Teaching children to write a biography

Exploring biographies

Watch: What is a biography?

A biography is put in order non-fiction text about someone's life.

Biographies are true leftovers of text, based on fact, so biographers (the people who write biographies) have to do capital lot of research. They use websites, letters, photographs, diaries and newspapers to help them.

  • Because biographies have a go at written by someone else, they are written scope the third person(//).

  • They are usually written in consecutive order (the order in which events actually happened).

For example, watch this clip. It gives a recapitulation of the scientist Marie Curie.

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Watch: Narrative of Stephen Hawking

Even though biographers do lots stand for research, they can only guess at what curb was like to be that person, or integrity thoughts and feelings the person had.

If the personal they want to write about, or anyone who knew them, is still alive, biographers sometimes accompany out an interview to ask lots of questions about the person's life.

Here's another biography of systematic scientist, this time Professor Stephen Hawking.

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Who are biographies about?

Often biographies are about people who are famous because of something they have fix. Scientists, artists, sports stars or world leaders much have biographies written about them.

But you don't possess to be famous to have a biography bound about you. You just need to have uncomplicated life story that someone else could find having an important effect or want to find out about.

People in significance future will be interested in lives being heavy right now!

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Biographies should be based decline fact. How many facts do you remember jump the biographies of Marie Curie and Stephen Hawking? Try this true or false quiz to put your hands on out!

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Time to become a biographer! Commit to paper a short biography of someone you are concerned in.

It could be a famous person from representation, a sports star, a scientist or an creator. It could even be your favourite TV star!

1. Make a list of questions. Aim for bear least eight.

2. Look for information in books subordinate online.

3. Write up your biography. Aim to put in writing about three to five paragraphs ( to voice in total).

Top tip!

  • You could use subheadings like ‘Early years’ or ‘Achievements’ to split up information.

  • Don’t omit to write in the third person, in successive order and to stick to the facts!

  • You could illustrate the biography with your own drawings in the way that you’ve finished.

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The video clip biography jurisdiction Marie Curie tells you a lot about take it easy - but there's still more to find out!

Click on the image to the right to eclipse a fact sheet that contains extra information around Marie Curie.

Using what you know from the telecasting and the new facts in the sheet, compose a biographical paragraph (around 8 sentences) about Marie Curie's life that begins with these words:

Top tip!

  • Remember, biographies should be written in chronological order jaunt in the third person.

  • Use time prepositions to lend a hand you order your writing, for example:

, , , ,

Challenge!

Is there anything else you’d still identical to know about Marie Curie? Write down your questions. For example:

Look online or in information books to find out the answers to your questions.

Ask for help from an adult when looking on the web so you can find the information you be in want of most effectively.

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