Genres:Genres:Biography and Autobiography

BiographyBiography

Characteristics:Tells about a real person, past or presentIs based on factual informationIncludes major influences (people, places, and events)Recounts key incidents in the person’s life

AutobiographyAutobiographyThe main character is the authorThe author reveals feelings,

reactions, and goals about events in his or her life

Examine the wordsExamine the wordsBio = lifeGraph = writeAuto = self

What can we learn from What can we learn from biographies and biographies and autobiographies?autobiographies?How do famous people become

famous? Did they have normal childhoods? Biographies and autobiographies answer these questions.

These genres allow us to learn more about the childhoods of presidents, athletes, singers, actors, authors, and more.

An autobiography of an An autobiography of an authorauthorRoald Dahl – author of

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and more

What sort of student do you think he was when he was your age? The following is from his autobiography Lucky Break: How I Became a Writer.

More about Roald DahlMore about Roald Dahl Dahl grew up in the early 1900’s.

These are real comments that teachers put on his papers:

Age 15, English composition class – “I have never met a boy who so persistently writes the exact opposite of what he means. He seems incapable of marshalling his thoughts on paper.”

Roald DahlRoald DahlAge 15, English Composition class

– “A persistent muddler. Vocabulary negligent, sentences mal-constructed. He reminds me of a camel.”

Age 16, English Composition class – “This boy is an indolent (slow) and illiterate member of the class.”

Age 17, English Composition Class – “Consistently idle. Ideas limited.”

Biography and Biography and AutobiographyAutobiographyThis is an example of the type of

unexpected and interesting information you might find in a biography or autobiography of a famous person.

Can you tell the Can you tell the difference?difference?Biography Autobiogra

phy

Time to WriteTime to WriteNow that we know more about

biographies and autobiographies, you get a chance to write a biography of a person at your table.