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Share a short personal experience with the class. When you have finished, ask for a student volunteer to retell your story aloud. Discuss with students how the same story was told differently by yourself and the volunteer.

will explain that while biographies are nonfiction stories of someone’s life, autobiographies are nonfiction stories of the author’s life. When I shared my personal experience with the class, you got a first-hand account or personal perspective about my experience (like in an autobiography). When your classmate retold my story, some details may have been left out, some of the story was summarized, and you didn’t get the same emotion or excitement, etc. An autobiography gives readers a more personal, detailed story about a life.

I will explain that in an autobiography, people tell the stories of their lives in many different ways, or forms. I will hand out the Forms of Autobiographies Handout, and I will define each type of autobiographical literature. I will show an example of some autobiographies. Note: Some good books to share with your class include The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank(journal), Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers (autobiography/memoir), Adventure on the High Sea! by Susan Blair (travelogue), Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin (conceptual autobiography), and The Hacker Diaries: Confessions of Teenage Hackers by Dan Verton (confession).

I will explain that one way to identify which category an autobiography belongs in is to read the information on the back cover or flap of the book. The back cover or flap of a book usually gives a brief summary of what the book is about. I will pass out the Sample Back Covers Handout and I will read samples aloud. I will look for clues that tell me what type of autobiography each book can fit into. For example, Cover 1 discusses the author’s travels. I can look at the Forms of Autobiographies Handout and see that this book is most likely a travelogue. Cover 2 has details on the author’s childhood, so I can categorize it as a memoir. Cover 3 looks like an excerpt from someone’s personal diary, so it falls into the diary/journal category. Cover 4 gives me a clue that the author wants to disclose some secrets to the reader. This book is likely a confession.

Ask: "How can I classify different forms of first-person nonfiction?" Students should answer that you can classify different forms of autobiographical nonfiction by reading the title and back cover of a book to look for clues and language that give information about the autobiographical category.

will list the different types of autobiographical nonfiction on chart paper or the board. We will place the Autobiography Strips into a bag. Note: Prior to beginning this section, cut apart the Autobiography Strips. We will pull out one strip at a time and read it aloud. We will look for language in each excerpt that gives us a clue as to which category the autobiography belongs in. We will use the Forms of Autobiographies Handout to match the excerpt to the category. When we identify the type of autobiography, we will tape the excerpt to chart paper or the board under the correct category.

will use one of the following writing prompts to write a short (5-paragraph or less) memoir:

On a recent vacation . . .

A memorable experience from my childhood was . . .

Did I ever tell you about the time . . .

The most embarrassing thing that ever happened to me was . . .

So far, my life has been . . .

You will choose one type of autobiography and you will write your story in the form you have chosen. Your story should have elements of the category you have chosen. For example, if you choose a diary/journal, your piece should have a date in the upper corner and should read like a personal reflection.

You will trade your story with a partner. Each partner will read the other’s autobiography and look for language and clues that categorize the autobiography. You will write the category on a sheet of paper and you will explain why you think the autobiography falls into that category. You will not discuss your idea with your partner.Note:In assessing student performance, it is important to focus on the identifying work, rather than the writing exercise itself.

will come together and talk about which category we believe our partner’s autobiography fit into. Each person will confirm if their partner is correct or incorrect and explain why. We will engage in a short discussion: Why would someone want to tell their own story and why would a person want to read about another person’s life?