Sequence of Activities:

Introduction (20-30 minutes)

Have the class sit in a circle and place the books in the middle. Students can choose their favorite book and read aloud the author’s bio on the back cover.  Ask students if they notice any patterns in the information given (previous books written, where the authors live, etc.).  Ask what they would like to know about the authors, and write their questions on the board. Encourage funny and/or deep questions.  Invite one student to volunteer to answer some questions verbally, while the class helps guide those answers into a bio format. Praise specific details.

Writing (20-30 minutes)

Give the students 20-30 minutes to choose which questions to answer and write their bios.  Walk around the class and read great lines that you encounter out loud.

Examples from Second Grade:

Senerika S. has a stepmom and a dad, a nana and a tata, five sisters and two brothers, an apartment and a house.  She loves to draw and listen to country music, especially the song “Knockin’ Boots”.  Senerika wants  to be a pediatrician and help babies when she grows up. Her favorite color is red, and she likes red phones, red sweatshirts, and red fuzzy pencils.

When Alondra V. grows up she wants to be in the CIA.  Her favorite things are soccer and her X-box.  Her mom helps homeless people and her dad is an inspector for airplanes.  Her dad was in the army for three years. When she is eighteen Alondra will join the army to save the world and help people that need it.

Mireya A.’s favorite book to read is Kleptocorns. When she grows up she wants to be a writer.  In her free time she likes to write books, and when she doesn’t have an idea, she draws something.  Her favorite thing to do in the whole entire world is to go somewhere fun with her family.

Closing (5-8 min)

Save room at the end for students who want to share their writing! Hearing each other’s bios can inspire students to add more information to their own.