Ten Elements of Biography

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Ten Elements of Biography

• Mrs. Youse

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Non-Fiction Books about People

• Biography
• Autobiography
• Memoirs

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Biography

• biography n. pl. biographies
• An account of a person's life written, composed,
  or produced by another a film biography of Adlai
  Stevenson an oral biography.
• Biographies considered as a group, especially
  when regarded as a genre.
• The writing, composition, or production of
  biographies a career entirely devoted to
  biography.

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Autobiography

• n. pl. autobiographies
• The biography of a person written by that person

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Memoirs

• memoir     (m m wär , -wôr )n.
• An account of the personal experiences of an
  author.
• An autobiography. Often used in the plural.
• A biography or biographical sketch.
• A report, especially on a scientific or scholarly
  topic.
• memoirs The report of the proceedings of a
  learned society.

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The 10 Elements

• Birthdate and place
• Family Members
• Childhood and School Life
• Hobbies, Interests, and Activities
• Anecdotes
• Career
• Reason for Fame
• Later Life/Old Age
• Death
• Photos and Likenesses

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Birthplace and date

• When was the person born?
• Where was the person born?
• Why was the family in that location at that time?

Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthplace, Atlanta, GA
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Family Members

• Birth Order
• Spouse, Children
• Any other members of the family who were notable
  in some way

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Childhood and School Life

• Interesting stories about childhood or school
• Early achievements
• Any events that had an impact on their later life

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Hobbies, Interests, and Activities

• Do the persons hobbies or activities make them
  more interesting?
• Do the hobbies/activities have a bearing on why
  they have a biography about them?
• Do the hobbies/activities relate to other aspects
  of their life?

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Anecdotes

• Interesting stories about why they are famous
• Interesting stories about the impact they have
  had on others

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Career

• Is their career why they have a book written
  about them?
• Is their job similar or different from their
  hobbies and activities?
• Have they made significant contributions to
  mankind through their job?

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Reason for Fame

• What did they do that caused someone to want to
  write a book about them?
• At what point in their life did they become
  famous?

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Later Life/Old Age
Commodore Grace Hopper, USN

• What did they do near the end of their life?
• Did they contribute to society, enjoy life,
  continue working?
• Were they honored in their lifetime for their
  achievements?

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Death

• When and where did they die?
• Was there anything unusual or significant about
  their death? (Ex. Thomas Jefferson and John
  Adams both died on July 4, 1826)

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Photos and Likenesses

• Photographs or artists renderings of the person
  may be included

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Where are biographies found in the library?

• The 900s

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The 10 Elements

• Birthdate and place
• Family Members
• Childhood and School Life
• Hobbies, Interests, and Activities
• Anecdotes
• Career
• Reason for Fame
• Later Life/Old Age
• Death
• Photos and Likenesses

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