autobiography worksheet

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Autobiography Worksheets

If you have a good handle on your Latin root words, you should be able to tell what this word means. Auto means self. Bio means life. Graph mean to write. An autobiography is a self-written life story. People that are confident in their ability to write and communicate will often choose to write their own story. An autobiography is an exercise in self discovery and can often be self-therapeutic. People also love to learn about individuals that are not like everyone else. While we may think that famous entertainers or athletes would have the most read autobiographies. The most read book of this form of all time are often historical figures. Benjamin Franklin's is thought to be the most read of all time by historians. These worksheets will help students understand the key features of a well thought out autobiography. We will position them to be able to write their own as well.

Autobiography Worksheets To Print:

The Different Types - Briefly describe each type that we present to you.

Introductions - This is a great way introduce the concept.

Concept Fills - Number 5 will require that you provide 2 answers.

True or False - Take a look at each of the sentences and classify them as you go along.

Biography and Memoir - We take a deep dive into all these different forms of literature.

Importance - Look at the clear reason why this was written.

Objective, Subjective, or Anecdote - Find an example of each type of detail in the book.

On the Inside - Read the description of the book on the back cover an/or the inside front flap.

All the Elements - Does it contain a mix of objective and subjective details?

As they Appear - You can use this you transverse through the work.

Night by Ellie Wiesel - Why is this book generally considered an important historical document?

Memoir - Take a look at how this story develops.

Why They Are Important - Bring this thought to words.

Helen Keller - What was the turning point in Helen Keller's life? What contributions did Helen Keller make to the world?

Review and Report - Write a short review of this book. Do you recommend it? To whom? Why?

What is an Autobiography in Literature?

An autobiography is a life story of an individual. It can be written by the individual in question or by someone else, but it is a story about their life. A primary goal of this form of literature is to recount life in an interesting and entertaining way. While autobiographies aren't the most popular genre in literature, they are the most personal. Autobiographies act as a medium between the author and the reader, helping the writer build a strong connection with their readers.

Author's Definition

An autobiography is a book written by a person about their life. The book sheds light on the author's childhood, education, family, and career. The author usually shares personal experiences and thoughts, such as how they were raised, their thoughts on their family, and the events that led to the author's career. These are a personal account of the author's experiences, and narrating these experiences can help readers find answers in their life.

How Autobiographies Can be Used in Literature

An autobiography is a detailed description of a person's life and can be found in many literary forms, such as poetry and short stories. Autobiographies in literature are often used in storytelling to explore themes such as identity, cause and effect, and freedom. For example, an autobiographical short story about an American boy named Del Honey, who felt neglected as a child as his foster parents forced him to live in a boarding school. He later escaped from the school to find his birth parents and eventually lived a life of freedom with the primary goal of finding himself.

Key Features and Characteristics

A complete autobiography consists of several elements. The key components of these works are self-reflection, self-evaluation, and introspection. It is essential for authors to reflect on their ideas and beliefs in order to bring them out on paper. Writing an autobiography grants the author a chance to re-evaluate their story and see it from a fresh perspective. Autobiographies are often written in the first person, as the narrator is the author. This allows the author to connect with readers on a deeper level. Another interesting characteristic of these works is that it isn't fact; it is just the author's version of the truth.

An autobiography is a biography of a person's life, written by the person. The author will often write about what life was like before, during, and after the events in the book.

It often includes their thoughts, feelings, and experiences during their life. They may include the different people they have met, their relationships, and how they felt about certain things that happened to them. An autobiography is a narrative that shows how someone's life is shaped by the events they experience.

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Autobiography Worksheet

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How to teach Autobiographies

Using this Autobiography Worksheet, students will use sentence starters as inspiration as they begin to write their own autobiography.

Knowing where to start when writing your own autobiography is often challenging for students. This worksheet provides your students with sentence starters to start them off on the right path when writing their autobiography.

This worksheet gives your students a starting point for writing their autobiography. Your students could use this at the beginning of the school year to introduce themselves to their new classmates.

