Biography Basics
What is a biography?
A book about a real person's life.
What text feature tells you what each section is about?
Headings
Something that is useful, helpful, or important.
Valuable
If you're looking for the main idea, what are you trying to figure out?
What the text is mostly about.
What is a cause?
Why something happens.
Is Timeless Thomas fiction or nonfiction? Why?
Nonfiction; it tells the reader about a real person and their life.
How do captions help readers?
They explain pictures or diagrams.
A tool or machine that has a certain purpose.
Device
Name one detail you might learn about Thomas Edison.
He invented the lightbulb, he did experiments, etc.
What is an effect?
What happens as a result.
Who is the main person this story is about?
Thomas Edison
What can you learn from illustrations in a biography?
What things looked like, more details about events.
Breakthrough
How do details support the main idea?
They give more information and examples.
Cause: Thomas Edison kept trying after he failed.
Effect: ____ ?
He eventually succeeded.
What was Thomas Edison known for?
Inventing things, like the light bulb!
If you want to quickly find a topic in a book, what text feature helps?
Table of contents or index.
A way to find unseen objects by using radio signals.
Radar
If a paragraph is talking about how Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, what would the main idea of the paragraph be?
A. Thomas Edison's early life.
B. Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.
B
Which is the EFFECT?
A. Edison worked for many hours.
B. Edison invented the light bulb.
C. Edison liked science.
B, because it happened as a result of his hard work!
Why do authors write biographies?
To inform readers about a real person's life and achievements.
Why are bold or highlighted words in the book important?
They show important vocabulary words or things you should know.
The act of writing down or recording words that have been spoken.
Dictation
Which of these is the BEST main idea?
A. Thomas Edison had brown hair.
B. Thomas Edison change people's lives with his inventions.
C. Thomas Edison liked to work.
B
Fill in the cause:
Cause: _____
Effect: Many people were able to use electric light in their homes.
Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.