Lesson Name: Understanding Biography & Autobiography Grading Period/Unit: CRM2, Unit3, Arc3 Estimated timeframe: See Pacing Guide Below Grade level: 3 rd Grade Reading This lesson is appropriate for both Monolingual and Dual Language teachers. Monolingual Pacing: Dual Language Pacing: Day 1 Engage and SE Focus Lesson (Teacher Model) Day 2 Partners complete Activity 1 Day 3 Partners complete Activity 2 and Writing to Learn Journal Day 4 Teacher Leads Closure, Summative Assessment Day 1 Engage and Begin Reading SE Focus Lesson 1 (Teacher Model) Day 2 Finish SE Focus Lesson, Begin Activity 1 Day 3 Partners complete Activity 1 Day 4 Partners begin Activity 2 Day 5 Complete Activity 2 and Writing to Learn Journals Day 6 Teacher Leads Closure, Summative Assessment Lesson Components Lesson Objectives: Students will read books and short articles of biographies and autobiographies to determine the structures and features that these types of texts have in common. They will analyze point of view to determine whether the text is a biography or autobiography and support their reasons with text evidence. They will make predictions and ask questions to fully understand the biography or autobiography. Language Objectives: Students will read biographies and autobiographies and converse with a partner about common features, point of view, and information found in the text. Students will write in their journals about how they know whether the text is a biography or autobiography. Prior Learning: Distinguish between fiction and nonfiction Standards (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills): 3.9 Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and respond by providing evidence from text to support their understanding. 9(A) explain the difference in point of view between a biography and autobiography. College and Career Readiness: Reading 11. Identify, analyze and evaluate similarities and differences in how multiple texts present information, argue a position, or relate a theme. Essential Questions: What are the common features and structures in literary nonfiction/biographies and autobiographies? How does a biography differ from an autobiography? How does understanding the structural patterns and features help you comprehend the author s message? How does a reader determine point of view? How do comprehension strategies change or stay the same based on genre? Vocabulary Lesson Preparation literary nonfiction, biography, autobiography, inference, context clues, first person, third person, author s purpose, point of view Gather a variety of literary autobiographies and biographies for class use (20-30). These should be narrative in structure. From the Texas Treasures Reading Genres Study Guide, cut pages 14 and 15 into separate half sheets, which will divide into four articles. Two articles on each subject, one biography and one autobiography. Copies of Understanding Literary Nonfiction: Biographies and Autobiographies Chart (attached below) Different colored pencils or pens for partner work
Optional: Coordinate time for the librarian to explain where the literary nonfiction section is found in the library, how it is organized and the characteristics of the genre. Have students select a biography or autobiography to checkout. Recommended English Literary Nonfiction Treasures Student Text Frank Lloyd Wright, Unit 1 pp. 140-143 (biography) Talking to Lulu Delacre Children s Author, Unit 3 pp. 288-289 (question and answer) Author A True Story by Helen Lester, Unit 3 pp. 290-301 (autobiography) Out of This World Ellen Ochoa Story Unit 4 pp.114-125 (biography) Susan B. Anthony Unit 4 pp. 134-135 (timeline, biography) Treasures Leveled Readers (biographies) Orange Laura Ingalls Wilder Blue E.B. White, Writer Purple A Great Writer Green - Sequoyah Recommended Spanish Literary Nonfiction Tesoros Student Text Frank Lloyd Wright, Unit 1 p. 152-155 Me llamo Gabito, Unit 3 p. 302-321 Susan B. Anthony, Unit 4 p. 150-151 Tesoros Leveled Reader (biographies) Jay Beckwith y Julia Morgan: Dos constructors Juan Rulfo Websites http://www.biography.com/people http://georgewbushwhitehouse.archives.gov/kids/presidents/ Library Picture Books Freedom River by Doreen Rappaport Susanna of the Alamo: A True Story by John Jakes The Champ: The Story of Muhammad Ali by Tonya Bolden Susan B. Anthony: A Life of Fairness by Jennifer Boothroyd Cycling: Lance Armstrong s Impossible Ride by Michael Sandler Game Day by Tiki Barber What Charlie Heard by Mordicai Gerstein Albert Einstein by Milton Meltzer Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull Clara Barton by Kathleen W. Deady Rosa by Nikki Giovanni I Am Rosa Parks by Rosa Parks, and Jim Haskins Library Picture Books Susan B. Anthony y el movimiento por los derechos de la mujer, por Terri DeGezelle Albert, por Ibi Lepscky Quién fue Albert Einstein?, por Jess M. Brallier César Chávez : una biografía ilustrada con fotografías, por Lucile Davis Rosa Parks : una vida de valentía, por Ann- Marie Kishel Quién fue Harry Houdini?, por Tui Sutherland Quién fue Amelia Earhart?, por Kate Boehm Jerome Quién fue Benjamín Franklin?, por Dennis B. Fradin Anchors of Support Literary Nonfiction: Biographies and Autobiographies Genre Anchor Chart Optional from previous lessons: Setting a Purpose for Reading anchor chart Author s Purpose anchor chart Fiction Vs. Nonfiction anchor chart Making Predictions anchor chart Questioning anchor chart
