A biography writing unit can sometimes feel a little…daunting.
If you don’t have a clear plan for the unit, it can feel like you’re sending your little writers into a research black hole. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way!
In today’s blog, I’m breaking the process down into five manageable steps that make biography writing much less intimidating for you – and your students.
So, grab your Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso ☕️, and let’s walk through a step-by-step guide to teaching biography writing in elementary school.
*And don’t forget to read to the bottom, where I’m sharing a Free Biography Anchor Chart just for you!
This is where the fun begins! Boost student engagement by giving them some ownership in choosing their subject.
You can start with class brainstorming sessions, thinking about categories like athletes, scientists, artists, activists, or even local heroes. Encourage your learners to think beyond the “famous” figures and consider people they admire in their own lives, such as community members, family members, and even local business owners.
A trip to the school library is always a great idea, where students can explore different biographies and see who captures their interest. If they choose a person in their own life, they can interview them!
Teach to Love Learning Tip: For students who struggle with choosing, offer a pre-selected list of diverse individuals or provide sentence starters like, “I’m interested in learning more about someone who…”
Now that your little writers have chosen their subject, it’s time to become history detectives!
The research phase is all about gathering information. Age-appropriate biographies and informational texts are a great starting point.
When using the internet, encourage students to use kid-friendly search engines and reputable websites (like ducksters.com/biography or nationalgeographic.com). It’s important to teach your students about evaluating sources for credibility so their reports are accurate!
For a valuable and memorable experience, encourage your students to interview their chosen subject or someone who knows them personally.
Teach to Love Learning Tip: Provide struggling learners with pre-gathered resources or graphic organizers to help them organize their research.
Now that the research is done, it’s time to organize the information into their biography!
Creating a timeline of key events in the subject’s life will help your students visualize the sequence of events easily. Using character maps to explore the subject’s traits, motivations, and relationships can help them personalize their writing.
Teach to Love Learning Tip: Give your students sentence frames or paragraph starters to help structure their information if they are struggling.
Now for the fun part – writing!
Encourage your kiddos to focus on telling a story. As an elementary school teacher, you know that storytelling is something your kiddos are good at!
Their biography should include:
Teach to Love Learning Tip: Give struggling writers the opportunity to dictate their drafts or use graphic organizers to guide their writing.
Get everyone involved in the revision process! Allow your students to read each other’s drafts and provide feedback so they can make changes.
It’s helpful to create checklists so your students know which areas to focus on, like organization, clarity, and grammar.
You can also offer one-on-one meetings with your students so you can give them further targeted feedback and support while gauging their competency.
Teach to Love Learning Tip: Give your struggling writers sentence starters or revision prompts that focus on specific areas for improvement.
There are key elements to biography writing that your students need to know, which is why I’m giving this biography writing anchor chart away for free! This smart resource will help them stay on track as they write so they don’t skip any information.
Want even more support for teaching writing, math, and more with exclusive anchor charts?
Check out the Anchor Chart Club, where we have tons of resources to make teaching fun and exciting.