Read Short Biographies
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What you will learn
- 1Identify the key features of a biography
- 2Locate important facts about a person's life from a short biography
- 3Answer comprehension questions about a biography using text evidence
Mini Lesson
A biography is a true account of a real person's life written by someone else. Biographies share facts about a person's childhood, challenges, achievements, and the impact they had on the world. Reading biographies helps us learn from remarkable people.
Key Features of a Biography
- Written in third person — uses "he", "she", or "they" instead of "I".
- Organized in time order — usually begins with birth and follows the person's life.
- Includes real facts: dates, places, names, and events.
- Tells about the person's challenges and how they overcame them.
- Describes achievements and their importance to the world.
How to Read a Biography
- Read the introduction — find out who the person is and why they are famous.
- Look for key dates and events — these show the timeline of their life.
- Identify the biggest challenges the person faced.
- Find their main achievements — what did they do that mattered?
- Think about why this person's story is still important today.
Words to know
Biography
A true written account of someone else's life
e.g. We read a biography of Marie Curie to learn about her discoveries.
Achievement
Something important and impressive that a person has done
e.g. One of Malala's greatest achievements was winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
Third person
Writing that uses "he", "she", or "they" — not "I" or "you"
e.g. The biography said "she worked tirelessly in her laboratory."
Chronological
Arranged in the order events happened over time
e.g. The biography was written in chronological order, starting at birth.
After reading a biography, try to summarize it in three sentences: who the person is, what challenge they faced, and what they achieved.
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