Research an Activist
Choose an activist, research their life and achievements, create a short poster or booklet with timeline, key facts, and why they inspire you.
Step-by-step guide to research an activist
Youth Activism: Activating Your Voice | Hannah Testa | TEDxAlpharettaWomen
Step 1
Choose an activist you want to learn about and say their name out loud.
Step 2
Ask an adult to help you find two or three reliable sources like a kid's book or a trusted website.
Step 3
Read or listen to your sources and look for important events in the activist's life.
Step 4
Write six to eight short notes of key facts and dates on scrap paper.
Step 5
Pick five or six of those important events to put on your timeline.
Step 6
Use your poster paper and draw a straight line with your pencil for the timeline.
Step 7
Write each chosen event in order on the timeline and add a short date or year for each.
Step 8
Attach a picture of the activist next to the timeline.
Step 9
Write three or four short bullet points listing the activist's main achievements.
Step 10
Write one short sentence explaining why this activist inspires you.
Step 11
Decorate and color your poster to make it bright and easy to read.
Step 12
Share your finished creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have poster paper or a printed picture to attach to the timeline?
If you don't have poster paper, tape together printer paper or use a piece of cardboard or butcher paper as your poster, and if you can't print a photo, draw the activist, cut an image from a magazine, or take a phone picture to tape next to your timeline.
I'm having trouble keeping events in order and drawing a straight line—what should I do?
Lay out your six to eight short notes on scrap paper and arrange the five or six chosen events in chronological order before using a ruler and pencil to draw a straight line and write each event with its date on the timeline.
How can this activity be changed for younger kids or made harder for older kids?
For younger children, use one adult-read kid's book or website, pick 3–4 key events, and place them on a preprinted timeline with stickers, while older kids can consult two or three reliable sources, write six to eight short notes, add exact dates and three to four achievement bullet points, and include source citations.
What are some ways to extend or personalize the finished activist poster before sharing on DIY.org?
Enhance your poster by color-coding events with markers, adding a short handwritten sentence about why the activist inspires you, gluing on a small map or timeline key, and including a list of the trusted sources you used.
Watch videos on how to research an activist
Want to be a youth activist? Here are some tips | CBC Kids News
3 Videos
Want to be a youth activist? Here are some tips | CBC Kids News
How Social Media Is Impacting Youth Activism (In The Loop)
Why Do Young People Get Involved in Social Movements? | National Geographic
Facts about social activism and biographies
🌍 Greta Thunberg started the global "Fridays for Future" school strike for climate, inspiring students around the world.
🎓 Malala Yousafzai became the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate at 17 for her work advocating girls' education.
🕊️ Martin Luther King Jr. helped lead the 1963 March on Washington where over 200,000 people gathered for civil rights.
🏛️ Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison opposing apartheid and later became South Africa's first Black president.
🌱 Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement and helped plant over 51 million trees to fight deforestation.
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