically sequenced.
3. My biography includes the person’s date and place
of birth.
4. My biography includes important events from the
person’s life.
5. My biography includes people who have influenced
the person.



8. My biography quotes people who knew or know
the person.

9. My biography explains why the person is worthy of
a biography.
10. My biography has a strong ending.
Quality Writing Checklist
I looked for and corrected . . .
• subject/verb agreement
• correct verb tense
• punctuation
• capitalization
• spelling
• indented paragraphs
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS


BLM 5

1. 
Decide on someone else to write about.


2. Decide who else needs to be in the biography.

Person
or Group

BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
Impact on Subject’s Life

Heroes:

_______________
Others:

_______________

3. 
Recall settings and events.


Setting

Important Events That Occurred
Setting #1
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Setting #2
Setting #3
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
10
Planning Guide
Family Members:
Yes _______________
No
Friends:
_______________








• run-on sentences
Date _________________
Directions: Use the steps below to plan your own biography.
7. My biography quotes the person.
6. My biography describes the person’s personality.
• sentence fragments
Days 10–11: Edit and Revise
Date _________________
Title ______________________________________________________________________________
BLM 6
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _________________________________________________
Date _________________
A Strong Lead
Directions: R
ead this lead for a biography. Then answer the questions.
“I am my husband’s legs,” Eleanor Roosevelt declared while visiting a coal
mine disaster. Eleanor’s husband was Franklin Roosevelt, President of the
United States from 1933 to 1945. Due to polio, Franklin could not walk on
his own. Eleanor accomplished many things in her own right. She was a
delegate to the UN General Assembly, worked tirelessly on behalf of women’s
rights, spoke out for civil rights, and wrote a popular newspaper column.
1. Is this lead direct, indirect, or both? Explain.
is both. It begins with a quote. (indirect) Then it
It
_ _______________________________________________________________
the subject of the biography. (direct)
names
_ _______________________________________________________________
2. Does this lead make you want to read on? Explain.
answer: The lead makes me want to read on
Possible
_ _______________________________________________________________
it makes me curious about Eleanor Roosevelt.
because
_ _______________________________________________________________
3. What would you expect to learn if you read the biography?
answer: I would expect to learn more about
Possible
_ _______________________________________________________________
Roosevelt’s life and why women’s rights and
Eleanor
_ _______________________________________________________________
rights were important to her.
civil
_ _______________________________________________________________
Directions: T hink of a person you know something about who interests you. Write a
strong lead for a biography.
will vary. Example: How would it feel to be
Leads
_ _______________________________________________________________
author of one of the most popular series of
the
_ _______________________________________________________________
ever written? Just ask J.K. Rowling. She has
novels
_ _______________________________________________________________
more success than she had ever imagined.
achieved
_ _______________________________________________________________
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
BLM 1
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _________________________________________________
Date _________________
Evaluate Fact and Opinion
Directions: U
se the charts below to evaluate facts and opinions in the biographies.
Julius Caesar
Facts
Evidence
Opinions
Evidence
As a young man, Caesar fact that can be proven
served as a military aide
. . .
Caesar was certainly not
humble.
humble
Caesar pardoned Pompey’s fact that can be proven
chief generals . . .
Caesar was ambitious as
ever.
ambitious as ever
Caesar remained with
Cleopatra in Egypt . . .
fact that can be proven
Caesar’s death was a
major tragedy . . .
major tragedy
Caesar died of 23 stab
wounds.
fact that can be proven
Caesar had become one of greatest . . . who would
the greatest statesmen who ever live
would ever live.
Cleopatra
Facts
Evidence
Opinions
Evidence
Cleopatra was born in
Alexandria, Egypt in 69
B.C.E.
fact that can be proven
Cleopatra was striking
in appearance if not
beautiful.
striking, beautiful
Cleopatra fled back to
Egypt after Caesar was
murdered.
fact that can be proven
character­­istically bold
Antony established
Cleopatra and her son as
joint rulers of Egypt and
Cyprus.
fact that can be proven
In a character­istically
bold move, Cleopatra
had herself rolled into
