5th Grade presents biography projects Feb 21

Written by Christy Richardson on February 12, 2013

Pine Cobble fifth grade students have spent the school year intensively studying historic personalities – Marie Curie, Stephen Hawking, Anna Pavlova, Bono, and more. They will present the results of their research the evening of Thursday, February 21.

The biography projects include three facets: (1) a research paper about the subject’s life based on extensive note-taking (each student has between 50 – 150 index cards); (2) A summary oral presentation featuring the subject’s greatest accomplishments; and (3) a visual presentation.

“Fifth grade is an important academic transition point,” says Cornelia Alden, fifth grade teacher. “The biography project allows students to hone their skills in deep inquiry and it teaches them to write clear, concise, and well-sourced papers.”

Because Pine Cobble’s classes are deliberately small, students receive intensive, one-on-one guidance from faculty. In the case of the biography project, they received ongoing support from both Alden and Linda Bernard, Pine Cobble’s dedicated writing coach and former fifth grade teacher.

The biography project is a Pine Cobble tradition; many alumni report that even at the finest boarding schools and colleges in the nation, they continue using techniques they mastered in fifth grade at Pine Cobble.

The evening will begin at 5:15 with hors d’oeuvres in the Pine Cobble library. Oral presentations begin at 5:30, and at 6:00 pm, students will share their visual presentations.

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