1. Writing a Biography Carole Simmons

2. The Importance Teaching children to write expository text crosses over many Common Core Strands. Writing biographies can help connect children to different time periods. Researching and presenting ideas, led by students, demonstrates high order thinking. Common Core incorporates reading with listening, writing, and communication.

3. Common Core Strands Reading strand for information text k-5 (4) Writing strand k-5 (4-6) Speaking strand k-5 (1a, 2, 4, 5) Language strand k-5 (1,2,3)

4. Get Ready! Locate lots of picture biographies. Kids of all ages love to read these and see the illustrations. Picture books are great for modeling fluency. Also, most picture biographies are about 32 pages long…leads to inquiry. Scholastic.com has a website written by authors to help aid teachers in the writing of a biography. Read it the steps are great! View biographies on www.neok12.com/Biographies.htmwww.neok12.com/Biographies.htm Create an environment rich with resources available is the MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do to prepare.

5. Explain Write the word Biography on the board and give the definition. (Writing about life—bio means life) Give students time to talk about this word. Prompt students to tell about biographies they have read. Read a picture book.

6. Begin the process: What makes a person famous?

7. Inquiry begins here… Allow time for children to brainstorm essential question. Chart names and reasons that make them famous. Ask students to list questions they think would be important to ask if they were writing a biography. (early life, contributions, education, etc.)

8. Investigation begins now… Create a biography notebook including key questions, comment, quotes. Remind students to list sources. Encourage students to view video of famous people at www.neok12.com/Biographies.html or bio.comwww.neok12.com/Biographies.html or bio.com Allow students time to research and to record their information.

9. The process continues… As a whole group, help students make an outline or checklist for researched material. Allow time for students to write information in a formal format. Work one on one with each child to edit. Finally…

10. Time to publish Allow students time completed biographies http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/biograp h/biography_readall.asp http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/biograp h/biography_readall.asp

11. Evaluation Students can go on the website that they published on and read other children’s writing. The children should reflect about their writing and that of other children across the country of the same age.