Navigation
An introduction to biographies and how we learn about the lives of important people.
Imagine you could travel back in time to meet a real-life superhero! How would you find out what they were like when they were your age?
A biography is a special kind of book. It is a true story about a real person's life. Unlike a fairy tale with dragons or talking animals, everything in a biography really happened! Biographies tell us about local heroes, scientists, or leaders. They help us see how someone grew up and what they did to make the world better. Think of it as a 'life map' that shows where someone started and where they went.
Quick Check
If a book is about a real person named George Washington and tells only true facts, is it a biography or a fairy tale?
Answer
It is a biography because it is a true story about a real person.
Most biographies follow a specific order. They usually start with the person's birth and their childhood. Then, they talk about life events, which are important things that happened as they grew up. Finally, they focus on achievements. An achievement is something great that the person finished or won. For example, if a person lived years, the book might show what they did when they were , , and !
Let's look at a tiny biography: 1. Birth: Elizabeth was born in the year . 2. Life Event: She moved to America and studied very hard in school. 3. Achievement: She became the first woman doctor in the United States!
Quick Check
In the example above, what was Elizabeth's big achievement?
Answer
She became the first woman doctor in the United States.
Why do we read about people who lived a long time ago? We read biographies to get inspiration. When we see how a local hero solved a problem, it helps us learn how to be brave or kind. We also learn about traditions, which are ways of doing things that families pass down for many years. Reading about the past is like having a conversation with a teacher from years ago!
Imagine you read a biography about a man who planted trees in your town long ago. 1. The Fact: He planted trees in . 2. The Reason: We read this to learn how one person can help nature for a long time. 3. The Result: Today, you can sit in the shade of those same trees!
Read this short bio and find the three parts: 'Maya was born in a small cabin. When she grew up, she wrote poems that made people feel happy. She won a very special medal for her writing in .' 1. Birth: Born in a cabin. 2. Life Event: She wrote poems. 3. Achievement: She won a special medal.
What is a biography?
Which of these is an 'achievement'?
Biographies usually tell about a person's life in the order that things happened.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow, try to tell a friend the difference between a biography and a regular storybook.
Practice Activity
Pick a family member and ask them for one 'Life Event' and one 'Achievement' from their life. You just started their biography!