Introduction
What do I mean by inspire, reach and teach through biography? By introducing young people to worthy lives we may, in the words of Plutarch, the 1st-century biographer of notable Greeks and Romans, "arouse the spirit of emulation." The idea is not, of course, to expose students to individuals whose achievements seem daunting and unreachable, but to illustrate, vividly and concretely, the choices that we are all presented with—in matters both large and small—in the course of our daily lives. Plutarch explained that his design was "not to write histories, but lives." 1
Reasons for Using Biography
I believe I can use biography as a tool to make reading, writing, and history more fascinating. In an article for the Indiana Historical Society Jane Hadeen states,
By showing how factors such as gender, race, education, etc. effect a person's perception, biographies can bring history to life and help students to see history makers as human. Teaching history with biographies can also help students see how they fit into the historical narrative. 2
In my lessons about the American Revolution, I plan to use biographies to explore great examples of how African Americans have made important contributions to our nation's history. Biography will help me bring different perspectives from the past and to show that people and issues of history are multi-dimensional. Moreover, in my experience, when students find something in common with someone who made history, the events of history will become much more interesting to them.
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