writing a biography unit

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

The Joy of Teaching

Sharing creative ideas and lessons to help children learn.

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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Biography Unit Ideas for Primary Grades

By grade 4, students are expected to be able to conduct some research, organize ideas and use their knowledge to create various pieces of writing.  What better way to facilitate these practices then by conducting a biography unit?  Biographies offer students many benefits, some of which are gaining a new perspective on their own life, while being inspired by the works of others.  Below are some biography unit ideas for primary grades.

Before beginning this unit it is a good idea to have a discussion about fictions vs. non-fiction texts.  As well as, discussing how to write an engaging story/biography. For reference, you can look into a story writing unit and learn more about nonfiction lesson ideas .

How to start :

Start your unit off by introducing the concept of a biography.  I typically remind my students about the characteristics of non-fiction texts (ex. factual information, headings, table of contents, real pictures, etc).  Then, we define what a biography is.  If you’re planning this unit for younger students, then you can skip talking about the features and simply discuss the purpose of a biography.  Here are some anchor chart ideas to go through with your students:

Begin With Examples :

Once you’ve introduced the concept and features of a biography, it’s time to start reading biographies as a class.  Be sure to draw attention back to your anchor charts/discussions (it works nicely to also read a biography before discussing features so that students can refer back to the text).  I’ve included some child friendly biographies at the end of this post. For now, here are some tips to try during/after reading as a class:

Practice Makes Perfect:

Now it’s time to practice reading & writing biographies, so that the concepts and structure becomes engrained in students’ minds.  This can be done in a variety of ways. Here are just some ideas:

• create a ballot box for students to submit the names of famous people they would like to learn more about, and find a biography on the name that gets submitted the most often (student’s will be more interested if they have a say in what they learn).
• incorporate biographies in language center activities.
• have students interview a family member, and write their biography.
• have students choose their favorite character from a story or movie, and create a biography about them.

Here are some graphic organizers to help you and your students along the way:

Thinking of going cross-curricular?  Have your students create portraits of famous biography subjects inspired by these:

Assessments:

Conducting assessments throughout your unit is the most surefire way to gage your students’ learning, provide them with feedback and guide the remainder of your unit.  Here are some assessment ideas.

Some Great Biographies for Students:

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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

Craft a satisfying story arc for your biography with our free template.

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?

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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.”

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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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Biographies for First Grade

• Social Studies

When I think of teaching social studies in first grade, I think of teaching people, places and events, but rarely do I use the word “biography”. But in its simplest form, a biography is simply a study of a person, where they lived and what events happened in their life. 

After teaching first grade for more than a decade, I’ve realized that biographies in first grade are actually a very powerful tool.

Learning about different people and the struggles and triumphs they encountered is an excellent way to broaden a student’s view to more than just what they know within their family or community. 

I’ve also found that first grade students relate a lot more to historical events by learning about the people related to those events or places. 

In fact, I would go as far as to say that biographies are a great way to inspire your students to become leaders because they are studying the great impact that even one single person can have on not just a small community, but also the world. 

According to the standards set by the State of Texas (TEKS), first grade students should be able to: 

• Identify contributions of historical figures 
• Compare the lives of historical figures who have influenced the state and nation (compare daily lives, comparison of time in which they lived and comparison of the changes or contributions the historical figure made)
• Identify characteristics of good citizenship
• Identify historical figures and other individuals who have exemplified good citizenship such as Benjamin Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt

The best part about teaching biographies in first grade is that it is the PERFECT opportunity to go cross-curricular! You can combine your social studies time with reading and writing all throughout your day! In fact, this is one of my number one tips for “fitting it all in”.

Why Teach a Biography in First Grade?

Citizenship is a major social studies topic in first grade. Every teacher covers the basics of sharing, telling the truth and other good moral values. 

However, biographies allow teachers to take it a step further and really teach what it means to be a good citizen and contribute to the community and world around you. 

By studying biographies, students can learn about people who are like them, but also people who are very different from them! Learning about different people, in different places and in different circumstances teaches students empathy and understanding. 

How to get started teaching biographies in First Grade

First, you will have to teach your first grade students what a biography IS. In its simplest terms, a biography is a factual (true) story about someone's life. 

A biography includes true information about a person, their life and their contributions to their community and sometimes even the world. 

Students should also understand that biographies can come in many different forms. Most of the time, we read biographies in the form of books. However, there can also be magazine articles, short videos, documentaries/movies or even just an informational poster. 

When considering sources for biographies look for the following information: 

• Important dates
• Family information
• Early life information (education, etc)
• Career information and special skills 
• Significant contributions to society
• Recognition and awards

I always like to kick off my biography units with a short informational poster and vocabulary cards. I think sometimes students do better when they are giving small chunks of information. Then, on the second day of the biography unit, I will read a book or we will watch a short video (and we continue to do that each day of the biography unit).

I think vocabulary is an important aspect to consider when teaching our first grade students about biographies because their background knowledge probably doesn’t include a lot of the terms they may encounter during their research. 

Reviewing vocabulary is also a great way to make comparisons between the current time period and the time period of the person you are studying. It offers up a great opportunity to talk about tools or items we use and how they have been changed or upgraded by technology over time. 

Out of the Box Biography Activities

Another skill that Texas says a first grade student should have is the ability to read and understand timelines. For me, this is an excellent skill to tie in with biographies because it helps students understand the events in a person’s life. 

