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Studying the Format of the Lives of . . . . Biographies

(courtesy of Dr. Alexa Sandman, College of Education, The University of Toledo)

Use the following four steps to study the format of any of the Lives of . . . Biographies.

1. Study all of the full-page illustrations. Make a list of how they are similar. Then, make a second list of how they are different.

2. Choose one of the full-page illustrations that you think is particularly eye catching. In several sentences, explain why.

Next, make a list of all the “things” included in the picture.

Predict basic personality/disposition.

After completing Parts B & C, read the accompanying biography and record the significance of each item.

Assess the accuracy of your prediction.

3. Both Krull and Hewitt use humor to give us a sense of who this person really was, beyond the accomplishment(s) that got him or her into the book! Choose any person and record, specifically, the humorous element and explain why it is funny.

Humorous element

Explanation of why it is funny

4. How do you think Krull and Hewitt choose which presidents (or artists or writers or musicians or athletes) to do full illustrations and biographies for?