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Rachael TyrrelDecember 11, 2017EDU 307 FinalDefinition of Genre: BiographiesBiographies have been around for hundreds of years providing testament to individuals lives. These events are marked by triumph and failure, as well as heartache, love, loss and happiness. Biographies are so essential because they capture the humanness of a person’s existence through literature. Therefore, biographies are accounts of a person’s life described by someone else in a narrative, non-fiction style of literature. Biographies are important to teach within early childhood and elementary school because students can gain a valuable, culturally-rich perspective of the world.People learn about the world around them from experiences. One way to gain knowledge about the world is through reading. Biographies, along with a variety of literature, should be available in a classroom to help students understand culture, acceptance and work to explain history (Heeden). Students can reflect on how far society has come, but also what work still needs to be done to help improve the lives of marginalized populations. Biographies allow students to access non-fiction works of literature through a narrative approach, which allows them to make connections to the text, “explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical” text, and compare first and second-hand accounts of the same event (English Language Arts Standards). Successful biographies really allow the reader to understand who the person was by addressing their early life, character traits, “claim to fame,” and other relevant information such as birth/death dates, fun facts, quotes, family members, etc. Biographies can be structured in a way so that students of all age can understand and enjoy them. Students should be reading as much as possible! The best way for students to understand biographies is for them to have a strong understanding of non-fiction, informational texts. Teachers can scaffold this learning and appropriately challenge students (based on their grade) to read a variety of biographies. Students can read biographies, autobiographies or other informational texts to compare and contrast these works. Educators should help students identify different components within this genre, such as “early life” of the person. With older students, educators should have students analyze these works and further think about the meaning these texts address. For teachers looking to have students write biographies, they should first expose students to this literature. Students should be able to identify components of a biography. In addition, educators can give students blank graphic organizers to complete. As a way to scaffold writing, teachers can have students first interview one another and write a biography on a classmate. This would help students figure out what is/is not important to include. One of the most helpful aspects of this project would be the fact that the student writing the paper has the classmate they are writing about as a resource. They can ask each other questions or clarify details. Then students should be challenged to complete research on someone else. For younger students, this person could be a family member and for older students they could research someone famous. Again, the lens of this project depends on the age and strengths of the students.Teaching biographies are important because (1) they are about real people and their actions in the world, (2) they make history come alive and (3) there is a book for everyone (Minsker). Students need to be able to make connections to the larger world around them! Teachers should help students feel like they have a voice and help them share their ideas and opinions (respectfully) with one another. Biographies often teach about perseverance, strength, kindness, race, religion, etc. These books can help children appreciate one another and learn from each other’s differences. Students learn about past events and can develop dreams, goals and ideas for the future. Most importantly, students will learn they are not alone! There are biographies on all sorts of people and all sorts of topics available. Students will surely be inspired by one work, one person, one action or one movement.It is important for students to understand biographies so they can read true accounts of the world around them. Educators can help them understand this through the gradual release of responsibility (I do, we do, they do, you do). Therefore, this is focused instruction, guided instruction, collaborative learning and independent learning. In addition, teachers should be setting clear, measureable objectives, providing ques, scaffolding instruction, providing opportunities for direct instruction, inquiry-based leaning and cooperative learning.Biographies are certainly useful because they can help students see the world in a unique way. Educators should be careful teaching biographies because there are some things that we can never prove. An account of an individual’s life is just one representation of it. Students should be taught the different dimensions of people and the complexities that accompany humanness.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~“How often do we tell our own life story? How often do we adjust, embellish, make sly cuts? And the longer life goes on, the fewer are those around to challenge our account, to remind us that our life is not our life, merely the story we have told about our life. Told to others, but—mainly—to ourselves.”-Julian Barnes, the Sense of an EndingReferencesEnglish Language Arts Standards ? Reading: Informational Text ? Grade 4. (n.d.). Retrieved December 08, 2017, from , J. (n.d.). Teaching with Biographies. Retrieved December 8, 2017, from , M. (n.d.). The Benefits of Biographies for Kids. Retrieved December 08, 2017, from Research-Based Instructional Strategies -. (2017, November 14). Retrieved December 08, 2017, from ................
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