Creating Lives: An Introduction to Biography

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 10.03.02

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Purpose
  2. Introduction
  3. History of Biography
  4. Disengagement or Communication - Technological Documentary Platforms
  5. Strategies and Implementation
  6. Art of Oral Biographical Documentation
  7. Self Examination
  8. Resources
  9. Endnotes
  10. Appendix – Georgia Performance Standards Correlation

I Have a Story to Tell: Learning through Peer Biographical Inquiry

Stephanie Anaissa Brown-Bryant

Published September 2010

Tools for this Unit:

Resources

Teacher Resources:

Boswell, James. The Life of Samuel Johnson: 1709-March 18, 1776. Vol. 1, edited by Roger Ingpen, 576. London: Pitman, 1907.

Biography of a biographer. Useful description of Johnson's early biographical writing.

Christensen, Amy. "Transforming the Classroom for Collaborative Learning in the 21st Century." Techniques, January 2009.

Resource of current research-based strategies in classroom collaboration

Discovery Education. United Streaming. .

Database of movies, video clips, and lesson plans. Excellent classroom resource.

Georgia Board of Regents, University System of Georgia. GALILEO, Georgia's Virtual Library. .

Virtual library for student resource.

Georgia Department of Education. Georgia Technology Literacy Assessment Toolkit. http://www.gatechlit.org/toolkit.aspx (accessed July 10, 2010).

Evaluation tool for student technology use.

Graham, Steve, and Karen Harris. "Components analysis of cognitive strategy instruction: Effects on learning disabled students' composition and self-efficacy." Journal of Educational Psychology 81 (1989): 353-361.

Provides an explanation and supports the use of the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model

Hamilton, Nigel. "Biography: A Brief History." 345. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2007.

History of biography as a literary form

Hamilton, Nigel. "How to Do Biography." 379. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2008.

Instructions on research and presentation of biographical writing

"Learning from Text across Conceptual Domains ." Edited by Cynthia R. Hynd, 306. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1998.

Offers steps to assist students select literature from many different types of sources

Lee, Hermione. "Biography: A Very Short Introduction." 170. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press, 2009.

Succinct history of biograpical writing

Morehouse, Lisa. Living Legends: Oral History Projects Bring Core Subjects to Life. George Lucas Educational Foundation. .

Article descrfibing ways to integrate oral history for student use

Salwak, Dale. "Literary Biography: Problems and Solutions." 182. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1996.

Presents reasons why biography is not a respected genre among writers and provides ways to change the perception

"Writing Biography: Historians & Their Craft ." Edited by Lloyd E. Ambrosius, 166. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2004.

Description of methods used in biographical writing.

"Writing lives : American Biography and Butobiography." Edited by Hans Bak and Hans Krabbendam, 315. Amsterdam: VU University Press, 1998.

Biographies of notable Americans

Yardley, Jonathan. "Why are we so fascinated by the lives of others?" Washington Post, March 25, 2007.

Review of Nigel Hamilton's book Biography.

Student Resources

Hoopes, James. "Oral History, an Introduction for Students." 155. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1979.

Article describing the process of gathering oral history.

Ritchie, Donald A. Doing Oral History: A Practical Guide. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Article describing the process of gathering oral history.

Classroom Resources

Bourne, Peter. Jimmy Carter: A Comprehensive Biography from Plains to Post-Presidency. New York: Scribner, 1997

Biography of Jimmy Carter. Best for excerpt use.

Carter, Lillian, and Gloria Carter Spann. Away From Home: Letters to My Family. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1977.

Download: The True Story of the Internet: People Power. United Streaming, Discovery Education (online). Produced by Science Channel. 2008.

Movie about the power of social networking and video broadcast via the Internet

Internet Safety: PiItfalls and Dangers. Produced by Colman Communications. United Streaming (online), Discovery Education, 2008.

Review of personal responsibilities involved in Internet use and consequences of improper use. Cyberbullying is included.

Jacobs, Judge Tom. Teen Cyberbullying Investigated: Where Do Your Rights End and Consequences Begin? Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing, 2010.

Laws related to cyberbullying and case law examples of with consequences. EXCELLENT reference and is an easy read. Written for students 12 and older.

Kaufman, Scott. Rosalynn Carter: Equal Partner in the White House. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 2007.

Biography of Rosalynn Carter

Wigginton, Eliot, ed. The Foxfire Book. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1972.

Description of oral history process. Great resource!

White, James. Ray. Directed by Taylor Hackford. Produced by Taylor Hackford, Stuart Benjamin, Howard Baldwin and Karen Baldwin. 2004.

Movie of Ray Charles' life.

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