Biographies and Book Reviews Famous Tennesseans
Table of Contents p. 3 What is a biography? p. 4 Who can I read about? p. 5-8 Famous Tennesseans p. 9 Let’s write about a biography! p. 10 Writing process steps p. 11-14 Let’s publish!
a true story of a person’s life written by another person. A biography is . . . a true story of a person’s life written by another person. Is this story a biography? Answer yes or no. ___ A story about a flying horse. ___ A story about George Washington. ___ A story about Cinderella. ___ A story about Michael Jordan. __ A story that you write about you. See next page for answers
Famous Tennesseans? Who can I read about? Now . . . How about . . . Answers: N Y Now . . . Who can I read about? How about . . . Famous Tennesseans?
Andrew Jackson Early Career A child of the backwoods, he was left an orphan at 14. His long military career began in 1781, when he fought against the British in a skirmish at Hanging Rock. He and his brother were captured and imprisoned at Camden, S.C. After studying law at Salisbury, N.C., he practiced in the vicinity. In 1788 he moved west to Nashville. He was prosperous in his law practice until the Panic of 1795 struck, leaving him with little more than his estate, the Hermitage. There, he built (1819-31) a home, on which he lived as a cotton planter during the intervals of his political career. President . . . Read for yourself to find out about Andrew Jackson, the president!
Davy Crockett 1786-1836, American frontiersman, born in Limestone, near Greeneville, Tennessee. After serving (1813-14) under Andrew Jackson against the Creek in the War of 1812, he settled in Giles co., Tennessee, and in 1821 was elected to the state legislature. When it was jokingly suggested that he should run for Congress, he took the proposal seriously and served three terms in the House (1827-31, 1833-35). His dress, language, backwoods humor, and naive yet shrewd comments on city life and national affairs made him a popular figure in Washington. Read to find out more!
James K. Polk ELEVENTH PRESIDENT (MARCH 4, 1845-MARCH 3, 1849) Born: November 2, 1795, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Education: University of North Carolina Occupation: Lawyer Political party: Democratic State represented: Tennessee Married: 1824 to Sarah Childress (1803-1891) Died: June 15, 1849, Nashville, Tennessee Buried: State Capitol, Nashville, Tennessee Fill in the details by reading a biography!
Al Gore, Jr. The Gore clan is closely knit. Eldest daughter Karenna, 23, a Harvard grad, will work in the campaign. Kristin, 19, is a Harvard sophomore. Youngest children Sarah, 17, and Albert III, 13, are still at home, attending private schools in Washington. He enlisted in the Army and served in Vietnam as an Army journalist. More than most vice presidents, Gore has been given substantial roles in foreign policy. Traveling abroad frequently, he heads commissions working out government-to-government problems. Gore beat Clinton into presidential politics by four years. In 1988, Gore won seven primaries and got 3 million votes. It was a respectable showing for an underfunded, first-term senator from Tennessee, not yet 40 years old. Look in newspapers for more biographical information on VP Gore!
Writing a . . .BOOK REVIEW about your Biography The first paragraph includes: - the title - the author - a brief description of why the person is important The middle paragraphs includes: - characteristics of this person - 3 things that made this person important - facts about how this person contributed to their field or specialty - the part of this person’s life you admire the most, and why you think so The last paragraph includes: - things you liked about the book - things you disliked about the book - your overall opinion of this book
The Writing Process 1. Prewrite! -use a web to organize your thoughts 2. Write first draft (sloppy copy) ! 3. Revise with a partner ! - does the review include all the correct parts? - are paragraphs indented? - do your sentences make sense? - are punctuation marks and capitals used correctly? 4. Rewrite very neatly ! 5. Proofread very carefully ! Then . . . 6. PUBLISH!
#1 Perform a skit. Dress like the person in your biography and act out his/her life
#2 Make a puppet. Put on a puppet show and tell about your person’s life.
#3 Make a diorama. Design a scene from your person’s life. Use a pyramid diorama with pop-ups for figures.
#4 Draw and label a storyboard. Tell the story of your person’s life in sequenced pictures.
Biographical Book Review Expert! Now you’re a . . . Biographical Book Review Expert!