Name ________________________________________

You have just opened your e-mail and discovered you are related to a woman in history according to your Aunt Lucy. She would like you to find out more information about your famous relative to share at the family reunion in July.

Before you make your selection think about which woman in history you would like to be related to. After choosing this woman you will start the plans you will need to carefully research the data on your famous relative.

You will need to discover:

1. When and where your woman relative was born and grew up?
2. Important events of her life.
3. Why was she considered a woman in history?
4. What could depict the way of life during this time period?

Discover background information about your famous relative. You may use the computer to collect information. If a computer is unavailable you might want to consider using other resources such as a library- -individual woman in history Encyclopedia of Women in the United States, biographies, or autobiographies.

Brainstorm questions that will guide you in your research. Record these questions and some project ideas on loose-leaf paper. Your project will be a part of the research paper and will be presented on the day of the family reunion.

Sample questions:

1. How should I display my findings with my research paper? Here are a few you may like to do, however you may be creative and come up with one of your own. (booklet, mobile, diorama, board game)

2. Would a time line help myself and others understand her life?

1. What type of music/songs/performing arts during this woman’s life would

1. Could a border around the poem help illustrate the importance of this woman? Would a mobile illustrated with important events in the woman’s life help my young cousins that are not old enough to read? What type of transportation did she use during her lifetime?
2. Could a diorama show what made her a woman in history?

Remember to keep your notes organized. Whenever you obtain information about your famous relative remember to write down the name of the book and author this will go into your bibliography. If you use a website write the full address and include that also.

You are not to copy the information word for word into your research paper. It is important to put your notes into your own words. This is your report, not someone else’s!

You need to ask yourself the following questions before you begin sorting the notes you have collected.

1. Do I have enough information to decide when and where my famous relative was born and grew up?
2. Do I have enough information about important events in her life?
3. Do I have examples that show the way of life during this time period?
4. Do I give enough examples of why she is considered a woman in history?
5. Are my facts organized and in order?

Spend time reviewing the facts you have gathered. Make sure they are organized by topic, and contain interesting and unique facts about your famous relative. Now you are ready to begin writing your report.

Today is the day of your family reunion. Ask yourself, do I have enough information about my relative? Can I answer any questions my cousins may ask me? Does my project tell the whole story about my relative? Is my project visually attractive and neat?

Now it is time to evaluate your own project by using the following criteria:

Use a rating scale of 1 – 5. 5 being the highest.

1. How well did I present my information? ______
2. Did your oral report meet your expectations? ______
3. How accurate was the information I gathered? ______
4. Could others use your same resources to gain knowledge? ______
5. Is there any part of this report that I think needs improvement? If so what part? ________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________