Biography What is a biography A biography is

Biography

What is a biography? • A biography is a nonfiction writing that focus on the lives of human beings, usually famous people. • A description of someone's life, usually published in the form of a book or essay, or in some other form, such as a film.

• Scientists and Inventors: For example: Thomas A. Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Wright Brothers, Joseph Henry among others. .

• • • Abraham Lincoln Ronald W. Reagan Franklin D. Roosevelt John F. Kennedy Richard M. Nixon Barack H. Obama

Artists, Musicians, Actors, Authors and other important people from the arts. • • • Mozart Beatles Claude Monet Marilyn Monroe Leonardo da Vinci

Sports Personalities • • Babe Ruth Jackie Robinson Mickey Mantle Roberto Clemente

Explorers and Adventures • • Christopher Columbus Amelia Earhart Ponce de Leon Neil Armstrong

Humanitarians • • • Mother Teresa Saint Nicholas Jane Addams Florence Nightingale Albert Schweitzer

People who overcome tremendous odds • Helen Keller • John Huss

Villains • Adolf Hitler • Benito Mussolini • Osama bin Laden

Other interesting people • Molly Bangs

Autobiographies • Books people write about their lives

Picture Book Biographies • These books are mainly for young readers

Simplified Biographies • Are designed for newly independent readers and appear as picture books or chapter books with some illustrations.

Complete Biographies • The purpose is to span the entire life of the subject.

Partial Biographies • Have a more focused purpose than complete biographies, they only cover a segment of the subjects life.

Collective Biographies • Contains a number of short biographical pieces about subjects who have common traits

Judging Biographies for young readers • All biographies must be authentic and accurate. • The biographer should not make personal opinions or judgments about the person he/she is writing about. • The subject of the biography should not be glorified nor idolatrized. • Biographies should be well written and engage the reader in order to bring the subjects to life while reading his/her biography.

Examples of Biography Books

Using Biographies in the classroom • • • Autobiography worksheets. Role plays Write letters to famous people Costume Day Have students write a short biography about an important person they know.

References • Jacobs, James S. Tunnel, Michael O. Children’s Literature, Briefly. 4 th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. 2008. • http: //www. mrsmacadam. com/Lang. Art/Writing Lessons/Auto. Biog. Worksheet 3 rd. Grade. pdf • www. merriamwebster. com/dictionary/biography