Gist get to the point! Pupils read another excerpt from The Lost Garden, author Laurence Yep's autobiography. Working with partners, scholars annotate the text to look for the gist and record unfamiliar vocabulary in their word...

"How do photographs contribute to an autobiography?" Laurence Yep's The Lost Garden provides learners with an opportunity to examine how photos and their captions contribute to and clarify events in a story. Class members use expressive...

Learners write their own autobiography. They fill out a worksheet to help them organize their personal information. They create their own website displaying their information and share with the class.

Students are introduced to the characteristics of an autobiography. For each author, they research their life and works and discuss why it reflects different time periods of African-Americans. In groups, they brainstorm characteristics...

Seventh graders explore the life of Gandhi using his autobiography and memoir. For this Gandhi exploration lesson, 7th graders analyze Gandhi's literary voice by reading his autobiography. Students identify literary techniques in...

Young scholars examine the accomplishments of African Americans. After being introduced to the characteristics of an autobiography, they create a timeline of their lives. They use those events to write their own autobiography to share...

How authors address issues of their societies is addressed in this very detailed lesson. After researching Toni Morrison and her work, groups create a dramatization based on a scene from one of Morrison’s novels and act it out. Class...

Foster community in your classroom and encourage learners to get up and get to know each other. Individuals each receive the classmate inventory handout included and use it to fill in information about their fellow scholars. Once they...

The March on Washington takes center stage in the discussion of chapter 15 of The Autobiography of Malcolm X; however, class members are presented with an entirely different view of the march from the ones they have previously studied....

Students write about an ordinary, everyday happening such as riding in the family car, preparing for school in the morning, doing the wash, shooting a foul shot or sitting in English class. They look at how he/she spends time during the...

Fourth graders create autobiographical bookets using an already written rough draft. Using illustrations, scanned photos, and word processing software, they type and print their booklet to share with their class.

Eleventh graders study the characteristics of an autobiography. They read from the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and discuss and write an essay regarding some of his quotes.

Young scholars investigate using computers to write an autobiography over an extended period of time. They use the Kidpix computer software to practice the writing process. As an extension to the instructional activity students can take...

Students examine autobiographies and biographies through a series of reading and writing exercises. By writing journals during this semester-long course, they improve writing skills and discover their own voice. Among other activities,...

Eighth graders explore the four major components of an autobiography. As they discuss the major characteristics of an autobiography, 8th graders list the advantages and disadvantages of traditional, word of mouth, tales. Individually,...

Students examine their own personality traits and preferences. They use this information to write an autobiography.

When Ruby Bridges entered an all-white school in New Orleans in 1960, she also entered history. Scholars consider what the experience must have been like for the young girl using two books that document her experience as well as a double...

Students research and create a book report on a famous person. In this character education lesson, students examine the positive traits exemplified by a famous person and present an oral presentation for their classmates.

Investigate biographies with your class. Compare autobiographies and biographies of Martin Luther King, Jr. as an example. Learners explore the factual components that make up a biography and locate several biographies of notable...

Students identify the significance of the author's experiences on his written work; describe the hardships faced by slaves and plantation owners once the caves were set free; explain the role of the Seceses and why they were a threat to...

Seventh graders read "Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank. In groups, they discuss the reasons why people would write an autobiography and identify their own identity crisis. After reading excerpts of other autobiographies, they...

Young scholars create an autobiographical poem. In this writing lesson, students write an eleven line autobiopoem after read the teacher's model. Young scholars include their name, fears, and family in the poem.

Second graders read "The Hundred Penny Box" by Sharon Mathis Bell. They research each year of their life in preparation for writing an autobiography and develop notes to help them in later writing.

Sixth graders discuss their likes, dislikes, hobbies, goals, and special events in their lives. They write a five paragraph autobiography focusing on style, transitions, and details. This is well-suited for either explanatory or...