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Biography

Biography

Definition:

Biography is a factual third person account of a real person’s life usually focusing on character, career, or achievements, and providing authentic representations of the time and place in which the individual lived. A biography is more than a list of impersonal facts like birth, education, work, relationships and death. It also delves into the emotions of experiencing such events.

Purposes:

• To perpetuate the memory of a person
• To chronicle a person’s life
• To share achievements, influences and incidents of the subject’s life
• To dispel biased views
• To convey an accurate view of the person, make the person widely known, or reveal the significance of the person in relationship to influencing people or events
• To help readers come to understand big ideas, lessons and themes provided through understanding the subject’s personal patterns throughout his/her history
• To reflect on aspects of historical or topical interest
• To acknowledge a person’s influence on groups or causes
• To chronicle the most interesting and important events, usually with the aim of revealing character, personality, and social context.

Characteristics:

• Factual, verifiable nonfiction account attempts to provide an accurate history or partial history of the person’s life
• Narrative structure and elements
• Based upon credible primary and secondary research sources: diaries, journals, newspaper clippings, official documents, subject’s letters and memos to or from others, personal knowledge, public ledgers, genealogies, digital library articles; books, videos, the Internet, newspaper articles, official documents, land memories captured through journal writing or interviews can be used as research materials to substantiate the details of this form of writing
• Well-represented characterization of the person
• Statements or descriptions related to the subject’s significant relationships
• Often includes quotes, anecdotes, or comments from other people
• Commentaries provide insights from various perspectives
• May be written when the subject is alive or after death
• Visuals contribute to understanding of character, events, and theme
• May include footnotes and an extensive bibliography

Theme:

• Often based upon the subject’s pattern of actions (reflecting feelings, values and beliefs)
• Sub-themes derive from shortcomings, virtues and milestones

Characters:

• Understood through third person account
• Reliable descriptions based on a record of facts
• Developed characterization drawn from various sources/perspectives
• Facts about the individual are authentic and verifiable
• Subject portrayed as a whole individual with strengths and weaknesses
• Subject experiences events and conflicts when attempting to resolve problems
• Descriptions of “significant relationships”
• Focuses on events that illustrate character traits, beliefs, values, and personal philosophy

Setting:

• Various settings fluctuate with the chronological life experiences of the subject
• Authenticity of time and place in which the individual lived
• Often details family background, childhood experiences, education, personality and character, comments by critics, business ventures, contributions to field of work or interest and the effects of these

Plot:

• Characters within settings encounter problems through events and rising action leading to problem resolution
• Well represented history of pivotal influential events (defining moments)
• Chronological events
• May be divided into separate episodes, milestones or chapters

Author’s craft:

• Development of mood/tone, creation of tension, voice, point of view, imagery, figurative language (metaphors/similes) etc.
• Characterization
• Photos and illustrations to augment significant meaning
• Incorporates accurate, verifiable facts
• Theme
• Unity

Grade Level Instructional Scope for COMPREHENDING the Genre and Text of Biography:

Grade Level Instructional Scope for COMPOSING the Genre and Text of Biography:

Booklists:

• Grade 4
• Grade 7
• Grade 8

Access to the Documents:

Complete K-8 Genre Project
From the Michigan Department of Education

Complete K-8 Genre Booklist
From Kent Intermediate School District