Famous Canadians Sensory Figure Body Biographies

Description

This set of sensory figures, also known as body biographies, features 16 famous Canadians who have contributed to the world in various ways. Each figure can be printed in black and white or color. They would be great for including in interactive notebooks or displaying on bulletin boards or other places in the classroom. Read more about how sensory figures are great for biography projects (even of fictional characters) and can enhance a variety of your lessons below. If you’re looking for a digital version of this resource, find it here.

This set includes the following 16 figures:

1. Alexander Graham Bell
2. Celine Dion
3. David Suzuki
4. Don Cherry
5. E. Pauline Johnson
6. Frederick Banting
7. Jim Carrey
8. Justin Bieber
9. Justin Trudeau
10. Laura Secord
11. Lester B. Pearson
12. Michael J. Fox
13. Rick Hansen
14. Roberta Bondar
15. Terry Fox
16. Wayne Gretzky

A sensory figure is a drawing of a historical, living, or fictional figure with first-person descriptions of what they might have thought, seen, heard, touched, said, felt, or otherwise experienced during their lifetime. Students show what they know about the figure by writing 1-2 sentence descriptions for their figure’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. After writing the descriptions, students connect them to the part of the body to which it most closely relates. For example, a feeling might be connected to the heart. The descriptions should be specific to the historical figure’s life, not generic statements that could apply to anyone. Students should be encouraged to address several topics in their descriptions instead of repeating information.

Sensory figures are an engaging way for students to both organize information as they’re learning and demonstrate their knowledge. They can be used to research the figure or even as an assessment after other learning opportunities have taken place. Sensory figures allow students to imagine themselves in their figure’s shoes, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of their figure’s experiences. In addition to focusing on specific people, sensory figures can also be used with groups of people (for example, Confederate soldiers or Loyalists) to define the characteristics that separate them from other groups. Because of their interactive nature, sensory figures are great for interactive notebooks! Finally, they are readily adapted in order to meet a variety of student needs. You can give all students the same figure to fill out, or you can have them complete different ones. I’ve found that students enjoy sharing their figures with partners or doing a gallery walk to see their classmates’ work. You can reinforce vocabulary associated with the figures by providing a word bank of terms students should use in their descriptions.

Download a free example sensory figure here!
⭐ Theodore Roosevelt Sensory Figure Example

You may also be interested in other sensory figures:
Black Historical Sensory Figures
Historical Figures & Cultural Icons Sensory Figures
Historical Americans Sensory Figures
Athletes and Sports Sensory Figures
Early Peoples and Ancient Civilizations Sensory Figures Bundle
Scientists and Inventors Sensory Figures
Women in History Sensory Figures

If you’re interested in other social studies related products, please visit my store!