Jacques said Biographies Due November 8, 2008 Chapter 11 This chapter 11 is also one of my favorite chapter to read on Biographies. Biographies are wonderful for students to read. As the textbook said these biographies are great to explore social attitudes toward children and about also about other appropriate content. The biographies are used to tell the different sides of a person life whether they are good or bad. The character can be from men to women in the book. It important though that the facts are right and easy to read for the students. I feel that the illustrations from these books really help tell the story of the person in the biography. I have read recently the biographies on Martin Luther King and the freedom movement and I have found them very interesting. These stories take you back in that time period and really provide the information for what it would have been like to live back then. I also have read many biographies on John F. Kennedy and also Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and I find them very intriguing and interesting for anyone to read. No matter who you are reading about I feel that as you read their stories you can relate to that time and really see how any of these people felt and what they did that changed our world.
I have never liked to read biographies in the past. The chapter does point out some of the useful issues that a biography can help with in the classroom. Having children read biographies will make them see things from that person's point of view. It is also a good way to teach students differnt cultures and up-bringings. Which has been a major point of interest in most of my classes this semester.
Jacques, I agree that the biographies on the famous people really would be useful teaching tools. Also you can use the one's on atheletes so that you can hit all interest levels of your students.
Chapter 11 talks about multi-cultural literature. The use of multi-cultural literature is increasingly important due to the diversity in our schools. It is important that children feel that they can relate to the literature. This will help them want to learn to read and to keep reading.I particularly enjoyed the parts where they broke the chapter out into types, African American, Native American, Latino, and Asian American. If I decide to ever teach elementary, I will definitely refer back to this chapter to design centers around these diverse topics.
This chapter was about biographies, evaluating them, the attitudes toward them, developing appreciation for them, and teaching with them.
I'm sorry, but for me I have never been that interested in reading biographies. I think the reason why is because all through school, I was made to read certain biographies on people I really didn't care about. It just kind of left a bad taste in my mouth but I understand the importance of them. I believe that children should be given the opportunity to pick biographies they want to read in school, that way they will actually learn something from it and be interested in reading more of them. It is important to make sure the biographies that children are reading are accurate or what would be the point of reading them? If the biography is accurate, then children will be able to feel close to the biographical subjects and will be able to tell you about their lives and will probably be able to remember them for a very long time.
Reading biographies about historical figures will help children understand history better and what happened during that time. Reading biographies about authors will also encourage young readers to want to read the books written by the authors. Reading biographies help children understand the lives and reality of others.
I totally agree that biographies are multi-cultural and is great for children to be able to understand the different cultures of people they read about. The geographical regions are also important for children to become familiar with so that they understand what happened in those areas.
I too, never liked biographies except one about Dwight Eisenhower and one about Helen Keller (but my last name was Keller so that made it more interesting). I also didn't like history though. My son likes history and he likes biographies. I think if you can sneak biographies in like Marion Sings you could get kids interested in history.
Biographies are fascinating to me and I am not really sure why except reading was never one of my best subjects so if I was to read, I wanted to read something that was true rather than imagined. When I was in grade school we were assigned a book report. We could choose any book we wanted and I found a book titled “The Jungle”. I thought, I like jungle animals, this might be interesting. But as I got into the book, I found out it was about the origins of the food and drug law. This was the first time I read a non-fiction book. From there I read such books as “The Diary of Anne Frank” and a biography about Helen Keller. These books created an interest in exploring lives that were so different from my own. After reading the books, I wanted to know more so I began writing a diary beginning each page “Dear Diary”. I also taught myself the alphabet in sign language, which has continued an interest in learning to sign. Biographies, I believe, are great teaching tools to introduce the foreign and enabling us to ‘understand’ what another person’s experiences taught them.
reply to Benjamin When you said that biographies are a good way to teach students different cultures and up-bringing, it reminded me of a a famous saying "Until you walk a mile in another man's shoes, you can never understand him" (or something like that) If it were not for biographies I think it would be very difficult to teach children about different ways of life, cultures, or regions in the world. I agree with you that it is a wonderful way to help explain something to someone in a way that may be easier to understand.
