Reading Biographies
The following resources are sites where you can
find biographies for children to read. Some are written
specifically for children.
Time for Kids Bios
Includes interesting "Did You Know" Facts,
Interviews, Challenges, and teacher resources.
Famous
Leaders for Young Readers
Presidents, world leaders, inventors,
explorers, women who made a difference, scientists,
educators, physicians, athletes, civil rights leaders,
artists.
Bios for Kids
World of Biography
Biographies by category
Biographies at Fact Monster
Blast to the Past
Biographies for children 7 - 10
Biographies for Kids at Biography.com
Ask
for Kids Biography Search
Sahabah,
Prophets,
Muslim Scholars.
See TJ's Sahabah and Prophets pages for links to biographies
of sahabah, prophets, and scholars.
US
Presidents' Biographies
Selected Figures from Recent History - Info Please
Writing Biographies
The following resources are sites where students
can get tips for writing biographies (or for teachers to use to
teach the writing of biographies)
Bio Maker
Very nice resource that walks students
through the steps of writing a biography: Questioning,
Learning, Synthesis, Story-telling.
Info Please Homework Center - How to Write a
Biography
Bookrags - How to Write a Biography
E How: How to Write a Biography
How to Write a Biography
Click on link in the first paragraph and
download a 67 page download. It's called the Memory Grabber
(its a trial version, plug for a product, but this download
is free and has LOTS of stuff that might be useful).
Probably excellent for writing a family history as well.
About.com Homework/Study Tips - How to Write an Interesting
Biography
Biography Pre Outline Help for Kids
Some types of people that biographies are
written about:
-
presidents
-
world leaders
-
inventors
-
explorers
-
women who made a
difference
-
scientists
-
educators
-
physicians
-
athletes
-
civil rights leaders
-
artists
-
scholars
-
prophets
-
sahabah
Biography Lesson Plan
(printable copy)
Goals:
r
To learn about biographies
r
Read biographies
r
Write a biography.
Duration: Approximately 6 days (more if
you feel student needs longer to write biography).
Day 1: What is a biography?
1.
Read
Info Please Homework Center - How to Write a
Biography. This article gives
the definition of a biography and some characteristics of
biographies.
2.
Answer the following questions based upon
the article:
a.
In a nutshell, what is a biography?
b.
Biographies are written in what type of
order?
c.
What two types of sources do biographers
use when writing?
d.
What is a biographer?
e.
Give two examples of primary resources.
f.
Give two examples of secondary resources.
g.
List two types of sources where you might
find facts about a person’s life.
h.
The article lists five things that
biographies do. Name them.
i.
What do short biographies tell?
j.
What do longer biographies tell?
3.
Look up the following words from the
article and give a definition. Use each word in a sentence:
analyze, interpret, infamous, chronological, adversity,
ambition.
Vary
the way your sentences begin (do not begin all with a noun,
instead start some with a verb, location, time, etc)
Day 2: Reading Biographies.
From the list above (Some
types of people that biographies are written about)
and using resources from TJ’s biography page (this page), find a
short biography that matches each of the first seven
categories. Read each biography. Which biography was the most
inspiring/enjoyable to read? Why? Which was the most
boring/ineffective one? Why? Tell one fact you learned about
each person.
Day 3: Reading Biographies.
From the list above (Some
types of people that biographies are written about)
and using resources from TJ’s biography page (this page) and the
sahabah, prophet, and scholar pages, find a short biography that
matches each of the last seven categories. Read each biography.
Which biography was the most inspiring/enjoyable to read? Why?
Which was the most boring/ineffective one? Why? Tell one fact
you learned about each person.
Day 4: Writing Biographies.
Now, its your turn to
write a biography. To learn about writing biographies, visit
the following resources:
(See TJ’s Biography
page for the links)
Bio Maker. Step
by step instructions for writing a biography.
Info Please Homework Center - How to Write a Biography
Biography Pre Outline Help for Kids (Younger kids)
About.com Homework/Study Tips - How to Write an Interesting
Biography (older kids)
Begin researching your
subject (person you are writing about). If time permist, begin
writing your biography.
Day 5: Writing Biographies, cont’d.
Begin writing your
biography if you haven’t already started. Refer to the resources
from yesterday to help guide you.
Day 6: Finish biography/creative assignment.
If you have finished
writing your biography, edit and proofread it and prepare it for
“publishing/presentation.”
If you have finished
your biography, try a creative assignment such as writing an
imaginary biography for an inanimate object or animal (chair,
ant, tree, etc).
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