I’ve found in my own classroom that cut and paste timelines are especially popular with my first graders. They really benefit from being able to cut the events out and physically place (and glue) them on the timeline. 

Not only do they benefit from it, but they also really enjoy it. It’s something a little different from the normal worksheets that are typically associated with “research”. 

Other out-of-the-box biography activities that you can try with your first grade students are: 

• Journal writing from the perspective of the person
• Write and draw a comic strip about the person’s life
• Make a poster about the person
• Film a video presentation or commercial about the person

Biographies and Writing

I mentioned earlier that I really love to tie my biography units into my daily reading and writing time. Biographies naturally lend themselves to reading comprehension skills but they also offer great opportunities for different types of writing. 

The easiest type of writing when it comes to biographies is informational or factual writing. It is very easy to wrap up a biography unit with students writing everything that they learned about a specific person and their contributions to their community.

However, there are also great opportunities for creative writing as well. Take whatever the historical figure is most well known for, and see how you can encourage students to write about their own ideas on the topic. 

For example, when we are studying inventors, I like to encourage my students to think about something new that they would like to invent. Then we practice our creative writing by describing the new invention, what it looks like, how it works and the process for creating it!

If we are studying civil rights leaders, then I encourage my students to think about ways they can influence others to be positive and foster equality for all people. Then we practice our creative writing by describing ways that people can help each other. 

The writing opportunities that come along with studying biographies are endless! You just have to get creative with them!

Types of Biographies for First Grade

So far, we’ve covered what a biography is, why they are beneficial and even ways that you can spice them up a little bit. But what KIND of biographies should first graders really be studying? 

In my classroom, I like to expose my students the five following categories of biographies: 

• Presidents/Government Leaders
• Civil rights

Some of these categories come very easily based on times of the year. 

President’s Day and Black History Month are in February which is a great time to cover presidents and civil rights leaders. 

March is Women’s History Month. 

Inventors and authors could be sprinkled in before and after, I suppose. 

But what if we were more intentional than that? 

What if we challenged ourselves to teach one biography unit a month for the entire school year? That’s 10 biography units for the entire year! And, you could cover each category twice! 

Will you take the challenge?

Biography Activities for First Grade

Inspire students to become community leaders with this bundle of research biographies on historical figures.  Students will explore the history and stories of Martin Luther King, Jr., George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and more.

Each biography unit will allow students to learn how each of these historical figures made an impact on their country and community.

Each biography includes: 

Cover Page (to create a packet of information for students to work through)

Biography Poster and Vocabulary Cards

Fact Collection Worksheets

Cut and Paste Timelines

Brainstorming Worksheets

Informational and Creative Writing Pages

More First Grade Social Studies Favorites

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Kristen Sullins

I am a current Elementary Librarian and Enrichment Teacher, mother of two, follower of Christ and Texas native. In my own classroom, I love to save time by finding unique ways to integrate writing, social studies and science into all parts of my day. I also love all things organization!

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Writers' Workshop: The Biographical Sketch

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

While engaging in the processes of researching, writing, and evaluating short biographical sketches, students can master essential writing skills and enhance their content area learning. In this lesson, fourth grade students discuss standard elements in a biography and examine the characteristics of the genre in a workshop setting. After selecting and researching a contemporary or historical figure using online databases, students practice writing short biographies. They then offer feedback on others' compositions and publish final drafts for reading aloud and displaying in class.

Featured Resources

Bio-Cube : Students can use this tool to create a 3-D representation of the biographical information they find.

From Theory to Practice

• Content mastery is demonstrated through reading and writing, and integrating the two enhances comprehension.
• Checklists can have a significant effect on students' performance while "writing to learn." Checklists help take the mystery out of writing by providing students with concrete writing goals and identifying the desired characteristics of the finished work.

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
• 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

• Computers with Internet access
• Blank transparency and markers
• Overhead projector
• Scissors and writing supplies (e.g., pencils, notebook paper, heavier paper for Bio-Cubes)
• Writers' Workshop: Biographical Sketch Sign-Up Sheet
• Writers' Workshop: List of Possible Subjects
• Writers' Workshop: Biographical Sketch Rubric
• Writers' Workshop: Proofreading and Publishing Checklist
• Writers' Workshop: Performance Assessment

Preparation

Student objectives.

Students will

• Access prior knowledge by discussing the writing process and the elements of biography
• Apply prewriting strategies by generating ideas and organizing their writing
• Improve comprehension by researching a contemporary or historical figure and reporting the most significant information about him or her
• Demonstrate the ability to write a focused, engaging opening paragraph
• Apply standard writing processes by creating short, publishable works
• Analyze content area writing by evaluating and critiquing each other's work

Session 1: Introduction to Biography Writers’ Workshop (60 minutes)

If you have chosen to do the biography activity suggested in the Preparation section (see Step 1), do so before beginning this session.

Session 2: Project Research (30–45 minutes)

Session 3: writing practice and sharing (60 minutes), session 4: revision and reflection (60 minutes), session 5: proofreading and publishing (60 minutes).

Homework: Before the next session, students who did not complete the publishing process should finish. Also, all students should conduct a practice reading of their finished sketches.

Session 6: Author Readings and Celebration (60 minutes)

Student assessment / reflections.

