how to teach writing biography

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6 Steps to Teach Students How to Write a Biography

February 8, 2024 by Evan-Moor | 0 comments

Biographies are a key genre in storytelling. We wouldn’t know as much about Albert Einstein, Maya Angelou, Abraham Lincoln, or Mother Teresa if it weren’t for biographies! Even in our day-to-day lives, we share biographies when talking about other people, famous or not. A biography gives important information about a person’s life and describes major events in the order in which they happened.

Informational Writing and Biographies

Reading biographies is a critical part of learning in all school subjects; however, learning how to write biographies is just as imperative. Biographies are a type of informational writing or writing that aims to explain a topic to a reader. An informational text is not always about a person like a biography; an informational text might be about animals, science experiments, or historical events. Learning how to do informational writing is special, as kids can then effectively communicate what they learn to others. When studying informational writing, children learn skills such as research, note-taking, and organizing facts. More specifically, writing biographies teaches children how to recount history, think chronologically, identify major events, synthesize information, and retell stories creatively.

Steps to Teaching Biographies

Introduce a biography and read it together..

The first step in teaching how to write a biography is explaining what a biography is by providing an example of one.

This free Evan-Moor “Writing A Biography” lesson from Nonfiction Writing grade two includes guided instruction and practice activities to help students understand the important elements in a biography.

Download this “Writing a Biography” unit here .

While reading the biography that you selected to share with the children, ask questions such as:

• What is the purpose of the biography?
• Why is this a good biography?
• Does the first sentence say who it is about and why they are important?
• Does the biography provide interesting facts about the person’s life?
• Are the events told in the order in which they occurred?

Integrate biographies into students reading and have them read biographies to classmates to get familiar with the genre.

Find important information.

Remind your students that a biography gives important information about someone. To practice identifying important information, read a biography and ask the questions:

• Who is the biography about?
• When and where was this person born?
• What is this person known for?

This nonfiction reading unit from Reading Comprehension: Nonfiction tells the story of Benjamin Banneker and how his scientific accomplishments helped to change attitudes about African Americans. It includes close reading activities to guide students in identifying important information. 

Download these free printables here . 

Choose good details.

Not all information about a person is needed in a biography. Some facts are more important than others, which is why children should learn to choose only the necessary details. One way to teach children how to choose good details is to check in with them when reading a biography and ask:

• Are these details important?
• Which details are not important?

Write a good beginning.

A good beginning of a biography includes who the biography is about and why the person is important. This should appear in the very first sentence of the biography. Have students practice writing first sentences of biographies with two pieces of information: a name and why the person is important.

Organize a biography.

Biographies are organized chronologically. For the children to practice identifying events in the order in which they happened, have the kids numerically order a list of events and then turn the events into full sentences. You can even encourage the children to draw out a timeline.

Review and edit a biography.

The final step in teaching children to write a biography is to have them review a biography, pinpointing what was done well or what could be improved. After reading a biography together, review it by asking the questions:

• Why is the person important?
• Does the very first sentence tell us who the person is and why they are important?
• Are the details in chronological order?
• What details are not important in the biography and can be excluded?

Introduce young minds to a wide range of remarkable people who have shaped our world. This close reading and research process not only helps young learners discover the lives of historical figures but also nurtures their reading, research, and critical thinking skills.

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Natalie Robinson  is a recent Communication Studies graduate from LMU. She has a strong passion for writing and loves children. Having grown up in a Montessori school and later transitioning to public school, Natalie values early childhood education and believes that social and emotional learning should be a core tenet within all homes and classrooms. In writing for Evan-Moor, Natalie hopes to build a career in copywriting and copyediting.

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How to Write a Biography

Biographies are big business. Whether in book form or Hollywood biopics, the lives of the famous and sometimes not-so-famous fascinate us.

While it’s true that most biographies are about people who are in the public eye, sometimes the subject is less well-known. Mostly though, famous or not, the person who is written about has led a life that is in some way incredible.

While your students will most likely have a basic understanding of a biography, it’s worth taking a little time before they put pen to paper to tease out a crystal clear definition of a biography.

What Is a Biography?

Simply put, a biography is an account of someone’s life written by someone else . While there is a genre known as a fictional biography, for the most part, biographies are, by definition, nonfiction.

Generally speaking, biographies provide an account of the subject’s life from the earliest days of their childhood right up to the present day or their death if the subject is deceased.

The job of a biography is more than just to outline the bare facts of a person’s life.

Rather than just listing the basic details of their upbringing, hobbies, education, work, relationships, and death, a well-written biography should also paint a picture of the subject’s personality, and as well as their experience of life.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON TEACHING BIOGRAPHIES

Teach your students to write AMAZING BIOGRAPHIES & AUTOBIOGRAPHIES using proven RESEARCH SKILLS and WRITING STRATEGIES .

• Understand the purpose of both forms of biography.
• Explore the language and perspective of both.
• Prompts and Challenges to engage students in writing a biography.
• Dedicated lessons for both forms of biography.
• Biographical Projects can expand students’ understanding of reading and writing a biography.
• A COMPLETE 82-PAGE UNIT – NO PREPARATION REQUIRED.

What Are the Main Features of a Biography?

Before students begin writing a biography, they’ll need to have a firm grasp of the main features of the genre. A good way to determine how well they understand these essential elements of the genre is by asking them to compile a checklist.

At a minimum, their checklists should contain the items below. Be sure to help them fill in any gaps before moving on to the writing process.

The purpose of a biography is to provide an account of someone’s life.

Biography structure.

ORIENTATION (BEGINNING) Open your biography with a strong hook to grab the reader’s attention

SEQUENCING: In most cases, biographies are written in chronological order unless you are a very competent writer consciously trying to break from this trend.

COVER: childhood, upbringing, education, influences, accomplishments, relationships, etc. – everything that helps the reader to understand the person.

CONCLUSION: Wrap your biography up with some details about what the subject is doing now if they are still alive. If they have passed away, make mention of what impact they have made and what their legacy is or will be.

BIOGRAPHY FEATURES

LANGUAGE Use descriptive and figurative language that will paint images inside your audience’s minds as they read. Use time connectives to link events.

PERSPECTIVE Biographies are written from the third person’s perspective.

DETAILS: Give specific details about people, places, events, times, dates, etc. Reflect on how events shaped the subject. You might want to include some relevant photographs with captions. A timeline may also be of use depending upon your subject and what you are trying to convey to your audience.

TENSE Written in the past tense (though ending may shift to the present/future tense)

THE PROCESS OF WRITING A BIOGRAPHY

Like any form of writing, you will find it simple if you have a plan and follow it through. These steps will ensure you cover the essential bases of writing a biography essay.

Firstly, select a subject that inspires you. Someone whose life story resonates with you and whose contribution to society intrigues you. The next step is to conduct thorough research. Engage in extensive reading, explore various sources, watch documentaries, and glean all available information to provide a comprehensive account of the person’s life.

Creating an outline is essential to organize your thoughts and information. The outline should include the person’s early life, education, career, achievements, and any other significant events or contributions. It serves as a map for the writing process, ensuring that all vital information is included.

Your biography should have an engaging introduction that captivates the reader’s attention and provides background information on the person you’re writing about. It should include a thesis statement that summarizes the main points of the biography.

Writing a biography in chronological order is crucial . You should begin with the person’s early life and move through their career and achievements. This approach provides clarity on how the person’s life unfolded and how they accomplished their goals.

A biography should be written in a narrative style , capturing the essence of the person’s life through vivid descriptions, anecdotes, and quotes. Avoid dry, factual writing and focus on creating a compelling narrative that engages the reader.

Adding personal insights and opinions can enhance the biography’s overall impact, providing a unique perspective on the person’s achievements, legacy, and impact on society.

Editing and proofreading are vital elements of the writing process. Thoroughly reviewing your biography ensures that the writing is clear, concise, and error-free. You can even request feedback from someone else to ensure that it is engaging and well-written.

Finally, including a bibliography at the end of your biography is essential. It gives credit to the sources that were used during research, such as books, articles, interviews, and websites.

Tips for Writing a Brilliant Biography

Biography writing tip #1: choose your subject wisely.

There are several points for students to reflect on when deciding on a subject for their biography. Let’s take a look at the most essential points to consider when deciding on the subject for a biography:

Interest: To produce a biography will require sustained writing from the student. That’s why students must choose their subject well. After all, a biography is an account of someone’s entire life to date. Students must ensure they choose a subject that will sustain their interest throughout the research, writing, and editing processes.

Merit: Closely related to the previous point, students must consider whether the subject merits the reader’s interest. Aside from pure labors of love, writing should be undertaken with the reader in mind. While producing a biography demands sustained writing from the author, it also demands sustained reading from the reader.

Therefore, students should ask themselves if their chosen subject has had a life worthy of the reader’s interest and the time they’d need to invest in reading their biography.

Information: Is there enough information available on the subject to fuel the writing of an entire biography? While it might be a tempting idea to write about a great-great-grandfather’s experience in the war. There would be enough interest there to sustain the author’s and the reader’s interest, but do you have enough access to information about their early childhood to do the subject justice in the form of a biography?

Biography Writing Tip #2: R esearch ! Research! Research!

While the chances are good that the student already knows quite a bit about the subject they’ve chosen. Chances are 100% that they’ll still need to undertake considerable research to write their biography.

As with many types of writing , research is an essential part of the planning process that shouldn’t be overlooked. If a student wishes to give as complete an account of their subject’s life as possible, they’ll need to put in the time at the research stage.

An effective way to approach the research process is to:

1. Compile a chronological timeline of the central facts, dates, and events of the subject’s life

2. Compile detailed descriptions of the following personal traits:

•      Physical looks
•      Character traits
•      Values and beliefs

3. Compile some research questions based on different topics to provide a focus for the research:

• Childhood : Where and when were they born? Who were their parents? Who were the other family members? What education did they receive?
• Obstacles: What challenges did they have to overcome? How did these challenges shape them as individuals?
• Legacy: What impact did this person have on the world and/or the people around them?
• Dialogue & Quotes: Dialogue and quotations by and about the subject are a great way to bring color and life to a biography. Students should keep an eagle eye out for the gems that hide amid their sources.

As the student gets deeper into their research, new questions will arise that can further fuel the research process and help to shape the direction the biography will ultimately go in.

Likewise, during the research, themes will often begin to suggest themselves. Exploring these themes is essential to bring depth to biography, but we’ll discuss this later in this article.

Research Skills:

Researching for biography writing is an excellent way for students to hone their research skills in general. Developing good research skills is essential for future academic success. Students will have opportunities to learn how to:

• Gather relevant information
• Evaluate different information sources
• Select suitable information
• Organize information into a text.

Students will have access to print and online information sources, and, in some cases, they may also have access to people who knew or know the subject (e.g. biography of a family member).

These days, much of the research will likely take place online. It’s crucial, therefore, to provide your students with guidance on how to use the internet safely and evaluate online sources for reliability. This is the era of ‘ fake news ’ and misinformation after all!

COMPLETE TEACHING UNIT ON INTERNET RESEARCH SKILLS USING GOOGLE SEARCH

Teach your students ESSENTIAL SKILLS OF THE INFORMATION ERA to become expert DIGITAL RESEARCHERS.

⭐How to correctly ask questions to search engines on all devices.

⭐ How to filter and refine your results to find exactly what you want every time.

⭐ Essential Research and critical thinking skills for students.

⭐ Plagiarism, Citing and acknowledging other people’s work.

⭐ How to query, synthesize and record your findings logically.

BIOGRAPHY WRITING Tip #3: Find Your Themes In Biography Writing

Though predominantly a nonfiction genre, the story still plays a significant role in good biography writing. The skills of characterization and plot structuring are transferable here. And, just like in fiction, exploring themes in a biographical work helps connect the personal to the universal. Of course, these shouldn’t be forced; this will make the work seem contrived, and the reader may lose faith in the truthfulness of the account. A biographer needs to gain and maintain the trust of the reader.

Fortunately, themes shouldn’t need to be forced. A life well-lived is full of meaning, and the themes the student writer is looking for will emerge effortlessly from the actions and events of the subject’s life. It’s just a case of learning how to spot them.

One way to identify the themes in a life is to look for recurring events or situations in a person’s life. These should be apparent from the research completed previously. The students should seek to identify these patterns that emerge in the subject’s life. For example, perhaps they’ve had to overcome various obstacles throughout different periods of their life. In that case, the theme of overcoming adversity is present and has been identified.

Usually, a biography has several themes running throughout, so be sure your students work to identify more than one theme in their subject’s life.

BIOGRAPHY WRITING Tip: #4 Put Something of Yourself into the Writing

While the defining feature of a biography is that it gives an account of a person’s life, students must understand that this is not all a biography does. Relating the facts and details of a subject’s life is not enough. The student biographer should not be afraid to share their thoughts and feelings with the reader throughout their account of their subject’s life.

The student can weave some of their personality into the fabric of the text by providing commentary and opinion as they relate the events of the person’s life and the wider social context at the time. Unlike the detached and objective approach we’d expect to find in a history textbook, in a biography, student-writers should communicate their enthusiasm for their subject in their writing.

This makes for a more intimate experience for the reader, as they get a sense of getting to know the author and the subject they are writing about.

Student Examples of Biography Writing

• Year 5 Example
• Year 7 Example
• Year 9 Example

“The Rock ‘n’ Roll King: Elvis Presley”

Elvis Aaron Presley, born on January 8, 1935, was an amazing singer and actor known as the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Even though he’s been dead for nearly 50 years, I can’t help but be fascinated by his incredible life!

Elvis grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi, in a tiny house with his parents and twin brother. His family didn’t have much money, but they shared a love for music. Little did they know Elvis would become a music legend!

When he was only 11 years old, Elvis got his first guitar. He taught himself to play and loved singing gospel songs. As he got older, he started combining different music styles like country, blues, and gospel to create a whole new sound – that’s Rock ‘n’ Roll!

In 1954, at the age of 19, Elvis recorded his first song, “That’s All Right.” People couldn’t believe how unique and exciting his music was. His famous hip-swinging dance moves also made him a sensation!

Elvis didn’t just rock the music scene; he also starred in movies like “Love Me Tender” and “Jailhouse Rock.” But fame came with challenges. Despite facing ups and downs, Elvis kept spreading happiness through his music.

