Lesson Biography and Autobiography

Lesson Cycle ~ Alice Ashbrook
Lesson Title/Topic: Biographies and Autobiographies

Target Concept:
Standards/Rationale: TEKS Grade 3 English Language Arts 110.4 (9)
Lesson Objectives: When given a list of
titles and authors, the student will correctly
label each book on the list as a biography
or autobiography 3 out of 4 times.
Assessment: Completed list.
Materials: Venn Diagram Handouts, Autobiography Handouts, Biography Handouts, Projector,

Dry Erase Markers, Bean Bag, Paper, Pencils
Lesson Cycle: (Direct instruction)
The teacher will:
Focus/Mental Set: As a review of the
definition of nonfiction, ask students to say
on the count of 3 what a writing that is
about facts or real events is called. Count
to 3. Class answers nonfiction. Tell the
class they are going to put on their reporter
hats so they can learn about 2 of the many
types of nonfiction stories: biographies
and autobiographies.
The student will:

Listen and answer teacher on the count of
3.
Teacher Input: Write definition of

biography on projector. Ask groups to
discuss why someone would write a
biography about someone else. Toss a
member of a group a bean bag. That group
will share their answers with class. As they
answer, add notes under the definition of
biography. Answers will vary, but should
be similar to the author wants to tell their
story, the author thinks they did something
amazing, the author was interested in them,
etc. Ask groups to discuss what pronouns
would be used in a biography. Toss a
Listen, discuss questions in their groups,

answer questions when called upon, take
notes during group definition and group
discussions, fill out Venn Diagrams, and
share with the class something they put on
their Venn Diagram.

biography. Answers should be he, him,
his, she, her, they, them, and theirs. Ask
groups to discuss what information might
be included in a biography. Toss a member
of a group a bean bag, that group will share
their answers with class. As they answer,
add notes under the definition of biography.
Answers will vary, but they should ideas
like their birthday, their name, what their
life was like growing up, what they did that
was important, etc.
Write definition of autobiography on the
projector. Ask groups to discuss why
someone would write their story. Toss a
autobiography. Answers will vary, but
should be similar to share their perspective,
dispute claims made about them, share how
they achieved some goal, etc. Ask groups
to discuss what pronouns would be used in
an autobiography. Toss a member of a
group a bean bag. That group will share
their answers with class. As they answer,
add notes under the definition of
autobiography. Answer should be I, me,
mine, we, us, and ours. Ask groups to
discuss what information might be in a
biography. Toss a member of a group a
bean bag. That group will share their
answers with class. As they answer, add
notes under the definition of
autobiography. Answers should be their
life growing up, when they were born, what
they accomplished, where they lived, etc.
Hand out Venn Diagrams to students and
will give the class 3 minutes to discuss in
groups what they would put in Venn
Diagram and where. Venn Diagram has
some cut-outs to get them started, but they
are told they can add in written facts as
well. After the 3 minutes are up, toss bean
bag to students and have them show what
they would put in a certain spot on the
Venn Diagram and why they would put

them in that spot.
Guided Practice: Explain to students that
they will work in groups to write 3-5
sentences about the teacher. Allow each
group to ask you 1-2 questions. Give the
groups a little time to discuss the questions
they want to ask. When called on, each
group will ask a question. As they ask
questions, write on the board the question
and your answer. The groups will then be
told they have 3 minutes to write the 3-5
sentences about the teacher. As they write,
circulate the room, checking that each
group is on the right path. When the 3
minutes are up, have the groups read their
sentences. Write pronouns as they are said
by students in one color on the projector.
Pronouns written should be her, and she.
Next, ask the students if that was an
Autobiography or a Biography. Then read
a 3-5 sentence autobiography you wrote
about yourself to the class. Write on the
projector in another color the pronouns you
use as you read them. Pronouns should be
I, me, mine, and my. Ask the class if that
was a Biography or Autobiography.
Listen, discuss with group questions they

will ask the teacher, have their group ask
the teacher 1-2 questions about herself,
write 3-5 sentences about the teacher in
paragraph form, answer questions teacher
asks.
Independent Practice: Pair up students

and hand out biography worksheets.
Explain they will take turns interviewing
each other. They need to find out 4 facts
about their partner. They will be expected
to write out 4 questions and the answer
their partner gives them. Give the students
4 minutes to interview their partner.
Repeat the procedure for the other partner.
They are then handed out autobiography
worksheets and told to work on their own,
writing 4 facts about themselves.
Using their biography worksheet, they will

interview their partner, asking them partner
questions to learn 4 facts about their
partner. They will then answer 4 questions
their partner asks.
They will then write on another worksheet
their autobiography; 4 facts about
themselves.
Closure: Have the class hold up their

autobiography. Then have the class hold
up the biography on their partner. Have
students turn in both pieces of non-fiction.
Hold up their autobiography when asked.

Hold up the biography on their partner
when asked. Turn in their assignments.
Options:
Enrichment:
Modifications/Correctives:
References:
Reteach:

Lesson Biography and Autobiography

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Lesson Cycle ~ Alice Ashbrook

Lesson Title/Topic: Biographies and Autobiographies

Assessment: Completed list.

Materials: Venn Diagram Handouts, Autobiography Handouts, Biography Handouts, Projector,

The student will:

Teacher Input: Write definition of

Listen, discuss questions in their groups,

answer, add notes under the definition of

Venn Diagram and why they would put

Listen, discuss with group questions they

Independent Practice: Pair up students

Using their biography worksheet, they will

Closure: Have the class hold up their

Hold up their autobiography when asked.

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