• Teacher observation and coaching during in-class writing and revision exercises
• Monitored student feedback during workshop sessions
• Writers’ Workshop: Biographical Sketch Rubric : Collect the rubrics to ensure that students have completed the self-assessment task.
• Writers' Workshop: Proofreading and Publishing Checklist : Collect students’ checklists to ensure that they have completed the proofreading and publishing tasks.
• Writers’ Workshop: Performance Assessment : Collect students’ assessments to ensure they are complete. Add any comments you have on the back for student review.
• At the end of the writers’ workshop cycle (e.g., immediately following or one day after Session 6), invite students to share reflections on the experience in a class discussion. Pose some or all of the following questions:

What did you learn from this workshop? What was the most enjoyable thing about our workshop? What was the most surprising thing? If you could change one thing about the workshop experience, what would it be? How did using the Bio-Cube help with your writing? Why is it important to start a piece of writing with an interesting opening paragraph? Why is getting peer feedback on your writing helpful?

Bio Cube is a useful summarizing tool that helps students identify and list key elements about a person for a biography or autobiography.

The interactive Cube Creator helps students identify and summarize key elements. It can be used as a prewriting or postreading activity.

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Explore Resources by Grade

• Kindergarten K

Biography Lesson Plans for a Unit You’ll Love

These biography lesson plans can take your unit from blah to outstanding! First, kids read biographies. Then they respond with graphic organizers, templates, and crafts. For the grand finale, students participate in a living history museum.

Ms. Sneed Finds Some Biography Lesson Plans

Our favorite fourth grade teacher opened the file for her biography unit . Her thoughts turned back to last year’s genre study . Sure, the activities engaged her students. However, she reflected, something was missing in the ELA unit . As she tapped her pencil absentmindedly, it came to her: continuity. Great parts. But they just didn’t fit together all that well.

“What I need is some great biography lesson plans,” she said aloud. She clicked over to TPT and did a quick search. Aha! Her favorite teacher-author had posted a free set of plans .

Biography Lesson Plans Introduce the Genre

As Ms. Sneed scanned the plans for the first day, she nodded her head. The class would read a biography picture book and explore elements of the genre.

Next, each child would choose an activity from a choice board . So far, so good! She liked the idea of reading and discussing together – then giving the kids options.

Students Read and Respond

Quickly, Ms. Sneed’s eyes moved to biography lesson plans listed for the next two days. Kids would read one long or more short biographies. Her eyes lit up. For each of those days, kids responded with an organizer or craft !

On the fourth day, students picked a specific person to research. Using differentiated templates , they spent the next four days recording information about that person.

Present a Wax Museum

During the last week or so, the biography lesson plans laid out a wax museum project . They created a timeline for their person. Then they turned it into a monologue and practiced. For the grand finale, each member of the class dressed as their famous person, stood in an open area, and greeted guests with their monologues.

Now Ms. Sneed was really grinning. “I can’t wait to show these biography lesson plans to my co-teacher!” she said. “They will make our unit cohesive – and compelling.”

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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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How to Write a Biography: 8 Steps for a Captivating Story

by Yen Cabag | 10 comments

We’ll just say it: biographies don’t often make the most exciting reads, especially when they’re loaded with fact after fact, and not much insight or narrative.

However, when the writer is passionate and highly knowledgeable about the story they’re telling, a biography can be just as riveting as an action-packed novel.

If you’ve considered writing a biography about the life of someone you admire or whose story interests you, you’ll definitely want to do a thorough job. The steps and information presented below will help ensure that your writing is accurate and well organized.

What Is a Biography? 

A biography is an account of a person’s life that includes facts and anecdotes from that person’s experiences. They can be great resources for studying the lives of fascinating figures, both living and dead.

Most biographies are written to tell the stories of famous or highly influential people, such as politicians, celebrities, athletes, and billionaires.

But biographies can also be written about ordinary people who have made an extraordinary impact on others, even if they are not extremely well-known prior to publication.

A biography may come with the label “authorized” if the subject or their family members gave the author permission to write the story. “Unauthorized” biographies are also frequently published, but without the permission or input of the subject, which may leave the authors subject to legal action.

Difference Between a Biography and an Autobiography

A biography is an account of the life of someone other than the author. An autobiography is an account of the author’s own life. However, the definition may be blurry in cases when a ghostwriter helps someone write his autobiography. 

A ghostwriter is a writer who helps another person in creating a book. This help may come in the form of collaboration, or the ghostwriter might do all the writing themselves. When a person wants to write their autobiography but is not exactly gifted at writing, they may ask a ghostwriter to help create it. 

What Should a Biography Include? 

Biographies usually share more intimate information about their subjects, compared to what is generally included in a feature article. The most interesting things typically included in a biography are: 

• the subject’s family background and childhood
• stories that illustrate their personality
• their motivations, goals, and achievements
• their key relationships, such as their siblings, spouse, children, best friends, colleagues, mentors, rivals 
• their hidden fears or desires 
• stories and anecdotes about their experiences, especially those that illustrate the traits you wish to highlight

How Do You Start Writing a Biography?

When you write a biography, you’re exploring the details of a person’s life, including their thought processes and emotions.

This means that you must be able to write with care and tact. You will also be analyzing the events in your subject’s life and explaining why they do certain things to draw connections between those experiences. 

The length of a biography can vary greatly. It might be very short, and divulge only the basic facts of a person’s life.

However, for most published works, biographies offer a deeper analysis, including many stories and examples that demonstrate the person’s unique character. 

