Biography example

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 )

Writing these types of reports is part of the Common Core writing standards for Grades 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?

  What is a biography report template How to Write a Biography Report includes tips for researching and writing as well as questions to consider answering when writing a biography report.

  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.

What is a biography report Build Background Knowledge about Biographies and Set the Stage Your Biography Reports. We usually begin our biography unit in January, around Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I use MLK as my biographical hero and we read several books about him. I model taking notes and locating information in a text.

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.

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.

What is a biography report sample

A biography research report requires extensive research on the person and a writer’s creative touch to put to life an otherwise mere list of facts. Even if the information is presented in a digestible format, the entire narrative does not abandon accurate data.

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 &#;. 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 Biography Writing Units here:

Get resources for teaching your Grades students to write a biography report here.