Grades 5-8

1. Biography

2. Different types of Biographies
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First-hand biography
Autobiography
Collective Biography
Unauthorized Biography

3. Characteristics of a Biography
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A story about a real person
Describes the person’s environment
Such as, where, when and how they
lived

4. Characteristics of a Biography
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Provides details that show the person
in action
Such as, their accomplishments,
goals, behavior, etc.

5. Characteristics of a Biography
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Shows how the person affects other
people
Such as, changes that they made in
a person’s life which could include
new discoveries in science and
medicine or changes in laws; helping
people, and includes the artists

6. First Hand Biography
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Reveals another person though the
eyes of a writer who has had an
ongoing, face-to-face, personal
relationship with the person. An
example would be writing about your
grandma.

7. Autobiography
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The main character is the author
The Diary of a Young Girl is an
example.

8. Autobiography
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Recounts key incidents/events in the
author’s life

9. Autobiography
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Describes major influences (people,
events, places) on the writer
A teacher
Home
A Speech

10. Autobiography
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Describes interactions between the
writer and significant people in his or
her life
A teacher
A pastor
A father
A mother

11. Finding an Autobiography
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The call number is 921
Under 921 are the first three letters
of the person’s last name that the
book is about
Remember the person that the book
is about is also the author

12. Collective Biography
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Has many different biographies that
are all contained in one book
An example, Portraits of AfricanAmerican Heroes by Tonya Bolden
This book would be found in 920 BOL
This book is about many different
African-Americans.

13. Unauthorized Biography
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Biography about a person that was
not approved by the subject that
the book is about
These are usually about celebrities.
Risk of suit is great
Purpose is the entertain