~ Peacemaker Biographies ~

A Teach Peace Now Lesson Plan

Grade 3 and up

Objective 

To learn that many people have had the courage to stand up for what they believe and make change in the world.

Procedure:

1. Ask students to name people they know of who have contributed to making the world a more peaceful place – they might think of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Robert Kennedy. If you wish, read a books about one of these people to the group. Some suggestions: My Brother Martin by Christine KingA Picture Book of Rosa Parksby David Adlerand/or If a Bus Could Talk by Faith Ringgold
2. Make a list of characteristics that these people had.
3. Explain that they will be researching a person who has contributed to world peace. Use your own approach for teaching how to write a biography or use this graphic organizer. Peacemaker Biography Form
4. Either assign students a person or have them choose one. Have students go to PeaceCalendar.net http://www.cultureofpeace.com/calendar/and find their person using the birth date you give them. They can use the links to find out more about the person or go to the library and take out biographies about the person.
5. Have students write their biographies and then share them in one of the following ways:

Extensions

Bind all the biographies together to make a class book. Share the book by displaying it in the library.

Go to another class, pair up, and then read the biography to the partner.

Make posters featuring the person they researched.

Biographies featured here:

• Dalai Lama by Demi
• Martin Luther King, Jr. by Amy Pastan
• Oscar Arias Sanchez by Vickie Cox