I was interested in the idea for time lines of biographical characters. I can visualize doing a whole year of reading biographies to a class from different times in history and filling out a timeline as the year goes by. In two different churches I did a Sunday School study for middle schoolers that went through the bible in a school year with a time line clear around the room. It was a really fun experience and the kids learned a lot. I can see how the same would be very effective for American History and give students a head start on future history classes.
The children's librarians in Great Bend, KS purchased a big set of biographies and expected us to read them all. What a favor they did for us. History classes were a lot easier because we had already read about the people in simplified versions. One stand out for me was Lincoln. It stuck with me how he was responsible for some of his own education by reading borrowed books. I've done a lot of that in the field of education as I subbed...I bought the books I needed and read them on my own. I appreciate Ft. Hays leading the way for Kansas in finally offering an online education degree.
To be honest, when I saw that this chapter was about Biographies I cringed. I never liked reading historical books. Throughout by education, history has been taught to me in a boring way. I remember only one teacher presenting history to us in a unique way. Now that I think back on it, she taught the Holocaust to us by having us read Anne Frank's diary.
In the section, Teaching With Biographies it mentioned that children would rather read a biography than a textbook. I definitely agree with that statement. History and literature can be integrated together when students read biographies. In my classroom, I will definitely use biographies to present history to my students.
I thought it was interesting how biographies have changed. The history of biographical writing is much like that in the world of art. Women and minorities were not significantly supported. Children's stories and biographies of the 17th - 19th centuries were used to teach religious and moral lessons. In the 1960's and 70's critics and educators felt that idealizing subjects was not the best for child development. Children may view themselves as imperfect and therefore unable to achieve such status. Marilyn Jurich felt it best to include great people who were not famous. Authors also concluded that it best to make Biographies more realistic and easier for children to identify and still admire.
I also love timelines. It is a great tool for those students who visually learn. Books orally give information, but some neglect to include a visual picture which would allow students to understand better.
Also, I think that it's great that your school bought those for you all to read. The greatest part is that they encouraged you to read those. I remember having some biographies available, but nobody really encouraged us to read them.
Lacy, I agree with you that the use of literature can be used in history. I think there is something to read to suit any subject matter. Just like it mentioned in the poetry chapter, it said that poetry can be used in many subjects. I don't think it means you have to read a novel for every lesson but there are times when reading a biography or historical fiction novel would really enhance and intrigue the students. I would also like to use books and various types of literature in my classroom lessons.
Chapter 11 The beginning of the chapter reviews a little of what we read in the last chapter, as far as what the books focus on. For example, salvation and reaching the “American Dream” can be read about in both genres. I never thought too much about judging the factual accuracy of Biographies. I always thought that Biographies were all facts because they are Biographies. It was an interesting fact to learn. I thought it was also interesting that the book says that Biographies do not have to be about someone famous, infamous, or outstanding. I have never read a Biography that was not about someone falling into one of those three categories. I think that like Jean Fritz, all authors should have to write a forward on how the information was received or researched and written. That would let the reader know in advance how much factual information is in the book. There are many different ways to write Biographies. What I mean is that Biographies can be about many different types of people (historical figures, or everyday individuals who overcame something great). I thought that the information about teaching with Biographies was presented in a way that would be easy to incorporate into a class.
I forgot to mention how the book said that children enjoy reading Biographies more than text but am glad that you mentioned it. I agree with you and the book. I think that using Biographies in a class would be a good way to learn about a historical event and a person who lived through, or during that event.
I have never been a fan of reading biographies, but thinking about the few I have read in the past and recently, I'm not sure why I still hold this picture of them being boring and dry. Reading biographies gives you an inside look at the person, almost to the point that you know them, you understand what they might be thinking, and like the book says, they become your friend. The sections of the text discussing what authors of biographies must do to make their books interesting yet keep them authentic was interesting to me. Obviously a lot of work and research goes into writing a biography, but I never thought that they have to sort out the facts from legends and myths. Teaching with biographies versus text books is an interesting way to help history come alive. I don't recall ever having history lessons that I really enjoyed--recollection has them as lecture style classes. Using a biography, and related activities, would serve as a way to help history jump out and catch students interest. Making a timeline of a biography is a wonderful activity to go along with the books, plus making a map, conducting interviews with different characters of biography, or with people in current events. I also like the final, quick idea the text gave of using the guidelines of good biographies, by Ann Moore, to not only judge biographies, but also to add to the lists of "good and bad," and also to add to the guidelines.
Lacy E, I, too, don't remember history being taught in any other way other than lecture. It's such a shame, since history can be so amazingly interesting. To this day, I am interested in all sorts of history but don't have a very good understanding of it since I never enjoyed my classes. I hope using biographies instead of text books will help avoid this for our students.
