Biographies are an account of one's life. Biographies come from ancient Greeks. At first these types of writings were called "lives" and seen as being of historical origin. The biographies I have included are popular and historical in a sense. The popularity comes from the three choices Helen Keller, Theodor Seuss Geisel and Walt Disney. They are very popular people. The chronological details will be explored to account for how their interests evolved into great achievements. Each of these individuals contributed to the American culture through the enrichment of children's lives. I choose them because of my interest in children and wanted to find the answer why they choose to enrich children as I have. Their enrichments contributed to society. Walt for instance is animation and performance with is movies. Helen's is perseverance against physical and environmental disadvantages. This connects with urban students in general and the Pittsburgh Promise a program that gives students assistance with higher education if they complete elementary and high school in my school district. Theodor's is writing. His writing is special because of the rhythm and rhymes involved. This type of writing is seen in poet verses and is called tetrameters. His books helped children learn how to read. We will also explore flip book making, Braille signs and reading stories. This unit is a fun way to include biography in literacy.

(Developed for Reading, grade 1; recommended for Reading, grades 1-2)