Other resources to use with this Autobiography Worksheet

If your students are using this worksheet, your students might be learning about autobiographies.

Use this About Me Worksheet as an additional resource for your students.

This Autobiography Worksheet is a great resource for your students to share about themselves. Have students use the sentence starters to begin to write their autobiography. They can then write a rough draft. Finally, students should choose Writing Paper that best fits their interests to write their final drafts! Post in your classroom for your students to learn about each other.

Be sure to check out more Writing Worksheets .

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Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography

This site provides free vocabulary and reading comprehension worksheets. Each worksheet, suitable for middle school, high school and college level students, includes a short reading, five vocabulary words to define, sentence completion exercises, and two questions to answer. The worksheets may be used for differentiated instruction and home learning. One question tests literal comprehension, and one question asks the student to think critically.

If you are undecided about buying the ebook, please take a look at a free sample. Not all of the worksheets contain everything, but they contain enough to make your work as a teacher (or a parent) easier. I am developing the site and more worksheets, tests, and answer keys will be developed.

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Free PDF Worksheet Suitable for Classroom Use

Benjamin franklin. from his autobiography..

While I was intent on improving my language, I met with an English grammar (I think it was Greenwood's), at the end of which there were two little sketches of the arts of rhetoric and logic, the latter finishing with a specimen of a dispute in the Socratic method; and soon after I procured Xenophon's Memorable Things of Socrates, wherein there are many instances of the same method. I was charmed with it, adopted it, dropped my abrupt contradiction and positive argumentation, and put on the humble inquirer and doubter. And being then, from reading Shaftesbury and Collins, become a real doubter in many points of our religious doctrine, I found this method safest for myself and very embarrassing to those against whom I used it; therefore I took a delight in it, practiced it continually, and grew very artful and expert in drawing people, even of superior knowledge, into concessions, the consequences of which they did not foresee, entangling them in difficulties out of which they could not extricate themselves, and so obtaining victories that neither myself nor my cause always deserved. I continued this method some few years, but gradually left it, retaining only the habit of expressing myself in terms of modest diffidence; never using, when I advanced anything that may possibly be disputed, the words certainly, undoubtedly, or any others that give the air of positiveness to an opinion; but rather say, I conceive or apprehend a thing to be so and so; it appears to me, or I should think it so or so, for such and such reasons; or I imagine it to be so; or it is so, if I am not mistaken. This habit, I believe, has been of great advantage to me when I have had occasion to inculcate my opinions, and persuade men into measures that I have been from time to time engaged in promoting; and, as the chief ends of conversation are to inform or to be informed, to please or to persuade, I wish well-meaning, sensible men would not lessen their power of doing good by a positive, assuming manner, that seldom fails to disgust, tends to create opposition, and to defeat every one of those purposes for which speech was given to us, to wit, giving or receiving information or pleasure. For, if you would inform, a positive and dogmatical manner in advancing your sentiments may provoke contradiction and prevent a candid attention. If you wish information and improvement from the knowledge of others, and yet at the same time express yourself as firmly fixed in your present opinions, modest, sensible men, who do not love disputation, will probably leave you undisturbed in the possession of your error. And by such a manner, you can seldom hope to recommend yourself in pleasing your hearers, or to persuade those whose concurrence you desire. Pope says, judiciously:

"Men should be taught as if you taught them not, And things unknown propos'd as things forgot;"

farther recommending to us "To speak, tho' sure, with seeming diffidence."

Define Each Word

Write the correct word from the vocabulary.

• A compulsive liar tries to __________________________ himself from uncomfortable situations by telling more lies.
• Benjamin Franklin promoted 13 virtues, _____________________, temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility.
• No one enjoys a discussion about literature with someone who has a _______________________ attitude about the inherent superiority of canonical works.
• Relief organizations tried to __________________________ food and water after the earthquake.
• The first-year law student was _________________________ about expressing her opinions in class.