Meredith, I think you have a great idea in taking individual time lines of biographies to encompass all of history, using them to tie into one another. What a great way to show how history flows from one period to another, not just abrupt jumps from the American Revolution into the Civil War into Civil Rights. Using biographies to show history is a great way to keep students' interests and keep classroom instruction fun for the teacher as well.
Lacy I agree with you. I have never liked history either. It has always been taught in a boring way. I also agree with you about the biographies it seem like the students get into the reading more as if they are very interested.
Chapter 11 First of all let me say this has been an interesting time in Children of Literature. I have learned so much that I didn't know. Talking about Genre's, Historical Fiction, and Biographies. Histroy has not been one of my favorite subjects but reading this book has wanted me to learn more and get involve with reading a little bit more. I have always thought that biographies was about someone's rich and famous so on and so far. This chapter will teach you that it not true. Anyone can have one.
Erin I have always thought like you that biographies was about someone rich and famous as well. Unitl I continue reading this chapter I learned a lot about biographies. Anyone can have one.
I am the type of person who loves history. I love to read about it and I love to learn about it. History is about where we come from and I find it very interesting. Chapter 11 is all about history and learning about people through biographies. This genre is just so open to learning anything that it amazes me, all you have to do is find someone you’re interested in and more than likely there is a book about him or her. The two sections from the chapter that I probably learned the most from is the section about evaluating biographies and the section about teaching with biographies. The biggest problem between biographies for children and biographies for adults is the inaccuracy of facts. I could see how this is a potential problem but I still think at children’s ages they should just be learning about who the person is rather than specific dates. I think that the author of the book sums it up very well saying, “Biography offer children the high adventure and engrossing drama that fiction also supplies, but it also offers the special satisfaction of knowing that the people and events described are real.”
Re: CarolynS. I agree with you about biographies being for and about anyone. Reading about the past for me is interesting and I think that everyone can learn a lot from it.
Re: RobinA. I can completely agree with how biographies need to be more realistic and easier to read and identify with. Kids aren't going to be into something that they don't understand.
BIOGRAPHIES Biographies are a lot like history. Reading about people and understanding their lives is impossible without putting history and dates of their lives in context. I have never read biographies by themselves but mostly as part of history depending on the time being explored. Two of my favorite biographies surround Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln. As different leader, one religious and one political and it is amazing to look at the goals they both attempted to accomplish. Once again as a part of an integrated approach to institution biographies play an important role in the lifetime of Americans. Reading about a person can bring to light the perspective and feelings of the time historically, plus brings in other points such as attitudes, culture and politics.
Re Luke; I agree. Biography can be for anyone. This is not a subject that may be better for one student and not for another. Because there are so many different kind of bio, each can find one that is better suited for them.
Chapter 11 Biographies I enjoy reading biographies they help us understand how others lived. They give us an insight on what obstacles and tributes other americans when through as they where growing up. I read a Child Called It by David Pulzer it was a story about how his mother beat him as a kid and he survived. He wrote three other books about parts of his life too they were all good too. Historical fiction is interesting and presented in different ways for children and adults through books. A children's book may contain more pictures less words, were a adult book will contain more facts and words then pictures. But as we have learned there are different ways to reach readers rating from young to old. Biographies aren't just about history they are about real life events. Books like She Said Yes about the Columbine shooting, Soul Surfer about the young girl got her arm bite off by a shark, and A Child Called It about a boys survival are all stories about kids and their lives. These stories and many other can help children to understand that they can over come obstacles in their lives and still be okay in the end. They also help them to see that life isn't always going to be easy there will be hard times and good times. In conclusion biographies will help students understand people of the past and present.(pg488)
Luke S.- enjoy history too. I agree with you that the inaccuracy of facts between children and adult biographies are a problem. They need to find a way to put the same information in both books. It can be fun facts for kids and stay the same for adults. Children need to understand history and how it was made. I agree with your ending quote biographies give children a look at real people and real life events.
I absolutely love history. I love reading, but I really love it when I am learning more about how we got where we are today and who affected our lives. Some biographies can be very interesting, but I think it takes a great author to make them informational, interesting, and a little exciting. I also like to read and someday have my students read biographies because I think they can be inspiring. These people obviously made a big impact for a book to be written about them. I did find it a little suprising that children's biographies are more likely to be inaccurate in their facts. This is somewhat disappointing because these are the books and the information that we start teaching our children with. I enjoyed the small section on "Balance Between Fact and Story Line." As an author, I can see how that might be challenging; to write an educational book that also appeals to younger children. Like many of the other chapters, this one could be used as a reference in the future. I really like how it broke the chapter up into different biological subjects. This will be so convienient when I am looking for history/biography books. This chapter was really interesting and made me see what more biographies have to offer.
Reply to ampulos: I agree that a great thing about biographies is learning their accomplishments. Those two people made giant leaps in history and I think it is very interesting to learn how they got there. I like to see those people not only has heroes, but also as a person just like anyone else.
