About Wisconsin Biographies
Wisconsin Biographies
- Tag: English Language Arts
- Tag: Wisconsin History
- Tag: Grades 3–6
Wisconsin is shaped by people who have made history: the freedom seekers, community builders, innovators of industry, land protectors, and more. The Wisconsin Biographies collection brings their stories to life for learners today with short animated videos, digital books, historical images, and extension activity ideas that support academic standards. Visit the Educator Resources page for a quick-start chart for the collection, and guides for each story.
Learning Goals
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Discover
Discover life stories from Wisconsinites of the past and recognize their contributions to history.
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Interpret
Interpret informational and multimodal texts in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
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Relate
Identify connections between past and present, and relate to the lives of people who made Wisconsin history.
Story Spotlight
Elizabeth Baird
Life in Territorial Wisconsin
1810–1890
Elizabeth Baird was a woman with fierce determination living on the Wisconsin frontier. She taught herself English and worked as an interpreter in her husband’s law firm, all while operating her family’s farm and recording her memoirs. Her descriptions about the fur trade, 1800s Green Bay, and the Peshtigo Fire offer a window into life in early Wisconsin.
Explore the Collection
Partners
Funding provided by
Quotation
“We must include a variety of perspectives to make history fascinating enough for our students to make a connection. This collection helps instill curiosity about the past, shows that the improbable can actually become possible; and may even inspire the life of the learner.”