Tragically, Elvis passed away in 1977, but his music and charisma live on. Even today, people worldwide still enjoy his songs like “Hound Dog” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Elvis Presley’s legacy as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll will live forever.

Long Live the King: I wish I’d seen him.

Elvis Presley, the Rock ‘n’ Roll legend born on January 8, 1935, is a captivating figure that even a modern-day teen like me can’t help but admire. As I delve into his life, I wish I could have experienced the magic of his live performances.

Growing up in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis faced challenges but found solace in music. At 11, he got his first guitar, a symbol of his journey into the world of sound. His fusion of gospel, country, and blues into Rock ‘n’ Roll became a cultural phenomenon.

The thought of being in the audience during his early performances, especially when he recorded “That’s All Right” at 19, sends shivers down my spine. Imagining the crowd’s uproar and feeling the revolutionary energy of that moment is a dream I wish I could have lived.

Elvis wasn’t just a musical prodigy; he was a dynamic performer. His dance moves, the embodiment of rebellion, and his roles in films like “Love Me Tender” and “Jailhouse Rock” made him a true icon.

After watching him on YouTube, I can’t help but feel a little sad that I’ll never witness the King’s live performances. The idea of swaying to “Hound Dog” or being enchanted by “Can’t Help Falling in Love” in person is a missed opportunity. Elvis may have left us in 1977, but he was the king of rock n’ roll. Long live the King!

Elvis Presley: A Teen’s Take on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Icon”

Elvis Presley, born January 8, 1935, was a revolutionary force in the music world, earning his title as the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Exploring his life, even as a 16-year-old today, I’m captivated by the impact he made.

Hailing from Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis grew up in humble beginnings, surrounded by the love of his parents and twin brother. It’s inspiring to think that, despite financial challenges, this young man would redefine the music scene.

At 11, Elvis got his first guitar, sparking a self-taught journey into music. His early gospel influences evolved into a unique fusion of country, blues, and gospel, creating the electrifying genre of Rock ‘n’ Roll. In 1954, at only 19, he recorded “That’s All Right,” marking the birth of a musical legend.

Elvis wasn’t just a musical innovator; he was a cultural phenomenon. His rebellious dance moves and magnetic stage presence challenged the norms. He transitioned seamlessly into acting, starring in iconic films like “Love Me Tender” and “Jailhouse Rock.”

However, fame came at a cost, and Elvis faced personal struggles. Despite the challenges, his music continued to resonate. Even now, classics like “Hound Dog” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” transcend generations.

Elvis Presley’s impact on music and culture is undeniable. He was known for his unique voice, charismatic persona, and electrifying performances. He sold over one billion records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling solo artists in history. He received numerous awards throughout his career, including three Grammy Awards and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Elvis’s influence can still be seen in today’s music. Many contemporary artists, such as Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, and Justin Timberlake, have cited Elvis as an inspiration. His music continues to be featured in movies, TV shows, and commercials.

Elvis left us in 1977, but his legacy lives on. I appreciate his breaking barriers and fearlessly embracing his artistic vision. Elvis Presley’s impact on music and culture is timeless, a testament to the enduring power of his artistry. His music has inspired generations and will continue to do so for many years to come.

Teaching Resources

Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.

BIOGRAPHY WRITING TEACHING IDEAS AND LESSONS

We have compiled a sequence of biography-related lessons or teaching ideas that you can follow as you please. They are straightforward enough for most students to follow without further instruction.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 1:

This session aims to give students a broader understanding of what makes a good biography.

Once your students have compiled a comprehensive checklist of the main features of a biography, allow them to use it to assess some biographies from your school library or on the internet using the feature checklist.

When students have assessed a selection of biographies, take some time as a class to discuss them. You can base the discussion around the following prompts:

• Which biographies covered all the criteria from their checklist?
• Which biographies didn’t?
• Which biography was the most readable in terms of structure?
• Which biography do you think was the least well-structured? How would you improve this?

Looking at how other writers have interpreted the form will help students internalize the necessary criteria before attempting to produce a biography. Once students have a clear understanding of the main features of the biography, they’re ready to begin work on writing a biography.

When the time does come to put pen to paper, be sure they’re armed with the following top tips to help ensure they’re as well prepared as possible.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 2:

This session aims to guide students through the process of selecting the perfect biography subject.

Instruct students to draw up a shortlist of three potential subjects for the biography they’ll write.

Using the three criteria mentioned in the writing guide (Interest, Merit, and Information), students award each potential subject a mark out of 5 for each of the criteria. In this manner, students can select the most suitable subject for their biography.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 3:

This session aims to get students into the researching phase and then prioritise events and organise them chronologically.

Students begin by making a timeline of their subject’s life, starting with their birth and ending with their death or the present day. If the student has yet to make a final decision on the subject of their biography, a family member will often serve well for this exercise as a practice exercise.

Students should research and gather the key events of the person’s life, covering each period of their life from when they were a baby, through childhood and adolescence, right up to adulthood and old age. They should then organize these onto a timeline. Students can include photographs with captions if they have them.

They can present these to the class when they have finished their timelines.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 4:

Instruct students to look over their timeline, notes, and other research. Challenge them to identify three patterns that repeat throughout the subject’s life and sort all the related events and incidents into specific categories.

Students should then label each category with a single word. This is the thematic concept or the broad general underlying idea. After that, students should write a sentence or two expressing what the subject’s life ‘says’ about that concept.

This is known as the thematic statement . With the thematic concepts and thematic statements identified, the student now has some substantial ideas to explore that will help bring more profound meaning and wider resonance to their biography.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 5:

Instruct students to write a short objective account of an event in their own life. They can write about anyone from their past. It needn’t be more than a couple of paragraphs, but the writing should be strictly factual, focusing only on the objective details of what happened.

Once they have completed this, it’s time to rewrite the paragraph, but they should include some opinion and personal commentary this time.

The student here aims to inject some color and personality into their writing, to transform a detached, factual account into a warm, engaging story.

Get our FREE Biography Writing Graphic Organizer

Use this valuable tool in the research and writing phases to keep your students on track and engaged.

WRITING CHECKLIST & RUBRIC BUNDLE

To Conclude

By this stage, your students should have an excellent technical overview of a biography’s essential elements.

They should be able to choose their subject in light of how interesting and worthy they are, as well as give consideration to the availability of information out there. They should be able to research effectively and identify emerging themes in their research notes. And finally, they should be able to bring some of their personality and uniqueness into their retelling of the life of another.

Remember that writing a biography is not only a great way to develop a student’s writing skills; it can be used in almost all curriculum areas. For example, to find out more about a historical figure in History, to investigate scientific contributions to Science, or to celebrate a hero from everyday life.

Biography is an excellent genre for students to develop their writing skills and to find inspiration in the lives of others in the world around them.

HOW TO WRITE A BIOGRAPHY TUTORIAL VIDEO

OTHER GREAT ARTICLES RELATED TO BIOGRAPHY WRITING

How to write an Autobiography

How to Write a Historical Recount Text

15 Awesome Recount & Personal Narrative Topics

Personal Narrative Writing Guide

WOULD YOU LIKE ACCESS TO ALL THE FREEBIES FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS? ➔

Teaching Biographies To Elementary Students (Grades 1-5) in 2024

Teaching biographies can feel intimidating at first, but once you have a solid understanding of the genre, a roadmap of how to teach it, and teaching resources and activities, it’s easy! This post will equip you with all of that and more! You’ll feel prepared (and maybe even excited) about teaching biographies (especially if you are using this biography project and these biography activities )!

The Benefits Of Students Reading Biographies

There are so many benefits of teaching biographies and autobiographies! Readers are transported into that person’s life. They learn all about the person’s achievements, struggles, culture, life lessons, and personality. Biographies can also teach us about the world through the eyes of the subject while allowing the reader to make connections to them. Most students can find biographies they enjoy when they find people to read about that connect with their likes and dislikes to top it off. 

How To Introduce The Biography Genre To Students

The easiest way to introduce and teach biographies is by gathering as many biographies and autobiographies as possible from your classroom library, school, and public library. Make sure that all the books you collect are around your student’s reading levels. This idea works for any theme.

Then, set out the books you collected on each of your students’ tables and have them explore. Ask them to write down what they notice. What do all the books have in common? Have students write down their findings on chart paper. 

Next, have each table share with the class what they noticed. They should come up with some ideas like: 

• They are all about people.
• The person accomplished something big.
• They all include essential dates or a timeline of the person’s life.
• They included real pictures or illustrations of the person.
• The books all tell factual information, and there are no made-up stories.

Lastly, tell students that books with these characteristics are called biographies or autobiographies. Be sure to tell students the difference between biographies and autobiographies too. Create an anchor chart to hang up for students to reference throughout your biography unit! 

4 Ideas For Biography Mini Lessons

After introducing biographies, try one of these mini-lesson ideas for teaching biographies! 

• Have students pick a person they are interested in learning more about. Then have them find books about the person and complete a research project about that person to present to the class. You could even take it a few steps further and have students share what they learned in costume as the person they researched in a wax museum activity! 
• Have students create a social media page of the person they learned about in their biography
• Have students read about a person of interest, and then write journal entries as that person. 
• You could make it seasonal! Around fall, have students paint a pumpkin like a person they read about and present important events or accomplishments as they share their pumpkin. In spring, students could make biography flowers where the center was a photo of the person, and the petals are important events and accomplishments. 

Strategies For Using Mentor Texts To Model Reading Biographies

Teaching biographies is simple when you use these strategies!

First, pick any biography or autobiography mentor text and read it aloud. Ok, maybe not ANY. Be sure to choose one that will be engaging to your students. Think about the things they enjoy and go from there. I love picture books because students can generally read them in one session. (Make sure you preview the text first and mark with sticky notes to remember to stop and discuss during the read-aloud!)

Stop at important dates, accomplishments, life lessons, or significant life events to discuss. I even stop to discuss any figurative language or text features included. This will help students with both reading and writing! Students generally have TONS of connections to share during biography read alouds that lead to great conversations. 

How To Teach Students To Write Biography Reports

One way to help students learn how to write biographies is to write their first one about themselves! Students can brainstorm what should be included in their biography by creating a timeline that includes important events in their life. Then, they use the timeline to help them write their biography in chronological order. You can model this with a biography about yourself on an anchor chart for students to use if they need help. This is also an excellent way to get to know each other at the beginning of the year! 

When it comes to writing biographies about other people, students need to have read several biographies to get an idea of how authors organize this type of writing. When you read aloud, be sure to point out that authors of biographies generally write the story of the person’s life from beginning to end. So students will need to be familiar with sequential order/chronological order text organization. Have students fill in a timeline when you model during read alouds. Point out that biographies usually focus on a part of the person’s life that taught them a life lesson. This biography project and biography activities are great resources for teaching biographies.

Resources for Teaching Biographies

Here are some resources for teaching biography:

1. Biography Project for Elementary Students

Are you looking to begin using a biography project ? Perhaps you are just looking for something better than you already use. If so, this is the resource you need! It is a great resource for teaching elementary students about biographies.

This is a great project to complement a genre study of biographies, an author study, social studies concepts and more. I’ve recently updated the entire product so that it now includes an option to do the Living Biography Museum where families come into school and the students “perform” in character OR can instead be used simply as an independent research project in class or as a homework assignment.

The twist is that instead of having the students dress in costume (which can be a hassle for the parents since most kids can’t put their own costume together) they make a poster board costume with a space for their head to pop through.

A-DOR-ABLE!!!

In the past I’ve done the living museum and had students prepare a brief speech to recite in character. This year I opted to send it home as a homework project and will instead take their photos with their poster board and display them with the written report.

This download now includes BOTH the original version and my new and improved updated version as well. If you have high achieving students who need enrichment this is a perfect activity for them to do on their own or you can use it with an entire class. It’s ideal for grades 2-5.

This biography project contains everything you need to have your students complete a project of their very own to present in class or at a Living Biography Museum.

What is included in this biography project?

Make teaching biographies fun by incorporating this biography project , which includes the following:

• Grading rubrics / criteria checklist
• Graphic organizer to plan writing
• Graphic organizer to record sources
• Student writing pages
• Poster board visual directions 

5 Reasons Why Teachers Love It

Below are 5 reasons why teachers love using this resource for teaching biographies.

• This comprehensive biography project includes differentiated materials, so all you will be able to meet all of your students’ needs and your they will feel successful.
• The project makes a challenging concept accessible for elementary students.
• This resource facilitates a fun hands-on learning experience that offers opportunities for students to practice important skills without them even realizing it.
• This print and go resource will save you lots of time planning and prepping.
• It is aligned to the Common Core Standards, so it will give you peace of mind knowing your students are practicing important grade level skills.

How to Implement the Project in Your Classroom

You can either do a Living Biography Museum where families come in to school and the students perform in character or it can instead be used simply as an independent research project in class or as a homework assignment.

How I Used the Resources in My Classroom to Teach Biography

We had so much fun making these bio poster boards.

As a bonus, the kids learned a ton.

I started by having them complete oodles of activities from my biography activities packet which acquainted them with a whole bunch of famous folks.

Then I had them work in teams to research Benjamin Franklin. They had discussions about why he was famous. They talked about his accomplishments. Finally, they each wrote about him in the 1st person and performed a monologue as if they were Ben.

To make it oh-so-much-more-fun, I gave them each a poster board to use as a “costume.”

I’m now having them each select their own historical figure of choice to repeat the process as an independent project at home.

I seriously loved this project. The kids did too.

They enjoyed walking around wearing their poster boards and singing, “Who flew a kite in a storm and made history… Ben Franklin Square Pants.”

They also enjoyed having “conversations” with each other while wearing the poster board.

Kid 1: Hey Ben

Kid 2: Yo Ben

Me: **Listening carefully how this conversation is going to go.**

Kid 1: Ben, I really liked how you proved lightning was electricity.

Kid 2: Thanks Ben. You know you’re awesome, right? I mean, you signed the Declaration of Independence and all.

Kid 1: I know dude, right? I totally rock!

And then there was the boy who did a stellar job with his presentation… and then ended it by yelling, “Thank you Philadelphia. Ben Franklin has left the building.”

Third graders make me laugh.

