Creating Lives: An Introduction to Biography

Literacy Biography Key Points

Below you will find the key points of the literacy biographies I was able to find about the historical figures I will be teaching. If you choose to teach about another figure, it will take some research to find out how that individual learned to read and what it meant to him or her.

Frederick Douglass

A very complete resource for learning about Frederick Douglass and his journey into literacy can be found in the book, Young Frederick Douglass: The Slave Who Learned to Read by Linda Walvoord Girard. This particular book makes an excellent read-aloud that covers all the most pertinent points of Douglass' literacy biography in an appropriate way for young children. If you cannot find this particular, I would encourage you to look for alternate sources. If you cannot find anything addressing his literacy biography, I would direct you to Douglass' autobiography available free on line at this link: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/23/23-h/23-h.htm. The most pertinent details are found in chapter six of this ebook. Please use this only a as a resource to learn about his literacy biography, then relate it to the children in your own words.

George Washington

George learned reading and writing from a minister in a small church school near his home. There were no schools past the early grades nearby. He had expected to go to school in England as his brothers did, but after his father died suddenly when George was eleven, the family could not afford to send him far away. Most of what he learned was from copying out of books and learning words by sight. He had a hard time with spelling and worked hard at it all of his life. He studied very hard to learn the things he needed to do well. He ordered books from England to help him become a better farmer, and by reading and rereading these books, he not only became a better farmer, but I better reader.

Abraham Lincoln

There are so many excellent versions of Abraham Lincoln's journey into literacy, it will be hard for me to choose just one, but I believe I will use the National Geographic version called Young Abe Lincoln: The Frontier Days, 1807-1837 by Cheryl Harness. It is not only visually stunning but gives a detailed narrative covering all the major points of his literacy biography. The National Geographic biographies by Harness are books I would not usually read in full as a read-aloud, but this one is truly a must-read. If you are unable to locate this book, there are many others that would cover the same material. I would encourage anyone teaching about Abraham Lincoln to exhaust all resources to find the book listed above. I believe it will captivate the children and will not be soon, if ever, forgotten.

George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver should be introduced on Monday by use of the Adler picture biography. The book George Washington Carver by Tonya Bolden is another book I would suggest as an absolute "must-read." One could certainly excerpt his literacy biography from this book, but it would be a shame to deprive the children of a full read-aloud of this book. Carver has been written about extensively, but this biography, written in association with the Field Museum in Chicago, is a treasure. All of the other books about George Washington Carver listed in the bibliography would serve as adequate substitutes, but I have not found any other that covers Carver's literacy biography as fully as this book.

Benjamin Franklin

The best interpretation I found of Ben Franklin's Literacy biography was in the book, Benjamin Franklin: American Statesman, Scientist, and Writer by Bruce and Becky Durost Fish in pages 7 through 13. If you cannot find this book, key points to Benjamin Franklin's literacy biography include that he knew how to read by age three or four, having been taught by his mother and older siblings. He appeared to be very smart and was sent to a Latin School in order to study for the ministry. He was pulled out of Latin School when it became apparent that he was not going to be a minister. He did attend "regular school" for only two years, from age eight until ten. He was an excellent reader, but struggled in math. When he left school, he went to work in his father's candle shop but did not like the work. Because of his love of books, he went to work as an apprentice to his brother who was a printer.

Benjamin Franklin has a wealth of juvenile biographies written about him. I am going to use as many as possible in my classroom. Because there are so many biography, some with contradictory information, these books are a good catalyst for discussing why some biographers include details that others do not, as well as when a biography crosses the line to become more of a tall tale than an informational text. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are also much "biographied" subjects and their many biographies also lend themselves to discussions requiring critical thinking.

Helen Keller

Helen's "literacy biography" and "biography" are forever linked. Had Helen Keller not had a "literacy biography," the rest of her life would likely never have warranted a "biography." It was through her "literacy biography" that Helen's life became notable. If she had never learned to read, first by her hand and then by Braille, she would have been forever isolated and forgotten by the world.

The children will experience the Adler biography of Helen Keller as a read-aloud Monday of her week. I will use the time normally reserved to explore the ways Helen became connected with the world by showing examples of Braille, giving the students the Braille alphabet and having them write their names and notes to friends using this "code." It will provide an opportunity for students to experience what it is like to be as Helen Keller was by using blindfolds and sound silencing headphones (such as those used by marksmen). The students could work in pairs with one as Helen Keller and the other as Anne Sullivan to experience the frustration of communication under the circumstances experienced by both Helen and Anne.