Notice How the Writer Has Organized Information Around the Subject

Mini-lessons on Reading Biography/Autobiography

This is a sample anchor chart that would evolve bullet by bullet over the study of biography texts. The teacher would co-construct this anchor chart with students based on a series of mini-lessons. This chart becomes an anchor of the strategies readers use to process biography texts, and students will refer/use it as they: read independently, write responses to texts, talk about books with peers, work in guided reading groups, and use in book club discussions. (NOTE: Consult your grade level TEKS to see which bullets best fit your grade level.)

Biography When readers read biographies they…

 Notice how the writer has organized information around the subject

 Draw conclusions or make inferences about the person’s life, decisions, etc.

 Notice how the time, place, and circumstances (setting) influenced the subject of the biography

 Make connections among people who have shown courage and made outstanding contributions

 Think about what they can learn from the person (or subject’s) life

 Think about how a person’s life contributed to society

 Distinguish between reporting facts and historical interpretation in biography  Notice the qualifications of the writer when they are judging the accuracy and authenticity of the text

(turn over for sample anchor chart on autobiography)

Autobiography As readers read autobiographies they…

 Notice how the author has organized information

 Draw conclusions or make inferences about the person’s life, decisions, etc.

 Think about why this person would have written an autobiography

 Hypothesize why an individual would select particular information to report

 Notice the specific details that a person provides about his/her life

 Make connections between the subject’s life and that of our own and others