Unit Plan: Writing an Autobiography

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Set up your high school students for writing success at the beginning of a new school year by providing a variety of writing assignments that focus on their expertise — being a teenager! The simple pre-writing activity in this unit will help you and your students learn more about each other while creating classroom pride and a feeling of belonging at the beginning of the year. This is also a perfect time to introduce autobiographies.

OBJECTIVE

1. Students will write a productive autobiography through prewriting activities.
2. Students and teacher will create a positive classroom environment.
3. Students and teacher will get to know each other within the first few weeks of teaching.
4. Students will stipulate their life goals and plans for their future.

LESSONS FOR THIS UNIT
Lesson 1: Pre-write: Creating a Life Map
Lesson 2: Writing an Autobiography

REPRODUCIBLES
Life Map Checklist Printable (PDF)
Autobiography Rubric (PDF)
Peer Editing Checklist (PDF)

CULMINATING ACTIVITY

Hold an Autobiography Share Day where all students will have the opportunity to read their autobiography to the class.

SUPPORTING BOOKS

Books for Teaching Successful Autobiography Writing 

The Road to Success
Share these self-esteem building exercises with your students. They involve writing personal narratives and forming peer conference groups, ultimately...

Who Am I?
Utilize this lesson unit to encourage student to work together and learn about each other through interviews, posters, and portraits.

ARTICLE	Parent Guide: Book Genres: Biography, Autobiography, & Memoir Parent's guide to biography, autobiography, and memoir book genres. List the benefits of reading these genres. Suggests titles for different age groups of independent readers.
LESSON PLAN	Famous People Suggests a self-esteem building lesson in which students identify the causes of fame for important people, as well as what makes the students...
BOOK INFORMATION	The Black Snowman A disillusioned black boy discovers the magnificence of his culture and his own self-worth with the help of a magical snowman. "A stirring tale." — Publishers Weekly