Lesson Plan | Teachy Methodology | Narrative Typology: Biography and Autobiography

Objectives

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

This stage of the lesson aims to ensure that students clearly understand the main objectives and the skills they will develop throughout the lesson. This will prepare them for practical activities and promote a deeper understanding of the differences between biography and autobiography, as well as the specific characteristics of each.

Main Objectives

1. Distinguish biography from autobiography.

2. Recognize the characteristics of a biography told by oneself and by another person.

Introduction

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

This stage of the lesson aims to ensure that students clearly understand the main objectives and the skills they will develop throughout the lesson. This will prepare them for practical activities and promote a deeper understanding of the differences between biography and autobiography, as well as the specific characteristics of each.

Warming Up

Start the lesson by addressing the theme of biography and autobiography. Explain that a biography is the account of someone’s life written by another person, while an autobiography is the account of one’s own life. To make the start more interactive, ask students to use their phones to search for an interesting fact about a famous biography or autobiography. This exercise will help to contextualize the theme and connect students to the digital world.

Initial Reflections

1. What is the main difference between a biography and an autobiography?

2. What are some famous biographies or autobiographies you know?

3. Why would someone choose to write an autobiography?

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of reading a biography instead of an autobiography?

Development

Duration: (75 - 85 minutes)

This stage aims to practically apply knowledge about biography and autobiography using digital tools and modern platforms. Through the proposed activities, students will be able to explore creative modalities of storytelling, develop technological skills, and work collaboratively to create digital products representing the lives of famous people.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended that only one of the suggested activities be carried out

Activity 1 - Biography on Instagram 📸

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Apply knowledge about biographies using a social media platform, making learning more dynamic and closer to the digital reality.

- Description: Students will create a fictional Instagram profile for a famous person (it can be a historical figure, artist, scientist, etc.). In this profile, they must post photos, stories, and captions that describe important events in the person's life, using the perspective of a biography.

- Instructions:

• Split the students into groups of up to 5 people.

• Choose a famous person to create the fictional profile.

• Use graphic design apps like Canva or Adobe Spark to create posts and stories.

• Post at least 5 photos with captions describing important events in the person's life, as if it were a biography.

• Create 3 stories reflecting crucial moments in the character's life.

• At the end, each group must present their profile to the class, explaining how each post is related to the life of the chosen person.

Activity 2 - Autobiography in Video 🎥

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop storytelling and video editing skills, in addition to applying knowledge about autobiographies in a creative and practical way.

- Description: Students will create a video in the form of a vlog, where they act as if they were a famous person, narrating their own life in the first person. They should use a video editing app (like InShot or iMovie) to compile clips and images representing important stages of that person's life.

- Instructions:

• Split the students into groups of up to 5 people.

• Choose a famous person to represent.

• Plan the vlog script, highlighting important events in the person's life, as if it were an autobiography.

• Use video editing apps to record, compile, and edit the clips.

• Include narration, background music, and images that illustrate the described events.

• Present the finalized video to the class, explaining the choices made for each part of the video.

Activity 3 - Interactive Biography Game 🕹️

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Encourage critical thinking and creativity while developing an interactive biography, as well as using digital tools to create an engaging learning experience.

- Description: Students will create an interactive game using a game creation tool (like Scratch or Twine). In the game, the player will follow the life of a famous person, making decisions that influence important events. This activity mixes storytelling with elements of choice and consequence, portraying the person's life as an interactive biography.

- Instructions:

• Split the students into groups of up to 5 people.

• Choose a famous person to be the main character of the game.

• Write a basic script that describes important events in the person's life, with different choice options for the player.

• Use a game creation platform like Scratch or Twine to develop the game.

• Include images and texts narrating the character's life, allowing the player to make choices at crucial moments.

• Test the game among group peers to ensure that choices lead to different endings or consequences.

• Present the game to the class, explaining the logic of the choices and how they relate to the life of the famous person.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

This final stage of the lesson plan aims to consolidate learning by promoting reflection on the practical activities carried out and providing a space for the exchange of constructive feedback. The group discussion and 360° feedback help students develop critical analysis, communication, and collaborative work skills.

Group Discussion

Promote a group discussion after the presentation of the activities. Start by thanking everyone for their participation and dedication. Then, ask each group to share their experiences working on the proposed activities. Suggest a brief outline:

1. Introduction: Each group should present a summary of the activity they developed (biography on Instagram, autobiography in video, or interactive game).
2. Challenges Faced: Ask them to share what the main challenges were during the development of the activities and how they overcame them.
3. Learnings: Encourage students to talk about what they learned, both about biographies and autobiographies as well as about using digital tools.
4. Final Reflections: Ask how they felt using digital methodology to learn about the proposed themes.

Reflections

1. How was the experience of creating a biography/autobiography using digital tools? 2. What differences did you perceive between representing a life in the first person (autobiography) and in the third person (biography)? 3. How did this activity help to better understand the characteristics of biography and autobiography?

360° Feedback

Conduct a 360° feedback session. Instruct each student to give and receive feedback from their group mates. Guide the class on the importance of keeping feedback constructive and respectful. Provide a small guide for feedback:

1. Positive Aspects: Highlight something that the colleague did well during the activity.
2. Areas for Improvement: Suggest an area where the colleague could improve, always in a gentle and constructive manner.
3. Overall Impression: Comment on how it was to work in a group and what could be done to improve the dynamics in future activities.

Conclusion

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

📚 Purpose of the Conclusion 📚

This section aims to consolidate learning by summarizing the main points of the lesson and connecting them to students' real lives and day-to-day experiences. By doing this in a fun and engaging way, we reinforce the importance and applicability of the concepts explored, helping students to internalize the knowledge gained in a meaningful way. 🎯

Summary

🎉 Summary of Key Contents 🎉

Today, we explored biographies and autobiographies in a super interactive way! 💡 Students learned that a biography is written by another person about someone's life, while an autobiography is the story of one's own life written by oneself. We used modern digital tools to create Instagram profiles, vlog videos, and even interactive games to tell these stories creatively! 🚀

World Connection

🌍 Connection with the Current World 🌍

We live in a digital age where stories are shared daily through social networks and digital platforms. This lesson showed students that they can use these same tools to explore and understand life stories in a more meaningful and engaging way. 📱💬

Practical Application

🔍 Importance of the Topic for Everyday Life 🔍

Understanding the difference between biography and autobiography helps students appreciate the personal and historical narratives they encounter daily. Whether reading a book, watching a video, or browsing social media profiles, they now know how to identify who tells the story and its perspective. This develops a critical sense and a deeper appreciation of the narratives that surround them. 📚🤔