Happy Birthday to these famous persons, past and present, that have contributed to our world in a variety of ways. Their works and discoveries still benefit us today. Most elementary students today will probably not know who they are and what they did because they aren't current entertainers and athletes. This activity utilizes biographies that are a popular upper elementary research category.
So, students can learn about these notable persons, and then share what they find by presenting to the class.
William Harvey (April 1)
Abraham Maslow (April 1)
Hans Christian Anderson (April 2)
Jane Goodall (April 3)
Maya Angelou (April 4)
Booker T. Washington (April 5)
Colin Powell (April 5)
Kofi Annan (April 8)
Paul Robeson (April 9)
Joseph Pulitzer (April 10)
Commodore Matthew Perry (April 10)
Wilbur Wright (April 16)
Pope Benedict XVI (April 16)
Charlie Chaplin (April 16)
Nikita Khrushchev (April 17)
Clarence Darrow (April 18)
John Paul Stevens (April 20)
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (April 22)
Meadowlark Lemon (April 25)
John James Audubon (April 26)
Coretta Scott King (April 27)
Samuel B. Morse (April 27)
Oscar Schindler (April 28)
Zubin Mehta (April 29)
Learning Activity
Assign students a different person from this listing of famous people born in April. Students should present an oral or PowerPoint report of at least two minutes and five slides. Students should cite at least two sources. The presentation should include a picture of the person plus anything else that represents or symbolizes the person's work or discovery.
Students should address the following essential questions for critical thinking (you may add or substitute others):
When and where was this person born and in what field did he do his best work?
What is this person most recognized accomplishment and why is it important today?
What obstacles did this person overcome to be able to achieve fame?
What about this person's work inspires you or benefits us today?
Pathfinder
Type the name of the person in the Search box.