Comprehension and Discussion: Answer Each Question in Complete Sentences

• What habit of expression does Franklin recommend when speaking with others? Why? Do you agree with him?
• According to Franklin, what are the "chief ends of conversation"?

Download PDF File Suitable for Classroom Use

For a PDF version of this assignment, click on the link below.

The worksheet is one sheet front and back. It is suitable for classroom use and freely reproducible.

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Writing An Autobiography Worksheet For ESL Students

Writing an autobiography worksheet

This worksheet trains students to write an autobiography. It is designed with an eclectic approach to writing that combines product writing with process writing .

• Level: upper intermediate
• Timing: 50-55 minutes
• Materials: sheets of paper and pens.
• Objectives: learners will be able to write a short autobiography.

Short description of the lesson plan

Writing an autobiography worksheet for ESL Students:

The objective of this worksheet is to help students write an autobiography . A model text is provided for study and comprehension. Then, a distinction is highlighted between a biography and an autobiography. After that, the students are guided to produce a short autobiography, mentioning their early childhood, schooling, difficulties they encountered, and the life lesson they learned.

Here are the steps:

• They do a meaning-focused activity to make sure they understand the text. 
• Then, they study the text in terms of language (tense, linking words, etc.) and layout. 
• Generating ideas and planning.
• Final draft.

A link to a PDF Format of the worksheet is provided at the end.

Starter (reading a model text)

Before asking the students to read the text make sure they understand the difference between a biography and an autobiography.

What is the difference between a biography and an autobiography?

Ask the students to work in small groups to match the following words with their definitions:

Match the words with their definitions:

Autobiography sample

Students read the following autobiography and answer the questions.

Read the following short autobiography and answer the tasks below:

(1) I was born on a beautiful summer evening in Madrid, Spain. I don’t have many early childhood memories, but my mother described me as a highly active, inquisitive, and talkative youngster. Even without waiting for the responses, I would ask dozens of questions per minute. This explains why my parents kept providing me with books and instructional videos since I turned five.

(2) Fortunately, when I was at school, my desire to learn continued. I had a strong interest in English, philosophy, and history. Because I was passionate about learning, I gained extensive knowledge in these fields. This also helped me get accepted to the college of my dreams. Today, I am enrolled in law school, and I couldn’t be happier about it. My degree will certainly be my ticket to a better tomorrow. I aspire to become a well-known attorney. I put a lot of effort into my studies and spend my leisure time reading academic articles and watching interviews with respected experts on the subject.

(3) I know that difficulties and problems are a necessary part of life and that it is not all sunshine and rainbows. Paying down my student debt has become a significant burden for me because my parents were unable to fully assist me with my education expenses. To make ends meet, I work a part-time job. I feel happy every month when I get paid and get to plan how I’m going to spend my money.

(4) In my opinion, success is determined mainly by two elements. The first is someone’s perseverance and will to succeed. Are you willing to make compromises to accomplish your objective, such as working and attending school at the same time? Are you ready to go past a failure and try again to reach your dream? Success is essentially impossible without strong personal motivation. The second factor that determines your success is relationships. Without the support of my family, I might have not been able to enroll in a law school.

Model text tasks

Complete the following chart with information from the text:

Complete the following paragraph with information from the text:

From the early years of my life, I was… At school, I was interested in… Now, I am… I want to become… However, I have a problem with… This led me to….. I know I will succeed thanks to…

After reading comprehension, it is high time for the students to practice some of the language resources they will probably use in their biographies, namely:

• Describe personal and physical traits.
• Describe feelings and places.
• Linking words.

Put the following adjectives in the appropriate column:

handsome – short – sad – happy – depressed – motivated – curious – classy – friendly – sunny – pretty – elegant – cozy – boring – crowded – quiet- modern – inquisitive – funny – contemporary – ancient – charming – bored – cute – sleek gorgeous – tall – enthusiastic – creative – hectic – lovely

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the chart above:

• I was a  curious  child. I was always eager to know more.
• Born on a warm sunny day in a  gorgeous  seaside town in Spain, I always felt that I was  lucky .
• From the early years of my life, I was  funny  and had a good sense of humor.
• I was a  classy  girl. I used to always wear elegant clothes
• At school, I was  friendly  and was the most popular girl in school. 

