1. Chapter 11 Biographies Guiding Questions:
Who are the subjects of biographies for children?
How do teachers evaluate biographies?
How can biographies motivate children?
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Norton, Through the Eyes of a Child: 8e ©2004, 2007, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. ISBN:

2. Evaluating Biographies
Is it good literature?
Is the subject worth knowing about?
Is it factually accurate?
Are the lines between fact and opinion clear?
Are primary sources used, and designated as such?
Are photographs included?
Is the style appealing to children?
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3. Biographical Subjects
Explorers of earth and space
Columbus, Galileo, Einstein, the Wright Brothers
Political leaders and social activists
Confucius, Washington, Perry, Lincoln, Roosevelt
Civil rights leaders
King, Marshall, Malcolm X
Artists and authors
daVinci, Warhol, Twain, Sandburg, Guthrie
People who have persevered
Sitting Bull, Pocahontas, Robinson
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Norton, Through the Eyes of a Child: 8e ©2004, 2007, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. ISBN:

4. Teaching with Biographies
Creative dramatizations
Reader response
Developing hypothetical interviews with authors
Creating imaginary conversations between people of two time periods
Identifying common themes
Creating time lines
Analyzing values and beliefs
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Norton, Through the Eyes of a Child: 8e ©2004, 2007, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. ISBN:

5. Using Biographies to Motivate
Biographies about authors can help children become writers
Biographies can motivate students to do research so they can authenticate the events in the books
Biographies of musicians and artists can give children an appreciation for the arts as well as encourage them to explore their own artistic abilities
Biographies can motivate students to critique the works by comparing them to known facts found in other sources
Biographies can motivate children to write their own biographies – of their friends, family members, and famous people
11.5
Norton, Through the Eyes of a Child: 8e ©2004, 2007, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. ISBN: