Ten Elements of Biography

Mrs. Zewar

Non-Fiction Books about

People

Biography
Autobiography
Memoirs

Biography
biography : n. pl. biographies
An account of a person's life written,
composed, or produced by another: a film
biography of Adlai Stevenson; an oral
biography.
Biographies considered as a group, especially
when regarded as a genre.
The writing, composition, or production of
biographies: a career entirely devoted to
biography.

Autobiography
n. pl. autobiographies

The biography of a person written by

that person

Memoirs
memoir (m m wr , -wr )
n.
An account of the personal experiences of an
author.
An autobiography. Often used in the plural.
A biography or biographical sketch.
A report, especially on a scientific or scholarly
topic.
memoirs The report of the proceedings of a
learned society.

The 10 Elements

Birthdate and place

Family Members
Childhood and School Life
Hobbies, Interests, and Activities
Anecdotes
Career
Reason for Fame
Later Life/Old Age
Death
Photos and Likenesses

Birthplace and date

When was the person born?

Where was the person born?
Why was the family in that location
at that time?

Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthplace, Atlanta, GA

Family Members

Birth Order
Spouse, Children
Any other members of the family
who were notable in some way

Childhood and School Life

Interesting stories
about childhood or
school
Early achievements
Any events that
had an impact on
their later life

Hobbies, Interests, and

Activities

Do the persons hobbies or activities

make them more interesting?
Do the hobbies/activities have a
bearing on why they have a
biography about them?
Do the hobbies/activities relate to
other aspects of their life?

Anecdotes

Interesting stories about why they

are famous
Interesting stories about the impact
they have had on others

Career

Is their career why they have a book

written about them?
Is their job similar or different from
their hobbies and activities?
Have they made significant
contributions to mankind through
their job?

Reason for Fame

What did they do

that caused
someone to want
to write a book
about them?
At what point in
their life did they
become famous?

Commodore Grace Hopper, USN

Later Life/Old Age

What did they do near the end of

their life?
Did they contribute to society, enjoy
life, continue working?
Were they honored in their lifetime
for their achievements?

Death

When and where did

they die?
Was there anything
unusual or significant
about their death?
(Ex. Thomas Jefferson
and John Adams both
died on July 4, 1826)

Photos and Likenesses

Photographs or artists
renderings of the person
may be included

Where are
biographies
found in
the library?

The
900s

The 10 Elements

Birthdate and place

Family Members
Childhood and School Life
Hobbies, Interests, and Activities
Anecdotes
Career
Reason for Fame
Later Life/Old Age
Death
Photos and Likenesses