a carpet and taken to
Caesar’s room.
Cleopatra poisoned
herself with a snakebite.
fact that can be proven
leopatra had an
C
incredible life and a
tragic death.
incredible, tragic
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
leopatra was a practical practical
C
person.
BLM 2
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _________________________________________________
Date _________________
Focus on Word Origins
Directions: R
eread each biography. Look up the origins and history for each word
below. Then write the definition of the word as used today.
Page Word
Word Origins Word History
Definition
9
philosophy
Greek philo, ”loving” +
sophos, “wise”
philosophia (“love of
wisdom”): 1300
study of ideas and values
based on logic
9
rhetoric
Greek rhetorike, “the
art of oratory”
about 1300; term rhetorical
question in
1840
the art of speaking or
writing effectively
11
plebeians
Latin plebeius, “of the
common people”
around 1530; later used to
mean “unrefined,”
lowerclass Roman citizens
11
gladiator
Celt gladius, “sword”
1540s; today refers to
athletes who engage in
serious competitions
trained swordsman in
ancient Rome who fought
against other gladiators or
wild animals
11
triumvirate
Latin triumviri,
“commission of three
men”
1580s; includes common
prefix tri- (“three”)
a ruling body of three
11
provinces
Latin provincia, “care”
early 14th century; pro(“before”) + vincere (“to
conquer”)
countries or regions
often ruled by another
power
19
administra­tor
Latin ministrare, “to
serve”
1510s; first used to refer to a person in charge of
estates
government or business
affairs
22
agriculture
Latin ager, “field” +
cultura, “cultivation”
1600; combined with business
to form agribusiness
organized system of
farming
24
spectacle
Latin spectare, “to
watch”
mid-14th century;
spectacles referred to early
eyeglasses
unusual, eye-catching, or
entertaining event
26
mortally
Latin mortalis, “death”
mid-14th century; mortal a
human or other living thing
(1520s)
fatally; to death
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
BLM 3
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _________________________________________________
Date _________________
Make Connections Across Texts
Directions: F ill in the chart. Use it to compare and contrast the two biographies.
Julius Caesar
Cleopatra
Attributes
of main
character
brilliant general,
good communicator,
conscientious leader
intelligent, courageous, loyal,
physically striking, a good
administrator
Important
influences
Crassus, Pompey, Brutus,
Cassius, Cleopatra
Julius Caesar, Antony
Challenges
fighting the war in
Gaul with little military
experience; fighting a
civil war against Pompey;
being the subject of
an assassination plot by
former associates
being driven out of Egypt
by her brother; choosing
sides in the Roman conflict;
fighting Octavian
Historical
importance
conquered lands to add
to the Roman Republic;
led the Republic; reduced
taxes for poor; began great
building projects; created a
new calendar
ruled Egypt and made
it wealthy by expanding
agriculture and trade;
became the richest and
most powerful woman in the
world
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
BLM 4
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _________________________________________________
Date _________________
Title ________________________________________________________________________­______
Biography Checklist
Features of the Genre Checklist
Yes No
2. My biography is logically sequenced. 



3. M
y biography includes the person’s date and place
of birth.


4. M
y biography includes important events from the
person’s life.


7. My biography quotes the person.






8. M
y biography quotes people who knew or know
the person.






1. My biography has a strong lead.
5. M
y biography includes people who have influenced
the person.
6. My biography describes the person’s personality.
9. M
y biography explains why the person is worthy of
a biography.
10. My biography has a strong ending.
Quality Writing Checklist
Yes No
I looked for and corrected . . .








• run-on sentences
• sentence fragments
• subject/verb agreement
• correct verb tense • punctuation
• capitalization
• spelling
• indented paragraphs
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
BLM 5








©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _________________________________________________
Date _________________
Biography Planning Guide
Directions: Use the steps below to plan your own biography.
1. Decide on someone else to write about.
2. Decide who else needs to be in the biography.
Person or Group
Impact on Subject’s Life
Family Members:
_______________
Friends:
_______________
Heroes:
_______________
Others:
_______________
3. Recall settings and events.
Setting
Important Events That Occurred
Setting #1
Setting #2
Setting #3
BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO LEADERS
FROM ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
BLM 6
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC