Writing a Biography
Due Dates:
Biography Research Paper Rough Draft – Thursday, October 28, 2010
Biography Research Paper Final Draft and Project – Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Below are the steps that you will take to complete this project:
1. Go to Mrs. Gaspari’s Wiki Space (www.capehatterassecondary.wikispaces.com) and click on the link for our class.
2. Click on the link ‘Biography Workshop’.
3. Read through the entire workshop while taking notes along the way. It is important for you to read the example rough draft and final draft of Frederick Douglas’ biography, take notes on how to brainstorm for a biography, and read about writing your own biography.
4. Once you finish with the Biography Workshop, click on the link ‘Read Student Writing’ on the left. Click on age 15 and read through some of the examples that students your age have written. Remember that these have not been revised or edited by Scholastic, so not all of them may be as well written as expected.
5. Begin thinking about who you want to complete research on. You may choose a musician, athlete, actor/actress, or any other person that you want to learn more about. Visit the links on the Wikispace to give you ideas.
6. Once you have chosen your person come and see me for approval. Do not start your research until you have received my approval on your person.
7. Once you have received approval, begin your research. Review your outline which has been attached on the back of this page.
8. As an extension of your biography paper, you will be required to create a creative piece to include in your presentation. A printout with suggestions is included in this packet. In addition to these suggestions, you may:
Outline
I. Introduction: briefly describe who the person is/was and what notable thing they are famous for.
For example: Have you ever dreamed of flying freely through outer space surrounded by a sea of stars? Mae Jemison fulfilled that dream. On September 12, 1992, aboard the spaceship Endeavour, she became the first African-American woman to blast into outer space. This wasn’t the only time, however, that Jemison had reached for the stars and realized her dreams. (www.timeforkids.com)
II. Personal Information
1. birthdate and birthpace
2. family life
3. education
4. occupation(s)
5. what they are currently doing (if still alive)
6. death date and location (if deceased)
**Include a timeline of the person’s life. (You can create your own or use the Timeline Creator – found on Wikispace)
III. Accomplishments
1. What did the person accomplish that makes him/her memorable?
2. What contribution did they make to society?
IV. Qualities that made the person interesting
1. What are some qualities that made the person worth reading about?
V. You Choice
1. Choose something about your person to write about.
VI. Bibliography
Use the correct form of bibliography citation for books, web resources, and other written sources you used. This link can be found on the Wikispace.
Biography Project Suggestions
Choose from one of these suggested projects to make a visual about your author to display during the panel presentation.
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• Make a collage using photocopied pictures and phrases of the person’s life. Be sure to include sources for your quotes!
• Prepare an advertisement, such as a flyer or brochure to tell about the person's life. You can use the ReadWriteThink Printing Press at http://interactives.mped.org/view_interactive.aspx?id=110&title= to create and design your ad.
• Make a display using artifacts from the story that you make or gather. Use note cards to label each item and describe its importance to the person's life.
• Illustrate scenes from the story of the person’s life in a comic strip. Please clearly label the date and location of each event.
• Make an illustrated map of the major events in the person’s life. Label each even clearly.
• Make a flip book of an exciting scene from the person’s life. Clearly label the date and location of each event.
• Make a PowerPoint presentation using information from your paper, pictures, and music.
• Create a poster to creatively present your person’s life.
• Create a screenplay and film to explain your person’s life. You may use friends or classmates in your film. If you choose this option, you need to make sure that what you include is appropriate. There should be no cussing or illicit drug use portrayed. Pretend that your great grandmother is going to view this – must be PG rated.
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Adapted from Daisey, P. (1996–1997). Promoting literacy in secondary content area classrooms with biography projects. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 40(4), 270-278.