Reply to ErinS: I too was shocked to learn that children's biographies were more prone to have incorrect information. It was interesting to learn the ways that those books can be inaccurate. Also, I agree that the authors should write a little about how they came to this information. Not everyone may take time or even have any interest to read it, but I think it would be interesting and would make it more reliable.
Tamika M Children are missing out on so much knowledge when teachers don’t teach them about biographies or introduce them to the students. I feel that children need to learn the history of the people who shaped the world that they live in. When I was in school my teacher just told us to do a report on a famous person and I just turned it in and nothing else was ever said about it. This chapter in this book brought a lot of interesting thing to the far front for me. There are so many things that have to be considered when the author decides to write a book about a person. I didn’t know so many steps went into it. After reading this chapter I will encourage my kids to read more books about the people that have shape the world we live in.
In response to ampulos They are a lot like history class. The students are learning about how the person grew up, and/ or what they did in their life. This is important for kids to know. I have read a lot of Martin Luther King books and they are good books, but I didn’t pay attention to how much they would be different by the author. This is one thing that we need to be aware of when teaching.
I am a bit confused. I have the earlier edition of the book so it may account for the discrepancy, but my Chapter 11 is about Multiculturalism. The lecture in blackboard is also about Multiculturalism. I really enjoyed this Chapter on multiculturalism not only because I learned about the aspects of this type of literature but also because I was able to learn about people's from different cultural groups. A point mentioned in the book, which I feel is very important, is the role of multicultural books for young children in conveying that children of different cultures have the same experiences and solve problems in similar ways as other groups. This helps children to accept themselves and their peers and recognize the common thread of humanity. I am saddened by the lack of children's literature about or geared towards the Latino and Asian American groups. As the chapter teaches, books about one's own culture can teach children cultural heritage and pride. Access to books that promote positive and nonstereotypical views of a child's culture can be a great source of learning and comfort to them.
In response to Tamika M.: I agree it is very important for children to be exposed to biographies. Unfortunately, as a child I remember reading many boring biographies. I think today there are far more interesting biographies than there were fifteen-twenty years ago. I think it is up to the author to keep the books age appropriate and written in styles that appeal to young children. It is also up to teacher to think of new and interesting ways for exploring this genre.
Chapter 11 Multicultural Literature One of the areas I enjoyed learning more about is how to evaluate biographies. It is important to portray their subjects in a three-dimensional way, but not to invent characters and indicating unsupported thoughts and actions. It is important to make sure the accuracy for children’s biographies is the same it would be for biographies intended for adults. Also, the subject in a biography should be worth reading about. I enjoyed reading the section called biographical subjects. This area gave me many new ideas on what kind of books I can read in certain subject areas such as explorers of earth and space, civil rights leaders, and artists and authors. There are many new books that I am now interested in reading. This chapter is one that I need some more updating in because I really don’t read many biographies. Now, I know why it is so important for children to read biographies. It helps them get any appreciation for people that have been in different time periods and suffered different situations than us. I like how it gives us ideas on how to motivate children to discuss biographies in many different subject areas. This is definitely something that I want to do in my future classroom. I want to make sure my students are exposed to biographies and the importance of them.
Re Felisha: I am glad you enjoy history. I, on the other hand, have never really cared for history. I don't mind learning about it and I think it is very important for our children to learn about history. I think biographies would be a great way to add more details to a certain time period in history. For example, the class could learn about a certain time period like the Great Depression and then read a biography about someone that lived during these times. These will make this time period in history seem more real to them. I think if I had been taught this way I wouldn't have found history so boring.
I really did not like this chapter because I hated biographies when I was younger and I still do. However, I did learn how to evaluate biographies and how to teach with them. I also learned that children would rather read a biography than reading a text book about history,even now I would rather read biography than read my history book.
I personally never have like biographies(part of this probably has to do with not liking history either). After reading this chapter I have changed my view of them somewhat. I can see that if the right biography is introducted to coinside with a history listen both can complete enhance the other. Also they help children understand how things happened in the past.
I never read more than a couple of autobiograhpies up until now. The few that I read we're so bogged down with the most minute details that they became boring to read. Now that I have a better idea how to critic them I will be able to pick some that will enhance my knowledge (and that of my students) instead of making me wish for a good nap.
This chapter covers biographies. My views on this genre are similar to historical fiction, in that I think reading biographies is a great way for students to study history without having to memorize facts from a textbook. If students are able to read about the life of someone important and gain connections with their own lives, it can help them understand that anything is possible and that they can do amazing things. The most important thing I learned in this chapter is that biographies, although mostly factual, often share the thoughts and opinions of the authors. For this reason, it is important that teachers look at many different biographies of a subject person before selecting one to share with students. It may even be a good idea to share more than one book on the same person with students, and at the same time stress to them the importance of verifying facts that they read in books. There were good selection criteria given both for biography picture books and biographies written for younger students. It is also important that teachers select biographies of everyday people who have overcome the odds against them. Students should be exposed to a wide variety of subjects through biographies.
