Introducing and Teaching the Biography Genre

Listen to the full episode to hear how to teach the biography genre:

We’ve made it through January! The first month of 2022 is already over, I can’t believe it!  As we enter the month of February it is time that we discuss and celebrate what Black History Month really stands for with our students. My favorite way to do this is by acknowledging iconic Black and African American figures. 

This is truly a great opportunity to teach biography and I have so many creative ways to do this that I’m going to share with you today. In this episode I will share how to teach this nonfiction genre so your students get the most out of their reading experience. 

We all know that biographies are nonfiction texts that describe a person’s life, achievements, and impact they’ve had on their community or even the world. This may appear interesting to us as adults, but it is very likely that your student’s may actually find this genre to be quite boring. This is why it is so important to have interactive and exciting lessons when first introducing this genre. There are so many ways you can do this and it is so important to integrate creativity and movement in the process. 

Let’s not forget that knowing your students is the best way to make teaching biographies fun. It will be beneficial for you to get an inventory of their interests and hobbies so you can choose mentor texts accordingly. This will hook your students and ultimately spark their curiosity and hold their attention. 

It will also help your students relate to the person since they’ll be familiar with the vocabulary. Biographies have the ability to be interesting and engaging, and by using these tips and strategies you will have your students undivided attention.

In this episode on how to teach the biography genre, I share:

• Simple ways to help your students understand how biographies work
• Ways to use mentor texts when teaching your students biographies
• How to identify biographies from a big group of texts 
• Tips for recognizing the main purpose of the genre
• My favorite techniques to let students share their ideas with others

Related Resources:

• Free Biography Templates
• Easy Reader Biographies
• Black History Biography Activity Bundle

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About The Literacy Dive Podcast:

Do you find yourself seeking new ideas when it comes to literacy instruction in elementary classrooms? The Literacy Dive Podcast was created to offer actionable steps and to share information for teachers, like you, who are always looking to improve their craft! ELA is our jam and we are excited to dive into all things reading and writing with you!

Your host, Megan Polk, is the creator and owner behind The Literacy Dive and loves to support students and their teachers with curriculum, literacy instruction, best practices, and engaging literacy activities.

Dive in with us every Monday for a new episode from Megan! She, and her guests, will chat about various literacy topics and will bring you tips and tricks that can easily be implemented in your classrooms. You can tune in wherever you get your podcasts! Listen to The Literacy Dive Podcast on platforms like Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, and more! If you find value from listening to this podcast, please rate this show, leave a review, and follow!

You can tune in wherever you get your podcasts! Listen to The Literacy Dive Podcast on platforms like Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, and more! If you find value from listening to this podcast, please rate this show, leave a review, and follow!