Biography for Children and Evaluation Exercise

EECE 441

Spring 2003

P. Werre

A biography is the story of an individual’s life. However, a biography is more than the factual account of a person’s life and accomplishments. A good biography gives the reader insight into the character, motivating factors, and personality of the individual. A good biography will capture the imagination of the reader and help them to gain a greater understanding of others.

The study of biography will often lead the reader to recognize that the real lives of individuals are more interesting and challenging than those of fictional characters. Readers can be inspired by the struggles and accomplishments of real people.

  1. Select one of the historical persons listed below.
  2. Select two biographies of this person from the CMC collection. There should be at least 3 biographies available for all persons on the list. Biographies in the CMC collection are at the call number 921 and then arranged in alphabetical order by person. Check the online catalog, WebPALS, for exact call numbers. Search the person’s name as a keyword subject search to locate books about a person’s life.
  3. Locate a factual account of the person’s life in an encyclopedia. You can use the World Book Encyclopedia (CURRIC. REF. 031 W927 2003) or any other encyclopedia for this assignment. Use this to check the accuracy of factual information in your biography.
  4. Read the first 50 pages of each biography or the entire book if the biography is a picture book.
  5. Complete the biography evaluation form for each book.
  6. Bring the biographies and the encyclopedia article to class with you for discussion.

Louisa May Alcott / Frederick Douglas / Martin Luther King
Margaret Bourke-White (pioneer photographer) / Amelia Earhart / Abraham Lincoln
Daniel Boone / Thomas Edison / Margaret Mead
Elizabeth Blackwell (first female doctor) / Albert Einstein / Golda Meir
George Washington Carver / Leif Erickson / Mozart
Winston Churchill / Anne Frank / Georgia O’Keefe
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) / Ben Franklin / Beatrix Potter
Roberto Clemente / Lou Gehrig / Paul Revere
Christopher Columbus / Adolph Hitler / Franklin D. Roosevelt
Davy Crockett / Langston Hughes (poet) / Eleanor Roosevelt
Marie Curie / Helen Keller / Theodore Roosevelt
Crazy Horse / John F. Kennedy
Title / Title
Author / Author
Biographee / Biographee
Are all facts accurate? / Yes No / Are all facts accurate? / Yes No
Interesting to read? / Yes No / Interesting to read? / Yes No
Gives insight into character? / Yes No / Gives insight into character? / Yes No
Would you buy it? / Yes No / Would you buy it? / Yes No

Write a brief comparison of the two biographies. Which would you choose to read and which would you recommend to your students?

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4/22/03

Biography Evaluation Assignment

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