2. Biography Activities for Elementary Students

These biography activities are great resources for teaching biographies to elementary students. It provides teachers with no prep printable biography activities that can be used over and over when studying any person.

This unit was designed to enhance the study of individuals. The activities can be used as part of a genre study or within the content areas. I have also used them with author studies and have had the children complete them as autobiographies about themselves.

What is included in this resource?

This biography activities resource includes 7 activities. Learn about them below!

1. Biography Poster

Students gather information about any individual and use their research to create an 8.5 x 11 inch poster. The poster has spaces to record the person’s name, date of birth, place of birth, interesting facts, reasons of importance and character traits. They then draw a portrait of their individual.

2. My Life in Pictures: A Scrapbook Biography Project

To complete this biography, activity the student will take on the role of the individual they are studying. The student can either draw illustrations or print and attach photos highlighting important parts of the individual’s life. The student then writes captions. This biography report is so much more fun than writing an essay and more pages can be added as enrichment.

3. Top-Down Topic Web

This graphic organizer shows the relationships to the main idea and details. They represent main ideas in a hierarchy. These research-based tools help the students to comprehend what they have read because it organizes ideas in a systematic, visual graph.

4. The Important Book Biography Activity

The Important Book is a great book for teaching students about writing patterns. This activity was modeled after the format of that book and was designed to encourage students to identify key, important facts about the person they are studying. It makes a great bulletin board display.

5. Body Biography

A Body Biography project is a combination of artwork and writing. The packet includes a poster to use as directions or to display with the students’ completed biography projects. They complete sections such as a speech bubble with a quote by the individual, a thought bubble to show what they have thought about, shoes labeled with places the person has been, a heart filled with character traits. They then draw objects in the hands that relate to the person and create a background that tells the viewer more about the historical figure.

6. Timeline Biography Report

Unlike a lengthy written report, this is a creative way to showcase important events in the person’s life. Students identify key moments and tell about them in words and pictures. They are added to a foldable accordion booklet in sequential order.

7. I AM Poem

An I AM Poem is typically completed as an autobiography. I also have my students do one about themselves to learn more about them. The format is also great for showing what they know about a person they have learned about. The students take on the role of that person to write the poem in the first person.

• These biographies activities are high-interest for students, so they’ll be motivated to learn through reading and researching.
• This comprehensive resource includes differentiated materials, so all you will be able to meet all of your students’ needs and your students will feel successful.
• Your principal, colleagues and school librarian will be impressed by the creative methods of sharing learned information and the integrated learning that takes place.
• The resources can be used with an biography study and be used over and over again.

How to Implement it in Your Classroom

It’s part of our social studies curriculum and technically it is a study of Massachusetts Biographies, but we began learning about the genre with a mini-study of Martin Luther King Jr.

I read several picture books and the students buddy read a free printable reader from A to Z.

We created a top-down web listing information that we learned about MLK.

Then I read The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown, and the students completed an activity I created for my biography packet that was inspired by the book. They used the same format as Brown’s book to compose their own version, “The important thing about Martin Luther King Jr. is…”

Finally, each of my friends made a portrait of MLK using the directions from TLC. They came out crazy cute. I hung each of them up even though I’ll probably take them down and send them home soon. They were just too adorable not to display.

Today, we did another activity (The I Am Poem) from the biography activities packet and a craftivity to go with it. I really feel like I am able to get to know my students on a completely different level through projects like these. They really open up and share such sweet ideas and insight into who they are.

3. Biography Picture Books

Belo are 4 high-quality biography children’s books for elementary students.

1. Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport

Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport is a nonfiction picture book that teaches children about the life and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Students will learn what life was like for Martin growing up and how he became a leader in the fight for equal rights.

Throughout the book, the author includes actual quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. This book explains how Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged people to use their words to make change and the impact he had on the country. This story follows Martin all the way from childhood through the end of his life.

I liked this book so much I added it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these Martin’s Big Words activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

2. The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles

The Story of Ruby Bridges details the struggles that six-year old Ruby Bridges endured when she was chosen to attend an all-white, segregated school as a black girl.

All of the other students’ parents pulled their children out of school because of her, and so she was forced to attend class all alone. She was escorted by U.S. Marshalls every morning, as she had to listen to jeers and insults being thrown at her while she was entering the school.

Despite these hardships, Ruby’s courage through non-violent actions did so much for the civil rights movement, and later that year, two white boys started to attend school with her. This inspirational true story teaches children that, no matter what age you are, anyone can be a trailblazer for change.

I liked this book so much I will be adding it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these The Story of Ruby Bridges activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

3. The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca

The story The Girl Who Thought in Pictures follows the life of Temple Grandin. The story starts off with Temple being born, and the doctors thinking that she needed to be sent away because she was different. Temple liked to watch things spin, did not like loud noises or crowds, anything that was itchy, or big squeezy hugs. She also did not talk until she was three. Temple got diagnosed with Autism. Her mom said that Temple was “different, not less.”

When Temple goes to school, the children there would tease her relentlessly. One day, Temple’s mom thinks that it would be better for Temple to stay on her aunt’s ranch. There, Temple finally feels comfortable and explores ways to help animals. Temple goes to college and gets three degrees! Now she travels the world giving speeches and spreading hope. She spreads the message that the world needs brains of all kinds.

I liked this book so much I added it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these The Girl Who Thought in Pictures activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

4. Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre by Anika Denise

The sixth picture book on the list of books that are great for teaching biographies is Planting Stories . It is a biographical picture book about Pura Belpre, who was the first Puerto Rican Librarian in New York City. When she started working the library, she realized that there weren’t any of the stories and folktales that she was familiar with in Puerto Rico. She decides to share her stories during story hour and through puppet shows, and eventually publishes a book.

Pura travels across the country and from classroom to classroom planting her story seeds and educating about her homeland. When she returns to the library, she sees that her story seeds have bloomed and everyone is telling her stories. Students will love learning about Pura and how she shared her stories with children everywhere.

I liked this book so much I added it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these Planting Stories activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

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Thrifty in Third Grade

By Cassie Smith - Engaging Elementary Resources

Teaching Students to Write Biography Reports

Biographies are many students’ first glimpse at history. It is one of my favorite units to teach every year. It is a great opportunity for students to read, research, use technology, and write!

If you’re teaching students to write biography reports this year, then check out how I like to break it down!

Breaking Down Writing a Biography Report (Grades 2-5)

Writing these types of reports is part of the Common Core writing standards for Grades 2-5 as well as many other states’ standards. There are several steps to take as you teach your students to write a biography report.

The first step ALWAYS: Introduce Biographies

Before I even begin to teach my students how to write a biography, I like to read several from our school library.

For second and third grade students :

• Have several biographies in the classroom and give students time to explore the books. Then discuss: What did you notice about all these books? How are they the same? How are they different?
• Discuss genre and introduce biographies.
• Then, I would read them biographies about many different people.

For fourth and fifth grade students :

• Make a class anchor chart discussing what you already know about biographies. Look for gaps in understanding, and make sure students know the main characteristics of a biography.
• Then, read several different biographies about the same person with a focus on the different information each biography shared, as well as what information was the same. Did all of the biographies have the characteristics we listed on our anchor chart?

It is important to make note of the characteristics that biographies have so that when students write their own, they already have an understanding of how they are written!

Once students have been exposed to biographies, you can begin to teach about writing them.

Discuss Text Structure of Biographies

Depending on the grade you teach, you may not necessarily call it “text structure,” however it is important for students to understand that most biographies are written in a chronological/sequential way.

Since we are writing about someone’s life, it wouldn’t make sense for the report to be out of order.

While we go over this, I like to create a timeline with my students.

If you are using my biography writing units, I recommend:

• Using the mentor text to create a timeline of the subject’s life. You can do this on the board or on chart paper.
• Use the research text to create a timeline of the subject’s life (this is the person the students will write about, and a text is included in the units). For older students, you may choose to have them fill out the timeline on their own.

How to Write an Engaging Introduction for the Biography Report

At the beginning of the report, students should write an engaging introduction that includes one (or both) of two main components.

The introduction should include one (or both) of these components:

• Introduce the subject with their full name and birth information or
• Briefly preview what they are most famous for

Practice writing a variety of introductions and have students choose the one they like the best. ( TIP: Model some poorly written introductions as well , and discuss why those are not a good fit!)

Crafting the Body Paragraphs of the Biography Report

When teaching your students to write biography reports, it is important to explain to them what the body paragraphs should include.

The body paragraphs should include the major events in the person’s life.

Read over the body paragraphs from your mentor text and discuss what was included and what was not included. What was included in the timeline you created? What did you leave out?

You can make a T chart with your students and discuss what are major events in your own life, and what are not.

Writing a Conclusion for the Biography Report

Most conclusions in a biography end with the person’s death.

While this can be noted, it’s important for students to understand that they shouldn’t just end their report with “and then they died in 1894”. It is more important for them to end their report with the legacy of the person.

To help students understand what a person’s legacy means:

• Review and write legacies of other famous individuals from biographies you have read to your class.
• Ask them what their person is most known for (and review their introduction).
• Ask them how this person has impacted other people.

If you are looking for resources for teaching your students to write a biography report, check out my writing units.

These units also include a Google Slides option so you can teach the whole unit digitally!

Preview the grades 2-5 biography writing units here:.

Get resources for teaching your Grades 2-5 students to write a biography report here.

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• Mar 27, 2022

How to Teach Writing Using Biographies, Autobiographies, & Memoirs

Updated: Oct 16, 2022

How do you teach writing using biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs? It's easier than you think!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. It is one of my "go-to" genres to read. I think it is fascinating to read about the adventures of people I am curious about or admire.

One of the most iconic and inspiring autobiographies I read is by Malala Yousafzai. In case you have never hear of her, she is a Pakistani girl who was shot at point-blank range in the head by the Taliban for her outspoken belief that education was for everyone regardless of gender. No one expected her to live. Yet, not only did she survive, Malala went on to win a Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy work in support of girl's education making her the youngest person ever to win the honor.

Needless to say, her story is multifaceted and full of important themes and lessons making her autobiography, I Am Malala, a fantastic example of narrative writing.

When I plan for a novel study unit, I ALWAYS imagine it in coordination with other areas of my day. When planning a unit, I craft each of the lessons for the day in such a way that they "set" the students and I up for some other area of learning that will be tackled later.

Therefore when planning for I Am Malala , I decided ahead of time what kinds of writing lessons, genres, and activities I want to engage my students in and used the book as my jumping off point.

Below is an example of my teaching guide for week 1. In it, I detail the chapters that I want to cover each day and decide what my students will need to know or need to know how to do in order to get them where I need them to be.

In order for the students to get everything I wanted them to get out of "Malala", there were some key things that I needed to teach before I could expect the kids to do them on their own.

* This is one step that most teachers forget about and it is easy to do. Don't assume that students know how to do things like basic note-taking, pull out key vocabulary, or how to analyze texts. Students must be explicitly shown how to take notes, what to do with words they don't know, and how to ask questions, so they can formulate their own ideas and opinions based on what they have read.

In my unit guide for week 1, I built in three (3) days to explicitly teach writing notes in which I will build in a gradual release. On day 1, I'll model note-taking for the students while I "talk aloud to myself" showing the students my own thought process. One day 2, I'll encourage the students to write as I write; taking notes together. The students will help me decide what information, vocabulary, events, etc. are important and should be added to the notes page. And on day 3, the students will de directing our note-taking session. Essentially the students will be telling me what to write rather than me telling them.

Once the students have gotten the hang of note-taking, they will be ready to try this on their own. Within my reading block, I will be asking the students to choose their own biographies to read during reading time. I'll be conferencing with students during our reading block to check for understanding. I may also be going back into I Am Malala to do some close reading based on what my kiddos need.

The goal is for the students to be able to independently use their note-taking skills to take notes in their own autobiographies, biographies, and/or memoirs that they have chosen from the library.

One reading, two activities.

Read first. Write second. This is the predictable pattern that I want my students to internalize so that the writing doesn't interfere with the love of reading. Remember, during the reading block, my goal is to nurture readers and hone their skills as receivers of information. My writing block is where I help build writing skills and encourage the students to develop their own writing voice. Since reading and writing are intrinsically linked, it is easy to get confused; especially when reading bleeds into writing and writing bleeds into reading.

(Read first, write second is a great way to get students reading their reading twice to ensure that they understood what they read since any initial reading is a cold-read and the note-taking read will be a warm-read, or close read.)

On the note-taking page, students are also asked to summarize their reading . This is also a great informal assessment of their reading comprehension and summary writing skills. (I am a HUGE proponent of getting the biggest bang for my buck with lessons, activities, and assessments. Teaching is all about time management and if I can save a few minutes here and there by working more efficiently, I'll not only show my students how their learning connects, I'll have more time for other activities in my day. WIN-WIN!)

Vocabulary analysis is another way that I work smarter, not harder. Malala includes lots of words from her native language, Pashto, into her writing. These words are great for phonics, grammar, etymology, dictionary skills mini-lessons. The Pashto words also help introduce the reader to the native customs and traditions in Malala's hometown which is a great tie-in to geography, history, human studies, and current events.

One of the impressive things that Malala Yousafzai does in her book is find real ways to relate to her readers. She uses real examples of experiences she has had with friends and family members to illustrate to youngsters that children in Pakistan are no different than they are. Children in Pakistan read the same books, watch the same tv shows, have fights with friends, argue with annoying siblings, have chores, and play the same games. The "Inside Out" activity helps students to connect to Malala which helps them to empathize with her plight.

Brainstorming maps are a helpful way for students to write down their ideas. They are also a great place to "park" ideas that can be turned into writing topics later. When I am doing a novel study unit with my students, I use a plastic pocket folder and train my students to keep all of their notes inside. The plastic folders are durable and are an easy way to store papers for later. Any of the brainstorming maps that I use with my students can be used as both an informal assessment, or an "exit ticket", as well as reference materials for a writing assignment depending on our focus.

Grab your own copies of my "Week 1 I Am Malala Novel Study Unit". All of the teacher exemplars, my sample week-1 planning guide, and the blackline masters are included! I've planned the first week for you.

Happy reading and writing, my friends!

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Introducing and Teaching the Biography Genre

Listen to the full episode to hear how to teach the biography genre:.