Differentiation strategies Special Education: Use texts on the students independent reading levels. Begin with concept mapping. Have students map the details that the author gives in both books. Using the concept maps, students develop predictions and questions about the author s purpose, features and point of view, with partners, or with teacher during small group. Have students check their work with a partner. Allow students opportunities to use text features to make inferences. (For example, I can see that Rosa Parks wrote about the bus boycott because it was an important time in her life. Rosa Parks telling a story about herself is like looking in a mirror and describing what you see. We call this type of writing first person point of view. Authors use first person point of view because in autobiographies the author is whom the story is about. I can see that Nikki Giovanni wrote about Rosa Parks because it was an important moment in history. Explain that a biography is like when you look in a window of a classroom and describe what is going on. That is called third person point of view. Authors use third person point of view because they are looking into a person s life through a window called research.) Modify graphic organizers to fit student s IEP. English Language Learners: Write the word biography and autobiography on the board and use affix blocks/chart to chunk the words into their roots, prefix and suffix. Explain the meaning behind each word part. Discuss with students in small groups and have them discuss with a partner what the differences in point of views are. Use sentence stems: I can tell this is an autobiography because I can tell this is a biography because The author wrote in first (or third) person point of view because he/she used words like Extension for Learning: Give students several copies of biographies and autobiographies and have them develop a definition of each. Then students compare autobiographies and biographies about the same person and explain the difference between points of view using a Venn Diagram. Students then take the biographies and autobiographies and infer the author s purpose while referencing the Elements of a Biography and Autobiography anchor of support. Students trade with partners and validate their inferences. 21 st Century Skills CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs Analyze and evaluate major alternative points of view Synthesize and make connections between information and arguments Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis Create a Biographical Timeline Using Multiple Resources Have students select a person for which to create a timeline using a variety of media. This can be digital using software such as Inspiration (available on district computers) or web-based such as Capzles or Timetoast. Encourage the selection of a subject who also has an autobiography. Direct students to evaluate the accurateness of resources (minimum of 3) by cross-comparing the quality and completeness of information from each source. English Language Proficiency Standards: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter074/ch074a.html - 74.4 Lesson Cycle Engage Book Flood Genre Study: Begin by immersing students in an exploration of literary nonfiction, biographies and autobiographies, with a book flood in small groups. Have baskets with a variety of biographies and autobiographies pre-selected. These can also include excerpts from books copied or printed website articles with sources cited. Set a Purpose for Reading: Tell students that these books have at least one big similarity. Direct students to take some time to look through the flood of books in their groups and discuss some of the observations they make about possible similarities. Have students record at least two observations to be shared with the class. (5 minutes)
As students share out their observations, record these on the class Literary Nonfiction Genre anchor chart and make this chart available throughout the unit of study. Encourage students to continue exploring structural patterns and features. This genre study will be ongoing and students understanding will evolve over time with multiple exposures to texts. Let the anchor chart reflect this changing and growing understanding. This means there may be drafts of the chart as students categorize the subcategories within the genre. Facilitate conversations and support new vocabulary development as it becomes meaningful and relevant. Lesson Stages SE FOCUS LESSON/Whole group: Synthesize observations for students as they begin defining literary nonfiction as biography and autobiography. Inform students that throughout this unit we will be forming our own understanding of what this means as we look at examples. From the Texas Treasures Reading Genres Study Guide, cut pages 14 and 15 into separate half sheets, which will divide into four articles. Two articles on each subject, one biography and one autobiography. Pass the two articles out about Helen Keller to each group. Direct students to carefully read each article with the purpose of deciding how they are alike and different. Students should highlight or mark evidence that supports their thinking. Discuss findings as a group and add patterns to genre chart. From this exploration, guide students to begin to understand important terms. Literary Nonfiction: Nonfiction - being true, not made up. Literary - a story or a writing that has some narrative qualities like beginning, middle and end. Tell students that biographies are literary nonfiction. They are stories of real (true) people. Explain that a biography is a story about a person written by another person. It is written in third person. Go through the clues and confirm that, The Life of Helen Keller is a biography, because the author is not the subject of the article, and the story includes pronouns such as he, she, and they. Biography: An account or interpretation of a series of events making up a person s life (written in third person point of view). It also follows the structure and uses elements of literary text. Explain that autobiographies are written by the person who the piece is about. They are written in first person point of view. Explain that auto means self. The author is writing about himself or herself. Go through the clues in the story that tell the reader that The Story of My Life by Helen Keller is an autobiography, including the author on the cover is the subject of the book, the story includes the words I and me, and the story includes details and thoughts that only that person would know. Autobiography: The life story of a person as told by himself or herself (written in first person point of view). It also follows the structure and uses elements of literary text. Sometimes the author acknowledges people that have influenced him/her. Narrator s Point of view: the perspective from which the events in the story are told- the vantage point or stance (e.g., first person, third person). Now pass out the two articles about Andy Adams from page 15. Have student partners read each and decide which is the biography and autobiography. Remind students to mark evidence (pronouns such as I, me, my or he, she) that provides support for their thinking. Discuss findings with whole class. Prompt students to share their supporting evidence.
