Autobiography for High School Students

Having high school students write an autobiography is a great way for their teachers to learn more about them. Before starting, the teacher should have the students read an autobiography. This not only introduces the students to autobiographies, it also doubles as a non-fiction reading assignment. This can read as an independent assignment or in literature circles.Once they finish reading the .

Writing an autobiography is a daunting and very personal assignment for high school students, but once done, students have a small volume of their own life, something they can show their own children. The hardest part in writing an autobiography is how to construct it and what to include. Even in their teens, people still have enough memories and events to cover volumes of books, so covering an entire life in a few pages is impossible.Before starting individual autobiographies, students should read excerpts from famous versions. Those of Frederick Douglass and Ben Franklin are a nice start, but the centuries old diction might seem out of touch for younger readers. Modern ones might work better. "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" details the upbringing of the famous civil rights leader. For a younger audience, try "Boy" and "Going Solo," both excellent and slim volumes about the early life of Roald Dahl. For something even more edgy and modern, check out "Life" by Keith Richards. These are excellent examples of modern autobiographies.Students must decide what will go into their autobiography. Starting with their birth and continuing to the present day is too complicated and will result in poorly written papers. Instead, have students choose five to seven "episodes" or memories to discuss in their papers. Although students might ask to include more personal or questionable memories, teachers should tell them to keep it PG. If anything illegal is discussed, a teacher is obligated to report it.Although some classrooms might do peer review for papers, students might be too hesitant to do that for this assignment. Teachers should grade the rough draft themselves. When finished, some students might want to share their paper (or part of it) with the classroom and should be encouraged. These are highly personal stories, so any decision to remain quiet or open should be respected.