1. Choose your subject.

Ideally, your subject should be someone whose life deeply interests you. Note, however, that this doesn’t mean you have to like the person. Many biographies are written from a critical viewpoint, in which the subject’s flaws and mistakes are analyzed.

Keep in mind that your feelings about the person will affect the way you write, and consequently influence how readers view the work. 

If your subject is still living, you should make every effort to interview them (or at least their representatives). When it comes to writing a biography, a you are writing about someone alive or not, the process remains the same, except for the fact that you can still interview a living person. 

An important part of choosing your subject is obtaining their permission. You need to ask the person whether or not they agree to let you write their biography.

If they agree, it’s all well and good! If they don’t agree and you proceed anyway, you might be subject to legal action should your subject decide to pursue it. 

If the person you choose to write about is dead, you will not need to ask anyone’s permission. 

2. Find out the basic facts about your subject’s life. 

If the person you are writing about is famous, you will likely be able to find certain details online, such as their birthday, family background, and other basic information. The same holds true even if he is not famous but you know him personally. 

Then, you can use news articles or similar sources to help you decide which part of their life interests you the most.

3. Conduct thorough research. 

For research, biographers rely on both primary and secondary sources.

• Primary sources : If you are writing about a living person, primary sources might include interviews with that person, their family members, friends, and colleagues, as well as letters, journals, diaries, speeches, newspaper accounts, school records or reports, and other documents. 
• Secondary sources : If you write about a famous person, chances are there are already other books written about them. Biographies that another person has written fall under secondary sources, as do reference books and histories that support your information.

Because a good biography will include stories from the subject’s experiences, be sure to collect personal stories and even anecdotes.

These will surely bring greater credibility to your writing, and make your subject more relatable to your readers. 

How to Write a Biography

Now that you’ve done your research, it’s time to begin writing the biography, starting with a detailed outline to help you organize your idea and information.

4. Write an outline of your biography. 

Once you’ve figured out the direction you want to take with your biography, an outline will help you organize your thoughts and information so you’ll be better prepared to start writing.

Create a bullet point for every main theme that you want to include which may correspond to one chapter. Then write another bullet, indented to the right, for each different sub-topic within the main theme. These will be the different sections inside each chapter. 

You have several options for writing your outline:

• Chronological order : Many biographers go for a chronological account of their subject’s life, from the day they were born, through their childhood, school days, career, and so on. 
• Specific time periods : Another way of outlining is to group certain time periods around a specific theme. For example, your subject’s difficult childhood may be lumped together into a theme entitled “Early Adversity.”
• Thematic : Other biographers outline their chapters by themes. For example, a theme on your subject’s generous heart may include examples from across his life, while a theme on his intellectual prowess may also portray his academic achievements across many years. 

5. Start writing your first draft. 

Now that you have all your information collected, start to write your story based on the outline you prepared in step 4. Some writers prefer to write one chapter after another, while others don’t mind jumping around chapters. Experiment and find what works best for you. 

When you start to write, don’t worry too much about editing or fact-checking. At this point, just concentrate on crafting the story in an interesting way that will hook your readers. 

6. Take a break before proofreading and fact checking your first draft. 

You will likely be excited to start editing once you’ve finished your first draft, but you’ll actually be doing yourself a favor by taking a break for at least a few days.

In this way, you’ll be able to return to work with a fresh set of eyes, which will leave you better able to catch errors and see your work from a new perspective.

Once you feel ready, start scanning your work for typos, cut and paste paragraphs you want to transfer, and even eliminate whole passages that don’t seem to play an important role in the story.

This is also the best time to fine-tune and fact check your writing . 

7. Get another perspective.

Once you have smoothed out everything you can in your work, now is the time to get someone else’s feedback.

Whether you intend to publish your biography or not, it’s always a good idea to get feedback from someone who is skilled in writing.

Their comments will not only improve your biography, but also provide valuable tips for improving your writing in the future. 

8. Send a copy to your subject.

Consider sending a copy of your manuscript to the person whose life you wrote about in your book.

The copy may serve as a thank-you gift, but also, if you intend to publish your work, you will need them to approve, as well as fact check, everything you put into the story. 

Publish Your Biography

Congratulations! Now that you’ve finished writing your biography, you should start to work on getting your book published.

Check out our ultimate guide on how to publish a book , which features tips on self-publishing, as well as pitching to traditional or independent publishers.

Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:

• How to Publish a Book: The Ultimate Guide to Book Publishing in 2020
• 25 Memoir and Autobiography Publishers Currently Accepting Submissions
• 20 Best Presidential Biographies to Read This President’s Day
• The 16 Best Memoirs to Read Right Now

Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.

10 Comments

Great advice- Thank you !! have a question: if you write and publish a biography about someone who is still alive, what percentage of your profit(s) should you give them? (if I have their permission, and they paid nothing to publish- I did)?

This really helped my homework.

what is the best way to record interviews from your subject? tape? other technical equipment?

Hi Virginia, it really depends on your preferences. These days there are plenty of recording apps on smart phones that allow you to take high-quality recordings, which you can take easily take anywhere with you or transfer to other devices :)

I have been thinking to write a biography of a living person who recently became popular due to his unusual talent and gift. I found this article to be a very informative and helpful guide. I hope I can get going one of these days. My big hurdle is how I can interview this person as I don’t have my own office to interview him and he is only around for a few months. By” around” I mean he travels all over the country. Thank you very much for your article. I will appreciate any helpful advice.