This chapter is perhaps the most relevant to us as we begin our careers as professional teachers. The world that we live in today is extremely sensitive to multiculturalism and as educators we need to be also. Intensive study of one another’s cultural history does so much to broaden our own senses of who we are and how we all do fit in this great country America. I personally feel it will be an important challenge for us to not only allow for the exploration of individualism, but focus primarily on that we are all in this life together. The better we work as one, the better we are. I appreciate the teaching section at the close of the chapter as I feel it gives us good ideas that we can use and extrapolate on.
“Reading biographies about historical figures will help children understand history better and what happened during that time. Reading biographies about authors will also encourage young readers to want to read the books written by the authors. Reading biographies help children understand the lives and reality of others.”
I agree with you fully about this. Children can certainly learn and understand from a human perspective. How great would it be to use biographies in conjunction with field trips, other readings as well as one of our student’s family history(oral, written, sharing a food item, a piece of clothing or artifact). Although our students may not be direct descendents of these historical figures, a connection by means of continent, lineage, religion or race, etc. is the best learning of all.
I think that biographies are an important part of literature for children – they can learn so much from the real people they read about. I think it makes a difference when the characters they read about are real people and what they accomplished really happened. Is the same way, I think it’s important to portray people accurately – their faults as well as their achievements.
Another point the chapter made was in regards to how historically biographies were one-sided. I think as teachers it’s essential to pick literature that reflects our diverse population because our classrooms will almost surely be diverse as well. Students need to know that people that look like them or come from the same country made great discoveries, overcome challenges, etc.
Jennifer - You made a good point that we need to focus on both individual differences and yet realize we are all together. I think that gives us great opportunties in choosing literature because there are so many avenues to discover - with the challenge being not to focus on only one area or topic.
Biographies are an excellent way of teaching history. Actually, it allows you to tell the rest of the story. Virtually all Americans know the general story of George Washington but the use of biographies will reveal many facts the casual student would never know. If the author can truly capture the accurate story, then you can really learn about somebody.
Often modern historians try to interpret historical events and place them in a different context. Biographies are a great way of keeping or discovering the truth.
Well said, Ember. Biographies are and should be multi-cultural. Too often educators focus on only a few historical figures. It is important that all segments of society are reflected and significant figures of all eras as well.
15 comments:
Jacques said
Biographies
Due November 8, 2008
Chapter 11
This chapter 11 is also one of my favorite chapter to read on Biographies. Biographies are wonderful for students to read. As the textbook said these biographies are great to explore social attitudes toward children and about also about other appropriate content. The biographies are used to tell the different sides of a person life whether they are good or bad. The character can be from men to women in the book. It important though that the facts are right and easy to read for the students. I feel that the illustrations from these books really help tell the story of the person in the biography. I have read recently the biographies on Martin Luther King and the freedom movement and I have found them very interesting. These stories take you back in that time period and really provide the information for what it would have been like to live back then. I also have read many biographies on John F. Kennedy and also Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and I find them very intriguing and interesting for anyone to read. No matter who you are reading about I feel that as you read their stories you can relate to that time and really see how any of these people felt and what they did that changed our world.
I have never liked to read biographies in the past. The chapter does point out some of the useful issues that a biography can help with in the classroom. Having children read biographies will make them see things from that person's point of view. It is also a good way to teach students differnt cultures and up-bringings. Which has been a major point of interest in most of my classes this semester.
Jacques, I agree that the biographies on the famous people really would be useful teaching tools. Also you can use the one's on atheletes so that you can hit all interest levels of your students.
Chapter 11 talks about multi-cultural literature. The use of multi-cultural literature is increasingly important due to the diversity in our schools. It is important that children feel that they can relate to the literature. This will help them want to learn to read and to keep reading.I particularly enjoyed the parts where they broke the chapter out into types, African American, Native American, Latino, and Asian American. If I decide to ever teach elementary, I will definitely refer back to this chapter to design centers around these diverse topics.
Laura Tawater
Chapter 11
Biographies
This chapter was about biographies, evaluating them, the attitudes toward them, developing appreciation for them, and teaching with them.
I'm sorry, but for me I have never been that interested in reading biographies. I think the reason why is because all through school, I was made to read certain biographies on people I really didn't care about. It just kind of left a bad taste in my mouth but I understand the importance of them. I believe that children should be given the opportunity to pick biographies they want to read in school, that way they will actually learn something from it and be interested in reading more of them. It is important to make sure the biographies that children are reading are accurate or what would be the point of reading them?