LauraP- You made some good points in your posting. I have read some biographies and have generally found them pretty interesting because they are written about people who interested me. I think that biographies can be great, but the point you made about there often being too many details is right on. The biography needs to have a narrative property to keep the reader intrigued throughout all the details. I agree that they can be used beneficially in the classroom, but must be very carefully selected. -Laura A
This chapter was great! It provided valuable information on the importance of reading biographies and how to evaluate biographies before using it in a lesson plan.
I know many students think some biographies are boring but I believe it’s up to the teacher to make the lesson fun and there are many effective strategies to teach biographies, for example, teachers could have the students make biography boxes or identify people of the century, etc. This would definitely motivate students to learn more about biographies.
I like reading biographies because it provides valuable information about people. Therefore, I believe using biographies in the classroom is a great way to introduce students to famous people and/or help them to discover the people behind history.
RE: Jessica I am glad you changed your mind about reading biography because this is cool way to learn about great people that made a difference in our lives in one way or the other.
Biographies are about people who change lives. They can be about anyone who has made an impact on society, or can give us cause to learn more from the life they had on this earth. I love non-fiction and biographies. In my opinion, these are far more entertaining, because I am learning something new and creatively applying it to the life I am living right now. To me there is no reason to escape into a fictional novel, knowing the plot and setting is based on something that does not exist. Biographies are based on real events. Depending on the accuracy and the extent of research the author took into account before writing the book, will help the reader to know more about the person they are reading about. Fortunately, biographies come in many different forms, from picture book formats to highly detailed accounts of a person’s life. To help students learn from the biographies they are reading, teachers needing to help students to expand on their learning. There needs to be discussions, role-plays, time lines, and possibly writing music to help kids to put the facts into perspective and how that time in history was significant to other current events at that time.
Lauraa I totally agree with what you said about how biographies are a great way for students to learn history, in a low stress way. I agree it’s important teachers take the time to see that the facts are accurate. It is worth taking the extra time to search out to find the correct sources, because the students may end up finding out they were incorrectly taught and may feel some resentment.
I felt like this chapter was very beneficial to me. I don’t think that I read enough biographies and often times it is because I find them boring or as some would say, I don’t always heed the advice of the famous quote, “Don’t choose a book by it’s cover.” Biographies aren’t always the most appealing books at first sight. I loved how the book said in the very first paragraph that, “Many children who read well-written biographies feel as if they biographical subjects become personal friends.” (p.462) I think this is so true and so wonderful! I have worked in several kindergarten classrooms where the teachers have read the children biographies and they have loved it, I have noticed the connection they feel with the particular person the biography is about. I noticed the paragraph that talked about biographies of children who have persevered. I think these are especially interesting. I remember reading the book A Child Called It. I really liked this book, I know it is not your typical biography, in fact I believe it would be considered Biographical Fiction, but it is a great book about a child’s perseverance.
Re: Alison M I love how you said that it is important for the teacher to make the reading of biographies interesting. I think it is very important for teachers to create lesson plans around biographies and make it fun for the students!
Chapter 11 Biographies The textbook said "some excellent biographies and autobiographies portray the courage and perserverance of ordinary people". I always thought that biographies and autobiographies were about famous people, but that's not true. Biographies and autobiographies are very educational. I think learning about civil rights leaders and things in the past are very interesting. When Marian Sang was a very good book and it is also a biography and a picture-book style. Children like reading books about people if they are fun and not boring. There is so much history that children don't know about, but by reading books they will learn more about them.
I have always loved reading biorgraphies, so I was very excited to see something about it in a children's literature book. I think biographies are something that are not used enough in the classroom. There are so many great ways that you can use them to have students learn more about literature, and other areas of education. They are very useful when trying to tie a subject or a person to the real world. It allows the student to see a great connection outside of the classroom.
I think Lacey is correct in the fact that biographies can be integrated in how children learn.. It will sometimes help kids learn where they come from.
I was interested in the idea for time lines of biographical characters. I can visualize doing a whole year of reading biographies to a class from different times in history and filling out a timeline as the year goes by. In two different churches I did a Sunday School study for middle schoolers that went through the bible in a school year with a time line clear around the room. It was a really fun experience and the kids learned a lot. I can see how the same would be very effective for American History and give students a head start on future history classes.
ReplyDeleteThe children's librarians in Great Bend, KS purchased a big set of biographies and expected us to read them all. What a favor they did for us. History classes were a lot easier because we had already read about the people in simplified versions. One stand out for me was Lincoln. It stuck with me how he was responsible for some of his own education by reading borrowed books. I've done a lot of that in the field of education as I subbed...I bought the books I needed and read them on my own. I appreciate Ft. Hays leading the way for Kansas in finally offering an online education degree.
