History Comes Alive in Grade 2 Biography Presentations

On Thursday, January 15, Grade 2 students transported their audience through time during their engaging and heartfelt Biography Expo presentations. This year-long project centered on empathy, understanding diversity, and inclusivity, encouraging students to truly “walk in someone else’s shoes” as they explored the lives of notable individuals and changemakers.

Throughout the fall, students read and learned about figures such as Sacagawea, Jackie Robinson, and George Washington, discussing their lives, challenges, and lasting contributions to the world. In December, each student discovered their own assigned biography subject—a moment met with great excitement—and began researching in earnest. Using books, audiobooks, images, and personal note-taking booklets, students gathered key facts about their person’s upbringing, education, achievements, and impact.

“Through this project, students didn’t just learn facts about historical figures—they learned how to see the world through someone else’s perspective,” shared Sue Murphy, Grade 2 teacher. “It was wonderful to watch their empathy grow as they connected personally with the lives and experiences of their biography subjects.”

Earlier in January, six Grade 2 students each spoke about their expo project and actively answered questions during one of our Parents’ Committee meetings. As one Grade 2 student shared, “We discussed each person and learned about their lives as well as their contributions to the world. We talked about what made them a changemaker. We asked questions about our person, read and listened to many books, and used a little booklet to help take notes on all the facts that we found about our person.”

Students also incorporated digital tools into their work, including Clip Creator, to design slideshows with text and images written in complete sentences. The final projects culminated in a lively “Guess Who” slideshow and live presentation for parents and the school community. Dressed as their biography subjects, students confidently shared clues and facts, inviting the audience to guess who they were portraying as history truly came alive in the Piazza.

“The confidence they demonstrated was truly impressive. They took great pride in their research, spoke clearly in front of an audience, and fully owned their learning. Watching them share their hard work was an absolute joy. We are so proud of our second graders,” shared Allison Cirelli, Grade 2 teacher. 

This annual project integrates reading, writing, research, technology, and public speaking while reinforcing the importance of empathy and perspective-taking. By connecting personally with the stories of leaders, athletes, explorers, and innovators, students gained a deeper appreciation for how individuals can make a difference in the world.

The combination of thoughtful research, creativity, and performance made for a meaningful and memorable presentation, showcasing both the hard work and enthusiasm of our young historians. Bravo, Grade 2!

Check out the pictures by clicking here!