Ask: What is point of view? Discuss responses. Read an excerpt from one of the autobiographies. Choose a part that clearly demonstrates the first person point of view. Ask: Who is telling the story? How do you know? Discuss responses. Read the excerpt from the biography. Choose a part that clearly demonstrates third person point of view. Ask: Who is telling the story? How do you know? Discuss responses. Add these examples to your genre anchor chart. ACTIVITY 1: Reader s Response - Understanding Biographies and Autobiographies (Partner Work) Explain that students will be using their strategies to be sure they understand what they are reading in literary nonfiction. 1. Direct students to select a biography or autobiography to buddy read with a partner. 2. First, they will determine the purpose for reading (review the purpose). 3. Then, before they read they will make at least 2 predictions about the topic and the author s message. What do we think the book/article will include? Remind students that they should use the following text features to assist them in making their predictions: Illustrations Titles Topic sentences Key words Timelines Photographs 4. After that, they are going to generate 2 questions that they think will be answered in the story. These questions should help them think as they read. 5. As they read, they will answer their initial questions and come up with 2 more questions. 6. When completed, allow students time to share their findings with other pairs or the class. ACTIVITY 2: Reader s Response - Digging Deeper with Questioning (Partner Work) Tell students that they are going to choose the opposite genre of what they read for Activity 1 (biography or autobiography.) They will read the text together, paying close attention to the point of view. Students will then discuss the following questions in terms of the text they read: What did you already know about this person? What did you predict you would learn about this person? How does the author organize the ideas in the text? (Chronologically from birth to death or does it start with the most important accomplishment?) What is the purpose of reading a biography or autobiography? What is the purpose of writing a biography or autobiography? Writing to Learn: (Independent Work) Now students will write to explain in their Reader s Notebook if the text is a biography or autobiography. They must include the clues they found to support their answer. Use the response stem: My piece is a(n). The clues I used to identify this piece are. In addition, they will choose to answer 4 questions from the following: What is the purpose of reading a biography or autobiography? What is the purpose of writing a biography or autobiography? What do you expect to find (or learn) in a biography or autobiography? What did you already know about this person? What did you predict you would learn about this person? How does the author organize the ideas in the text? (Chronologically from birth to death or does it start with the most important accomplishment?) What questions do you still have about this person?
Closure Activity Check for Understanding (Evaluation) Address essential questions with student input and examples. Have a few students share either their chart from activity 1 or reader s response from activity 2. Formative: As students practice with a partner, teacher monitors students ability to distinguish between autobiography and biography. Students who have trouble are given more explicit support using strategies in differentiation suggestions above. Writing to Learn Response Hold conferences or complete written feedback to confirm, reinforce, or redirect thinking. Summative: Provide students with autobiographies and biographies (short passages). Students will create statements about whether the text is a biography or autobiography. Remind students that they must ask themselves, What textual evidence will I use from the author, and what do I already know about the topic and the genre? Students should also provide textual evidence to support their thinking including the point of view from which the text was written. Venn Diagram from Extension Timeline Project
Understanding Literary Nonfiction: Biographies and Autobiographies Purpose for reading: Title: Author: BEFORE Reading Prediction 1: Actually Prediction 2: Actually Question 1: Answer Question 2: Answer DURING Reading Question 3: Answer Question 4: Answer AFTER Reading
Biography Autobiography? Evidence? First Person Point of View Third Person Point of View Evidence?