WRITING A BIOGRAPHY (an activity for day one)
by Andy Armon - Hartman High School, Jerusalem
I have used this activity in the past with a class that has spent several years together and already know each other. It is an opportunity for them to become acquainted with a classmate that they don’t really know. It is also important for me to get background information about the pupils.
You are going to write a biography of one of your classmates.
- With your partner prepare 7-8 questions that you can ask when you interview another classmate about whom you are writing the biography.
Each pair reports one question that they have prepared to the class. The questions are written on the blackboard. The pupils are asked to copy any question that they want to include in their interview for the biography.
Now is a good time to teach how to write an interesting opening. See Challenges page 21
- Choose a classmate that you would like to know more about and interview him/her in order to write the biography. Do not choose the partner who prepared the questions with you.
- Interview your classmate in English. Write answers (in order to write the biography) in short form.
- Your new partner interviews you.
- Write the biography (120 words)
- Read the biography to your classmate.
- Hand it in to the teacher.
Pupils do not usually have enough time the first lesson to complete all the activities. So homework for the first day is completing the interview if necessary and writing the biography.
The second day’s lesson begins with reading the biography to the interviewee. Before handing in the biographies each pupil reads his opening sentence to the class.. If the class is too big quickly combine two pairs and have each one read their opening sentence to the group.
