1. WRITE A BIOGRAPHY
For your first assignment, you will be writing a biography of one of your
classmates. This biography will be brief but detailed and concise. The following
information will be helpful to you in creating your classmate’s biography. This
assignment is due next Wednesday. You will have today and tomorrow to interview
your classmate to learn more about them. This is a narrative, not a formal essay. Write
it like a story, but also keep in mind to use paragraphs as well as proper grammar and
punctuation.
Basic Facts to Include in Your Biography: (Not necessarily
in this order)
1. DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH
2. FAMILY HISTORY
3. ACCOMPLISHMENTS
4. LIFE CHANGING EVENTS
5. GOALS THEY HAVE FOR THE FUTURE
INTRODUCTION
As always, you’ll want to start off with a bang and captivate your reader.It's a good idea
to begin with a really interesting statement, a little known fact, or really intriguing
event. After all, your teacher has probably read other biographies concerning your
subject. You’ll want yours to stand out.
Considering that, you should avoid starting out with a standard but boring line like:
"Meriwether Lewis was born in Virginia in 1774."
Try starting with something like this:
"Late one afternoon in October, 1809, Meriwether Lewis arrived at a small log cabin
nestled deep in the Tennessee Mountains. By sunrise on the following day, he was
dead, having suffered gunshot wounds to the head and chest. His body was also
slashed several times with a shaving razor."

2. This opening is much more enticing, isn’t it? You’ll have to make sure your beginning
is motivating, but it should also be relevant. The sentences will appear gratuitous if
they don’t lead to a point, so the next sentence or two should lead in to your thesis
statement, or main message of your biography.
“It was a tragic end to a life that had so deeply affected the course of history in the
United States. Meriwether Lewis, a driven and often tormented soul, led an
expedition of discovery that expanded a young nation’s economic potential, increased
its scientific understanding, and enhanced its worldwide reputation.”
Questions for Interviewing
Ask at least 20 of these questions and write the response on a separate paper.
1.What is your definition of “happiness”?
2. What was your worst injury?
3. What celebrity would you most want to meet?
4. What is your most memorable travel experience?
5. What’s the farthest from home you’ve ever been?
6. What is the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you?
7. What was your most rebellious moment?
8. If you had to choose, what is the one thing you regret
about the way in which you’ve lived your life?
9. What is your happiest memory? Your saddest?
10. What accomplishment are you most proud of?
11. If you could do it all over again, what would you do
differently?
12. How do you hope to be remembered?
13. How do you think people will remember you?
14. Who is your biggest fan?
15. Whose biggest fan are you?
16 .What do you like to do in your spare time?
17. When asked, what’s the one question you always answer
with a lie?
18. What do you want the epitaph on your tombstone to be?
19. What is your most embarrassing moment?

3. 20. If you could possess one superhuman power, what would
it be?
21. What is your greatest fear?
22. What is your greatest hope?
23. What are you really bad at that you’d love to be great
at?
24. What do you think happens after death?
25. What place does religion have in your life?
26. If you could be anyone in history, who would it be? Why?
27. What are the main lessons you’ve learned in life?
28. Describe your favorite childhood memory.
29. How would you describe yourself in three adjectives?
30. Describe what you want to do in your life using three
verbs.
HOW YOU WILL BE GRADED
91-99
All basic facts are covered and the
biography is highly detailed
and is an interesting
story. There are no grammar or spelling
errors.
80-90
All basic facts are covered and the biography is
detailed. The story
is interesting and there
are minimal errors in grammar and spelling.
70-79
All basic facts are covered and the biography
contains some detail. The story may be boring and
does not captivate the reader. There are minimal
errors in grammar and spelling.
Failing
Not all of the basic facts are covered and the
biography contains little detail. There may be
many errors in spelling and grammar.