Hi Divinia, I’m glad you found the article helpful! You could always conduct phone interviews or video calls :) may not be exactly the same as face to face, but it can get you the information and insights you need :)

Thank you for a very inciteful article. I’m in the process of writing a biography of a former country music superstar who lost everything due to anger issues and alcoholism, only to recover and become a follower of Jesus, then start his own church and ministry. My question is, when an author writes a biography about another person, how do they decide how to share the proceeds of the book? Thank you very much for your time and advice.

Hi Hal, thanks for your comment! I’m not an expert on that, but I’m pretty sure there’s no rule that you have to share any of the proceeds if you write a biography about another person. Now, if you were helping that person to ghostwrite their own autobiography, that would be different, but still settled between the two of you.

This article is very useful and well organized. Writing the biography sounds like a fun project to undertake. The late James Baldwin spoke about writers writing something they’ve never written. I’ve published an autobiography and after reading your piece, I feel confident in writing a biography of a person who’s still alive. Thank you for your advice.

Thanks Bobby, we’re so glad you found Yen’s article helpful!

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How to Write a Biography

Last Updated: May 14, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Stephanie Wong Ken, MFA . Stephanie Wong Ken is a writer based in Canada. Stephanie's writing has appeared in Joyland, Catapult, Pithead Chapel, Cosmonaut's Avenue, and other publications. She holds an MFA in Fiction and Creative Writing from Portland State University. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,847,505 times.

Writing a biography can be a fun challenge, where you are sharing the story of someone’s life with readers. You may need to write a biography for a class or decide to write one as a personal project. Once you have identified the subject of the biography, do your research so you know as much about them as possible. Then, dive into the writing of the biography and revising it until it is at its finest.

Researching Your Subject

• If the subject does not give you permission to write the biography, you may want to choose a different subject. If you decide to publish the biography without the subject’s permission, you may be susceptible to legal action by the subject.
• If the subject is no longer alive, you obviously do not need to ask permission to write about them.

• You may create research questions to help focus your research of the subject, such as, What do I find interesting about the subject? Why is this subject important to readers? What can I say that is new about the subject? What would I like to learn more about?

• For in person interviews, record them with a tape recorder or a voice recorder on your computer or phone.
• You may need to interview the subject and others several times to get the material you need.

• You may also want to visit areas where the subject made a major decision or breakthrough in their life. Being physically in the area can give you a sense of how the subject might have felt and help you write their experiences more effectively.

• When researching the time period ask yourself: What were the social norms of that time? What was going on economically and politically? How did the social and political climate affect the subject?

• You may also include historical events or moments that affected the subject on the timeline. For example, maybe there was a conflict or civil war that happened during the person’s life that affected their life.

Writing the Biography

• You may end up focusing on particular areas of the person’s life. If you do this, work through a particular period in the person’s life chronologically.

• For example, you may have a thesis statement about focusing on how the person impacted the civil rights movement in America in the 1970s. You can then make sure all your content relates back to this thesis.

• Flashbacks should feel as detailed and real as present day scenes. Use your research notes and interviews with the subject to get a good sense of their past for the flashbacks.
• For example, you may jump from the person’s death in the present to a flashback to their favorite childhood memory.

• For example, you may focus on the person’s accomplishments in the civil rights movement. You may write a whole section about their contributions and participation in major civil rights marches in their hometown.

• For example, you may notice that the person’s life is patterned with moments of adversity, where the person worked hard and fought against larger forces. You can then use the theme of overcoming adversity in the biography.

• For example, you may note how you see parallels in the person’s life during the civil rights movement with your own interests in social justice. You may also commend the person for their hard work and positive impact on society.

Polishing the Biography

• Revise the biography based on feedback from others. Do not be afraid to cut or edit down the biography to suit the needs of your readers.

• Having a biography riddled with spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors can turn off your readers and result in a poor grade if you are handing in the text for a class.

• If the biography is for a class, use MLA, APA, or Chicago Style citations based on the preferences of your instructor.

Biography Help

Community Q&A

• Be careful when publishing private or embarrassing information, especially if the person is not a celebrity. You may violate their "Right of Privacy" or equivalent. Thanks Helpful 31 Not Helpful 5
• Have the sources to back up your statements about the subject's life. Untruthful written statements can lead to litigation. If it is your opinion, be clear that it is such and not fact (although you can support your opinion with facts). Thanks Helpful 16 Not Helpful 15

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/writing/how-to-write-a-biography.html
• ↑ https://au.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-a-bio
• ↑ https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/writing/how-to-write-a-biography.html
• ↑ https://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/3-tips-for-writing-successful-flashbacks
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-bio/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ https://www.plagiarism.org/article/how-do-i-cite-sources

About This Article

Before you write a biography, gather as much information about the subject that you can from sources like newspaper articles, interviews, photos, existing biographies, and anything else you can find. Write the story of that person’s life, including as much supporting detail as you can, including information about the place and time where the person lived. Focus on major events and milestones in their life, including historical events, marriage, children, and events which would shape their path later in life. For tips from our reviewer on proofreading the biography and citing your sources, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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WRITING A BIOGRAPHY: LESSON AND RESOURCES

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

16 August 2021

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A unit lesson plan with 6 sessions on teaching and learning resources of writing a biography based on New Bloom’s Taxonomy.