Put the following words in the appropriate column:

In addition – When I was… – In brief – Since – However – Consequently – Later – Ultimately – Moreover – For instance – As soon as – Nevertheless – But – Also – Whereas – Such as – Yet – Besides – Despite – After – Because – Finally – As a result- In a nutshell – For example – Today – Still – Subsequently

Process writing tasks

After doing the above practice activities, the teacher provides the topic of the writing activity:

You noticed that some of your schoolmates lack motivation. Write a short autobiography to be published in your school magazine mentioning how you managed to succeed despite the difficulties you encountered in your life. Writing topic

Idea generation and outline

The teacher then asks the students to brainstorm ideas about their lives that they could include in an autobiography.

• Early childhood
• Physical and personal characteristics.
• Your passion.
• Difficulties you encountered.
• Schooling and hard work.
• Lessons learned from your experience.

They may use the same structure of the text. To do so they may be invited to complete the chart below:

They write a rough draft using the information in their answers.

This is their first attempt at writing, paying attention to the following points:

• The focus is on fluency.
• The students do not have to be preoccupied too much with accuracy.

Checking for grammar mistakes is not the principal aspect of revising. It is more of an assessment of the general organization and content of thoughts. The students decide whether their writing effectively conveys meaning to the intended audience. For instance, some ideas might be dropped while others might be improved.

Checklist for editing:

• Is the choice of vocabulary items appropriate?
• Are the verbs in the correct tense?
• Are the verbs correctly formed?
• Have you checked the subject-verb agreement?
• Have you used correct sentence structures?
• Are the prepositions correctly used?
• Have you checked the use of articles?

Then students work in pairs to edit the autobiographies. Provide a checklist for students to use for editing.

The focus is on elements like:

• Diction (choice of words)
• Grammar (tense, sentence structure, prepositions…)
• Mechanics (punctuation & capitalization)
• Linking words

Students exchange autobiographies. As homework, they read each other’s autobiographies and find similarities and differences between their own autobiographies and their classmates. A class discussion can be scheduled for the next session.

Optionally, ask students to provide photos to use as illustrations.

You can get the writing an autobiography worksheet in PDF format for just $1

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Biography Templates

Customize biography templates.

If you're assigning this to your students, copy the worksheet to your account and save. When creating an assignment, just select it as a template!

What is a Biography?

It is a written account of a person's life, capturing their experiences, achievements, and significant events. It provides an in-depth exploration of an individual's journey, offering insight into their personal and professional aspects. Biographies are typically organized in chronological order, following the sequence of events as they occurred throughout the person's life. This arrangement allows readers to understand the person's growth and development over time, as well as the impact they made in their respective fields. Biographies often include interesting facts about the person, shedding light on their unique qualities, accomplishments, or challenges they faced. These facts provide a deeper understanding of the individual's life and contribute to the overall narrative. Whether it's an extraordinary achievement, a personal struggle, or a notable contribution to society, these interesting facts add depth and intrigue to the writing.

Types of Biography

There are several different types of biographies that provide unique perspectives on individuals' lives. These types include:

• Autobiography: An autobiography is written about the author by the author. It offers a firsthand account of their own life, sharing personal experiences, reflections, and insights. Autobiographies provide an intimate look into the person's thoughts, emotions, and motivations.
• Memoir: Similar to an autobiography, a memoir focuses on specific periods or events in a person's life rather than their entire life story. Memoirs often center around a theme or specific aspect of the person's life, such as their career, relationships, or personal struggles.
• Collective: This a compilation of biographies of multiple individuals, often with a common theme or shared experience. It allows readers to gain insights into the lives of several people and compare their experiences and contributions.
• Biographical Fiction: Biographical fiction combines real-life events and characters with fictional elements. It blends factual information with storytelling techniques to write a compelling narrative based on a real person's life.
• Critical: Critical biographies delve into a person's life from a critical perspective, analyzing their achievements, impact, and cultural significance. They often provide a scholarly examination of the person's contributions and their place in history.
• Popular: Popular biographies are written for a wider audience and focus on individuals who have achieved fame or notoriety. They often emphasize the person's public persona, achievements, and impact on society.