We’ve made it through January! The first month of 2022 is already over, I can’t believe it!  As we enter the month of February it is time that we discuss and celebrate what Black History Month really stands for with our students. My favorite way to do this is by acknowledging iconic Black and African American figures. 

This is truly a great opportunity to teach biography and I have so many creative ways to do this that I’m going to share with you today. In this episode I will share how to teach this nonfiction genre so your students get the most out of their reading experience. 

We all know that biographies are nonfiction texts that describe a person’s life, achievements, and impact they’ve had on their community or even the world. This may appear interesting to us as adults, but it is very likely that your student’s may actually find this genre to be quite boring. This is why it is so important to have interactive and exciting lessons when first introducing this genre. There are so many ways you can do this and it is so important to integrate creativity and movement in the process. 

Let’s not forget that knowing your students is the best way to make teaching biographies fun. It will be beneficial for you to get an inventory of their interests and hobbies so you can choose mentor texts accordingly. This will hook your students and ultimately spark their curiosity and hold their attention. 

It will also help your students relate to the person since they’ll be familiar with the vocabulary. Biographies have the ability to be interesting and engaging, and by using these tips and strategies you will have your students undivided attention.

In this episode on how to teach the biography genre, I share:

• Simple ways to help your students understand how biographies work
• Ways to use mentor texts when teaching your students biographies
• How to identify biographies from a big group of texts 
• Tips for recognizing the main purpose of the genre
• My favorite techniques to let students share their ideas with others

Related Resources:

• Free Biography Templates
• Easy Reader Biographies
• Black History Biography Activity Bundle

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Do you find yourself seeking new ideas when it comes to literacy instruction in elementary classrooms? The Literacy Dive Podcast was created to offer actionable steps and to share information for teachers, like you, who are always looking to improve their craft! ELA is our jam and we are excited to dive into all things reading and writing with you!

Your host, Megan Polk, is the creator and owner behind The Literacy Dive and loves to support students and their teachers with curriculum, literacy instruction, best practices, and engaging literacy activities.

Dive in with us every Monday for a new episode from Megan! She, and her guests, will chat about various literacy topics and will bring you tips and tricks that can easily be implemented in your classrooms. You can tune in wherever you get your podcasts! Listen to The Literacy Dive Podcast on platforms like Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, and more! If you find value from listening to this podcast, please rate this show, leave a review, and follow!

You can tune in wherever you get your podcasts! Listen to The Literacy Dive Podcast on platforms like  Apple ,  Spotify ,  Stitcher ,  Google , and more! If you find value from listening to this podcast, please rate this show, leave a review, and follow!

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Biography Lesson Plan: An Introduction to Biographies

Submitted by: stacey lopez.

In this lesson plan which is adaptable for grades 1-5, students will use BrainPOP and/or BrainPOP Jr. resources to learn about biographies. Students will then select a person whose biography they would like to read (or watch a short video about on BrainPOP). Finally, students will write their own biography on a selected person.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:.

• Define and explain what a biography is.
• Read or watch an example of a biography.
• Compose a biography.
• Computer with internet access for BrainPOP
• Interactive whiteboard (or just an LCD projector)
• Chart Paper
• Markers--variety of colors
• Sticky notes and pencils for students
• Biography template (optional)

Preparation:

Lesson procedure:.

• Explain to students that a biography of a famous person includes many facts. Ask them to take notes while they are watching either the BrainPOP Biography movie or the BrainPOP Jr. Biography movie. Explain that they will contribute to a class anchor chart about biographies.
• After the movie has finished, ask each student for a fact to add to the anchor chart. Alternate the colors to make it exciting. Students will be able to identify their contribution to the class anchor chart.
• Ask to students to read or watch a biography for a selected person in order to gather more information. Students could watch any of the BrainPOP topics in the Famous Historical Figures Unit or BrainPOP Jr. Biographies Unit , or read about the person's life in a book or online. Instruct students to take more notes while reading.
• Talk with students about the common features their biographies shared. What makes a good biography? Add to the anchor chart as needed.
• Each student may then write their own biography of another person using some of the facts that the class gathered.

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3 Creative Ideas for Teaching Biographies Your Students Will Love

There is so much power in teaching our students about history using biographies. We can all learn from the success and failures of others. But biographies often get a bad rap of being dry and boring. It doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, through this genre, our students can practice many different reading skills and strategies. That’s why I use graphic organizers that will allow my students to recall information from the biographies in creative ways. I am excited to share these 3 creative ideas for teaching biographies using fun and exciting graphic organizers I know your students will love!

Teaching Biographies can be Exciting

When teaching biographies in my classroom I like to immerse my students into the lives of the person they are learning about. From decorating the classroom to dressing up like the person we are studying, the possibilities are endless. This really helps to “bring the person to life” and make the learning more engaging and realistic for our students.

No matter what biography you are focusing on, these 3 creative ideas for teaching biographies are going to be so fun your kids will be begging for more!

1. EXTRA! EXTRA!

Read all about it in this year’s edition of the 3rd grade Daily Times. And that’s the hook! One of my favorite ways to immerse my students into learning is to turn them all into little reporters. At the end of our biography unit, we create a newspaper. It includes articles about each of the people of influence we focused on. I can’t tell you how excited my students get when they hear they will be writing and “publishing” a newspaper!

I like to put students in groups of 3 or 4. Then, give each one a person they will be focusing on. As a group, they must choose graphic organizers to will help them record information about their person. They can read an article that I provide, get information from a book, or research the person on a safe search site.

After reading the information about their person, they use the graphic organizers they chose to record important information about the person. This is the “interview” for the article.

Pulling it all Together

Next, it’s time to put the information from the graphic organizers all together. They will write all of the information in one article that will be included in our newspaper. The newspaper can be tangible if you want your students to assemble it and include their own drawings. But, it can also be digital with each group focusing on specific slides. This can then be projected on a whiteboard or viewed on a tablet or computer.

Not only is it a great way for students to learn from informative text, but it also gives you a fun and easy way to assess their learning. Sharing the newspaper in the school library is sure to be a hit. Teachers or librarians can read the newspaper articles to classes when they visit the library. So cool!

This really is such a great way for me to teach biographies in an easy way my students love!

2. The Life and Times…

This is a fun timeline activity that begs to be interactive! When teaching biographies, I love to use timelines because it gives students a concrete visual of when key events took place. This helps students better able to identify with the life of the person they are studying.

For example, if we are focusing on Amelia Earheart, I create a huge timeline that goes around my classroom. We start at the beginning and focus each day on an aspect of her life. We add information to the timeline as we go, and this is where those awesome graphic organizers come into play.

With a cause and effect graphic organizer, I can ask my students to think critically about events in the life of Amelia Earheart. Then we can discuss how those events shaped her future. As we learn about other things that are happening in the world, we can add those to the timeline as well.

I can’t tell you how awesome it is to get those “lightbulb” moments! I love when students make connections between world events and the person they are studying.

The end of our timeline activity concludes with a flipbook with all the information we have learned about Amelia Earheart. My kids really love this activity because they are allowed to get up and walk around. They take their clipboards to make notes from the timeline to help them complete the information for the flipbook. It’s a great way for them to show off their learning when they take it home.

3. Pick a Person

This is a really fun way to build excitement when teaching biographies. I put the names of all the people I want my students to choose from when working on their biographies. Then, after arranging my class into 4 or 5 groups, it’s time for the choosing ceremony. Each team gets to reach inside a basket and draw the name of a person. This will be the person they will be responsible for reporting on at the end of the unit.

Next, each group has to do some research on the person of influence they will be focusing on. This could mean a special trip to the library for the group to check out a book, some safe search research on the computer, or even a look through our biographies section of our class book boxes. I think this is a great way to give your students a little independence and responsibility they will be overjoyed to get.

Graphic organizers are so great for biographies because there is so much information available out there. It can feel overwhelming for kids to try to organize their thoughts and recall important facts and details about the lives of the people we are studying. They are a great way to get our students to really focus on what’s important and what they want to include in their presentations.

The Presentations

Now, it’s time for the really fun part! I give my students some time to think about how they could present their information to the class. Some groups like to use technology and create a video slideshow, a recorded skit, or even a self-made news clip featuring their famous person. Other groups may want to get creative and make a poster with visual images representing the information they learned about the person they are focusing on.

If a free choice scenario isn’t your cup of tea, consider making a list of presentation options you would be comfortable with. By giving students some choice in their final presentation you really get to see them tap into strengths and creativity. No matter how you choose to have your students present the information, chances are they will have a blast doing it!

Grab Your Free Biography Graphic Organizers

I have put together my favorite graphic organizers to use when teaching biographies and you can grab them for free! Just join the Keep ’em Thinking community to get access to the Free Resource Library. You can find these biography graphic organizers and lots more!

Just sign-up below and grab your free graphic organizers today!

Teaching Biographies is a Breeze

Teaching biographies really is a breeze! With customizable graphic organizers to help your students, they will not only focus on the information they are learning but recall it.

And . . . if you need some ready-to-use biographies check out the Keep ’em Thinking store . You can find a variety of biography resources that are perfect to use with the graphic organizers.

Be sure to save these creative ways for teaching biographies ideas to your favorite Pinterest teacher board so you can come back any time for even more fun and exciting biography activities!

• Read more about: Critical Thinking , Picture Books , Reading and ELA , Thinking Skills , Writing

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Teaching How to Write a Biography: Lesson PLan

• Trent Lorcher
• Categories : English lesson plans for middle school
• Tags : Teaching middle school grades 6 8

Assignment Ideas

Use biography writing assignments in conjunction with current events, a literature unit, a research paper, or a history project. Use the following ideas to get you started:

• Short Story Unit: Write a magazine article describing a meeting with a character from any story you’ve read this semester. Be sure your article portrays the character consistently with the character in the story. Create a name for the magazine and a title for the article. The audience should be the type of person who would read the magazine you created.
• Novel Unit: Do the above assignment. Choose a character from the novel to write the article on.
• History Class: Write a magazine article chronicling an encounter with any famous historical figure. Identify whether or not the person became famous before or after the meeting. Create a name for the magazine and a title for the article. The audience should be the type of person who would read the magazine you created.
• Research Paper: Write a biography on a famous writer. Research biographical information and his or her works.
• Current Events: Follow the same steps as the short story unit biography. Instead of a literary character, make a person in the news the subject of your article.

How to Procedures

The following procedures involve writing about a fictional character. Simply change a few words to adapt it to any of the above assignments.

• Prewriting - Review short stories. Brainstorm characters who attracted your attention. Choose the one you feel would make the most interesting biography.
• Prewriting - Visualize the character. Much of what you write will come from the author’s description. You can, however, fill in missing information.
• Prewriting - List character traits. Remember traits aren’t always directly shown by the author. You may have to make inferences .
• Prewriting - Set up a believable situation in which you meet the character.
• Drafting - Explain the circumstances of your meeting, how you met the person, and what you talked about.
• Drafting - Keep the character consistent.
• Revising - Add details to make the encounter and the character more realistic. Make sure you focus on your audience as you revise.
• Revising - Use peer evaluation . Exchange papers with a partner and comment on the article’s strengths and weaknesses.

This post is part of the series: Writing Assignments

Find different writing assignments to give your students.

• Writing Lesson Plans: How to Write a Biography
• Teach Your Students How to Write Science Fiction
• Teaching Instructional Articles: How to Write Instructions
• Lesson Plan: How to Write an Essay Introduction
• Sophmores Assess Their High School Role While You Assess Their Writing

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How to Write a Biography: Upper Elementary to Middle School

Writing a biography can be a daunting task. When students hear the assignment of writing a biography, they may have thoughts of long, boring essays or a tedious 10-page book report. There are various ways to tackle writing a biography, and they can even be fun in the process! Let’s look at some less intimidating ways to get your kiddos to write a biography, whether in elementary or middle school.

Step 1: Read a Biography

The first step for students before writing a biography is to read one. They need to see a real-life example before tackling their own biography assignment. Elementary students can read biography picture books or Who Was? biography novels. Biography picture books are especially interesting to students as the splendid pictures bring the person to life. 

Here are some picture books we recommend for younger students: 

I Am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures by Julia Finley Mosca

On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne

Upper elementary students love the Who Was? novel series. These books are more challenging, contain some pictures, and are age-appropriate. We recommend:

Who Was? Anne Frank  by Anne Abramson

Who Were? The Tuskegee Airmen by Sherri L. Smith

Who Was? Selena  by Max Bisantz

Middle school-aged students can read a variety of biographies from sixth graders reading Who Was? to advanced readers conquering even adult biographies. Some biographies or autobiographies my middle school students have read and loved are: 

I Am Malala by Malala Youfsazai

Gifted Hands The Ben Carson Story by Gregg Lewis

Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland

Step 2: Research a Person

Once students have read a biography to gain an understanding of what one looks like and how it is organized, as well as more about the person they are learning about, they can complete research from the biography or autobiography. A simple graphic organizer to help students organize crucial information would suffice. Important information that the student should gather from their book includes: 

• Birthdate and Birthplace
• Death Date and Place If Deceased
• Childhood/Family
• Adult Family
• Major Accomplishments
• Major Obstacles
• Lessons we can learn from this person’s life

Step 3: How to Write a Biography Tips

As a teacher, you can provide choices for students or provide a project students can tackle. Some biography projects require students to write a biography in a different format than a typical essay.

Paper Bag Biography

For elementary grades, a paper bag biography book report is an interesting way to create a biography. Once students have read their biography or autobiography, they color the front of the paper bag with a picture of the person as well as display the person’s name. On the back of the paper bag is written the major accomplishments, obstacles, and a lesson learned from this person’s life.

On one side of the bag is written fun facts and on the other side is written basic information such as birthdate, birthplace, family, death date, etc. Inside the paper bag, students place varying objects that symbolize the life of the person and explain or write about them. 

Cereal Box Biography

This same concept can be completed with a cereal box. Students would utilize construction paper and glue over the cereal box instead. They can create a cute name for their cereal that coincides with the person they’re learning about as well. For instance, a biography about Sugar Ray Leonard, a professional boxer, could become Sugar Rays on a cereal box biography report. 

