Merritt

TE 408
Spring 09
Daily Lesson Plan: Day 3
Goals
1. Introduce what a biography is
2. Provide multiple examples of biographies (various modes)
Rationale: The students will be researching a person they find to be influential and important in their
lives. They can choose the format to present their findings and why they choose to write biography.
Because students are able to pick from various modes for the presentation of their work, I want to make
sure that students have examples of biographies in various modes. In addition, students need to
understand what a biography is before they begin to plan and research.
Standards
Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts
1.B.4a Preview reading materials, clarify meaning, analyze overall themes and coherence, and relate
reading with information from other sources
1.B.4b Analyze, interpret and compare a variety of texts for purpose, structure, content, detail and effect.
1.C.4d Summarize and make generalizations from content and relate them to the purpose of the material
Assessments
1. Class participation in the discussion
2. Defining Biographies Handout (turned in at the end of the hour)
Objectives: SWBAT:
1. Define a biography and its function
2. Answer a questions and take notes regarding the purpose of each biography example given
Tasks:
Part 1: What is a biography? (10 minutes)
1. Open question to the class: what is a biography? Examples?
→ What is the difference between an autobiography and a biography?
2. Lecture: guided answer
→ A biography is a description of someone’s life or part of someone’s life
Part 2: Excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X (5 minutes)
1. Read aloud with students
2. Page 419: Alex Haley’s Epilogue: first 2 paragraphs
Part 3: Discussion (15 minutes)
1. Who did Alex Haley write about?
2. What did he think of Malcolm X?
3. Why do you think he wrote this biography?
Part 4: Online Biography of Pablo Neruda (10 minutes)
2. http://www.poetryconnection.net/poets/Pablo_Neruda
2. Pull up on computer: read paragraph
Part 5: Discussion (10 minutes)
1. Who is Pablo Neruda?
2. Why is he important?
3. What is different (good and bad) about this format from Alex Haley’s?
4. What do you notice about this biography?
→ Note the examples of his poetry at the bottom of the site
Materials
1. The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Alex Haley)
2. Biography of Pablo Neruda (printout and available on screen)
To-Do List:
Merritt
TE 408
Spring 09
1. Note student participation on attendance
2. Students must be able to view the internet source
References
1. Biography of Pablo Neruda (2009). Retrieved April 28, 2009,
http://www.poetryconnection.net/poets/Pablo_Neruda
2. Haley, A. (1999). The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As told to Alex Haley (p. 419). New York: The
Random House Publishing Group.
3. Smagorinsky, P. (2008). Teaching English by Design (pp. 173-175). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.