If the biography is accurate, then children will be able to feel close to the biographical subjects and will be able to tell you about their lives and will probably be able to remember them for a very long time.
Reading biographies about historical figures will help children understand history better and what happened during that time. Reading biographies about authors will also encourage young readers to want to read the books written by the authors. Reading biographies help children understand the lives and reality of others.
Response to emberd:
I totally agree that biographies are multi-cultural and is great for children to be able to understand the different cultures of people they read about. The geographical regions are also important for children to become familiar with so that they understand what happened in those areas.
I too, never liked biographies except one about Dwight Eisenhower and one about Helen Keller (but my last name was Keller so that made it more interesting). I also didn't like history though. My son likes history and he likes biographies. I think if you can sneak biographies in like Marion Sings you could get kids interested in history.
Biographies are fascinating to me and I am not really sure why except reading was never one of my best subjects so if I was to read, I wanted to read something that was true rather than imagined. When I was in grade school we were assigned a book report. We could choose any book we wanted and I found a book titled “The Jungle”. I thought, I like jungle animals, this might be interesting. But as I got into the book, I found out it was about the origins of the food and drug law. This was the first time I read a non-fiction book. From there I read such books as “The Diary of Anne Frank” and a biography about Helen Keller. These books created an interest in exploring lives that were so different from my own. After reading the books, I wanted to know more so I began writing a diary beginning each page “Dear Diary”. I also taught myself the alphabet in sign language, which has continued an interest in learning to sign.
Biographies, I believe, are great teaching tools to introduce the foreign and enabling us to ‘understand’ what another person’s experiences taught them.
reply to Benjamin
When you said that biographies are a good way to teach students different cultures and up-bringing, it reminded me of a a famous saying "Until you walk a mile in another man's shoes, you can never understand him" (or something like that) If it were not for biographies I think it would be very difficult to teach children about different ways of life, cultures, or regions in the world. I agree with you that it is a wonderful way to help explain something to someone in a way that may be easier to understand.
This chapter is perhaps the most relevant to us as we begin our careers as professional teachers. The world that we live in today is extremely sensitive to multiculturalism and as educators we need to be also. Intensive study of one another’s cultural history does so much to broaden our own senses of who we are and how we all do fit in this great country America. I personally feel it will be an important challenge for us to not only allow for the exploration of individualism, but focus primarily on that we are all in this life together. The better we work as one, the better we are. I appreciate the teaching section at the close of the chapter as I feel it gives us good ideas that we can use and extrapolate on.
In response to LauraT:
“Reading biographies about historical figures will help children understand history better and what happened during that time. Reading biographies about authors will also encourage young readers to want to read the books written by the authors. Reading biographies help children understand the lives and reality of others.”
I agree with you fully about this. Children can certainly learn and understand from a human perspective. How great would it be to use biographies in conjunction with field trips, other readings as well as one of our student’s family history(oral, written, sharing a food item, a piece of clothing or artifact). Although our students may not be direct descendents of these historical figures, a connection by means of continent, lineage, religion or race, etc. is the best learning of all.
I think that biographies are an important part of literature for children – they can learn so much from the real people they read about. I think it makes a difference when the characters they read about are real people and what they accomplished really happened. Is the same way, I think it’s important to portray people accurately – their faults as well as their achievements.
Another point the chapter made was in regards to how historically biographies were one-sided. I think as teachers it’s essential to pick literature that reflects our diverse population because our classrooms will almost surely be diverse as well. Students need to know that people that look like them or come from the same country made great discoveries, overcome challenges, etc.
Jennifer - You made a good point that we need to focus on both individual differences and yet realize we are all together. I think that gives us great opportunties in choosing literature because there are so many avenues to discover - with the challenge being not to focus on only one area or topic.
Biographies are an excellent way of teaching history. Actually, it allows you to tell the rest of the story. Virtually all Americans know the general story of George Washington but the use of biographies will reveal many facts the casual student would never know. If the author can truly capture the accurate story, then you can really learn about somebody.
Often modern historians try to interpret historical events and place them in a different context. Biographies are a great way of keeping or discovering the truth.
Well said, Ember. Biographies are and should be multi-cultural. Too often educators focus on only a few historical figures. It is important that all segments of society are reflected and significant figures of all eras as well.
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