Pizza Box Biography

Speaking of food, a pizza box biography report is something I have utilized for years in the classroom. It combines creativity, art, and writing to display a biography. A simple Google search can give you tons of templates, instructions, and student sample pictures to choose from. I’m not certain of the original creator of this project, but it is amazing!

Students decorate the outside and inside cover of a pizza box with pictures and facts of their person. Next, they create a pizza out of construction paper and each slice displays important information. They can use their creativity to decorate each slice with toppings. Some students create a flap that goes over their slice of information and on the flap are toppings they’ve drawn such as mushrooms, pepperoni, and peppers. I am always impressed with how students use their creativity to design elaborate pizzas!

Here is the link to a FREE pizza box biography book report guideline I have used for years. 

Biography in a Can

Keeping with the theme of biography projects centered around food containers, have your students grab a clean chip or coffee can (with a lid). After reading a biography, students will decorate their can based on whom they’re learning about. We recommend the Who Is? , Who Was? and I Am books for this.

Next, students will use a graphic organizer to gather information from their book and then turn that research into an index card biography report. The various index cards are then stored inside the can for easy access for presentations. This project promotes independent student research, incorporates art, and is plain fun. It is definitely engaging for students.

Grab the whole project, including graphic organizers , index card templates , a pre-design sheet , and a rubric below. 

Grab your Biography Research Project today.

Our Biography Research Project will guide your students through Biography Research with ease. In addition, this unique research project helps them to learn more about important figures, as well as write and create some awesome biographies.

Bonus: Our Biography Research Project is a great way to display your students’ work for the admiration of parents, admin, and fellow students. Your class will be the envy of your school.

MLA Biography Essa y

As students move into seventh and eighth grade, there is a huge focus on learning to write an MLA essay. Because of this, I require students to write a biography essay or book report. Using a detailed template, students write their biographies. Each paragraph is thoroughly explained and chunked to display the life of the person they’re investigating. Here is a simple template of how I have seventh-grade students organize their biography essays:  

1st paragraph contains:

Title of your biography and the author’s name. The book is a biography of __________, who was born on (Date) ______________ in (Birthplace) ____________________. Why did you choose to read this book? Write a brief summary of their well-known accomplishments.

2nd, 3rd, 4th Paragraph contains:

A summary of their life. Make sure their life is in sequence. Tell of major life accomplishments, major disappointments, and major obstacles they faced. Tell of their childhood, adulthood, etc.

5th Paragraph contains:

What is the most interesting fact about this person? Explain why. How would you describe this person? If you could meet your person, what questions would you ask him or her? Why? Would you recommend this biography to a friend? Why or why not?

6th Paragraph: Conclusion Paragraph

What are the major life lessons a reader can learn from this person’s life? 

Step 4: Publish through Technology

Students can create biography presentations by using Google Slides , all the while utilizing pictures, quotes, and thematic decor to make their project come to life. Slidesgo.com is an amazing template resource in which students can make their presentations fit a theme and be a bit more aesthetically pleasing and exciting. 

Furthermore, Canva has a plethora of resources students can use to create biographies, from a standard presentation to infographics to creating an eBook . Canva is an awesome resource. It contains varying fonts, pre-loaded graphics, and the ability to upload pictures online. Canva has become a favorite tool of our students here lately!

Writing a biography can be challenging but in a great way! Reading biographies such as picture books to novels, this readily prepares students to conquer biography writing. By presenting options such as activities or a detailed template for an essay, students can feel interested and ready to tackle the world of biographies.

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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Posted on Jun 30, 2023

How to Write a Biography: A 7-Step Guide [+Template]

From time to time, nonfiction authors become so captivated by a particular figure from either the present or the past, that they feel compelled to write an entire book about their life. Whether casting them as heroes or villains, there is an interesting quality in their humanity that compels these authors to revisit their life paths and write their story.

However, portraying someone’s life on paper in a comprehensive and engaging way requires solid preparation. If you’re looking to write a biography yourself, in this post we’ll share a step-by-step blueprint that you can follow. 

How to write a biography: 

1. Seek permission when possible 

2. research your subject thoroughly, 3. do interviews and visit locations, 4. organize your findings, 5. identify a central thesis, 6. write it using narrative elements, 7. get feedback and polish the text.

FREE RESOURCE

Biography Outline Template

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While you technically don’t need permission to write about public figures (or deceased ones), that doesn't guarantee their legal team won't pursue legal action against you. Author Kitty Kelley was sued by Frank Sinatra before she even started to write His Way , a biography that paints Ol Blue Eyes in a controversial light. (Kelley ended up winning the lawsuit, however).  

Whenever feasible, advise the subject’s representatives of your intentions. If all goes according to plan, you’ll get a green light to proceed, or potentially an offer to collaborate. It's a matter of common sense; if someone were to write a book about you, you would likely want to know about it well prior to publication. So, make a sincere effort to reach out to their PR staff to negotiate an agreement or at least a mutual understanding of the scope of your project. 

At the same time, make sure that you still retain editorial control over the project, and not end up writing a puff piece that treats its protagonist like a saint or hero. No biography can ever be entirely objective, but you should always strive for a portrayal that closely aligns with facts and reality.

If you can’t get an answer from your subject, or you’re asked not to proceed forward, you can still accept the potential repercussions and write an unauthorized biography . The “rebellious act” of publishing without consent indeed makes for great marketing, though it’ll likely bring more headaches with it too. 

✋ Please note that, like other nonfiction books, if you intend to release your biography with a publishing house , you can put together a book proposal to send to them before you even write the book. If they like it enough, they might pay you an advance to write it.  

Book Proposal Template

Craft a professional pitch for your nonfiction book with our handy template.

Once you’ve settled (or not) the permission part, it’s time to dive deep into your character’s story.  

Deep and thorough research skills are the cornerstone of every biographer worth their salt. To paint a vivid and accurate portrait of someone's life, you’ll have to gather qualitative information from a wide range of reliable sources. 

Start with the information already available, from books on your subject to archival documents, then collect new ones firsthand by interviewing people or traveling to locations. 

Browse the web and library archives

Put your researcher hat on and start consuming any piece on your subject you can find, from their Wikipedia page to news articles, interviews, TV and radio appearances, YouTube videos, podcasts, books, magazines, and any other media outlets they may have been featured in. 

Establish a system to orderly collect the information you find 一 even seemingly insignificant details can prove valuable during the writing process, so be sure to save them. 

Depending on their era, you may find most of the information readily available online, or you may need to search through university libraries for older references. 

For his landmark biography of Alexander Hamilton, Ron Chernow spent untold hours at Columbia University’s library , reading through the Hamilton family papers, visiting the New York Historical Society, as well as interviewing the archivist of the New York Stock Exchange, and so on. The research process took years, but it certainly paid off. Chernow discovered that Hamilton created the first five securities originally traded on Wall Street. This finding, among others, revealed his significant contributions to shaping the current American financial and political systems, a legacy previously often overshadowed by other founding fathers. Today Alexander Hamilton is one of the best-selling biographies of all time, and it has become a cultural phenomenon with its own dedicated musical. 

Besides reading documents about your subject, research can help you understand the world that your subject lived in. 

Try to understand their time and social environment

Many biographies show how their protagonists have had a profound impact on society through their philosophical, artistic, or scientific contributions. But at the same time, it’s worth it as a biographer to make an effort to understand how their societal and historical context influenced their life’s path and work.

An interesting example is Stephen Greenblatt’s Will in the World . Finding himself limited by a lack of verified detail surrounding William Shakespeare's personal life, Greenblatt, instead, employs literary interpretation and imaginative reenactments to transport readers back to the Elizabethan era. The result is a vivid (though speculative) depiction of the playwright's life, enriching our understanding of his world.

Many readers enjoy biographies that transport them to a time and place, so exploring a historical period through the lens of a character can be entertaining in its own right. The Diary of Samuel Pepys became a classic not because people were enthralled by his life as an administrator, but rather from his meticulous and vivid documentation of everyday existence during the Restoration period.

Once you’ve gotten your hands on as many secondary sources as you can find, you’ll want to go hunting for stories first-hand from people who are (or were) close to your subject.

With all the material you’ve been through, by now you should already have a pretty good picture of your protagonist. But you’ll surely have some curiosities and missing dots in their character arc to figure out, which you can only get by interviewing primary sources.

Interview friends and associates

This part is more relevant if your subject is contemporary, and you can actually meet up or call with relatives, friends, colleagues, business partners, neighbors, or any other person related to them. 

In writing the popular biography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson interviewed more than one hundred people, including Jobs’s family, colleagues, former college mates, business rivals, and the man himself.

🔍 Read other biographies to get a sense of what makes a great one. Check out our list of the 30 best biographies of all time , or take our 30-second quiz below for tips on which one you should read next. 

Which biography should you read next?

Discover the perfect biography for you. Takes 30 seconds!

When you conduct your interviews, make sure to record them with high quality audio you can revisit later. Then use tools like Otter.ai or Descript to transcribe them 一 it’ll save you countless hours. 

You can approach the interview with a specific set of questions, or follow your curiosity blindly, trying to uncover revealing stories and anecdotes about your subject. Whatever your method, author and biography editor Tom Bromley suggests that every interviewer arrives prepared, "Show that you’ve done your work. This will help to put the interviewee at ease, and get their best answers.” 

Bromley also places emphasis on the order in which you conduct interviews. “You may want to interview different members of the family or friends first, to get their perspective on something, and then go directly to the main interviewee. You'll be able to use that knowledge to ask sharper, more specific questions.” 

Finally, consider how much time you have with each interviewee. If you only have a 30-minute phone call with an important person, make it count by asking directly the most pressing questions you have. And, if you find a reliable source who is also particularly willing to help, conduct several interviews and ask them, if appropriate, to write a foreword as part of the book’s front matter .

Sometimes an important part of the process is packing your bags, getting on a plane, and personally visiting significant places in your character’s journey.

Visit significant places in their life

A place, whether that’s a city, a rural house, or a bodhi tree, can carry a particular energy that you can only truly experience by being there. In putting the pieces together about someone’s life, it may be useful to go visit where they grew up, or where other significant events of their lives happened. It will be easier to imagine what they experienced, and better tell their story. 

In researching The Lost City of Z , author David Grann embarked on a trek through the Amazon, retracing the steps of British explorer Percy Fawcett. This led Grann to develop new theories about the circumstances surrounding the explorer's disappearance.

Hopefully, you won’t have to deal with jaguars and anacondas to better understand your subject’s environment, but try to walk into their shoes as much as possible. 

Once you’ve researched your character enough, it’s time to put together all the puzzle pieces you collected so far. 

Take the bulk of notes, media, and other documents you’ve collected, and start to give them some order and structure. A simple way to do this is by creating a timeline. 

Create a chronological timeline

It helps to organize your notes chronologically 一 from childhood to the senior years, line up the most significant events of your subject’s life, including dates, places, names and other relevant bits. 

You should be able to divide their life into distinct periods, each with their unique events and significance. Based on that, you can start drafting an outline of the narrative you want to create.  

Draft a story outline 

Since a biography entails writing about a person’s entire life, it will have a beginning, a middle, and an end. You can pick where you want to end the story, depending on how consequential the last years of your subject were. But the nature of the work will give you a starting character arc to work with. 

To outline the story then, you could turn to the popular Three-Act Structure , which divides the narrative in three main parts. In a nutshell, you’ll want to make sure to have the following:

• Act 1. Setup : Introduce the protagonist's background and the turning points that set them on a path to achieve a goal. 
• Act 2. Confrontation : Describe the challenges they encounter, both internal and external, and how they rise to them. Then..
• Act 3. Resolution : Reach a climactic point in their story in which they succeed (or fail), showing how they (and the world around them) have changed as a result. 

Only one question remains before you begin writing: what will be the main focus of your biography?

Think about why you’re so drawn to your subject to dedicate years of your life to recounting their own. What aspect of their life do you want to highlight? Is it their evil nature, artistic genius, or visionary mindset? And what evidence have you got to back that up? Find a central thesis or focus to weave as the main thread throughout your narrative. 

Or find a unique angle

If you don’t have a particular theme to explore, finding a distinct angle on your subject’s story can also help you distinguish your work from other biographies or existing works on the same subject.

Plenty of biographies have been published about The Beatles 一 many of which have different focuses and approaches: 

• Philip Norman's Shout is sometimes regarded as leaning more towards a pro-Lennon and anti-McCartney stance, offering insights into the band's inner dynamics. 
• Ian McDonald's Revolution in the Head closely examines their music track by track, shifting the focus back to McCartney as a primary creative force. 
• Craig Brown's One Two Three Four aims to capture their story through anecdotes, fan letters, diary entries, and interviews. 
• Mark Lewisohn's monumental three-volume biography, Tune In , stands as a testament to over a decade of meticulous research, chronicling every intricate detail of the Beatles' journey.

Finally, consider that biographies are often more than recounting the life of a person. Similar to how Dickens’ Great Expectations is not solely about a boy named Pip (but an examination and critique of Britain’s fickle, unforgiving class system), a biography should strive to illuminate a broader truth — be it social, political, or human — beyond the immediate subject of the book. 

Once you’ve identified your main focus or angle, it’s time to write a great story. 

While biographies are often highly informative, they do not have to be dry and purely expository in nature . You can play with storytelling elements to make it an engaging read. 

You could do that by thoroughly detailing the setting of the story , depicting the people involved in the story as fully-fledged characters , or using rising action and building to a climax when describing a particularly significant milestone of the subject’s life. 

One common way to make a biography interesting to read is starting on a strong foot…

Hook the reader from the start

Just because you're honoring your character's whole life doesn't mean you have to begin when they said their first word. Starting from the middle or end of their life can be more captivating as it introduces conflicts and stakes that shaped their journey.

When he wrote about Christopher McCandless in Into the Wild , author Jon Krakauer didn’t open his subject’s childhood and abusive family environment. Instead, the book begins with McCandless hitchhiking his way into the wilderness, and subsequently being discovered dead in an abandoned bus. By starting in medias res , Krakauer hooks the reader’s interest, before tracing back the causes and motivations that led McCandless to die alone in that bus in the first place.