To be honest, when I saw that this chapter was about Biographies I cringed. I never liked reading historical books. Throughout by education, history has been taught to me in a boring way. I remember only one teacher presenting history to us in a unique way. Now that I think back on it, she taught the Holocaust to us by having us read Anne Frank's diary.
ReplyDeleteIn the section, Teaching With Biographies it mentioned that children would rather read a biography than a textbook. I definitely agree with that statement. History and literature can be integrated together when students read biographies. In my classroom, I will definitely use biographies to present history to my students.
I thought it was interesting how biographies have changed. The history of biographical writing is much like that in the world of art. Women and minorities were not significantly supported. Children's stories and biographies of the 17th - 19th centuries were used to teach religious and moral lessons. In the 1960's and 70's critics and educators felt that idealizing subjects was not the best for child development. Children may view themselves as imperfect and therefore unable to achieve such status. Marilyn Jurich felt it best to include great people who were not famous. Authors also concluded that it best to make Biographies more realistic and easier for children to identify and still admire.
ReplyDeleteMeredith,
ReplyDeleteI also love timelines. It is a great tool for those students who visually learn. Books orally give information, but some neglect to include a visual picture which would allow students to understand better.
Also, I think that it's great that your school bought those for you all to read. The greatest part is that they encouraged you to read those. I remember having some biographies available, but nobody really encouraged us to read them.
Lacy, I agree with you that the use of literature can be used in history. I think there is something to read to suit any subject matter. Just like it mentioned in the poetry chapter, it said that poetry can be used in many subjects. I don't think it means you have to read a novel for every lesson but there are times when reading a biography or historical fiction novel would really enhance and intrigue the students. I would also like to use books and various types of literature in my classroom lessons.
ReplyDeleteChapter 11
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of the chapter reviews a little of what we read in the last chapter, as far as what the books focus on. For example, salvation and reaching the “American Dream” can be read about in both genres. I never thought too much about judging the factual accuracy of Biographies. I always thought that Biographies were all facts because they are Biographies. It was an interesting fact to learn. I thought it was also interesting that the book says that Biographies do not have to be about someone famous, infamous, or outstanding. I have never read a Biography that was not about someone falling into one of those three categories. I think that like Jean Fritz, all authors should have to write a forward on how the information was received or researched and written. That would let the reader know in advance how much factual information is in the book. There are many different ways to write Biographies. What I mean is that Biographies can be about many different types of people (historical figures, or everyday individuals who overcame something great). I thought that the information about teaching with Biographies was presented in a way that would be easy to incorporate into a class.
RE: Lacy E,
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention how the book said that children enjoy reading Biographies more than text but am glad that you mentioned it. I agree with you and the book. I think that using Biographies in a class would be a good way to learn about a historical event and a person who lived through, or during that event.
I have never been a fan of reading biographies, but thinking about the few I have read in the past and recently, I'm not sure why I still hold this picture of them being boring and dry. Reading biographies gives you an inside look at the person, almost to the point that you know them, you understand what they might be thinking, and like the book says, they become your friend.
ReplyDeleteThe sections of the text discussing what authors of biographies must do to make their books interesting yet keep them authentic was interesting to me. Obviously a lot of work and research goes into writing a biography, but I never thought that they have to sort out the facts from legends and myths.
Teaching with biographies versus text books is an interesting way to help history come alive. I don't recall ever having history lessons that I really enjoyed--recollection has them as lecture style classes. Using a biography, and related activities, would serve as a way to help history jump out and catch students interest. Making a timeline of a biography is a wonderful activity to go along with the books, plus making a map, conducting interviews with different characters of biography, or with people in current events. I also like the final, quick idea the text gave of using the guidelines of good biographies, by Ann Moore, to not only judge biographies, but also to add to the lists of "good and bad," and also to add to the guidelines.
Lacy E,
ReplyDeleteI, too, don't remember history being taught in any other way other than lecture. It's such a shame, since history can be so amazingly interesting. To this day, I am interested in all sorts of history but don't have a very good understanding of it since I never enjoyed my classes. I hope using biographies instead of text books will help avoid this for our students.
Meredith,
ReplyDeleteI think you have a great idea in taking individual time lines of biographies to encompass all of history, using them to tie into one another. What a great way to show how history flows from one period to another, not just abrupt jumps from the American Revolution into the Civil War into Civil Rights. Using biographies to show history is a great way to keep students' interests and keep classroom instruction fun for the teacher as well.
Lacy I agree with you. I have never liked history either. It has always been taught in a boring way. I also agree with you about the biographies it seem like the students get into the reading more as if they are very interested.