This download includes: Video: Writing Biographies Scaffolding Notes 1: Vocabulary Overview EXERCISE 1: Compare and contrast a biography and an autobiography. Use the Interactive Venn Diagram to record the difference between autobiography and biography. Scaffolding Notes 2: Biography vs Autobiography Chart EXERCISE 2: Identify the sentences that answer the given questions to show the structure and features of a sample biography. Scaffolding Notes 3: Question Prompts for Biography EXERCISE 3: Determine the author’s use of narrative language and techniques for the given sample biography – Part 1. EXERCISE 4: Determine the author’s use of narrative language and techniques for the given sample biography – Part 2. EXERCISE 5: DIFFERENTIATION - Demonstrate your knowledge of writing a biography by attempting any one of the following tasks. Focus on content, ideas, organization, voice, word choice, vocabulary, sentence structure and conventions as suggested by rubrics. Scaffolding Notes 4: Writing a Biography Rubrics EXERCISE 6: Follow either the graphic organizer or Bio Cube to plan a biography on a chosen person. Scaffolding Notes 5: Biography Graphic Organiser Use Bio Cube from Cube Creator to develop an outline of a person whose biography you want to write. Use specific prompts to describe a person’s significance, background and personality. EXERCISE 7: Follow the biography structure to organise the first draft of a planned biography on the chosen person. Scaffolding Notes 6: Biography Structure EXERCISE 8: Use the checklist to evaluate each other’s work with constructive feedback. Scaffolding Notes 7: Biography Checklist EXERCISE 9: Use the rubrics to evaluate each other’s work with constructive feedback. Scaffolding Notes 8: Biography Rubrics EXERCISE 10: Follow the teacher instructions and student feedback to write the final draft of the drafted biography. Write your own biography and publish it on Writing with Writers. Scaffolding Notes 9: Sample Biography – Helen Keller Scaffolding Notes 10: Transitions – Connective Words Scaffolding Notes 11: Adjective Types and Adverb Types Scaffolding Notes 12: Active Verbs Scaffolding Notes 13: Sentence Types Select Biographies and Memoirs and list them under the headings based on people whose work was in sports, science, engineering, the arts and anything else that may grab a student passing by the table. EXERCISE 11: Read an extract from the biography of Albert Einstein and answer the comprehension questions. EXERCISE 12: Online Exercise: English ESL Biography Worksheets

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READING AND WRITING: BLOOM'S TAXONOMY BASED UNIT LESSON PLANS - BUNDLE

This bundle of 8 products (Unit Lesson Plans) is perfect for teaching Reading and Writing. These no prep activities would be great for ELA lessons or ELA centers. Your students will love these self-grading exercises that are gamified for student engagement. After completing these lessons, the students will be able to: * Identify the components of the structure of the writing. * Identify the language strategies employed in in the writing. * Identify the features of the writing. * Follow the structure and strategies to plan a sample writing. * Follow a checklist to peer-check a structured writing. * Follow the structure and strategies to write a well-structured writing. This bundle includes Google Slides on: * Narration: 24 Pages * Description: 22 Pages * Persuasion: 20 Pages * Argumentation: 32 Pages * Newspaper Report: 23 Pages * Biography: 28 Pages * Information Text: 51 Pages * Diary: 41 Pages Here are some other possible uses for these in your classroom: * To challenge early finishers * For effective tutoring * As ESL stations and sub tubs * As holiday work and homework * For small group collaborations * For an end of unit assessments * For reinforcement and enrichment ◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈ Save 50% on this BUNDLE! Note: These are also sold separately! ◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈

WRITING BUNDLE LESSON AND RESOURCES

A bundle of 20 writing resources for ESL students. This download includes: * Imaginative Writing * Narrative Writing * Biography Writing * Article Writing * Report Writing * Argumentative Writing * Descriptive Writing * Diary Writing * Persuasive Writing * Summary Writing * Review Writing * Paragraph Writing * Dialogue Writing * Creating Writing * Autobiography Writing * Factual Description * Play-Script Writing * Poem Writing * Using Textual Prompts to Write * Non-chronological Report Here are some possible uses for these in your classroom: * To challenge early finishers * For effective tutoring * As ESL stations and sub tubs * As holiday work and homework * For small group collaborations * For an end of unit assessments * For reinforcement and enrichment

WRITING A BIOGRAPHY: BUNDLE

A unit bundle of 4 products with 6 sessions on teaching and learning resources of WRITING A BIOGRAPHY based on New Bloom's Taxonomy. After completing this unit students will be able to: SESSION 1 - REMEMBERING: STRUCTURE & FEATURES - Identify the sentences that show the structure and features of a sample biography. SESSION 2 - UNDERSTANDING: LANGUAGE & TECHNIQUES - Determine the author's use of narrative language and techniques in a sample biography. SESSION 3 - APPLYING: PLAN - Use either the graphic organizer or Bio Cube to plan a biography on a chosen person. SESSION 4 - ANALYSING: DRAFT - Follow the biography structure to organise the first draft of a planned biography on the chosen person. SESSION 5 - EVALUATING: FEEDBACK - Refer to the checklist and the rubric to evaluate each other’s work with constructive feedback. SESSION 6 - CREATING: BIOGRAPHY - Follow the teacher instructions and student feedback to write the final draft of the drafted biography and publish it on Writing for Writers. This download includes: Scaffolding Notes: 13 Handouts Worksheets with Answers: 11 Exercises Unit Lesson Plan with Resources: 6 Sessions PowerPoint Presentation: 6 Sessions Here are some possible uses for these in your classroom: To challenge early finishers For effective tutoring As ESL stations and sub tubs As holiday work and homework For small group collaborations For an end of unit assessments For reinforcement and enrichment

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Biography Unit of Study for Reading

Download this free biography unit of study for reading to help you introduce and work with biographies in the classroom.

