Women in History Sensory Figure Body Biographies

Description

Sensory figures, also known as body biographies, are great for characterization or biography projects and helping students analyze people or characters from multiple angles. This set would be great for Women’s History Month. Read more about how sensory figures can enhance your lessons below! If you’re looking for a digital version of this resource, find it here.

The sensory figures can be printed in either black and white or colored versions. This set of 31 historical and modern day women includes the following people:

1. Louisa May Alcott
2. Maya Angelou
3. Joan of Arc
4. Ann Bancroft
5. Clara Barton
6. Hillary Clinton
7. Marie Curie
8. Queen Elizabeth II
9. Anne Frank
10. Indira Gandhi
11. Althea Gibson
12. Jane Goodall
13. Whoopi Goldberg
14. Audrey Hepburn
15. Katharine Hepburn
16. Mae Jemison
17. Frida Kahlo
18. Jackie Joyner-Kersee
19. Billie Jean King
20. Aung San Suu Kyi
21. Florence Nightingale
22. Sandra Day O’Conner
23. Irma Rangel
24. Betsy Ross
25. J.K. Rowling
26. Sonia Sotomayor
27. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
28. Mother Teresa
29. Margaret Thatcher
30. Laura Ingalls Wilder
31. Oprah Winfrey

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

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.

You may also be interested in this Women’s History Month Interactive Fan

You may also be interested in other sensory figures:
⭐ Ancient China Sensory Figures
⭐ Ancient Egypt Sensory Figures
⭐ Ancient Greece Sensory Figures
⭐ Ancient India Sensory Figures
⭐ Ancient Rome Sensory Figures
⭐ Presidents of the United States Sensory Figures
⭐ Mesopotamia Sensory Figures FREE
⭐ Kingdom of Kush Sensory Figures
⭐ Early Hebrews Sensory Figures
⭐ Early Hunters, Gatherers, and Farmers Sensory Figures

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