ReplyDeleteChapter 11
ReplyDeleteFirst of all let me say this has been an interesting time in Children of Literature. I have learned so much that I didn't know. Talking about Genre's, Historical Fiction, and Biographies. Histroy has not been one of my favorite subjects but reading this book has wanted me to learn more and get involve with reading a little bit more. I have always thought that biographies was about someone's rich and famous so on and so far. This chapter will teach you that it not true. Anyone can have one.
Erin I have always thought like you that biographies was about someone rich and famous as well. Unitl I continue reading this chapter I learned a lot about biographies. Anyone can have one.
ReplyDeleteI am the type of person who loves history. I love to read about it and I love to learn about it. History is about where we come from and I find it very interesting. Chapter 11 is all about history and learning about people through biographies. This genre is just so open to learning anything that it amazes me, all you have to do is find someone you’re interested in and more than likely there is a book about him or her. The two sections from the chapter that I probably learned the most from is the section about evaluating biographies and the section about teaching with biographies. The biggest problem between biographies for children and biographies for adults is the inaccuracy of facts. I could see how this is a potential problem but I still think at children’s ages they should just be learning about who the person is rather than specific dates. I think that the author of the book sums it up very well saying, “Biography offer children the high adventure and engrossing drama that fiction also supplies, but it also offers the special satisfaction of knowing that the people and events described are real.”
ReplyDeleteRe: CarolynS.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about biographies being for and about anyone. Reading about the past for me is interesting and I think that everyone can learn a lot from it.
Re: RobinA.
ReplyDeleteI can completely agree with how biographies need to be more realistic and easier to read and identify with. Kids aren't going to be into something that they don't understand.
CHAPTER 11
ReplyDeleteBIOGRAPHIES
Biographies are a lot like history. Reading about people and understanding their lives is impossible without putting history and dates of their lives in context. I have never read biographies by themselves but mostly as part of history depending on the time being explored. Two of my favorite biographies surround Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln. As different leader, one religious and one political and it is amazing to look at the goals they both attempted to accomplish.
Once again as a part of an integrated approach to institution biographies play an important role in the lifetime of Americans. Reading about a person can bring to light the perspective and feelings of the time historically, plus brings in other points such as attitudes, culture and politics.
Re Luke;
ReplyDeleteI agree. Biography can be for anyone. This is not a subject that may be better for one student and not for another. Because there are so many different kind of bio, each can find one that is better suited for them.
Chapter 11 Biographies
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading biographies they help us understand how others lived. They give us an insight on what obstacles and tributes other americans when through as they where growing up. I read a Child Called It by David Pulzer it was a story about how his mother beat him as a kid and he survived. He wrote three other books about parts of his life too they were all good too. Historical fiction is interesting and presented in different ways for children and adults through books. A children's book may contain more pictures less words, were a adult book will contain more facts and words then pictures. But as we have learned there are different ways to reach readers rating from young to old. Biographies aren't just about history they are about real life events. Books like She Said Yes about the Columbine shooting, Soul Surfer about the young girl got her arm bite off by a shark, and A Child Called It about a boys survival are all stories about kids and their lives. These stories and many other can help children to understand that they can over come obstacles in their lives and still be okay in the end. They also help them to see that life isn't always going to be easy there will be hard times and good times. In conclusion biographies will help students understand people of the past and present.(pg488)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLuke S.-
ReplyDeleteenjoy history too. I agree with you that the inaccuracy of facts between children and adult biographies are a problem. They need to find a way to put the same information in both books. It can be fun facts for kids and stay the same for adults. Children need to understand history and how it was made. I agree with your ending quote biographies give children a look at real people and real life events.
I absolutely love history. I love reading, but I really love it when I am learning more about how we got where we are today and who affected our lives. Some biographies can be very interesting, but I think it takes a great author to make them informational, interesting, and a little exciting. I also like to read and someday have my students read biographies because I think they can be inspiring. These people obviously made a big impact for a book to be written about them. I did find it a little suprising that children's biographies are more likely to be inaccurate in their facts. This is somewhat disappointing because these are the books and the information that we start teaching our children with. I enjoyed the small section on "Balance Between Fact and Story Line." As an author, I can see how that might be challenging; to write an educational book that also appeals to younger children. Like many of the other chapters, this one could be used as a reference in the future. I really like how it broke the chapter up into different biological subjects. This will be so convienient when I am looking for history/biography books. This chapter was really interesting and made me see what more biographies have to offer.
ReplyDeleteReply to ampulos:
ReplyDeleteI agree that a great thing about biographies is learning their accomplishments. Those two people made giant leaps in history and I think it is very interesting to learn how they got there. I like to see those people not only has heroes, but also as a person just like anyone else.
