Writing a biography is a challenging but interesting project for an eighth-grader.
Writing a biography can seem like a huge project, particularly for an eighth-grade student. However, it provides a chance to learn more about a person's life and can be very interesting. An eighth-grade biography should cover the basic details, such as the person's date of birth and death, his jobs and where he lived, but at this level students should also begin researching more details about their biographical subject and trying to find a way to relate to him.
Instructions
1. Choose a person you would like to learn about. If your teacher has already assigned a person, look up a little bit of information about him in an encyclopedia, such as what he did for a living or where he is from.
2. Write a list of questions you would ask this person if you had the chance to talk to him or someone who knew him. Although your biography will include the basic information, you can make it memorable by thinking of questions that might relate to you. Did your subject play sports or a musical instrument? Do you know his favorite food? Try to find out whether you have anything in common with him.
3. Research your subject. Although other biographies are helpful, the best way to write your own biography is to find journals, letters or newspaper articles that were written by or reference your subject.
4. Write a list of the basic statistics, such as date of birth and death, occupation(s), where he lived, his family situation and anything else that you think is necessary.
5. Research your list of questions from Step 2. You may not find all of the information you want, but you can find enough to help you think of even more questions. As you learn more about your subject, write down a few sentences about why this person is important to study. What would have happened if this person hadn't been born? Did he have a positive or negative effect on the world? What do you think he was like in eighth grade, or when he was 13 years old?
6. Write down a list of at least 20 adjectives that describe your biographical subject. This list will help you when you begin to write your paper.
7. Write an outline for your biography. You should have an introduction, three to five paragraphs in the body and a conclusion paragraph. The body paragraphs should go in chronological order, so the first paragraph will be about the subject's birth and childhood, while the last paragraph will be about his final years. Write a title for each paragraph (such as "George Washington's birth and childhood"), then write down two or three main points, examples or quotes you wish to use in that paragraph.
8. Write your biography. Begin with the introduction and start with a catchy opening sentence, such as a funny quote or interesting fact about the subject. Continue writing, following your outline and developing each thought. Write down any references or quotes you make from other sources on a separate sheet of paper.
9. Write your bibliography, listing each of the sources you referenced in alphabetical order based on the last name of the author.
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