This biography unit of study contains anchor charts, lessons, graphic organizers and more within this collection.

This is another free unit of study for teachers and homeschool families from The Curriculum Corner.

We enjoy reading workshop because it is a great way for teachers to help students explore different elements of literature. At the same time, we love that we are encouraging our students to build a love of reading. 

The Key to Teaching Biographies

Biography is a genre that can sometimes easily be neglected in classrooms with regards to informational text studies. We suggested giving it a try because it’s one that can be truly engaging for lots of students.

The key to getting students excited about a study of biographies is to have many relevant and appropriately leveled texts for all of your various readers.

You might even want to think about having a class discussion (or present an interest inventory) to find out who your students might be interested in learning about. 

Once you know their interests, take some time to visit your school and local libraries. Add to your book basket by picking up some favorites at your favorite used bookstore or ordering from Amazon. You will keep interest and engagement high if students are reading about people who are relevant to their interests and lives.

Starting with Immersion

We believe that immersing students in books and letting them develop their own “noticings” is a great way to begin many language art units.  

Be sure your collection of biographies includes a variety of options. You will also want to be sure that your collection contains as many of the biography text features as possible.

We have included a Biography Noticings Anchor Chart that you can use with your kids during or after their immersion experience. Or, you might choose to record your students noticings on a blank chart (which we have also provided).

What We Learn From Biographies is another tool you can use to get your students familiar with this genre. It is an anchor chart that contains characteristics of many biographies.

We have also provided two Find the Biography  resources that require students to distinguish between different genres.  Begin by giving small groups two different types of texts. You can give them literature & biographies OR give them biographies & another type of informational text. They will need to flip through the books to determine differences. They can write their ideas on the organizers.  If you don’t want them to write on these organizers, another thought would be to just have them do a similar activity with Post-It notes.

Yet another resource is our Biography Text Feature Checklist. This would be a good tool to use to facilitate a class discussion as you flip through some biographies together. Check off when you see the specific text features listed within the books. This is also provided in a black & white version with a space for student’s name in case you want to use it as a literacy center activity.

New to reading workshop? Start here and then come back to this unit: Preparing Your Reading Workshop

Read Alouds

Another way to get students familiar with the biography genre is to share them during your read aloud time.  Choose a few examples that will be of high interest to your students, but that might be above their reading level.  

As you read the books or chapters aloud during your regular read aloud time, you can touch on the ideas you are teaching during your reading block.

Focus On Author’s Purpose

You might want your students to think more deeply about why specific biographies have been written. Obviously the purpose of a biography is to inform, but thinking about the reasons an author has to write the biography can help students to determine importance.  

Our goal as teachers is to help students pull out the purpose. You can use this half sheet Focus on Author’s Purpose during a mini-lesson or at literacy center. There is also a page of Author’s Purpose Exit Slips you can use as a quick check.

An extension of this could be our  Biography   Search , which is intended to be used as a literacy center as well. Once students are able to determine why biographies have been written about specific people, then you could have them search through a stack of books to find different categories.

Thinking About Background Knowledge

Activating schema is an important part of students becoming strong readers. A goal for teachers is for our students to think about what they already know before learning new information.

We have created two Building Background  organizers for students to record their background knowledge. Choose the one that you feel best fits your specific students.

Gathering Important Information

Your students might no be ready to begin reading appropriately high interest biographies and gathering information to share.  We have come up with a few different ways for your students to begin to pull out important information from the biographies they are reading.

One way for students to begin focusing on important information from biographies is to have them begin to take simple notes.  Students need guidance so that they don’t copy complete sentences or paragraphs from books.   Biographies: When Will I Take Notes  is an anchor chart that will help them begin to figure out what to write when taking notes. If you have other ideas about how and when you want students to take notes, you can use our blank template to write your own ideas on.

Our  Life Outline resource is a simple way for students to break down personal information from the biographies they are reading into portions of time in a subject’s life.

We have also included nine different Graphic Organizers that you can introduce to your students as they begin to read.  These cover a range of skills.

There is also a cause & effect organizer that will get your students thinking about how particular events have affected the lives of the people they are reading about.

You might also want to try our set of Important Information Bookmarks . These can be used for students to mark text.

Students simply insert them into the book at the appropriate places. They then go back to them to share information with the class or to fill out one of the organizers.

Most biographies share the impact that others had on the subjects’ lives. These influences can be either positive or negative. Whichever case is true, we want students to be able to name those people who were crucial to the success or failure of the person and why.   

This task may be difficult for students, so we suggest that you choose a short, simple biography to read to the class. You will then discuss the influences in the subject’s life. Identify why they had a positive or negative effect. Finally, fill out one of our two organizers with the students so that they can understand their use.

Biography Reading Response Prompts

You can cut these 8 prompts apart, assign to students and glue into reading response notebooks.

Character Traits

While reading biographies you will want to focus on the character traits of the biography subjects.  Many times it is these character traits that serve as the author’s purpose.  