Each type offers a distinct perspective and serves different purposes. Whether it's gaining a personal account through an autobiography or exploring the cultural significance of a person through a critical biography, biographies provide valuable insights into the lives of individuals and their contributions to society.

Enhance Biography Writing with a Biography Graphic Organizer

A graphic organizer is a valuable tool that can greatly enhance the process of writing biographies. It provides a structured format for organizing information and helps students gather and present key details about a person's life in a clear and logical manner. These graphic organizers, such as this creative graphic organizer example , serve as a roadmap for writers, guiding them through the writing process and ensuring that they include all the essential elements.

Using a graphic organizer helps students understand the format and enables them to write more effectively. It provides a visual representation of the various sections and components of a biography, such as the introduction, background information, major events, achievements, and conclusion. This organization helps maintain a coherent and chronological order while presenting the subject's life story.

Our website offers free printable biography worksheets, including biography activity worksheet, that can be easily accessed and downloaded for any project. They provide students with a ready-to-use template to record and organize information about their chosen subject. They can be used for short biographies or more extensive projects.

By using an organizer, kids read and analyze biographies, improving their comprehension skills and gaining a deeper understanding of the subject's life. A biography sheet acts as a framework that prompts students to identify important details, make connections between events, and form a comprehensive understanding of the individual's impact on the world.

Writing biographies can be a challenging task, but with the help of a graphic organizer, students can break down the process into manageable sections. They can focus on gathering relevant information, organizing their thoughts, and presenting their findings in a clear and concise manner.

Empower your class to excel in writing with our biography graphic organizer. Access our free printable biography worksheets and provide your writers with the tools they need to make engaging and informative biographies.

To learn more about the biographies, check out our Introduction to Biographies lesson plans and find activities on family life, biography accomplishments , and so much more . It provides valuable guidance on how to craft an engaging and captivating introduction that hooks readers and sets the stage for the piece.

Example of Biography Materials to Integrate into Your Teaching

When it comes to teaching about real-life stories, biographies are a powerful tool to engage and deepen understanding of different subjects. By exploring the lives of notable individuals, students can discover inspiring examples of resilience, perseverance, and achievement. Here are some examples of biographies that you can incorporate into your teaching:

• The Diary of a Young Girl , by Anne Frank: This iconic diary chronicles the life of Anne Frank, a Jewish girl hiding with her family during the Holocaust. Her poignant and introspective writing offers a firsthand account of the challenges and hopes of those affected by World War II.
• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin , by Benjamin Franklin: This autobiography shares the life story of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of America. Franklin's passages provide valuable insights into his scientific discoveries, inventions, and contributions to society.
• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave , by Frederick Douglass: In this powerful narrative, Frederick Douglass recounts his journey from slavery to freedom. His memoir sheds light on the harsh realities of slavery and the fight for abolition.
• The Diary of a Young Girl , by Malala Yousafzai: This autobiography details the life of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate. Her story inspires readers with her courage, determination, and dedication to advocating for education rights.
• The Story of My Life , by Helen Keller: Helen Keller's autobiography is a remarkable account of her life as a deaf and blind person. She shares her triumphs and struggles, demonstrating the power of perseverance and resilience.

These classic biographies offer valuable insights into the lives of remarkable individuals and can be excellent resources for teaching history, promoting empathy, and inspiring.

Looking for more? Check out our collection of planner worksheets , blank worksheet template , and thesis statement worksheets to enrich your teaching and incorporate biographies into your classroom activities.

Create Engaging Worksheets with Our Biography Maker

Are you looking for an easy and effective way to make engaging handouts? Look no further! Our online biography maker is the perfect tool to help you craft captivating sheets for your class. Whether you need an organizer or a biography generator, our user-friendly platform has got you covered.

