Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Narrative Typology: Biography and Autobiography

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The Objectives stage is crucial to guide both the teacher and the students about the focus of the lesson. At this moment, the teacher must ensure that everyone clearly understands what is expected to be learned and accomplished by the end of the session. Defining clear and specific objectives helps maximize the use of classroom time and direct practical activities more effectively, ensuring that students can apply prior knowledge critically and analytically.

Main Objectives:

1. Empower students to distinguish between biographies and autobiographies, recognizing the fundamental differences between them.

2. Develop the ability to identify whether a biography is told by the person themselves or by a third party, based on the textual and contextual characteristics present.

Side Objectives:

1. Stimulate critical thinking and students' argumentation when comparing different types of biographical texts.
2. Encourage students' curiosity and interest in life stories and the diversity of narrative forms.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The Introduction stage serves to engage students with the lesson theme, using problem situations to activate prior knowledge and show the relevance of the topic in their lives. By contextualizing the importance of biographies and autobiographies, this stage helps students perceive the richness and variety of narratives that will be explored, increasing their interest and motivation for subsequent activities.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you found a book in the library that tells the story of a very famous person. How would you know if this story was written by the person themselves or by an author who researched this person? What clues in the text would you look for to find out?

2. Think of a significant moment in your life. If a writer were to turn that moment into a book, would they be writing a biography or an autobiography? What do you think would be more interesting, reading their version of your life or the version you would write yourself?

Contextualization

Biographies and autobiographies are much more than lists of dates and facts. They are windows into understanding the complexity of human experiences, revealing how people face challenges, make decisions, and shape their identities. For example, the biography of historical figures like Gandhi or Marilyn Monroe, or autobiographies of figures like Malala Yousafzai or Nelson Mandela, not only document events but also offer deep insights into their personalities and motivations. These stories can inspire and inform, and it is important to discern the perspective of the person telling them.

Development

Duration: (75 - 85 minutes)

The Development stage is designed to allow students to practically and creatively apply the knowledge gained about biographies and autobiographies. By engaging them in playful and collaborative activities, this section aims to consolidate students' understanding of different types of life narratives and how to identify their distinctive characteristics. The proposed activities encourage critical analysis, creative expression, and cooperation among peers, providing meaningful and interactive learning.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - Biography Detectives

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop textual analysis and critical skills to differentiate biographies from autobiographies.

- Description: In this activity, students transform into literary detectives to find out whether a biography is told by the person themselves or by a third party. They will be given samples of famous biographies and excerpts of autobiographies to analyze and compare, identifying textual clues that reveal the narrator's perspective.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Distribute packs with mixed excerpts of biographies and autobiographies.

• Ask students to read the excerpts carefully and underline or highlight words, phrases, or structures that suggest whether the text is a biography or an autobiography.

• Each group should present a small report explaining the clues they found and why they believe the text belongs to a biography or autobiography.

• Conduct a large group discussion to compare each group's analyses and clarify doubts.

Activity 2 - Biography on Stage

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Explore creativity and students' understanding of life narratives through dramatization.

- Description: Students will create and present small plays based on excerpts from biographies and autobiographies. Each group will receive a segment without the author's identification and must decide if it is a biography or autobiography, and then dramatize the scene. This activity aims to deepen students' understanding of different narrative voices.

- Instructions:

• Organize the room into workstations for each group, providing writing materials and simple sets.

• Distribute literary excerpts without revealing whether they are from biographies or autobiographies.

• The groups read the excerpt, discuss, decide the type of narrative, and then write a short script for a theatrical scene.

• Each group presents their scene to the class, which must guess whether it is a biography or autobiography and justify their answer.

• Conclude the activity with a reflection on the different perspectives and techniques used in writing biographies and autobiographies.

Activity 3 - Map of Lives

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Visualize and map life narratives to better understand their origins and perspectives.

- Description: Using a large world map on paper, students will mark points and routes that represent famous biographies and autobiographies, identifying where the story took place and the perspective of the narrator. This visual and interactive activity helps connect narrative events with their geographical and emotional contexts.

- Instructions:

• Prepare the world map on a large sheet of paper on the wall of the room.

• Provide students with colored markers and information cards containing excerpts from biographies and autobiographies.

• Students choose one card at a time, read the excerpt, and decide where on the map the story takes place and whether it is a biography or autobiography.

• They mark the location on the map with the appropriate marker and justify their choice to the class.

• At the end, discuss the distribution patterns of the types of narratives and the impact of the geographical context on the told story.

Feedback

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to consolidate students' learning, allowing them to articulate and reflect on what they have learned. The group discussion helps develop communication and argumentation skills, as well as offering an opportunity for students to hear different perspectives and approaches. This moment also serves for the teacher to assess students' understanding and clarify any remaining doubts, ensuring that learning objectives have been achieved.

Group Discussion

To start the group discussion, the teacher should gather all students and ask each group to share their findings and experiences from the activities performed. It is important for the teacher to encourage everyone's participation, ensuring that each group has enough time to present their conclusions. To facilitate the process, the teacher can start with a brief recap of the main concepts addressed about biography and autobiography, and then ask students to apply these concepts in their presentations and discussions.

Key Questions

1. What were the clearest clues that helped you distinguish between biography and autobiography in the analyzed texts?

2. Was there any excerpt that caused confusion in classification? How did you resolve that doubt?

3. How do different narrative perspectives (first and third person) influence our understanding of the characters' lives?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The Conclusion stage serves to reinforce and synthesize the learning acquired by students throughout the lesson, in addition to highlighting the practical and everyday importance of discussed concepts. This final moment allows students to consolidate their learning, reflect on the applicability of knowledge, and understand the interconnection between theory and practice. The conclusion also helps prepare students for future applications of knowledge in their lives, highlighting the value of the skills acquired.

Summary

In the conclusion, the teacher should summarize the main points discussed throughout the lesson, reinforcing the distinction between biographies and autobiographies and the characteristics that identify each type of narrative. The textual and contextual clues that help differentiate whether the story is told by the person themselves or by a third party should be recapped.

Theory Connection

During the lesson, the connection between theory and practice was established through interactive and contextual activities, such as dramatizing excerpts, analyzing clues in texts, and mapping narratives on the world map. These activities not only solidified students' theoretical understanding of biographies and autobiographies but also showed how theory is applied in different forms of expression and knowledge.

Closing

Finally, it is essential to highlight the relevance of studying biographies and autobiographies in students' daily lives. Understanding how people construct their narratives helps not only in appreciating different forms of literature but also in developing critical and analytical skills that are fundamental for academic and personal life.