For materials to use in focusing on those traits, you can check out our Character Traits post. You will find a range of lists of character traits and activities to use during reading workshop.

Sharing Student Learning

You will want your students to be able to share their learning as they read and learn. There are so many different ways they can do this. Below we have shared some of our own resources and ideas.

Biography Brochure – This template can provide your students with an outline to create a brochure focusing on the individuals they are reading about.  Choose the template that fits your students.

Simple Biography Books –  Once your students have read many biographies, you might have them create simple books to share with younger students. We have created templates for both female and male subjects. You will find them with handwriting and standard lines.  You will find this download here: Simple Biographies – Books

Timelines – Of course biographies lend themselves well to student-created timelines. Our students always love using PowerPoint for timelines, but good old-fashioned posters are always great visuals too!

Wax Museums – Another popular way to share student learning for this genre is the Living Wax Museum. Students view pictures and dress up as their characters. They memorize as much as possible and stand at-the-ready to tell others about their lives.  These can be fun presented during the school day to other classes. Or, make it an evening event where parents would be able to watch.

You can download the PDF printables for this unit of study here:

Reading Download

We know that some teachers like to have the lessons above in a document they can easily print and add to their lesson plans. You can download these lesson plans here:

Lesson Download

A few of our favorite biography studies can be found below. These are each free and designed to be ready to go literacy centers.

You might like these for your biography book basket (contains affiliate link)

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thank you so much for this great resource on biographies for grade 2.

Language & Grammar

Science & Social Studies

Digital Learning

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! 

Get this activity sent directly to your inbox. Check your email after this!

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!

Want to read more about teaching with biography?

• President’s Day Activities
• Techy Ideas for Biographies
• Women’s History Month Activities
• Read more about: Reading Blog Posts

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Education Standards

Utah core english language arts (2011).

Learning Domain: Writing

Standard: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

Standard: Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

Standard: Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.

Standard: Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).

Standard: Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Standard: Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

Standard: With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.

Biography:autobiography Rubric

5th grade biography unit.

This lesson will teach students to write a biography and allow them to use technology to create a flyer using the Pages app on their ipads. 

Students will be writing a biography in an in person lesson that requires them to learn and understand steps of a biography, publish a written copy, and publish a pages document on their ipads. 

Background for Teachers

To teach this lesson you will need an understanding of the 5th grade writing process as well as what needs to be taught to teach biography writing. You will also need a basic understanding of how to use pages.

Step 1 - Goals and Outcomes

Students will be able to write a 5 paragraph biography and present the life story of someone of their choice to the class using Pages on the ipad. They will be able to introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically. 

Writing Standard 2

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.

Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).

Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

Writing Standard 6

With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.

Step 2 - Planning Instruction

Ask the class, “Has anyone ever inspired you before? Who was it and why were they inspiring?” Make a list on the board and discuss the common traits these people had that were inspiring. Then ask, “Has anyone famous, or in history inspired you?” Using this website as an indoruction www.biography.com pick a few bio’s to summarize or read to your class. Next, tell them their assignment will be to do a biography report. 

Gather biography books from your school library of various people in history, pop culture, sports, or other people you think your students might be interested in researching. Show your students the books and allow them to choose the person they want to write their biography about. You could also have them choose a person before your class library time and then have them select a book when they go to the library. 

Provide a list of important people in history for your students in case they are struggling to think of someone. 

Step 3 - Instruction

Websites: biographyonline.net and biography.com have great resources for this lesson

Using the website and books allow students to do research and gather information using a graphic organizers. Fill one out as an example in front of your class. Once their information is gathered they can begin their essay outline. 

Information to look for while brainstorming: 

Date of Birth:

Where were they born:

Date of Death:

Early life and history:

Why this person is famous: 

Interesting facts:

Major Accomplishments:

Quote from the person:

How has this person inspired you?

Once students have researched and brainstormed the answer to these questions they may begin writing their biography report. Each report should include an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a closing. Model each step with a person you have chosen to show students exactly what is expected and help students who may be struggling. If any students need accommodations you could have them do the same person you are doing.  

Introduction: Introduce your topic, and the information that will be discussed in your body paragraphs. Start with a short story, questions, fact, quote, or interesting statement about your person.

Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph should highlight information mentioned in your introduction as well as the facts you have gathered. This is also where you can include paragraph heading, charts, graphs, and tables. 

Conclusion: Wrap up your statements and thoughts here. Reemphasize important key points in a new and fresh way. 

Creating a Page on the iPad: 

Students will use ipads to gather pictures of the person they chose to write about. They will then use the pages app on the iPad to create an informational sheet to share with the class. The page must include pictures, the person's name you wrote about, date of birth, date of death (if applicable), what makes them famous, a few interesting facts, a quote from the famous person, and a blurb on why this person inspired you. 

When students are finished with their page they will find a partner to collaborate with. Using the collaboration button in the app students will send their page to a partner. They will need to find 3 compliments they can give about their page and at least one suggestion. There might be more than one suggestion but students need to look for 3 things to say they did well and at least 1 thing they could change or improve. Watch for spelling errors or punctuation errors. 

Once all students are done they will present their page to the class. It is fun to suggest that students dress up as their famous person when they present. 

Step 4 - Assessments

Attached is a Rubric for the students 5 paragraph biography as well as the Rubric for their Pages presentation. Part of their assessment will also be presenting to the class. This is attached to the media presentation rubric.

Pages Presentation for Biography              Name:

Version History