Character Biography Project

Studying real people with admirable character provides concrete models and inspiration for children's own character development.

Objectives

Materials

Instructions

Introduce biography as 'the story of a real person's life.' Explain that you'll focus on people known for their CHARACTER—not just their achievements.

Provide resources on age-appropriate character role models: historical figures, community helpers, activists, everyday heroes. Include diverse representation.

Guide research using a character biography template: Who is this person? What character traits did they show? What challenges did they face? How did their character help them? What can we learn from them?

Support writing with drafting, revising, and illustrating the biography. Focus on character elements, not just facts.

Host a 'Character Hall of Fame' presentation where each child shares their biography with the class. Create a display of all researched figures.

Discuss: 'Which character traits appeared in many biographies? Which do you want to develop in yourself?'

Educator tip

Include contemporary figures and community members alongside historical figures. Children connect most strongly to people who feel real and relatable.

Assessment

Assess against Early Learning Goals (ELGs). Document evidence of 'expected' or 'exceeding' descriptors. Note: independent application of skills, ability to explain reasoning, and capacity to build on prior learning. Evaluate research quality, focus on character traits, writing development, and presentation clarity.

More from EYFS Champions of Character