This document outlines the key elements that are often included in biographies, including birthdate and place, family members, childhood and education, hobbies and interests, career details, reason for fame, later life events, date and location of death, and photographs. It provides examples for each element and suggests including relatable foods to help memorize the 10 common biography components.

1. Ten Elements of Biography
Biography Hash
Dr. Youse
(with credit to Judy Freeman)

2. Non-Fiction Books about People
 Biography
 Autobiography
 Memoirs

3. bi·og·ra·phy : n. pl. bi·og·ra·phies
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.

4. Autobiography
n. pl. au·to·bi·og·ra·phies
 The biography of a person written by that
person

5. Memoirs
mem·oir (m m wär , -wôr )
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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. Family Members
 Birth Order
 Spouse, Children
 Any other members of the family who
were notable in some way

9. Childhood and School Life
 Interesting stories
about childhood or
school
 Early achievements
 Any events that had
an impact on their
later life

10. Hobbies, Interests, and Activities
 Do the person’s 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?

11. Anecdotes
 Interesting stories about why they are
famous
 Interesting stories about the impact they
have had on others

12. 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?

13. 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?

14. 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?
Commodore Grace Hopper, USN

15. 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)

16. Photos and Likenesses
 Photographs or artists’
renderings of the person
may be included

17. Where are
biographies
found in the
library?
The
900’s

18. 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

19. If you want to make the lesson
REALLY memorable, include
food!
1. Birthdate and place | Yellow Raisins (birth date and place)
2. Family Members | Nuts or Corn Chex –some family members are a
little nutty or corny)
3. Childhood and School Life | Goldfish—they are in schools
4. Hobbies, Interests, and Activities | Bugles—toot your own horn
5. Anecdotes | Pretzels—stories about twists and turns in life
6. Career | Chocolate chips—”in the chips” is how you make money
7. Reason for Fame | Cheerios—cheer a person’s success
8. Later Life/Old Age | M&Ms—more mature
9. Death | Black raisins—death, we become shriveled and the lights go
out
10. Photos and Likenesses