You can bend the timeline to improve the reader’s reading experience throughout the rest of the story too…

Play with flashback 

While biographies tend to follow a chronological narrative, you can use flashbacks to tell brief stories or anecdotes when appropriate. For example, if you were telling the story of footballer Lionel Messi, before the climax of winning the World Cup with Argentina, you could recall when he was just 13 years old, giving an interview to a local newspaper, expressing his lifelong dream of playing for the national team. 

Used sparsely and intentionally, flashbacks can add more context to the story and keep the narrative interesting. Just like including dialogue does…

Reimagine conversations

Recreating conversations that your subject had with people around them is another effective way to color the story. Dialogue helps the reader imagine the story like a movie, providing a deeper sensory experience. 

One thing is trying to articulate the root of Steve Jobs’ obsession with product design, another would be to quote his father , teaching him how to build a fence when he was young: “You've got to make the back of the fence just as good looking as the front of the fence. Even though nobody will see it, you will know. And that will show that you're dedicated to making something perfect.”

Unlike memoirs and autobiographies, in which the author tells the story from their personal viewpoint and enjoys greater freedom to recall conversations, biographies require a commitment to facts. So, when recreating dialogue, try to quote directly from reliable sources like personal diaries, emails, and text messages. You could also use your interview scripts as an alternative to dialogue. As Tom Bromley suggests, “If you talk with a good amount of people, you can try to tell the story from their perspective, interweaving different segments and quoting the interviewees directly.”

FREE COURSE

How to Write Believable Dialogue

Master the art of dialogue in 10 five-minute lessons.

These are just some of the story elements you can use to make your biography more compelling. Once you’ve finished your manuscript, it’s a good idea to ask for feedback. 

If you’re going to self-publish your biography, you’ll have to polish it to professional standards. After leaving your work to rest for a while, look at it with fresh eyes and self-edit your manuscript eliminating passive voice, filler words, and redundant adverbs. 

Then, have a professional editor give you a general assessment. They’ll look at the structure and shape of your manuscript and tell you which parts need to be expanded on or cut. As someone who edited and commissioned several biographies, Tom Bromley points out that a professional “will look at the sources used and assess whether they back up the points made, or if more are needed. They would also look for context, and whether or not more background information is needed for the reader to understand the story fully. And they might check your facts, too.”  

In addition to structural editing, you may want to have someone copy-edit and proofread your work.

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Importantly, make sure to include a bibliography with a list of all the interviews, documents, and sources used in the writing process. You’ll have to compile it according to a manual of style, but you can easily create one by using tools like EasyBib . Once the text is nicely polished and typeset in your writing software , you can prepare for the publication process.  

In conclusion, by mixing storytelling elements with diligent research, you’ll be able to breathe life into a powerful biography that immerses readers in another individual’s life experience. Whether that’ll spark inspiration or controversy, remember you could have an important role in shaping their legacy 一 and that’s something not to take lightly. 

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How to use biographies in your reading & writing lessons.

Biography is an important genre in literature, offering readers the unique opportunity to gain insight into someone else’s life and experiences. They are a great way for students to learn about historically important and inspiring people. But it is not only an interesting and important genre to read. It is an important genre to learn about. Introducing the genre of biographies to students can help them become better readers, more critical thinkers, and more reflective writers. So, today I am going to talk about some effective tools for teaching the genre.

Introduce the Genre

First, you will want to introduce the genre to students and explain why it is important. This can be a simple anchor chart where you list the characteristics of the genre. Use the free biography header pieces to create your own!

*Activity Idea For Biography Header- Print two of each letter. Distribute them to your students to color and cut out as early finishers or morning work. The two people who received the same letter can research the person connected to the letter later as a partner project.

Additionally, you can have students read and write about the genre. You can add a printable comprehension passage, fact or research sheet, or a cut-and-paste activity to their morning work or as an independent activity following your mini-lesson!

Provide Examples

Next, you will want students to understand what a biography is by providing examples. When teaching any genre, it is important to introduce the concept in such a way that students understand its significance.

Books and digital biographies can be used for a variety of activities throughout your unit! Make biographies available for students’ independent reading time, add biography-based prompts to students’ morning work or centers, assign biographies as partner reading, etc.

My Recommendations for Biography Book Series: (These are affiliate links to Amazon’s website).

• Who Was? Biography Series
• The Story of Biography Series
• Mini Movers & Shakers
• Ready to Read: You Should Meet

Digital and Online Biographies

• BrainPop, Jr. Biographies
• BrainPop Famous Historical Figures
• PebbleGo Biographies

Taking a Closer Look

Now, it is time for students to read and analyze biographies. This is an important part of teaching the genre.

Teaching students how to read and analyze biographies helps develop their ability to look beyond the surface. During this time, you will want to work on critical thinking skills, close reading, determining importance, and evaluating source reliability.

Skills that can be incorporated with Biographies:

• Main Idea & Important Details
• Inferring & Drawing Conclusions
• Chronological Order
• Cause & Effect
• Problem & Solution
• Text Features + Images in Nonfiction
• Research Writing

Connect Other Content

Integrating biographies with other subjects has many benefits. It helps to draw connections between iconic figures of the past, and how they influenced our current society. Biographies teach us more than just the history of an individual: they bridge gaps in our knowledge and appreciation for subjects like social studies and history by introducing us to very real people who have been able to shape both the world and our understanding of it. This can be done with more subjects than social studies, though. You can study biographies of people who have impacted math, science, art, technology, music, etc.

Nonfiction Narrative & Research Writing

Finally, you can include important writing skills in your instruction. Of course, they can work on narrative nonfiction by writing their own autobiographies. Unlike a personal narrative, students will be focused on all of the impactful events in their life thus far. So, I would start by having students create a timeline of the events in their lives. Then, taking their timeline, they can craft paragraphs for each event, connecting them with transitions and details in the next draft.

Autobiographies are great for peer editing and revision. Students will learn from one another as they exchange and edit each other’s autobiographies. Allow for several drafts and revisions with this!

Not only can students develop their narrative nonfiction writing skills by writing their own autobiographies, but they can also practice and improve their research writing skills. Research writing skills are so essential to a student’s writing development.

Some Tips & Tricks for Research Writing:

• Allow some level of student choice when assigning research writing topics/people
• Link reliable and safe search engines to your online class dashboard
• Provide a graphic organizer or note-taking guide for students so that they can collect and organize their research
• Incorporate multimedia project elements, like PowerPoint, Prezi, Video, Audio, etc. to keep students engaged and offer opportunities to use technology skills
• Provide several exemplars of a variety of presentation types if you are doing an end-of-unit project

Would you like free biography anchor chart pieces?

FREE BIOGRAPHIES HEADER! 

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No-Prep Biography Resources You May Enjoy:

If you’re looking to teach biographies and don’t want the added prep, I have resources for you! Each bundle contains individual biography units. If you’re interested, you will find them in the links under the bundle. Click the links for a closer look!

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How to write a biography: A practical workshop with Lara Feigel

Lara Feigel leads this skill-sharpening virtual workshop that will help you to explore the essential elements of writing a life history Online workshop Date: Tuesday 28 February 2023 Time: 6pm-8.30pm Catch up recording available

This course has now passed, but you can be the first to know about the next one - and other workshops like this - by signing up to our newsletter here .

Fundamental to every good book is the strength of the story - and this applies to non-fiction as much as it does fiction. In biography, whether the subject matter is serious or light, and whether it focuses on one person or a group of people, it is crucial to tell your story engagingly and intimately.

In an evening, biography writer Lara Feigel will take you through the essential elements of writing biography, whether you’re a beginner with a desire to learn more about the creative process behind biographical writing, or you’ve identified a person or group you’d like to write about, and you’re raring to get started.

You will come having completed some pre-course homework that will enable you to arrive ready to build on your preparation, and over an interactive evening, you will learn the importance of selecting your subject and identifying why you have chosen them, where to begin and end your story, how to find and refine your narrative voice, how the non-fiction book market works - and more.

Drawing on elements of writing fiction to strengthen your creative toolkit and leave you feeling confident in your ability to take your research further and deeper, this practical, interactive workshop will provide the foundation for the rest of your biography-writing career.

Course content

Choosing a subject: a single person versus a group

Where to begin and end: the story of a whole life versus a section of a life

Finding your voice, using techniques drawn from novels

Practical exercise

Advice on writing book proposals and finding an agent; Q&A

This course is for...

Beginners who want to learn more about the creative process for biographical writing as well as writers from other fields who would like to make a start in biography.

Those working on a biographical project but a pre-existing project is not required to attend.

Tutor profile

Lara Feigel is the author of two group biographies (The Love-Charm of Bombs: Restless Lives in the Second World War and The Bitter Taste of Victory: Love, Life and Art in the Ruins of the Reich) and a book which blends memoir with biography (Free Woman: Life, Liberation and Doris Lessing). She is a Professor of Modern Literature and Culture at King’s College London and writes regularly in the Guardian.

Date: Tuesday 28 February 2023 Times: 6pm-8.30pm GMT Price: £65 (plus £3.56 booking fee)

A catch up recording will be shared after the class and will be available for two weeks.

This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.

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Using Picture Books To Teach Biography Writing

Living literature isn’t just for reading – it’s also great for teaching writing styles!  Serious writing lessons don’t start in our homeschool until middle and high school, but believe it or not, I use picture books quite often to help me teach.

Since picture books can be read in one sitting, they are perfect examples of really good writing from master writers.  Of course, you have to make sure you’re reading books actually written by master writers (not twaddle.)  And that’s what I’ve set out to share with you in this series – books that are perfect for teaching various writing styles!

The writing focus of this article is biographies .  Wait, did I hear a “Yuck!”??  If you’re children are reading this, I’m pretty sure I heard several of them!  Historically, biographies are not very fun to read – and definitely not fun to write.

The word “boring” comes to mind when I think about reading most biographies.  And, the words “research” and “bibliography” come to mind when I think about writing biographies.  None of those words strike the fancy of most students (or their parents.)

I’m here to change all that deary talk today, though!

Candlewick Press was kind enough to provide copies of several biographies for me to use in writing this post.  They have also compensated me for highlighting their books in my lessons.

There are some really good living biography picture books out there these days.  Rather than simply listing bland facts, these stories weave biographical information into real story lines.  They are stories that will grab the attention of all ages!  While you can find living biographies in more than one place, you can be sure the biographies from Candlewick Press will be solid, full of life and never boring!

Teach Biography Writing

My 10th grade son had written several personal narratives and some biography book reports, but he had never written a full biography – until now!  Before jumping right in, we took a few days to prepare by simply reading several biography picture books together – one or two per day.

• The Secret World of Walter Anderson by Hester Bass
• Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights by Jim Haskins
• Jubilee! One Man’s Big, Bold and Very, Very Loud Celebration of Peace by Alicia Potter
• Growing Up Pedro: How the Martinez Brothers Made it from the Dominican Republic All the Way to the Major Leagues by Matt Tavares
• Electrical Wizard: How Nicola Tesla Lit Up the World by Elizabeth Rusch

By the fourth day, we began biography writing very slowly with a new mini-lesson each day.  These five books were poured through time and time again during the mini-lessons.  I owe so many thanks to these authors!

What’s a writing mini-lesson?   When you choose to focus on one writing topic rather than throwing the whole shebang at your child at once.  (Yeah.  That’s my very own definition.  You’re welcome.)

Mini-Lesson #1: Choose a Unique Character

One of the reasons I chose Candlewick Press to help me teach biography writing is that many of their picture books are written about out-of-the-ordinary people.  Biographies about George Washington, Harriet Tubman and Benjamin Franklin are many.  Biographies about Pedro Martinez, Nicola Tesla and W.W. Law are few.

I reminded Caleb how interesting each of the five picture books from the previous days were because every main character was new to us.  We had never heard their stories – even if we had learned about their time period previously.  We talked about how refreshing it was to read something new and how refreshing it would be to unveil someone new in his own writing.

Assignment #1: Choose a unique character for your biography.  (He chose Les Paul.  Yeah, he’s my guitar kid .)

Mini-Lesson #2: The Bibliography

A bibliography is a listing of resources used in research.  In order to write a biography, you have to do research about that person.  While my son doesn’t mind the research so much, he does mind keeping track of the information in the form of a bibliography.  But that’s part of it and I set out to prove that before we he ever started writing.  With all five of the example books piled in front of us, I challenged him to find just one without a bibliography.  He couldn’t.

We spent the next few minutes taking a peek at two things:

• How the bibliography was designed in each book.
• What types of sources the authors used in their study.

Assignment #2: Begin your research of Les Paul.  For each new source, take notes on a new piece of paper.  Note the resource information at the top of each paper.

Mini-Lesson #3: Facts – To List Facts or Weave Them?

While Caleb was still in research mode, we took time to take a quick look through a couple of the books to see IF facts were included in the stories and HOW they were included.

Browsing through Growing Up Pedro , we kept track of how many pieces of factual information we came across and noted them quickly.  I took the time to narrate a “boring” biography using only those facts.  Then, I took time to narrate the same facts within the context of a story (similar to the original story.)  He noticed the difference.

Browsing through Jubilee! , we again noted the facts.  This time, I asked him to narrate the “boring way” and then the “story way.”  Caleb is all about facts, so this was a tad difficult for him.  That’s okay!  We repeated the exercise with Delivering Justice the next day.

This mini-lesson was really important for two reasons:

• Jotting down the facts was good practice for choosing what’s important to note during his own research time.
• Adding oral narration gave Caleb the all-important auditory connection to his learning style.

Mini-Lesson #4: The History Behind the Person

While Caleb was still researching Les Paul (because research usually takes way more time than actual writing), we took some time to discuss how history is often woven into biographies.  In many cases, it’s important for the reader to understand the time period in order to understand the person.

We again looked through Delivering Justice , but this time our eyes were on the lookout for historical cues.  I had him jot down simple history notes as they were revealed in the story.  We talked specifically about how the historical facts were gently presented as part of the story rather than bluntly.  Because of Caleb’s tendency toward facts (like I already mentioned), I wanted to constantly reiterate and demonstrate how to incorporate facts into the story line.

Mini-Lesson #5: The Place Behind the Person

Yep, during this mini-lesson, Caleb was still in research mode.  Much like the last lesson, this one sets out to demonstrate how to incorporate the setting within the story line rather than bluntly.  Because the settings of Jubilee! and The Secret World of Walter Anderson are both beautiful (in very different ways) and painted in such vivid picture words, we spent two days with these books.