Reply to ErinS:
ReplyDeleteI too was shocked to learn that children's biographies were more prone to have incorrect information. It was interesting to learn the ways that those books can be inaccurate. Also, I agree that the authors should write a little about how they came to this information. Not everyone may take time or even have any interest to read it, but I think it would be interesting and would make it more reliable.
Tamika M
ReplyDeleteChildren are missing out on so much knowledge when teachers don’t teach them about biographies or introduce them to the students. I feel that children need to learn the history of the people who shaped the world that they live in. When I was in school my teacher just told us to do a report on a famous person and I just turned it in and nothing else was ever said about it. This chapter in this book brought a lot of interesting thing to the far front for me. There are so many things that have to be considered when the author decides to write a book about a person. I didn’t know so many steps went into it. After reading this chapter I will encourage my kids to read more books about the people that have shape the world we live in.
In response to ampulos
ReplyDeleteThey are a lot like history class. The students are learning about how the person grew up, and/ or what they did in their life. This is important for kids to know. I have read a lot of Martin Luther King books and they are good books, but I didn’t pay attention to how much they would be different by the author. This is one thing that we need to be aware of when teaching.
I am a bit confused. I have the earlier edition of the book so it may account for the discrepancy, but my Chapter 11 is about Multiculturalism. The lecture in blackboard is also about Multiculturalism. I really enjoyed this Chapter on multiculturalism not only because I learned about the aspects of this type of literature but also because I was able to learn about people's from different cultural groups. A point mentioned in the book, which I feel is very important, is the role of multicultural books for young children in conveying that children of different cultures have the same experiences and solve problems in similar ways as other groups. This helps children to accept themselves and their peers and recognize the common thread of humanity. I am saddened by the lack of children's literature about or geared towards the Latino and Asian American groups. As the chapter teaches, books about one's own culture can teach children cultural heritage and pride. Access to books that promote positive and nonstereotypical views of a child's culture can be a great source of learning and comfort to them.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Tamika M.:
ReplyDeleteI agree it is very important for children to be exposed to biographies. Unfortunately, as a child I remember reading many boring biographies. I think today there are far more interesting biographies than there were fifteen-twenty years ago. I think it is up to the author to keep the books age appropriate and written in styles that appeal to young children. It is also up to teacher to think of new and interesting ways for exploring this genre.
Chapter 11
ReplyDeleteMulticultural Literature
One of the areas I enjoyed learning more about is how to evaluate biographies. It is important to portray their subjects in a three-dimensional way, but not to invent characters and indicating unsupported thoughts and actions. It is important to make sure the accuracy for children’s biographies is the same it would be for biographies intended for adults. Also, the subject in a biography should be worth reading about. I enjoyed reading the section called biographical subjects. This area gave me many new ideas on what kind of books I can read in certain subject areas such as explorers of earth and space, civil rights leaders, and artists and authors. There are many new books that I am now interested in reading. This chapter is one that I need some more updating in because I really don’t read many biographies. Now, I know why it is so important for children to read biographies. It helps them get any appreciation for people that have been in different time periods and suffered different situations than us. I like how it gives us ideas on how to motivate children to discuss biographies in many different subject areas. This is definitely something that I want to do in my future classroom. I want to make sure my students are exposed to biographies and the importance of them.
Re Felisha:
ReplyDeleteI am glad you enjoy history. I, on the other hand, have never really cared for history. I don't mind learning about it and I think it is very important for our children to learn about history. I think biographies would be a great way to add more details to a certain time period in history. For example, the class could learn about a certain time period like the Great Depression and then read a biography about someone that lived during these times. These will make this time period in history seem more real to them. I think if I had been taught this way I wouldn't have found history so boring.
I really did not like this chapter because I hated biographies when I was younger and I still do. However, I did learn how to evaluate biographies and how to teach with them. I also learned that children would rather read a biography than reading a text book about history,even now I would rather read biography than read my history book.
ReplyDeleteI personally never have like biographies(part of this probably has to do with not liking history either). After reading this chapter I have changed my view of them somewhat. I can see that if the right biography is introducted to coinside with a history listen both can complete enhance the other. Also they help children understand how things happened in the past.
ReplyDeleteRe: Lacy E
ReplyDeleteI agree about Anne Frank. We read that in school and I think I learned more from it than the history books and movie.
I never read more than a couple of autobiograhpies up until now. The few that I read we're so bogged down with the most minute details that they became boring to read. Now that I have a better idea how to critic them I will be able to pick some that will enhance my knowledge (and that of my students) instead of making me wish for a good nap.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter covers biographies. My views on this genre are similar to historical fiction, in that I think reading biographies is a great way for students to study history without having to memorize facts from a textbook. If students are able to read about the life of someone important and gain connections with their own lives, it can help them understand that anything is possible and that they can do amazing things. The most important thing I learned in this chapter is that biographies, although mostly factual, often share the thoughts and opinions of the authors. For this reason, it is important that teachers look at many different biographies of a subject person before selecting one to share with students. It may even be a good idea to share more than one book on the same person with students, and at the same time stress to them the importance of verifying facts that they read in books. There were good selection criteria given both for biography picture books and biographies written for younger students. It is also important that teachers select biographies of everyday people who have overcome the odds against them. Students should be exposed to a wide variety of subjects through biographies.
