BIOGRAPHY OF FAMOUS PERSON - Iroquois Central School ...



Biographies

Biographies are written stories of a person's life that were written by someone else, while an autobiography is a person's story written by themselves. Biographies make past history more real and easier to understand by telling about real people and actual events. People reading the biography can satisfy their curiosity about well-known individuals and can experience historical events as though they were actually present.

 

A good biography presents the facts about the person's life including what the subject did and how they influenced their world. It should describe the person's personality and provide an explanation for why he or she acted in certain ways. Most biographies are interpretive; they not only present the facts but also tell what those facts mean. Biographers make their writings accurate by learning as much as possible about their subjects. They study materials such as diaries, personal letters, and autobiographies. A good biography should be objective and balanced, but those lofty goals are not always achieved. Some biographers present a biased view by selectively presenting only the facts that portray the subject in either a favorable or an unflattering way.

|Student Objectives |

|Students will |

|Learn about important American authors by researching their lives and sharing research with peers |

|Develop research and inquiry skills by researching an persons life, examining the impact of culture on the author's life, and |

|evaluating biographical material for bias, embellishments, or deletions |

|Improve their communication skills by presenting an author to the class, listening to other students present their authors, and |

|working collaboratively in groups to plan panel discussions |

|Enhance their use of technology by using the Internet to research an author, post a written report, and prepare supplemental visuals |

|to complement their panel presentations |

|Improve their critical reading skills by evaluating websites and resource materials for accuracy and selecting information to include |

|in their presentations |

|Improve their writing skills by researching an American author, writing a report, and peer editing and revising their work |

BIOGRAPHY OF FAMOUS PERSON Graphic Organizer

Here are some questions to research when preparing your biography. What was (is) this person's…

A. Early Life:

1. Date of birth

2. Place of birth

3. Childhood/family facts

4. Education

5. Experiences that helped mold the person

B. Adult Life:

1. Other places lived

2. Other experiences that helped mold the person

3. Marriage/children

4. Career/other accomplishments

5. Date of death, place, and reason (if person has died)

C. Career

1. How and when did they become involved in this

career

2. Problems they overcame

3. Reason this person is famous (books, movies,

inventions, bank robberies, etc.)

4. Famous quotes about or by the person, if any

SPICE UP YOUR WRITING

"Wow!" Decorations are literary techniques which kill boredom like a bold bear bouncing on a beehive.

____ question

____ realistic conversation, quotations

____ simile or metaphor













Improving Writing with the Six Traits

Questions to Ask about the Six Traits

[pic]

Ideas and Content

How can I . . .

• Change the way I write my sentences so that the main ideas stand out more clearly?

• Add evidence or examples so that my ideas stand with enough support?

• Add details, testimony or information which will make my paper more convincing?

• Explain my reasons for not agreeing with opposing ideas and possibilities?

• Improve the logic of my argument?

• Strengthen the connections between ideas, examples and illustrations?

Organization

How can I . . .

• Rearrange the order of the ideas and their supporting evidence to provide a stronger foundation for the argument I am making?

• Make sure each section of the paper does what it is meant to do? Is the introduction inviting? Does it state the issue clearly? Does the conclusion pull together the whole piece? Does it end with some power?

• Pace the flow of the paper so that it slows down and speeds up at the right times?

• Build smoother and clearer transitions and bridges between sections of the paper as well as between the ideas being explored?

Voice

How can I . . .

• Strengthen my own personal identity in these words and sentences so the reader will hear my strong feelings and beliefs?

• Modify the words so that my passion and caring both shine through with conviction and strength?

• Change the piece so that I anticipate the questions, needs and concerns a reader might have?

• Write with fresh and original insights which I have built and discovered myself without simply borrowing the ideas of others?

Word Choice

How can I . . .

• Substitute stronger words where they are needed?

• Tone down words where they are too strong?

• Replace words which are "overdone" or "over-ripe" or "inflated" with language which is just right?