With our biography maker, you have the flexibility to customize your worksheet according to your preferences. You can choose from a variety of designs and layouts to make an engaging and visually appealing handout. Our tool allows you to easily add spaces for an answer, ensuring that students have ample room to provide their own responses. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to create professional-looking biographies with our online biography creator.

Don't settle for dull and typical worksheets. Let our biography maker transform your teaching materials into dynamic and interactive resources that captivate your students' interest. Start using our online creator today and experience the power of engaging resources at your fingertips!

How to Make a Biography Worksheet

Choose one of the premade templates.

We have lots of templates to choose from. Take a look at our example for inspiration!

Click on “Copy Template”

Once you do this, you will be directed to the storyboard creator.

Give Your Worksheet a Name!

Be sure to call it something related to the topic so that you can easily find it in the future.

Edit Your Worksheet

This is where you will include directions, specific images, and make any aesthetic changes that you would like. The options are endless!

Click "Save and Exit"

When you are finished, click this button in the lower right hand corner to exit your storyboard.

From here you can print, download as a PDF, attach it to an assignment and use it digitally, and more!

Happy Creating!

Frequently Asked Questions About Biography Worksheets

Can i find free printable biography worksheets.

Absolutely! We offer a wide range of free printable worksheets that you can easily access and download. They provide engaging activities and prompts to help students explore and analyze biographies. They are a valuable resource for enhancing reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. Additionally, you can also take advantage of our 2-week free trial to access even more resources and unlock the full potential of our resources.

Can I customize the biography worksheets created by the online biography creator?

Yes! Our online generator allows you to customize the worksheets to suit your instructional needs. You can add or modify questions, adjust the layout, and include additional prompts or spaces for kids to write their answers. This customization feature ensures that the worksheets align with your specific teaching objectives and provide a personalized learning experience for your class.

Is the biography activity worksheet suitable for different grade levels?

Yes, our worksheets cater to a range of grade levels. Whether you are teaching elementary, middle school, or high school students, you can find worksheets that are appropriate for their level of understanding. They are designed to be adaptable and can be modified to meet the specific needs of your class.

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Biographies

This page contains the Super Teacher Worksheets collection of biographies. These nonfiction articles include reading comprehension activities for elementary-aged students.

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Please login to your account or become a member and join our community today to utilize this helpful feature.

Here is the link to our complete collection of reading comprehension stories, articles, and poems for kids.

Color in black-and-white illustrations of some of history's notable people. View our coloring pages here.

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It's My Life: Multimodal Autobiography Project

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

In this unit, students write autobiographies, illustrate them, and set them to music. Music is a powerful tool to evoke emotion, and students will carefully select songs to accompany the stories from their lives. Students brainstorm lists of important events in their lives, along with images and music that represent those events. They then create storyboards in preparation for the final PowerPoint project. After making revisions, they present their final projects to their peers in class. If PowerPoint is unavailable, students might create posters and play soundtracks using cassette or CD players.

Featured Resources

Stapleless Book : Students use this online tool to plan each slide of an autobiographical PowerPoint presentation.

From Theory to Practice

According to William Kist, "students should be able to both read critically and write functionally, no matter what the medium." We have "broadened the concept of literacy" (cf. Kist) to include multimodal projects so that no student will feel isolated, and every student will gain knowledge and understanding from the sharing of ideas. As the NCTE Statement on Multimodal Literacies states, "The use of different modes of expression in student work should be integrated into the overall literacy goals of the curriculum and appropriate for time and resources invested." This lesson plan encourages such integration by asking students to create multimodal presentations. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
• 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
• It’s My Life Assignment
• Presentation Music and Image Planner
• It’s My Life Project Rubric
• Sample Multimodal Autobiography
• It’s My Life Self-Assessment

Preparation

• Arrange for the use of a computer lab, projector, and CD player.
• Familiarize yourself with PowerPoint. Visit the PowerPoint in the Classroom Website and the PowerPoint tutorials on adding sound and adding music for helpful information and guides. You may also choose to share these Web resources with your students.
• Create a model autobiography presentation for students to view (optional).
• Review fair use and copyright guidelines before having students use copyrighted music and images in their projects.
• Make copies of the Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for School Projects , It’s My Life Assignment , Presentation Music and Image Planner , Sample Multimodal Autobiography , It’s My Life Self-Assessment , and It’s My Life Project Rubric sheets for your students.
• Test the Stapleless Book on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tool and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page .