On the first day, I reread one of the books without showing him the pictures and asked him to draw what he heard.  Hearing the descriptive language and turning it into pictures was another great auditory exercise.

On the second day, we read the second book and noted the descriptive language as it pertained to the setting.  I challenged him to be prepared to paint pictures with words when he began crafting his biography.

Mini-Lesson #6: The Early Life, The Journey, The Big Accomplishment

My sweet boy tends toward unorganized writing.  In order to help him organize his thoughts from the get-go, we planned right away for three main sections of the story – Les Paul’s early life, his journey toward fame and his big accomplishment(s).

Browsing quickly through Electrical Wizard and Growing Up Pedro gave him clarity about how living biographies move seamlessly from one section to the next.

Assignment #3: Begin writing your biography of Les Paul  – keeping the story in three main sections.

Mini-Lesson #7: Descriptive Language

Descriptive language can be the difference between a decent story and a fabulous story.  After a couple days of fast and furious writing, it was a good time to take a break to look through Electrical Wizard and Jubilee! with an eye toward descriptive language.

When we found great example sentences, I asked Caleb to retell the sentences without the descriptive language.  In other words, I wanted him to give me the boring version.  To turn a great sentence into a boring one is harder than you might think!  This might seem counter-intuitive, but I specifically wanted him to see that it’s just as easy to develop a great sentence full of descriptive language as it is to write a boring sentence.  I also wanted him to get the full impact of how deflated the sentences became as compared to the original ones.

Assignment #4: Go back through your biography so far and add descriptive language to boring parts.

Assignment #5: Complete the 1st draft.  Don’t forget to add the bibliography.

Assignment #6: Reread for an organizational edit.

Assignment #7:  Reread for a grammar and punctuation edit.  Print and turn in to mom.

Assignment #8: Complete edits suggested by mom.  Print and read aloud to family.

HE WROTE A GREAT BIOGRAPHY!

Mini-Lesson #8: Biography Style

Caleb had successfully finished his biography of Les Paul in a similar style his favorite of the Candlewick example books, Growing Up Pedro .  The whole process took about three weeks – maybe a little longer.  I know that seems like a really long time to write one paper, but this was the teaching paper .  Because we spent so much time digging in with master authors and nitty-gritty mini-lessons, he’ll be able to whip out another biography in half the time (probably less) next time around!

Before we jetted off to the next thing, I thought it was important for him to realize that biographies come in all shapes and sizes.  Besides picture books, I ordered biographies in the form of chapter books, poetry, notebooks, and snapshots of moments in time from Candlewick Press.  We took a few days to go through at least one example book for each additional style of biography writing.  We compared and contrasted each new style to the others and discussed pros and cons for both the reader and the writer of each model.

CHAPTER BOOK BIOGRAPHIES

The Hero Schliemann: The Hero Who Dug for Troy by Laura Amy Schlitz

A Voice of Her Own: The Story of Phyllis Wheatley, Slave Poet by Kathryn Lasky

Lincoln and His Boys by Rosemary Wells

BIOGRAPHY POETRY

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford

HISTORICAL NOTEBOOKS

Cleopatra: Queen of Egypt by Ian Andrew

BIOGRAPHY SNAPSHOTS OF MOMENTS IN TIME

Lady Liberty: A Biography by Doreen Rappaport

Thanks for hanging with me through this giant post!   I really wanted you to see how I incorporate picture books in writing lessons from day one all the way through to the end of a writing project.  It’s a process, but fully worth it when those final drafts consistently improve!  I would LOVE to hear YOUR stories about using picture books to make your children better writers!

And, a HUGE thanks to Candlewick Press for publishing great biographies!  If you’re on social media, keep up with them on Facebook , Twitter , Google+ , Pinterest or YouTube .  I especially like their Pinterest page where they’ve taken the time to categorize their book titles into learning themes!

Need a little more help learning how to implement this teaching method?

I taught a practical class that can help!

Be sure to check out the other posts in this series to get ideas for teaching several writing styles through picture books!

14 Comments

Thank you thank you thank you for this post! I am so excited I found you!! This is the best post ever on how to write a biography. Thank you so much. And thank you for introducing me to Candlewick Press. 🙂

This is a fantastic post and I now definitely want to add this to our studies!!

I loved this post! My son is in 8th grade and I use picture books all of the time. They are wonderful for teaching so many things and I find myself browsing the picture book department of our book store more often than any other area. I love that you shared the details of this lesson (and that it was with your son). We will be moving into biography soon, and I will be sure to use your ideas. Thanks so much for sharing–your blog is always an inspiration to push a little more.

P.S. I would love to see any ideas you might have about teaching note-taking strategies

Thanks for such kind works, Carrie! Can’t wait to hear how your children’s biography writing goes!

You are very welcome, Carol!

You’ll love it, Phyllis!

Cindy, this is wonderful! I’m homeschooling my teenage brother and I was wondering how to teach writing using picture books. Since you can teach literature analysis and literary elements using picture books why not also teach writing. You really walked me through the process in this post. I can’t thank you enough for writing this. I always find lovely gems in your blog posts but this one is the most valuable to me and perfectly timed. Please write more posts about teaching writing styles using picture books. 🙂

I’m so glad it was helpful, Ruthie!

I have a slightly off topic question. How do you store your picture books in your home library? Do you store picture book biographies in with your chapter books? I am having home library organization anxiety issues. 🙂

Diana, that’s a great question! I should probably write a post on the topic. The short of it…I store picture books and chapter books separately. I sort all my books by historical era or science topic or math topic or language arts topic or classics. So, anything having to do with the Civil War, for example, is grouped together in the picture book area and again in the chapter book area. I don’t worry with alphabetizing my author or title because there just aren’t that many to sort through.

My biographies are all inserted with either the history or science section in which they “fit.”

My method is really just my personal preference. There are a zillion ways you could store your books. Do whatever makes the most sense to you. 🙂

These posts are amazing!!! Thank you for the inspiration. Love your blog and love you!

I’ve missed you!!! So glad to hear from you. 🙂 I hope all is well!

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How to Help Your 4th Grader Write a Biography

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Assignments can differ from one teacher to another, but most fourth-grade biography papers will involve a specific format. If you don't have detailed instructions from their teacher, you can follow these instructions to help your child develop a great paper.

Every paper should have the following sections:

• An  introductory paragraph
• Three body paragraphs
• A summary paragraph

The cover page gives the reader information about your child, their teacher, and the subject of your child's paper. It also makes the work look more polished. The cover page should include the following information:

• The title of your child's paper
• Your child's name
• The name of your child's teacher and their school
• Today's date

Introductory Paragraph

The introductory paragraph is where your child introduces his topic. It should contain a  strong first sentence that gives the reader a clear idea of what the paper is about. If your child is writing a report about Abraham Lincoln, the opening sentence may look something like this:

Abraham Lincoln once described himself as an ordinary man with an extraordinary story.

The introductory sentence should be followed by a few sentences that give a little more information about the topic and lead up to your child's "big claim," or thesis statement . A thesis statement is not merely a statement of fact. Rather, it is a specific claim that will be argued and defended later in the paper. The thesis statement also serves as a roadmap, giving the reader an idea of what is coming next.

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of the biography are where your child goes into detail about their research. Each body paragraph should be about one main idea. In a biography of Abraham Lincoln, your child might write one paragraph about Lincoln's childhood and another about his time as president.

Each body paragraph should contain a topic sentence, support sentences, and a transition sentence.

A topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. Support sentences are where your child goes into detail, adding more information that supports the topic sentence. At the end of each body paragraph should be a transition sentence, which links the ideas from one paragraph to another. Transition sentences help guide the reader and keep the writing flowing smoothly.

Sample Body Paragraph

A body paragraph may look something like this:

(Topic sentence) Abraham Lincoln struggled to keep the country together when some people wanted to see it split apart. The Civil War broke out after many American states wanted to start a new country. Abraham Lincoln showed leadership skills when he led the Union to victory and kept the country from splitting in two. (Transition) His role in the Civil War kept the country together, but led to many threats to his own safety. (Next topic sentence) Lincoln did not back down under the many threats he received. . . .

Summary or Conclusion Paragraph

A strong conclusion restates your child's argument and sums up everything they have written. It should also include a few sentences that repeat the points your child made in each body paragraph. In the end, your child should include a final sentence that sums up the whole argument.

Although they contain some of the same information, the introduction and the conclusion should not be the same. The conclusion should build on what your child has written in their body paragraphs and wrap things up for the reader.

Sample Summary Paragraph

The summary (or conclusion) should look something like this:

Although many people in the country did not like Abraham Lincoln at the time, he was a great leader for our country. He kept the United States together when it was in danger of falling apart. He also stood brave in the face of danger and led the way to equal rights for all people. Abraham Lincoln is one of the most outstanding leaders in American history.

Bibliography

Your child's teacher may require a bibliography at the end of the student's paper. The bibliography is simply a list of books or articles that your child used for his research. The sources should be listed in a precise format  and in alphabetical order .

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Rosa Parks Biography Writing Unit Digital & Print | Year 5 or Year 6

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Unit of work

Last updated

27 March 2024

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A Google Slides biography writing unit about the famous American civil rights activist, Rosa Parks. The NO PREP unit has been split into four separate lessons and is perfect for students in Year 5 or Year 6. Students will learn about the famous figure whilst working on their comprehension skills and developing their creative writing.

Included in the Google Slides Activity:

• Four fact sheets & blank sheets for students to copy and paste key facts
• Writing templates for four draft paragraphs
• Two prompt sheets for students to write their introduction and conclusion
• A template for students to write up their neat biography text

Included in the PDF printable resource:

• Four fact sheets which students need to cut out and sort into paragraphs
• A crossword puzzle and wordsearch to consolidate learning

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This resource is great for:

• In class learning
• Independent work
• Creative writing sessions
• Assessment practice
• Emergency sub plans

The first lesson is interactive and involves students reading facts, and then sorting and ordering these facts into paragraphs by copying and pasting. In the second lesson the children need sort the facts in order before typing four draft paragraphs. Then, in the third lesson they need to choose the most important facts and include these in an introduction; after this they need to answer several questions before typing up their conclusion. In the final lesson your class will need to check their draft paragraphs before typing up their work on to the template provided.

This activity is an online resource, that uses Google Slides, and is linked to your Google Drive. It can be completed by students online using tablets or computers.

The resource also comes in a PDF format, which can be printed.

Please ensure when you download this resource into Google Drive that you are logged in to the gmail account where you wish to store the activity. In the past teachers have downloaded resources into their school account in error. Thanks :)

If you would like to add another online lesson, download the Rosa Parks Close Reading Activity | Digital & Print. This would give the students more background knowledge before they start writing the biography. It comes in Google Forms and PDF formats for distance learning, or for printing.

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A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

Rosa Parks Biography & Comprehension Bundle Digital & Print | Year 5 or Year 6

This bundle has two online Google activities that would span five lessons about the famous American civil rights activist, Rosa Parks. The resources are perfect for Distance Learning in Year 5 or Year 6, and are ideal for students learning about U.S. History or for Black History Month. ⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻ Firstly, there is a Google Forms reading comprehension activity with comprehension and grammar questions followed by an extension task. The resource, which also comes in PDF format, allows students to learn key facts about the famous figure whilst working on their comprehension skills. Secondly, there is a Google Slides biography writing unit. The NO PREP unit has been split into four separate lessons and students will learn about the famous figure whilst working on their comprehension skills and developing their creative writing. Again, the resource comes in PDF format, perfect for printing. ⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻ Included in the reading resource: * A Google Forms Activity * A PDF Printable Activity with crossword puzzle & wordsearch Included in the Google Slides Activity: * Four fact sheets & blank sheets for students to copy and paste key facts * Writing templates for four draft paragraphs * Two prompt sheets for students to write their introduction and conclusion * A template for students to write up their neat biography text These activities are both online resources that use Google Forms and Google Slides, they are linked to your Google Drive. They can be completed by students online using tablets, phones or computers. The resources also come in a PDF format, which can be printed. Please ensure when you download this resource into Google Drive that you are logged in to the gmail account where you wish to store the activity. In the past teachers have downloaded resources into their school account in error. Thanks :) ⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚ For more great resources follow my store ⇉⇉ [CLICK HERE](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/CreativePrimaryLit)

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4 ways to engage students with writing in math class

My first classroom position was teaching sixth-grade science at an elementary school. I had a great curriculum with a lot of hands-on exploration of phenomena that both my students and I loved. The one thing missing, though, was a real reading and writing component. So, I created an introductory unit on science writing. It involved teaching students explicitly how to make and record detailed observations and clearly explain the rationale for their inferences. I worked with the school librarian to get access to age-appropriate science magazines and had students read and respond to articles regularly. As someone who loves to write, it made sense to me to incorporate writing into all areas of the classroom.

I brought this interest in content-area writing along when I transitioned to teaching third grade. That curriculum had plenty of opportunities to write in science and social studies. However, I noticed that beyond the typical “Explain how you solved the problem” prompts, there was very little writing in math. When I excitedly asked my new grade-level colleagues if they used math journals, they looked at me as if I had spoken to them in another language. The idea of writing in math seemed somewhere between unnecessary and ridiculous to them.

Thankfully, teachers have become much more open to writing in math class since then. NCTM’s 2000 publication “Principles and standards for school mathematics” helped drive this connection by including communication as a key component of mathematics learning. NCTM framed mathematical communication as “a way of sharing ideas and clarifying understanding. Through communication, ideas become objects of reflection, refinement, discussion, and amendment. When students are challenged to communicate the results of their thinking to others orally or in writing, they learn to be clear, convincing, and precise in their use of mathematical language.” Since this publication, most college-and-career ready standards have incorporated the need to communicate mathematical ideas into their math practice standards.

Why is writing in math class important?

The act of writing involves examining, organizing, reconsidering, and synthesizing one’s ideas. Writing is a “knowledge transforming” process that involves both the retrieval and encoding of ideas and concepts in our memory. As stated in the NWEA stances on writing , “Writing is a cognitive, nonlinear process that serves as a tool for learning and critical thinking, stimulating the writer to think more deeply about a text, topic, or concept. In this way, writing doesn’t just show thinking; it is thinking, and it is an essential practice across disciplines.”