• Change tired and worn expressions into something new, fresh and original?

• Insert language which appeals, awakens the senses and strikes the fancy of the reader?

• Deepen and sharpen meaning by checking the thesaurus or dictionary for just the right word?

• Eliminate needless repetitions and the flabby use of words?

Sentence Fluency

How can I . . .

• Re-write sentences to improve their flow from one to another so that my writing has cadence much like a piece of music?

• Introduce variety to the length and type of sentence in ways which seem natural and pleasing rather than forced and awkward? Can I combine some short sentences? Can I replace clauses with phrases?

• Insert bridging words such as adverbs both at the beginning and also within the body of my sentences to avoid stringing overly simple clauses together in a choppy manner?

• Change the words within sentences to eliminate "deadwood" and clarify meaning?

Conventions

How can I . . .

• Place paragraph breaks where they will help to put my message across?

• Employ punctuation that helps the reader know where to pause and how to read my material?

• Check to make sure all rules for grammar, spelling and capitalization have been followed?

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✓ Develop a timeline of 10 key events in your person's life, using the Timeline tool at or

✓ Make a Bio-Cube of your persons life.

✓ Create a short story about your person.

✓ Write a friendly letter to your person talking about what you admire about them and/or any questions you might have. After you write your draft you can use this website to formalize it

✓

✓ Compare and contrast the life of your person you researched to another important figure in society.

✓ Write an essay telling why your person had an important role in history.

✓ Create a biopoem about your person

✓ Create a powerpoint of your persons life.

✓ Make a collage or scrapbook using photocopied pictures and phrases of the person’s life.

Bio-Cube

1. Person’s name, time period, and place

2. Personal background

3. Personality traits

4. Significance

5. Biggest obstacle

6. Important quotation



Bio-Poem Form

Line 1: Your first name

Line 2: Who is...(Descriptive words that describe you)

Line 3: Who is brother or sister of...

Line 4: Who loves...(three ideas or preople)

Line 5: Who feels...(three ideas )

Line 6: Who needs...(thre ideas)

Line 7: Who gives...(three ideas)

Line 8: Who fears...(three ideas)

Line 9: Who would like to see...

Line 10: Who shares...

Line 11: Who is...

Line 12: Who is a resident of...

Line 13: Your last name

Example Bio-Poem

Allison Nicole

Creative, intelligent, fun, responsible, self-disciplined, and enthusiastic

Sister of Meghan Darby, Melinda, Chris and Harrison

Loves to create art, make up plays and commercials, ride Daddy's Harley, and run track

Who needs the telephone, her hair brush, macaroni and cheese, her friends and family

Who gives her MeMaw much joy, her father and mother much pride; brother and sister love

Who feels joy with her friends, creating art work, running, watching movies and eating

Who fears going from one room to another, not doing well on tests, zits and coming in last

Who would like to own a Harley, win the 880, see her room neat and tidy, win the lottery

Who shares her secrets, her worries, and her love with Me Maw

Who is an honor roll student, a typical 13-year old, a friend to Amber, Melissa and Christy

Who is a resident of Jacksonville, Florida

Chase

BIOGRAPHY SCRAPBOOK

The cover should be illustrated with a picture or portrait of the scientist and at least two pictures relating to their work. A Personal Time-Line for the person - Represent the high points of your persons personal and professional life and include at least 5 historical dates as well 2. A Birth Announcement and Birth Certificate - Create a certificate and appropriate information. 3. A Letter written by the person as a youth to a friend revealing information about the person's youth and their interests. 4. A Letter of Recommendation for this person to a college from a High School Teacher. 5. A Speech or essay written by this person on the topic: "Advice to Young People Who Want To Succeed in Life". 6. An Obituary including an Epitaph 7. A Newspaper article reporting and explaining important events in which this person was involved. 9. A Color advertisement about this person and their work. 10. Anything else you might want to include (ON APPROVAL!)

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