Web English Teacher

Working with biographies offers students a chance to develop skills of all kinds. They read, research, interview, inquire, imagine, write, revise, and – if we do it right – they develop respect and compassion for those who faced challenges and made tough decisions.

We can approach biographies a number of ways:

Alphabetical Autobiography
Writers produce a 26-page alphabetical autobiography, in the format of an elementary school alphabet book. "A is for Alabama. I was born in Alabama, and..." Designed for grades 7 and up.
Biography Writing with Patricia and Frederick McKissack
Students learn how to research and write a biographical sketch, including research and writing strategies. They can also receive a Certificate of Achievement. Sample biography of Frederick Douglass is available onsite.
Cut and Paste Biographies: Creating Collages to Document the Lives and Legacies of Famous African-Americans
This lesson is based on a New York Times article about artist Romare Bearden. It is adapable to several age levels and purposes. This lesson emphasizes research.
Middle School Memory Book
Scroll down on the page to find a 16-week unit resulting in an autobiography. This project is designed for middle school but could be adapted to other grade levels. Click on the title for details.
Picturing the Past: Writing Memory Stories from Meaningful Photographs
"Students consider family photos brought in by their peers. They then individually consider a significant personal photograph and write a memory story about it."
Portraits: Written and Visual
In this unit plan students study the life of Louisa May Alcott and Mark Twain using a portrait from the Smithsonian's National portrait Gallery, a commemorative stamp from the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum, a piece of autobiographical writing, and an abridged passage from a novel. This lesson from the Smithsonian Institute is designed for upper elementary students. It can be adapated for study of a different author.
Sophomore Writing Project
These 55 outstanding reflective writing prompts are designed for high school sophomores. Most are autobiographical in nature. They are presented in 3 formats: Web page, MS-Word document, and PDF file (requires Adobe Reader for access).
This I Believe in the Classroom
A teacher guide to writing the personal essays that form the NPR series. Organized for middle school, high school, and college.
Voices from the Field
This collection of first-person narratives from Peace Corps volunteers comes with lesson plans designed for grades 7-12. This is an outstanding set of materials!
More ideas for working with biography and autobiography