Research has demonstrated the impact of writing in furthering mathematical understanding. A 2020 meta-analysis of research on writing in the content areas of math, science, and social studies showed that writing to learn in each of these subject areas “reliably enhanced learning” with an effect size of 0.30. Another meta-analysis focused on writing specifically in math found an even greater effect size of 0.42.

Writing in math class can both uncover and potentially improve students’ attitudes toward the subject. A 2014 study involving students with high math anxiety found that when students wrote expressively about their thoughts and feelings prior to an exam, the difference in performance between low and high math anxiety students was significantly reduced relative to the control group in which students did not engage in pretest expressive writing.

There’s more than one write way

At a high level, there are two different ways to think about writing in the math classroom. One way is a writing-first approach, where the focus is on improving student writing, and math is a topic that is used to support this. The other approach is math-first, where writing serves as a tool for helping students learn and integrate mathematical content.

Naturally, with a writing-first approach there is more emphasis on drafting, revising, and honing writing. In a math-first approach, which will be the focus of this article, revisions are less common. While students should be taught and coached on how to articulate mathematical ideas and arguments clearly, revisions are more about recording shifts in students’ thinking about the mathematical content than they are about mechanics or style.

Within the math-first approach, there are many ways to incorporate writing in math class. I’ll dig into four of them here.

1. Eliciting impactful explanations

Let’s start by examining the aforementioned “Explain how you solved the problem” prompts found in many teaching materials.

You are likely familiar with the tepid and uninformative responses these questions can elicit if students are not taught how to unpack their mathematical thinking. Without coaching and modeling, students are likely to simply list the series of steps they took to solve the problem, rather than explain why they chose that approach, identify challenges they encountered and decisions they made along the way, and say how they determined their answer was reasonable. Just as I had done when teaching science, I realized I needed to explicitly teach my students to explain how they approached and solved a problem. This instruction went hand in hand with developing a classroom culture where students felt comfortable explaining their thinking orally, asking and answering questions of one another, and defending their mathematical thinking.

To start, when solving a problem, I would model my own mathematical thinking on chart paper. I did this in a double journal entry style, solving part of the problem on one side of the paper and then recording my thoughts and decisions on the other side. Capturing decisions, missteps, mistakes , and course changes is a great way to model the math practices , particularly making sense and persevering in problem-solving. It is also a great way to model that the problem-solving process may not always be linear and that mistakes are normal and can lead to deeper understanding.

Writing in math class can both uncover and potentially improve students’ attitudes toward the subject.

After I finished, I would allow students to ask questions about what I wrote and I would use this to add to my writing, or I would annotate what to include next time. As students started writing on their own, I would share less-than-exemplary examples that I had created, alongside high-quality student examples. First as a whole class and then later in pairs, students would highlight the differences between the pieces and we would annotate the poor examples to show how to improve them. This included sharpening mathematical vocabulary, discussing models that could support the written text, and adding details for clarity. Finally, as students gained more confidence in their writing, I would pair students who solved the same problem using different approaches. The students would read each other’s explanation and then ask questions to help clarify the other student’s writing. Because these were not formal writing pieces, students didn’t necessarily need to rewrite their explanations; however, they at least needed to take notes of what might help make their explanations clearer next time.

The power of connecting writing and problem-solving was well summed up by the authors of “Aiming for understanding: Lessons learned about writing in mathematics” : “Writing during problem-solving instruction was introduced to help us assess our students’ thinking, but…we concluded that writing about problem solving and reading others’ thoughts…actually helped our students develop a deeper understanding of the problem-solving process. What began as an assessment tool was now being recognized as an instructional tool. We were beginning to view writing as integral to the teaching of mathematics concepts.”

2. Providing a formative foundation

Mathematical writing can be a rich vehicle for formative assessment , and it can be employed before, during, or after a lesson or unit. For example, before starting a unit on fraction addition, you might assign a 5–10 minute quick write in which students record everything they know about fractions. Reviewing the writing can give you more insight into student understanding than a quiz, which is inherently limited in terms of content included. The knowledge you uncover about your students can help you tailor interventions and small- and large-group lessons to where students are in their conceptual understanding of fractions. The process of recall leverages spaced retrieval practice , which helps with long-term retention of information. Recalling related past concepts also primes students to connect previous content to new content, a topic I’ll discuss in the next section.

During the lesson, you can convert the traditional “Think, Pair, Share” activity into a “Think, Write, Pair, Share” activity. The writing can be done either on individual whiteboards or in a notebook, if you’d like to save the students’ writing. Adding writing to this protocol can give students more time to process their thinking. Additionally, if the writing is recorded in a journal, later in the unit students can be asked to reread earlier entries to reflect on how their thinking has changed or deepened.

Finally, end-of-lesson quick writes where students record the three most important things they learned, identify and define key vocabulary in their words, or comment on a particular student’s explanation or response can serve both as an assessment of student learning and a way for students to synthesize their new knowledge.

3. Making connections

Despite how many of us were taught it, mathematics is all about connections. Connections, along with communication, is one of NCTM’s five process standards . Students at all levels should be able to recognize and “understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a coherent whole” as well as how they connect to the wider world. I discussed why making connections is so critical in “Maximum impact: 3 ways to make the most of supplemental content.” Math journals and writing prompts are a great way to have students look for connections among concepts.

Varying degrees of scaffolding can be used to help students make connections. You can directly ask them to do a quick write that compares two concepts, such as multiplying whole numbers and multiplying a fraction and a whole number. Or, prior to starting a new unit, students could be asked to write down everything they know about a concept related to the upcoming unit. For example, if students are starting a unit on multiplication, you can ask them to write everything they recall about arrays. As you move through the unit, you can ask questions to explicitly help them see the connection between arrays and multiplication.

You also want to provide prompts that allow students to find their own connections between concepts. Having students create concept maps is a great way to have them show connections between concepts. Simple sentence starters or sentence frames like “Division reminds me of…” or “Volume is similar to ______ because ______. Volume is different from ______ because ______” give students the freedom to make their own connections. In their article about improving writing prompts in mathematics , authors Craig Sjoberg, David Slavit, and Terry Coon share a simple three-part prompt to help students make mathematical connections:

• Explain at least one thing you learned in math this week.
• How does your answer connect to other mathematical ideas?
• How do these ideas connect to the real world?

4. Supporting metacognition

In addition to all the ways to have students share their mathematical understanding, I also liked to use math journals as a means of reflection. Students can be prompted to consider how they engaged with an activity or a discussion, reflecting on what helped to move their thinking along, what may have confused them, and more. This can help them understand how they learn best.

Metacognition, or the awareness and regulation of your own thought processes, is a key component to creative problem solving (as opposed to rote following of procedures). There are several ways to incorporate this type of reflection into math class:

During a lesson

If you have students take notes in class, you can teach them to engage in note-taking/note-making activities where they write the main idea on one side of the paper and their thoughts, reactions, and connections on the other side of the paper.

After a lesson

Have students respond to one of the following prompts:

• Did you have any lightbulb moments during that lesson? What led to that moment?
• Is there anything that is still confusing to you?
• What did you know or think about this topic before today? How has your understanding changed?
• How might you have presented this topic to someone else?
• Did you need more time to work today? Was the activity too long or just right?

At the end of the week or at the end of the unit

Ask students to reflect on specific activities, lessons, or conversations they engaged in:

• Which one was the most interesting to you?
• Which one helped you understand something better? What did it help you understand better and why?
• Which one changed your thinking about a mathematical idea?
• Did any confuse you or leave you with new questions?

The wide world of mathematical writing

I have touched on only a few ways to think about writing in math class. Thankfully, there is an abundance of resources to help you explore a wide variety of ways to get your students writing about math. Here are just a few of them.

• “5 ways to use writing in the disciplines to support learning” This Learn. Grow. Post delves into ways to infuse writing in all content areas.
• “Writing in math” This article by Marilyn Burns provides examples of how to integrate writing in math class.
• Using writing in mathematics to deepen student learning This guide discusses the research supporting writing in math, explores different approaches to math writing, and provides prompts and samples of student writing.
• “8 ways to pose better questions in math class” Although the focus of this article isn’t strictly on writing, the tips and prompts provided can be applied to writing.
• “Integrating writing and mathematics” This Reading Rockets article shares multiple strategies and examples of student writing in math class.
• “Write on” This NCTM article discusses four categories of mathematical writing and provides prompts for each type.
• “Talking, writing, and reasoning: Making thinking visible with math journals” This Read Write Think lesson models how to incorporate journals into math activities and includes prompts designed to uncover students’ attitudes and dispositions toward math.
• “Journal prompts for elementary students” This resource contains three pages of math writing prompts.

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How back-to-basics literacy and numeracy teaching transformed a struggling public school

When Manisha Gazula first took over as principal at one of Australia's most disadvantaged primary schools, a majority of students were moving on to high school with sub-par reading skills.

"If we were sending 100 kids to high school, 90 of them couldn't read or write as per their age — and that's failing those students," she said

Today Marsden Road Public School is a school transformed, with students achieving above the state average in writing and making above average progress in reading and numeracy.

Ms Gazula credits the shift to an approach to learning she calls the "Marsden Way".

About 90 per cent of the outer western Sydney school's students speak a language other than English and of those, 40 per cent have been speaking English for fewer than three years.

One in five students come from refugee backgrounds or have had "refugee-like experiences", Ms Gazula said.

"I've got students who have enrolled, 10 years old, and have never held a pencil or seen a book in their life," she added.

Today, every minute of the students' time is planned to make sure they make the most of their education.

At the beginning of the year all students get a two-week crash course in the Marsden Way, including basic skills such as learning to walk between classes quietly, in neat double lines, and to politely greet the teachers.

The time spent emphasising discipline has meant the school has one of the lowest suspension rates in the country.

"I don't accept mediocrity," Ms Gazula said.

"To say that our kids cannot perform, we cannot have the same expectations as the kids living on the other side of the bridge — I will not accept that."

Year 3 kids now outperforming the 'good schools'

The biggest change Ms Gazula made when she took over in 2016 was abandoning fashionable teaching practices like whole language.

Popular in the 1970s and still used in many schools today, whole learning's core philosophy is that reading is easy and natural, and students can teach themselves to read by being surrounded by good books.

Ms Gazula and many experts disagree, believing that reading is a difficult skill that must be explicitly taught.

"You wouldn't do that [whole learning] when you're trying to teach a child to play piano or to play any other instrument or to do something new — you would go step by step," Ms Gazula said.

"Yet when it comes to learning Maths or English, somehow we feel that different approaches are okay."

A recent Grattan Institute report sheeted home the blame for 30 per cent of Australian students not being able to read proficiently to whole language instruction.

It was no surprise to Ms Gazula, who adopted an explicit instruction teaching model known as the science of reading.

It takes the opposite approach to whole language – theorising that learning to read is hard and needs to be taught directly over two or three years.

The style incorporates old school practices — the teacher is firmly in charge — but it also incorporates the latest science on the way kids' brains best absorb new information.

Since adopting explicit instruction the school has transformed its NAPLAN results and sustained them, with life-changing results for students.

The school's year 3 and 5 students have outperformed the state in writing over the past three years, Ms Gazula said, and writing proficiency is over 60 per cent.

"So 60 per cent of year 3 kids — kids who couldn't speak English — are writing better than the so called good schools," Ms Gazula said.

Deputy Principal Troy Verey, who has been at the school for 11 years, said it was rewarding to see brighter futures.

"One of the aims at our school is we want a life of choice, not chance," he said.

"So if they know how to read and write and are numerate, they'll have more choices going ahead. Whether they want to be a tradie, whether they want to be a doctor."

Parents grateful for outstanding results

During a recent visit to the school the ABC met many parents who sung the Marsden Way's praises.

Ghanaian immigrant Victor Boateng is a huge fan of the school and what it has done for his four children.

"If they've got the good foundation, the numeracy and literacy, which is so important for them, you can go far," Mr Boateng said.

"Thanks to Marsden Road public school for helping me to shape my child, for helping me to bring up good kids."

Mum Ashty Fathi, pictured with her sons Omar (10) and Osman (5), likes the school's structure and routine.

Victor Boateng is a fan of what Marsden Road has done for his four children Anderson (year 6), Ruth (year 4), Alexander (year 2) and King George (kindergarten).

Mum Jaclina Trpeska, pictured with her son Sashe Andonov, initially planned to send her kids to private school, but is glad she chose Marsden Road.

After doing a work experience placement at Marsden Road, mum Ashty Fathi was so impressed she moved her oldest son to the school.

"I was determined to bring him here," she said.

"I wanted him to have the best education and I knew at Marsden Road they would provide that."

Mum Jaclina Trpeska is another thrilled parent, who is glad she didn't go through with her initial plan to send her two kids to private school.

"I have friends that live in the area and I've seen what their children do at school and when I show them what my kids are doing here they're shocked," she said.

"They say, 'Wow you're learning so much.'"

From struggling to 'punching above their weight'

The school also has some high-profile admirers like NSW Education Department Secretary Murat Dizdar, one of the most senior education bureaucrats in Australia.

He wants to replicate the Marsden Way elsewhere.

"The vast majority [of students] … are struggling with socio-economic complexity, and this school is punching above their weight," he said.

Mr Dizdar, a former teacher who went to public school himself, is passionate about the transformative effect of a good education.

As a young educator aiming to move on from his housing commission upbringing, he worked two jobs, picking up early morning shifts as a garbage collector before travelling to the high school where he taught.

"Post code, socio-economic disadvantage, English as an additional language, new arrivals, refugees … need not be a barrier or an inhibitor to having a rich education passport," he said.

"In fact, education is the greatest leveller."

ABC News can reveal Mr Dizdar is mandating that all teachers in New South Wales undertake explicit instruction training immediately after the Easter holidays.

"On day one, term two, which is a school development day, right across 2,200 schools, we will be undertaking explicit teaching learning, in every single school in New South Wales," Mr Dizdar said.

The teachers at Marsden Road hope it will lead to similar success at other schools.

"I tell the kids, 'I cannot change your family background or where you come from but what I can do is help you get out of that and make a better life for yourself'," Ms Gazula said.

"And parents want that too."

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