Dear Parents and Students,

As of the end of today, students will have had 5 hours of class time to research and begin their 2 page essay on the life of their famous person. Students’ rough draft of their essay is due on Tuesday, February 22^nd. We will be editing rough drafts and working on the cover page, contents page, and bibliography in class. Students may have to work on their rough draft over the weekend if they have not used their class time wisely. Thank you for supporting your child on their biography work. A rubric for your child will be graded is at the bottom of this post.

Our field trip to the Life Lab at UCSC is fast approaching(Friday, February 25, 2011). I am still missing permission slips from students and am need of more drivers (we are still about 11 seats short)!!!

On the day of the trip, please plan on providing your child with a lunch from home. Life Lab challenges us to bring low-waste lunches (packed in reusable containers). We are also asked that we pack out our own garbage.

Also, please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately. We will be out doors and this is a hands-on experience, so please wear clothing and closed-toed shoes that can get dirty. A warm jacket or sweatshirt is also a must.

The following Monday, February 28^th, we will be off to the symphony. Please discuss with your child appropriate dress and behavior for this type of concert. All students are encouraged to dress up a bit (as a showing of respect to the performers) but still comfortable for school. This is also a PE day for our class, so it is a good idea to bring a change of clothes.

Thank you,

Mrs. Sara

Famous Person Report Rubric

Components	Points	Points Earned and Comments	I will be looking for the following in each section…
Cover page	10		Includes name of famous person, time period they were alive, your name, date
Contents Page	5		Labeled Contents, lists sections and the page numbers they begin Ex. I am poem……………….....…p. 3 Essay …………………...…....p. 4 Photograph of ___ ……….…p. 6 Drawing of Invention………..p. 7 Extra credit ……………...…..p. 8 Bibliography …...……………p. 9
I am Poem	15		Thoughtful, creative, informative, accurate, correct spelling, neatness
Essay	35		Informative, accurate, strong vocabulary, variety of sentences used, the reading flows, it’s organized, neat, and uses correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar,
Visuals	10		All visuals are labeled, They are relevant and meaningful, They enhance understanding of the person, their life and/or their accomplishments.
Bibliography	10		Labeled Bibliography, Listed in alphabetical order by authors’ last names (when possible) or by article title (if no author stated).
Presentation/ Artistic Demonstration	15		Shows effort, reflects knowledge about the person, their life and accomplishments, well prepared
Extra Credit			Extra visuals that are labeled and enhance the understanding of your person/their life/their accomplishments.
Total	100