BIOGRAPHY REPORT

GETTING STARTED A biography is simply a story written about someone’s life. For this project you will read a biography (or autobiography). This will be done during independent reading time and at home.

PART 1: THE ESSAY Summarizing an autobiography can seem like an unmanageable task. Even a short life is full of innumerable details. The most important guiding principle in writing a summary of an autobiography is clear organization. Begin by making careful notes as you read the book and formulate a brief outline of your summary before you begin to write.

ESSAY OUTLINE Introduce the person you have read about. Outline the most important events in their life (or the story). Point out what is missing. End with the ultimate point.

INTRODUCE THE SUBJECT Writing an autobiography is a powerful statement of self-importance. Either the author thinks that he or she has a life remarkable enough to write about or they have a life lesson that needs to be shared.

WHAT’S IN AN INTRODUCTION Begin your summary by introducing the person, commenting on why he or she is an important or influential figure Why should this person’s life be of interest to others? You may even decide that the person’s life is not as remarkable as he might think. Give an account of that if it is your conclusion.

CONSTRUCT A TIMELINE (BODY PARAGRAPHS) By definition, a summary will leave out many details, even some important ones. The principal task of a summary is to highlight those events that are absolutely central to the narrative.

CONSTRUCTING A TIMELINE Draw up a brief timeline detailing the author’s most important experiences in chronological order. Only list what you think counts as necessary to understanding the author’s life.

POINT OUT WHAT’S MISSING Even a full autobiography is a summary; it’s impossible for anyone to carefully discuss everything that he or she has ever experienced. Every biography writer is guided by principles of selection. Authors must leave out something, and there are reasons for these omissions. It could be because the author deemed an event insignificant or because he or she was embarrassed by it.

POINT OUT WHAT’S MISSING Comment on what you think an author discussed too briefly or might have left out completely and explain why it is important. Did you have a lot of unanswered questions at the end of the book?

THE ULTIMATE POINT Biographies are like non-fiction stories; each autobiography is intended to communicate a lesson of some kind.

THE ULTIMATE POINT (YOUR CONCLUSION) Try to explain what you think is the lesson of the autobiography you’re summarizing. Is this completely clear? Once you have described it, feel free to assess its value. Is this a reasonable teaching to infer from the person’s life? Has the writer misunderstood the importance of their experiences?

PART TWO: YOUR PRESENTATION Create a poster that you will use during your presentation to the class. When you present, make sure you cover each area. You will also answer the question, “What has this person done to contribute to mankind.” In other words, why did they have a book written about them? What makes them special?

YOUR POSTER WILL INCLUDE Photo Basic Timeline Key events with detail One important quote