Student Objectives

Students will

• examine the lyrics to songs and describe how the music and words relate to their life stories.
• organize their thoughts and express their stories by using PowerPoint presentations.
• improve technical skills by familiarizing themselves with PowerPoint.
• evaluate their own work.

Session One

• Present the PowerPoint autobiography assignment to students and explain the required elements. If you have created a model presentation, you can use it to present the concept to students.
• Students will select five important events in their lives. Using written summaries of these events, they will create PowerPoint multimodal autobiographies.
• Students may use recordings from the radio or their personal music collections.
• Students will follow guidelines for fair use of copyrighted images and music. (Explain that this topic will be discussed in detail in the next session.)
• Student will present their slideshows in class. Slideshows are limited to 5–10 minutes in length.
• Students will respond to their peers’ presentations in writing.
• First day of school (e.g., preschool, kindergarten, first grade, middle school, high school)
• A special family trip or vacation
• A family event or milestone
• A personal achievement (e.g., first place in a competition)
• A personal loss
• Explain that in this stage of the writing process, students should write down all of their ideas. If they are working in groups or with the whole class, lay ground rules that encourage all students to share their ideas with the group and that discourage students from critiquing their peers’ responses during this brainstorming stage. Explain that students will have the opportunity to evaluate their lists and select the events that they want to include in their autobiographies in later sessions.
• Have students view the PowerPoint presentation Finding Your Focus: The Writing Process . Discuss the stages of the writing process—including drafting, revising, and editing—and explain that students will go through each of these stages as they work on their autobiographies. The final stage will be the actual publishing of their autobiographies in the form of PowerPoint presentations.
• Ask students to select 8–10 events from their lists and write a brief paragraph summary for each one. Students may also include events that were not included on the lists they created during their brainstorming sessions.
• Have students set aside these summaries to use in a later session. If necessary, have students complete this activity for homework.

Session Two

• Initiate a class discussion by describing a significant event from your own life (i.e., birth of a sibling, parents’ divorce, first car). You can refer to the Sample Multimodal Autobiography for an example.
• Ask a few students to share an event from their own lists, and record each event on the board.
• Have students think about the events described and to connect songs to these events. For example, a student might associate a love song with a family member’s wedding ceremony.
• How does the song make you feel?
• What images come to mind when you think of this event?
• What images come to mind when you think of this song?
• Next play a song or two that you associate with the event from your own life that you’ve described. It doesn’t matter if the songs are not “current” hits; students will understand the feelings behind the music.
• Ask students to discuss how the song fits the event and to suggest other songs they might associate with the same event.
• Have students review the summaries they wrote in Session One.
• From the list of events they described, ask students to select five to include in their autobiographical presentations.
• Pass out the Presentation Music and Image Planner and have students list each of the five events they’ll include.
• Have students use the Presentation Music and Image Planner to write the title of a song and describe an image for each event they will include in their presentations. Students can work with a classmate or in small groups if they are having trouble generating ideas. You may wish to have students begin this activity in class and then complete their planners for homework.
• Be sure to discuss lyrics with students to assure that song selections are classroom-appropriate as determined by teacher and school policy.
• Emphasize that students should avoid using music that involves profanity or derogatory remarks towards any race, gender, and/or religious affiliation. Encourage students to discuss any questionable lyrics with you in advance. Point out you will either approve students’ choice of songs and images or provide suggestions for revision on their planning sheets.
• Have you ever downloaded music or other content from the Internet? What other Internet resources have you used?
• You will need to use music for your presentations. What are some ways you can get the songs you’ll need? From what sources can you download music? Are all of these ways legal?
• Is it OK to use other people’s music in something you are creating?
• Students can use 1–5 images from the same photographer or illustrator without permission.
• Up to 10% of a song can be used in a presentation. That translates to about 30 seconds from one song.
• Students must include a bibliography of any work used in their presentations.
• Before beginning Session Three, review students’ planners to ensure that they understand the assignment and have selected appropriate images and songs. Approve each plan, providing feedback, or make suggestions for revision.
• Meet with students individually to discuss any necessary changes.

