Writing an Autobiography

Lesson Plan for Grade 9, Language Arts

Prepared by Mrs. Fuller

OVERVIEW & PURPOSE

The activities included in this lesson plan will first provide students with a good
pre-writing tool to help them get organized with writing tasks. By the end of this
lesson students will identify life goals as they write and narrate their autobiography in
digital story form.

EDUCATION STANDARDS
WRITING -LA.9.2
Students will compose a 5 paragraph narrative essay based on a significant event in
their lives. The paper will demonstrate comprehension of the narrative form by
integrating the six traits
(Kearney Public Schools, 2015)
. State Standards (12.2.1, 12.2.2)
GRAMMAR-LA.9.8
Students will construct and edit sentences to exhibit proper usage of standard English
grammar. Students will apply this knowledge in all of their written products
(Kearney
Public Schools, 2015)
. State

Standards (12.2.1)

LESSON OBJECTIVES
1. Students will watch a tutorial on how to use
little bird tales
.

2. Students will create a Life Map/Autobiography on little bird tales.

3. Students will write a sequence of events using their Life Map as a graphic
organizer
(Ramos, 2015)
.

4. Students will learn how to incorporate the six writing traits and follow the Life
Map Checklist, and Autobiography Rubric.
5. Students will visualize the writing process through guided imagery
(Ramos, 2015).
1

MATERIALS, TECHNOLOGY, AND RESOURCES

1. Computer for creating a digital story on
little bird tales.
2. Life Map Checklist

3. Autobiography Rubric
(PDF)

4. Soccer Penalty Shootout Game

6 Traits of Writing (Vocabulary)
5. Autobiographies to use for student independent reading.
Celias Island Journal,
by Celia Thaxter

LESSON PROCEDURES
Part 1:
Begin the lesson by reviewing autobiographies read in class and discuss how to
integrate the 6 Traits of Writing into their autobiographies.
Introduce the
Soccer Penalty Shootout Game

Part 2:
Life Map Assignment:
Project yourself ten years into the future. Create a Life Map on
your past and present life events and future goals.

Life Map (definition)- A display of pictograms, such as pictures, drawings, or photos to

represent personal events and goals in their lives.
Tell students that they will begin creating a Life Map as their guide to organize their
life events in order for their autobiography. Explain to students that they will first
pre-write their autobiography by creating a Life Map on the little bird tales website.
Hand out and review
Life Map Checklist
.

Watch tutorial on how to use

little bird tales.

Share Life Map/Autobiography lesson plan on little bird tales to class.

Part 3:
Autobiography Assignment:
Project yourself ten years into the future. Write an
autobiography on your past and present life events and future goals.
Hand out and review
Autobiography Rubric
.

 Share autobiography on little bird tales as an example to class.

Students will narrate and publish their digital stories, then present it in class.

CLASS DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION

As a class, students will share their autobiography and present it in class. Students will
evaluate if their peers were able to tell their stories through their Life Maps.
Class Questions: Discuss as a class
1.

Did every student finished their Life Map addressing the issue of what they
wanted to be when they got older?

2. Did the visual imagery exercise of creating a Life Map help students feel more
equipped in understanding writing tasks?
3. Did the students feel that creating a digital story on little bird tales website help
their writing process? Did it lower writing anxiety levels?

STUDENT ASSESSMENT
Use the rubric and checklist to guide grading. Assess how each student was able to
follow the writing process.

DIFFERENTIATION/ACCOMMODATIONS
This lesson plan is designed to support special education and second language
learners. That is why this lesson is divided into 3 parts with each part lasting in
duration of 2-5 days depending on the students learning levels.
Teacher one-on-one time or guidance is essential when exploring career choices,
future goals, and completion of this assignment.

REFERENCES
The following sites were used to create this lesson plan:

ArtsEdge.(2015).6TraitsWritingRubric.Retrievedfrom
http://www.rubrics4teachers.com/pdf/6TRAITSWRITING.pdf
IronMountainPublicSchoolDistrict.(2015).6TraitsofWritingOverview.Retrievedfrom
http://www.imschools.org/images/files/menufiles/Overview6Traits.pdf
KearneyPublicSchools.(2015).LanguageArtsCurriculumGrades912AtAGlance.
Retrievedfrom
http://curriculum.kearneypublicschools.org/modules/locker/files/get_group_file.phtml?gid=8513
30&fid=5710823&sessionid=0f7346699f9dedad393ce52beb1da8b5
LittleBirdTales.(2015).DigitalStoryLessonPlan.Retrievedfrom
https://www.littlebirdtales.com
PhuVu.(2015).TE206:InstructionalTechnologyandthePreServiceTeacher.Universityof
NebraskaatKearney.LittleBirdTalesTutorial.Retrievedfrom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEnhabCzrvo
Ramos,E.(2015).WritinganAutobiography.Retrievedfrom
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lessonplan/writingautobiography
Ramos,E.(2015).Prewrite:CreatingaLifeMap.Retrievedfrom
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lessonplan/prewritecreatinglifemap
Zondle.(2015).PenaltyShootoutGame:6TraitsofWriting(Vocabulary).Retrievedfrom
http://www.zondle.com/cdl.aspx?qp=575991&a=269