F-07.10 Promote Reading Integrated with All Language Skills with Biographical Info About Famous People

Biographies: Short, Short Stories Based on the “Messages” of People’s Lives = Creative, Motivating, Multi-Level, Multi-Skills Language Activities, pages 1-44

44 Half-Sized Pages  

Who It’s For:  Language & Reading Teachers / Students + Everyone That Enjoys and/or Learns from Significant Events or Details of the Lives of Others            

Why You Need It:  Biographical material tends to be intrinsically motivating—especially if it addresses the lives of significant people in history & culture.  Brief, well-organized bios are excellent vehicles for reading- (& writing-) skills instruction & improvement.  They also inspire inquiry (research) into many significant areas of life.                                    

What You’ll / They’ll Do:  

[1]  Survey the original 44-page Biographies: Short, Short Stories Based on the “Messages” of People’s Lives.  Because there are now many more intensive / expansive materials on these topics, this resource could be considered a “Starter Book,” a compact summary of more recent Parts & Pieces or whole products. 

[2] Notice book sections: introductory advice on creating biographical material; 3 levels of Readings with comparative, summarizing Comprehension Checks; beyond-the-book Oral Informational, Biography-Quiz, (Research) Picture-Cue, & Writing Class Bios activities and games.  

[3]  Pick & choose, follow & adapt ideas for use of biographical material that suit your own instructional or recreational purposes.     

[4]  Use the supplied Biographies 1-10, 11-20, 21-30 with follow-up as is—or modify them. Add your own materials and procedures. Take a look at (much more in-depth) materials that evolved and flourished out of this publication.