Based on our class discussion and the biography chapter in Tompkins (2008), personal narratives seem to be about only one experience, have a beginning, middle, and end (similar to a narrative story) and (sometimes) answer the "why" or explain what the person learned. In spite of having more clarification about what constitutes a personal narrative, I am not sure if I could determine that a particular published piece is considered to be part of this subset of biographical writing. However, I do understand what a personal narrative would look like if written by my students. I think, after more exposure to this genre and more practice with identifying examples of each type of biography, I will be better able to distinguish between personal narratives and autobiographies.
While all of the activities Tompkins (2008) advocates having students complete after reading a biography (such as Bio Boxes and Biography posters) seemed interesting when I initially read the chapter, actually having the opportunity to create one of these products myself was helpful. By making my own Bio Cube during Liz's presentation, I was able to understand the logistics of assigning this type of project to my students. While I created my Bio Cube, I discovered that coming up with a memorable quote from the person, as well as the obstacles the person has faced, may be difficult for my students, depending upon the person whose biography they are reading. Knowing the potential issues with this activity can help me to determine what modifications I would make if I were to use the Bio Cube activity with my future students.
While we did not discuss this activity in class, the Bio Box that Tompkins (2008) mentions also seems to be a great activity for students to complete after reading a biography. Students' creativity is fostered by the task of identifying what types of items represent the person and then deciding which of these items to include in the box (Tompkins, 2008). In addition, students must explain the significance of each item that they chose to include in the box. This activity encourages students to reflect on the individual and to make connections between the aspects of the person's life that they read about and the types of items that they can use to represent these aspects. I would even consider using this activity with older students, as it could be a much more interactive and in-depth activity than a written response to the biography.
Being an English major, I find that biographies can be an extremely interesting genre. I particularly enjoy autobiographies, as it is fascinating to me to read about a person's life in his or her own words. However, I do not feel that this genre gets enough attention in schools. The only biographies I distinctly remember reading in high school were part of my research for a paper I was writing. Very rarely did we read a biography in my high school English classes. If at all possible, I would love to teach more biographies when I have my own classroom, as I think it allows students to connect more deeply to a particular person (and potentially a particular time period as well). Instead of reading a fictional story, a biography or autobiography allows students to think about a real individual's life and experiences. I think that students can connect to the subject of the biography in way s they may not be able to do through reading about that particular person in a history textbook or a narrative story. The fact that the events detailed in a biography actually happened to a person could allow for a richer classroom discussion of the book's contents. Overall, Liz's presentation and Tompkins' (2008) chapter have sparked my interest in teaching this genre to my future students.
What biographies would you like to include in your future English class? Have you read any this semester you would like to make required reading?
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