The Art of Biography

Classroom Activities

Developing ideas collaboratively, planning writing projects before executing them, and learning to compose narrative related to a specific topic are important skills for students to master. This series of lessons teaches these skills while drawing from the lives of second grade students who will write and publish autobiographies based on personal photographs. The lessons begin with the students working at home with their families to select and record relevant information about photos. Students then work in small groups and independently to create their autobiographies presented as a series.

Throughout the unit, the students will work toward the following objectives:

engage their families in the learning process by working at home to select photographs that represent aspects of their lives; formulate ideas for an autobiography series by working collaboratively and independently; practice their writing skills by composing narrative using themselves as subject matter and revising the composed sentences into a story; participate in a literacy community by reading their stories aloud in small groups.

Each lesson that follows is part of the daily Writer's Workshop. The duration of the lessons depends on the classroom environment. Lessons are structured to be taught in a whole group format in the range of 15 minutes to as long as 45 minutes but, of course, the classroom schedule for each day will determine the actual scope. A similar list of materials for are needed all lessons and these general tools should be available throughout the writing process. Teachers will need chart paper, markers, projector and computer (for Art Authority), workshop tracking charts. Students will need their work folders, a variety of paper choices, pencils, colored pencils, crayons, paints, scissors, bookbinding options such as cardstock and cardboard, yarn, string, ribbon.

Opening Lessons

1. Art Authority

Introduce Art Authority as a vehicle for discussion and vocabulary generation. Beginning the unit with this app will help the students build confidence to talk about imagined lives and then begin connecting their own experiences to each discussion. Although the portraits that the students view will likely be "persons unknown" to them, ideas will be shared and stories will be crafted. Guide the students to think and to talk about who is in the portrait, where they might be and what could be on the subject's mind. Opinions and ideas are valid since there really is no right answer without the benefit of background information. Depending on the portrait, the identity of the subject may eventually be discovered, but this is certainly not necessary or possible in some cases. A compilation of vocabulary and ideas are drafted on a chart for reference in the classroom as the unit progresses.

This exercise of viewing portraits serves a two-fold job. First, because students will be illustrating their own books, the opportunity to experience fine art pieces will inspire their own art work. A second advantage is simply the idea of telling a story, creating a moment for the subject of the painting which will pave a path for the students to begin thinking creatively about their own small moments.

2. Personal Photos

After using fine art to build comfort in and vocabulary for discussion of biography and autobiography, remind students of the photos they have brought in from home and tell them that they will use these photos to give them ideas for their autobiographies. Share some photographs of yourself. Model the discussion you want them to have in their small groups of three or four by talking about what is happening in each photo and why it is important to you.

For example:

"In this photograph I am _______."

"One thing I like about this photograph is _______."

"This photograph was taken _______." (Provide both time and place)

"_______ are in this photograph." (Talk about the people or things that are in the picture)

"I picked this photograph because _______."

3. Mentor texts

Plan to read the selection of mentor texts focusing on one author at a time as the unit begins. There are 10 suggested picture books to use as models which would be roughly two weeks of reading, one week per author. After each text is read, generate a classroom chart, a visual tool for use during the writing process that records the students' thoughts and "noticings" about each particular story. The students will begin to see that characters (family members) continue to appear in each author's series of stories and some of the behaviors and conversations begin to be predictable by the students. An example of what might be useful to the students follows:

Mentor Text Title

Building Lessons

These mini-lessons are examples of where to begin to build students' knowledge as they draft their autobiographies. Because the students have spent time with the mentor texts and have built a foundation of understanding, they will be prepared to discuss sections of the books that highlight a particular skill or strategy through the 15-20 minute mini-lesson. As with most Writer's Workshop sessions, a majority of the time should be for students, pencils and paper in hand, writing and creating. Send the students off to do their own work once the mini-lesson has been presented and after a quick discussion on questions like "How will this look in your work?" "What did this author do that has helped you with your thinking?" "Let's use this new way of describing our writing to talk about our work."

1. Create small moment – The Art Lesson

The title itself suggests a small moment – one lesson. Although dePaola sets the tone by including some background information on his classroom and teacher, he doesn't explain everything that happens in kindergarten. He uses his early love of art to share about a small moment – how important it is to him that he gets to choose what he wants to draw after he finishes his assignments. This idea of choice is embedded in the writer's workshop model, a great connection for the students.

Students can use this strategy as they review their photographs and think about how they arrived at that particular moment when the picture was taken. This is an opportunity for a "turn and talk," students literally turning and talking about their photograph and possible writing plans for 2-3 minutes. This is a pre-writing strategy that helps students jump-start their work.

2. Zooming in – Some Birthday

Narrowing the focus writing detail about an event requires the writer to use elaboration.

Although this story covers one day, the majority of the text covers just the evening events, the actual celebration of Patricia's birthday at the Clay Pit Bottoms. Have the students retell the story while "picture-walking" through the book. Reread the section that covers in specific detail, the events at the cookout to show the zooming-in the Palocco uses to build excitement and show importance.

3. Compressing time – Tom

This book shares a collection of little stories, sort of vignettes. It jumps around a bit from story to story but leaves out the details of what happens in between. As a writer, dePaola is compressing time (the non-interesting events) to spend more on what is important, his relationship with his grandfather. The memories of his grandfather are events that happened at some point when Tomie was a child, likely not in any particular sequence.

Students may use this model to write about one of their photographs. Share an example of a photograph of an adventure at SeaWorld, for example, and demonstrate the idea giving every part of the story equal time. Do we need to start the story of the adventure with walking out of the house, locking the door, putting our suitcases in the car, driving to the airport, parking the car, finding the airline terminal. As exciting as that might be if it was the first flight for the student, it is not the goal of the story. The story would be the events at the destination. Compressing time might sound like this, "As our plane landed in Florida, I couldn't believe our three-day adventure was about to begin. We are finally here! Off to SeaWorld we go!" The list of boring activities can now be inferred and the majority of the text can now be devoted to the adventures.

4. Selection / Revision - My Rotten, Red-Headed, Older Brother

Patricia Polacco makes choices about how she would like to us to know her brother. She has selected certain behavior and events that give us a truthful and fair perspective of Ritchie, sharing the bad and, ultimately the good. She demonstrates the depth of her relationship with her brother, through the text, the illustrations, and the real family photographs that she includes, not only of her and her brother as children but through the years into adulthood. Share with students the reasons for the choices and how it helps us as readers know both Patricia and her brother more fully. What choices can you make as you write about yourself and family members? How does Patricia model help you think differently? Are there things you think that she left out on purpose and why?

Closing Lessons

1. Students will write a letter to either or both authors. Their goal is to share their response to the books we've read and how the have served as a model and inspiration for creating our own series. A series of mini-lessons on letter writing can be embedded in this unit if students have not yet mastered the format. Certainly, an overview, reminders and examples of good letter-writing practice are important as this is not just a classroom exercise - the students will be sending the letters and samples of their work at some point during the school year.

2. Students will continue to create additional books to add to their series. Writer's workshop is an open, learning environment and, as student choice is integral to the structure, the opportunity to write and illustrate small moments in picture book form will continue throughout the year.