The Joy of Teaching

Biographies are a key genre in storytelling. We wouldn’t know as much about Albert Einstein, Maya Angelou, Abraham Lincoln, or Mother Teresa if it weren’t for biographies! Even in our day-to-day lives, we share biographies when talking about other people, famous or not. A biography gives important information about a person’s life and describes major events in the order in which they happened.

Informational Writing and Biographies

Reading biographies is a critical part of learning in all school subjects; however, learning how to write biographies is just as imperative. Biographies are a type of informational writing or writing that aims to explain a topic to a reader. An informational text is not always about a person like a biography; an informational text might be about animals, science experiments, or historical events. Learning how to do informational writing is special, as kids can then effectively communicate what they learn to others. When studying informational writing, children learn skills such as research, note-taking, and organizing facts. More specifically, writing biographies teaches children how to recount history, think chronologically, identify major events, synthesize information, and retell stories creatively.

Steps to Teaching Biographies

Introduce a biography and read it together.

The first step in teaching how to write a biography is explaining what a biography is by providing an example of one.

This free Evan-Moor “Writing A Biography” lesson from Nonfiction Writing grade two includes guided instruction and practice activities to help students understand the important elements in a biography.

Download this “Writing a Biography” unit here.

While reading the biography that you selected to share with the children, ask questions such as:

• What is the purpose of the biography?
• Why is this a good biography?
• Does the first sentence say who it is about and why they are important?
• Does the biography provide interesting facts about the person’s life?
• Are the events told in the order in which they occurred?

Integrate biographies into students reading and have them read biographies to classmates to get familiar with the genre.

Find important information.

Remind your students that a biography gives important information about someone. To practice identifying important information, read a biography and ask the questions:

• Who is the biography about?
• When and where was this person born?
• What is this person known for?

Reading Comprehension: Nonfiction includes in-depth reading units that help students learn how to analyze different nonfiction text structures such as biographies and science and social studies articles. Learn more about this series for grades 1-6 here. 

This nonfiction reading unit from Reading Comprehension: Nonfiction tells the story of Benjamin Banneker and how his scientific accomplishments helped to change attitudes about African Americans. It includes close reading activities to guide students in identifying important information. 

Download these free printables here. 

Choose good details.

Not all information about a person is needed in a biography. Some facts are more important than others, which is why children should learn to choose only the necessary details. One way to teach children how to choose good details is to check in with them when reading a biography and ask:

• Are these details important?
• Which details are not important?

Write a good beginning.

A good beginning of a biography includes who the biography is about and why the person is important. This should appear in the very first sentence of the biography. Have students practice writing first sentences of biographies with two pieces of information: a name and why the person is important.

Organize a biography.

Biographies are organized chronologically. For the children to practice identifying events in the order in which they happened, have the kids numerically order a list of events and then turn the events into full sentences. You can even encourage the children to draw out a timeline.

Review and edit a biography.

The final step in teaching children to write a biography is to have them review a biography, pinpointing what was done well or what could be improved. After reading a biography together, review it by asking the questions:

• Who is the biography about?
• Why is the person important?
• Does the very first sentence tell us who the person is and why they are important?
• Are the details in chronological order?
• What details are not important in the biography and can be excluded?

Introduce young minds to a wide range of remarkable people who have shaped our world. This close reading and research process not only helps young learners discover the lives of historical figures but also nurtures their reading, research, and critical thinking skills.

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Natalie Robinson is a recent Communication Studies graduate from LMU. She has a strong passion for writing and loves children. Having grown up in a Montessori school and later transitioning to public school, Natalie values early childhood education and believes that social and emotional learning should be a core tenet within all homes and classrooms. In writing for Evan-Moor, Natalie hopes to build a career in copywriting and copyediting.

February marks Black History Month, alternatively known as African American History Month, dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the achievements of African Americans. This significant designation aims to shed light on and pay tribute to the accomplishments of Black Americans in United States history.

Outlined below are activities and books that spotlight the noteworthy successes of Black Americans who have made a significant impact on the world. By exploring the lives of these remarkable individuals, students can gain an understanding of the shared character traits that have empowered these figures to make a lasting impact on the world.

Introduce students to real people making a difference in the world right now with these free culturally responsive reading activities.

I Can Help Other People (Moziah Bridges’s Story) Grade 1         

This reading unit explores the theme of children making a positive impact and emphasizes that one is never too young to lend a helping hand. The featured story introduces Moziah Bridges, a young boy who initiated his own business designing and selling bow ties, using the proceeds to support his community. Students might relate to their own experiences of assisting others, or they could discover how even young children can bring about significant change in the world. As you lead students through these discussions, take into account their diverse perspectives, encouraging them to share their experiences and relate the stories to their own lives.

Misty Copeland’s Story Grade 5

This reading unit centers on the idea of embracing one’s individuality and distinctiveness. Misty Copeland’s uniqueness stems from her late start in ballet, eventually becoming the first female African American principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. Misty’s story may resonate with students if they’ve felt different from others, offering them an opportunity to either connect with her experiences or discover new ways to take pride in their own uniqueness. As you lead students through these discussions, be mindful of their diverse perspectives, encouraging them to share their experiences and draw connections to their own lives.

