9 Quick Mini-Lesson Ideas for Biography Exploration

Listen to the full episode to hear 9 quick mini-lesson ideas:

Welcome to another episode to highlight February’s topic of biographies! If you listened to last week’s episode then your students should know what biographies are now that you’ve introduced them. Biographies may not seem like the most interesting genre, so today I’ll be sharing nine mini-lesson ideas that are going to be engaging and interesting for your students. These ideas should leave you inspired and focused on this nonfiction genre.

We all know that there are so many benefits to reading biographies and autobiographies, with so much we can learn about different people and their accomplishments. They are also a great way for students to learn about different cultures and events that have shaped our society today.

I have found that students can find biographies that they can be excited about when they are able to make connections to their likes and dislikes. We want them to remember all the important details of these people’s lives and what they have contributed to society. That is the hard part! 

Students will quickly lose interest if you assign the typical research project with an essay or handouts. That’s why I’ve shared nine mini-lesson ideas that will help your students remember these people and their life stories through interactive experiences.

I’m talking about games, interviews, and the use of modern technology to get each and every student involved in the lesson. There are even opportunities for performances, appealing to the interests of each and every student in your class.

Biographies are the perfect opportunity to get creative and get out of your comfort zone. There are so many interactive activities that can be done together as a class or assigned individually. I want to know which of these activities you used in your classroom and I can’t wait to hear how much fun your students had!

In this episode on 9 quick mini-lesson ideas, I share:

• 9 exciting mini-lesson ideas to explore biographies
• Whole group and individual activities for teaching biographies
• How to use graphic organizers to make learning memorable
• Tips for taking advantage of available resources

Related Resources:

• Free Biography Templates
• Easy Reader Biographies
• Black History Biography Activity Bundle
• Episode 68, Introducing and Teaching the Biography Genre

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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!