ReplyDeleteLauraP-
ReplyDeleteYou made some good points in your posting. I have read some biographies and have generally found them pretty interesting because they are written about people who interested me. I think that biographies can be great, but the point you made about there often being too many details is right on. The biography needs to have a narrative property to keep the reader intrigued throughout all the details. I agree that they can be used beneficially in the classroom, but must be very carefully selected.
-Laura A
Chapter 11:
ReplyDeleteThis chapter was great! It provided valuable information on the importance of reading biographies and how to evaluate biographies before using it in a lesson plan.
I know many students think some biographies are boring but I believe it’s up to the teacher to make the lesson fun and there are many effective strategies to teach biographies, for example, teachers could have the students make biography boxes or identify people of the century, etc. This would definitely motivate students to learn more about biographies.
I like reading biographies because it provides valuable information about people. Therefore, I believe using biographies in the classroom is a great way to introduce students to famous people and/or help them to discover the people behind history.
RE: Jessica
ReplyDeleteI am glad you changed your mind about reading biography because this is cool way to learn about great people that made a difference in our lives in one way or the other.
Biographies are about people who change lives. They can be about anyone who has made an impact on society, or can give us cause to learn more from the life they had on this earth. I love non-fiction and biographies. In my opinion, these are far more entertaining, because I am learning something new and creatively applying it to the life I am living right now. To me there is no reason to escape into a fictional novel, knowing the plot and setting is based on something that does not exist. Biographies are based on real events. Depending on the accuracy and the extent of research the author took into account before writing the book, will help the reader to know more about the person they are reading about. Fortunately, biographies come in many different forms, from picture book formats to highly detailed accounts of a person’s life. To help students learn from the biographies they are reading, teachers needing to help students to expand on their learning. There needs to be discussions, role-plays, time lines, and possibly writing music to help kids to put the facts into perspective and how that time in history was significant to other current events at that time.
ReplyDeleteLauraa I totally agree with what you said about how biographies are a great way for students to learn history, in a low stress way. I agree it’s important teachers take the time to see that the facts are accurate. It is worth taking the extra time to search out to find the correct sources, because the students may end up finding out they were incorrectly taught and may feel some resentment.
ReplyDeleteChapter 11 – Biographies
ReplyDeleteI felt like this chapter was very beneficial to me. I don’t think that I read enough biographies and often times it is because I find them boring or as some would say, I don’t always heed the advice of the famous quote, “Don’t choose a book by it’s cover.” Biographies aren’t always the most appealing books at first sight. I loved how the book said in the very first paragraph that, “Many children who read well-written biographies feel as if they biographical subjects become personal friends.” (p.462) I think this is so true and so wonderful! I have worked in several kindergarten classrooms where the teachers have read the children biographies and they have loved it, I have noticed the connection they feel with the particular person the biography is about. I noticed the paragraph that talked about biographies of children who have persevered. I think these are especially interesting. I remember reading the book A Child Called It. I really liked this book, I know it is not your typical biography, in fact I believe it would be considered Biographical Fiction, but it is a great book about a child’s perseverance.
Re: Alison M
ReplyDeleteI love how you said that it is important for the teacher to make the reading of biographies interesting. I think it is very important for teachers to create lesson plans around biographies and make it fun for the students!
Chapter 11 Biographies
ReplyDeleteThe textbook said "some excellent biographies and autobiographies portray the courage and perserverance of ordinary people". I always thought that biographies and autobiographies were about famous people, but that's not true. Biographies and autobiographies are very educational. I think learning about civil rights leaders and things in the past are very interesting. When Marian Sang was a very good book and it is also a biography and a picture-book style. Children like reading books about people if they are fun and not boring. There is so much history that children don't know about, but by reading books they will learn more about them.
Aspen, A Child Called It was a very good book!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great comment LacyE! Biographies are a great way to teach history to children.
ReplyDeleteAllison M I liked your ideas about teachers encouraging students to read biographies. Our attitudes can make a difference.
ReplyDeleteI have always loved reading biorgraphies, so I was very excited to see something about it in a children's literature book. I think biographies are something that are not used enough in the classroom. There are so many great ways that you can use them to have students learn more about literature, and other areas of education. They are very useful when trying to tie a subject or a person to the real world. It allows the student to see a great connection outside of the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI think Lacey is correct in the fact that biographies can be integrated in how children learn.. It will sometimes help kids learn where they come from.
ReplyDelete