Additional Units for Black History Month

These suggested reading units are from Evan-Moor’s Culturally Responsive Lessons and Activities teaching resource.

You Are Never Too Young to Help: Sidney Keys III’s Story Grade 2

This reading unit explores the idea that age is not a barrier to contributing and making a positive impact in your community. It emphasizes the concept of initiating the change you wish to see in the world. Illustrated through the story of Sidney Keys III, a ten-year-old boy with a stutter who had a passion for reading, the unit highlights how he identified the underrepresentation of black culture and African American literature in his book choices. Motivated to connect with other boys in the Black community, Sidney went on to establish Books N Bros, becoming its founder and CEO at a young age. The overarching theme of this unit is to acknowledge that individuals, regardless of their age, have the power to make a meaningful difference and give back to their community.

You Don’t Have to Wait for Permission: Mae Jemison’s Story Grade 4

This reading unit focuses on qualities such as persistence, bravery, and the proactive pursuit of one’s aspirations. Mae Jemison discovered that she didn’t need external permission to pursue her dreams and achieve her goals; instead, she took the initiative to forge her own path.

Celebrate the richness of Black history and these inspiring stories that continue to shape our world.

For more free lessons and activities check out Celebrating Black History Month.

Browse the entire book here and discover culturally responsive reading activities that include inspirational stories, hands-on activities, creative writing and drawing, and interactive games.

Heather Foudy is a certified elementary teacher with over 7 years’ experience as an educator and volunteer in the classroom. She enjoys creating lessons that are meaningful and creative for students. She is currently working for Evan-Moor’s marketing and communications team and enjoys building learning opportunities that are both meaningful and creative for students and teachers alike.

Cursive might seem like a thing of the past, but it still remains an important skill that all children should learn. Learning cursive writing can provide various benefits for children’s cognitive and motor skill development. Cursive handwriting requires a different set of fine motor skills compared to printing, helping children refine their hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity. The continuous, flowing nature of cursive writing also encourages better hand control and rhythm. Additionally, the unique letter formations in cursive can enhance memory retention and recognition, as the interconnected letters form a distinct visual pattern. Research suggests that the act of physically writing in cursive can stimulate different areas of the brain, potentially aiding in overall cognitive development and learning.

Evan-Moor’s digital lesson library, TeacherFileBox, provides hundreds of cursive writing activities to help children learn and practice. From beginning to advanced cursive, TeacherFileBox printables include engaging activities that make learning fun. Many of our curated cursive activities are units from Evan-Moor’s Daily Handwriting Practice books for grades 1–6.

Download free sample activities from Daily Handwriting Practice here. 

Practice makes perfect! Use these printables (for grades 2–6) to playfully engage children in practicing the basics of cursive letters:

View this TeacherFileBox printable here. With this activity, practice writing the letters A, B, C, D, and E. Repeat writing both uppercase and lowercase letters, then move to full sentences. This printable has a daily practice activity for each day of the week, rounding out the week by practicing lowercase letters with an e.e. cummings poem.

Work on cursive capital letters and the days of the week:

View this TeacherFileBox Printable here. Use this printable to practice the days of the week and alliterative sentences. Finish out the activity by copying a story in cursive.

Learn geography and cardinal directions while also learning cursive:

View this TeacherFileBox printable here. This daily practice activity works on capital letters and geographic vocabulary in cursive.

For younger kids (grades 2–3), try these creative activities:

View this Cursive: Alligator TeacherFileBox printable here.

This activity works on the capital and lowercase “A.” Students finish the activity by writing an original sentence about an alligator.

View this Cursive: Whale TeacherFileBox here.

This activity works on the capital and lowercase “W.” Students finish the activity by writing an original sentence about a whale.

View this TeacherFileBox Cursive: Dot-to-Dot printable here.

Create a hot air balloon picture with this connect-the-dot activity. Students connect dots of the A–Z cursive alphabet.

Evan-Moor’s TeacherFileBox printables are a great tool to help children learn cursive handwriting. The diverse cursive handwriting activities and games provide engaging learning experiences for kids. With over 80,000 lesson units available across PreK–6 grades, TeacherFileBox makes it easy to build your cursive handwriting curriculum. In addition to cursive handwriting lessons, TeacherFileBox also includes lesson units across the curriculum for grades PreK–6 in math, language, writing, science, geography, social studies, STEM/STEAM, SEL, and more! Save your favorite printables in your personal account—and print lessons, project them onto a screen, or share them in your Google Classroom! Try TeacherFileBox for free for 14 days and browse reading printables and activity ideas.

For more tips on teaching cursive, browse How to Teach My Child Cursive: Complete Instructions here.

Natalie Robinson is a recent Communication Studies graduate from LMU. She has a strong passion for writing and loves children. Having grown up in a Montessori school and later transitioning to public school, Natalie values early childhood education and believes that social and emotional learning should be a core tenet within all homes and classrooms. In writing for Evan-Moor, Natalie hopes to build a career in copywriting and copyediting.