Session Three

• Tape sheets of plain paper together along the short edges.
• Divide a large piece of blank paper into equal rectangles.
• Use a blank index card for each PowerPoint slide.
• Use the ReadWriteThink Stapleless Book interactive to plan each slide of their presentation. This tool provides space for students to write the text that will appear on the slide and information about the song they will include, along with space for a simple illustration.
• Before beginning their PowerPoint presentations, students should use the storyboards to lay out their text and images, and to write the titles of the songs and specific lyrics they will use for each slide.
• Have students add the text of the paragraphs they wrote in Session One to their storyboards in this drafting session.
• Remind students of the writing process and explain that they will have the opportunity to revise their text and other elements when they reach the revising stage.
• Allow more than one session of class time to complete this work if required. You can choose to extend this activity to the next class period or have students complete their drafts for homework. Students should also have any CDs or music they want to use available for the next session.
• Provide access to a scanner for students who wish to scan photographs or other images for use in their projects.
• Before moving to the next session, review students’ drafts and provide feedback.

Sessions Four through Six

• PowerPoint in the Classroom
• PowerPoint Tutorial—Adding sound
• Demo: Add music to a presentation
• Once students are comfortable with PowerPoint and have practiced with the software, have them begin creating slides using their drafts/storyboards.
• Remind students of the guidelines for using copyrighted music in their projects.
• Share this adding sounds page from PowerPoint in the Classroom with students, which details how to add portions of a song from a CD to a PowerPoint slide.
• Review students’ progress as they work and provide assistance to students who are having difficulty using PowerPoint.
• Allow additional time as needed for students to work on their projects in or out of class.

Session Seven

• Are slides arranged in an effective way? How are the events in my autobiography arranged? Sequentially? Thematically?
• Can I do a better job of describing each event? Will the reader/viewer understand what I’m trying to communicate?
• Do the images I’ve selected adequately represent the events?
• Does the song reflect my feelings about each event?
• Guide students in working through this stage of the writing process and encourage them to make revisions that will help them more effectively communicate the information included in their autobiographies.

Sessions Eight and Nine

• When students have finished making revisions, have them take turns presenting their PowerPoint autobiographies to the class. Use a projector if you have access to one.
• After all students have completed their presentations, have them respond in writing by completing the It’s My Life Self-Assessment .
• Teach the ReadWriteThink lesson Copyright Infringement or Not? The Debate over Downloading Music to reinforce the concepts of fair use and copyright infringement explored in this lesson.
• Teach the ReadWriteThink lesson The Year I Was Born: An Autobiographical Research Project to have students further explore the autobiography writing genre.
• In place of or in addition to PowerPoint presentations, have students write a typed autobiography, a narrated audio autobiography (set to music) on CD, cassette, or MP3, or a videotaped biography. Students can use the CD/DVD Cover Creator to design and print their covers for their finished presentations.
• Have students use the Profile Publisher to enhance their autobiographies by creating one or more profiles to represent themselves at different times in their lives, with a special focus on the connection between experiences and music.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Have students reflect on their projects by completing the It’s My Life Self-Assessment .
• Assess students’ PowerPoint projects using the It’s My Life Project Rubric .
• Professional Library
• Strategy Guides
• Student Interactives
• Lesson Plans

The Stapleless Book can be used for taking notes while reading, making picture books, collecting facts, or creating vocabulary booklets . . . the possibilities are endless!

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