Description
Whether you are planning for a biography/autobiography genre study, book clubs (literature circles), or independent reading program, this packet will challenge your students! They will summarize and analyze nonfiction literary elements by using critical thinking skills and citing textual evidence. Open-ended, standards-based questions work well with a variety of middle school books.
Response prompts are provided in two formats: ten whole page worksheets for distribution one day at a time, or a packet to be folded and stapled into a fourth-page student booklet. Either way, two weeks worth of reading response questions are included.
Biography – Autobiography Genre tasks include:
- Analyze character traits
- Generate questions
- Evaluate the character
- Analyze a significant quote
- Describe influences on the character
- Compare individuals
- Identify significant dates
- Compare information from multiple sources
- Summarize the text (each day)
Teacher Prep
First, choose whether you will distribute full page handouts or have students create a biography mini-book. For full page handouts, simply print as many copies as needed of each page. These handouts also include editable text boxes in the header (as shown in photo) so that you can change the title or assign specific pages.
For mini-books, pages 15-20 are formatted for double-sided printing. Print or copy pages 15/16, 17/18, and 19/20 back-to-back.
You can then assemble the mini books yourself or have students do this part. Cut each page along the solid horizontal line. (If you have access to a paper slicer, this is an easy time saver for you!) Stack the half-page sheets so that page 1 is facing up and is at the bottom of the stack, with 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 above. Then straighten the pages and staple on the dotted line. Fold and enjoy your booklet!
How to Use this Biography Reading Response Journal
Full page
First, have students complete page 4 in class before beginning their books. Then distribute pages 5-14 one day at a time. If students are reading a class novel together, you may pre-plan which pages to assign each day and edit those pages at the top before photocopying. This format also makes it easy to differentiate for students who need fewer response tasks.
Mini-book
Have students complete page 1 of the biography mini-book before they begin reading. If students will be participating in book clubs or literature circles in which they will read the same book, they should first agree upon stopping points for each day to avoid spoilers.
Related Resources
If you love this Biography Reading Journal, you’ll also appreciate the packets for these other genres. Fantasy, historical fiction, mystery, realistic fiction, scifi/dystopian, and nonfiction are all available separately or in a money-saving bundle.
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