K12 Reader
Evaluating Text: Helen Keller's "My Life"
Readers are asked to evaluate Helen Keller's claim, and the evidence she uses to support her argument, that it is more difficult for hearing impaired children to learn to talk with others.
Curated OER
The Autobiography of . . . Me
Students examine the accomplishments of African Americans. After being introduced to the characteristics of an autobiography, they create a timeline of their lives. They use those events to write their own autobiography to share with...
Curated OER
African-American Autobiography for the Middle School Student
Students are introduced to the characteristics of an autobiography. For each author, they research their life and works and discuss why it reflects different time periods of African-Americans. In groups, they brainstorm characteristics...
Curated OER
Reflections of My Life--Student Autobiographies
Sixth graders provide a writing experience based on their own lives. The components of the writing process will be emphasized as well as narrative writing experiences. They then will publish their autobiography on the computer and use...
Curated OER
Through My Eyes
Fifth graders read the book Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges. In this segregation lesson, 5th graders read Ruby's story to find out what happened in her life. They write their own narrative about what 'first' they would most like to...
Curated OER
Drawing a "Life Map"
Learners create an autobiography. In this writing lesson, students use a life map as a graphic organizer to develop their autobiography.
Curated OER
Student Autobiography: An Approach Through Journal Writing
Students write about an ordinary, everyday happening such as riding in the family car, preparing for school in the morning, doing the wash, shooting a foul shot or sitting in English class. They look at how he/she spends time during the...
Curated OER
Pennies of My Life Part 1
Fifth graders read and discuss "The Hundred Penny Box". They write their own autobiographies, collect pennies for each year of their lives, and illustrate their favorite yearly activities.
Curated OER
All About Me-I'm My Own Research Project
Third graders see how to do a research project. They understnad how to categorize information about themselves and relate it to information on sea animals for a future research project. This instructional activity fits in nicely with any...
Curated OER
What are the Main Ideas?
Prior to beginning Rosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks, model for your class members how to determine the main idea of a text. Exercepts from another story are provided to use for the demonstration. The focus then shifts to Rosa Parks'...
K12 Reader
Booker T. Washington: Up From Slavery
Read Booker T. Washington's inspiring story about arriving at his name with a short reading passage from his autobiography, Up From Slavery. After class members read the excerpt, they answer two reading comprehension questions about the...
K12 Reader
Finding Text Evidence: Frederick Douglass
After reading a very brief excerpt from Frederick Douglass' autobiography, learners cite textual evidence to support a main idea of the primary source about Douglass' humiliating experience with slavery. This is a brief exercise that...
PBS
Tiger of the Snows: Tenzing Norgay
Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa man who made history when he reached the summit of Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary, is the focus of an informative article. Class members read about Norgay's perspective on the way up the mountain, the...
K12 Reader
Two Viewpoints of the Same Event: Lee Surrenders to Grant, 1865
How did Union General Ulysses S. Grant view the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in 1865, which effectively ended the United States Civil War? After reading an excerpt from Grant's autobiography, your young historians will...
University of Arizona
Fusing Firecrackers with Narrative
Improve your youngsters' descriptive writing. They study an object and write about what they see as a warm-up, then they read an excerpt from Paul Guest's memoir, One More Theory about Happiness. The next part of the activity prompts...
Novelinks
The Color of Water: Concept Analysis
Considering using James McBride's autobiography/memoir The Color of Water with your class? Check out this seven-page informational packet that includes background information on McBride, the organization pattern of the book, and issues...
Curated OER
Magic, Sass, and Rage
Students are introduced to the characteristics of autobiographies. In groups, they read Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and develop their own rules for survival in the classroom. They bring in family photos in an...
Curated OER
Remember
Seventh graders mention any recent racism or discrimination they have seen placed on an ethnic group other than their own. After reading an autobiography, they read and write poems based on past events in the Hispanic culture. They are...
Curated OER
My Place In Time
Sixth graders interpret Franklin's style, his ease of writing and content, using this to inspire, motivate and guide them to do more writing. They list Franklin's civic accomplishments and political accomplishments. They name 4...
Curated OER
I Search My Family Project
Students research their family's heritage. They follow a guide, document their family's history and put it together in report form.
Curated OER
Touring My County
Second graders research important events that occurred in their counties for each year they have been alive. They, in groups, categorize these events and develop notes to be used in the writing of an autobiography.
Curated OER
All About Me
Students identify personal traits. In this autobiographical art lesson, students read the book Whoever You Are and use art supplies to create a body cut-out of themselves. Students include physical characteristics on their cut out.
Curated OER
Careers and Self-Portraits
Students explore careers they may have in their future. They create a paper collage self-portrait of themselves as adults dressed for work. They write an autobiography describing the education and training required for their chosen career.
Curated OER
For the Fun of It
Students view pictures of Amelia Earhart and discuss the social and historical context of her life. They read excerpts of Earhart's autobiography "The Fun of It" and analyze her purpose in writing it.