3 minute read
Check in Let's listen: Jack's biography
Unit 1 It's my life
U n i v e r s i t y o f P e n n s y l v a n i a L a w S c h o o l
3 4 4 3 S a n s o m S tre e t T a n e n b a u m H all
L IF E is F U L L o f U P S an d D O W N S T h e T r ic k is E N JO Y th e U P S , an d h a v e th e C O U R A G E . d u rin g th e D O W N S .
DID YOU KNOW? • Most autobiographies, regardless of their length and target audience, will contain basic facts like the time and places in which the person lived. • There is a difference between a biography and autobiography. A biography is the story of a person's life in the words of another person, while an autobiography or personal biography is the story of a person's life in his/her own words. • According to The Telegraph, the bestselling biographies of all time include "Lives of the Twelve Caesars" by
Suetonius, who served as a private secretary to all the Caesars,- "The Life of Samuel Johnson" by James Boswell, which provides insight into an entire era and "The Life of Charlotte Bronte" by
Elizabeth Gaskell, which offers an inside look at the great author's life. • Everyone wants your bio to be shorter.
The shorter your bio, the more people will read it. No one is impressed by a long series of unimpressive things.
If you have a great one sentence bio, people will be curious enough to find out more. • You need to put the important facts first. The fancy term for this is the inverted pyramid. It comes from the assumption that with each word in your bio fewer and fewer people will keep reading. It's a great assumption because it's true.
1 Your autobiography a) Have you ever written your personal biography?
When? Why?
b) Look at the inverted pyramid and answer the questions in "Most newsworthy info" section.
Example: Who are your parents? When and where were you born?
1 © 2 Let's listen: Jack's biography a) Look at the pictures on page 8 and think how they can be connected. b) Listen to Jacks' personal biography. Choose a headline for the story; one is extra.
a) My goals b) Who am I? c) My childhood d) My ups and downs.
c) Listen to Jacks' personal biography.
Arrange the pictures according to the story.
Example: Picture 1 represents his ....
d) Think which part o f Jack's personal biography is the most interesting.
Discuss with your partner.
£ 2 3 Let's talk: My personal biography a) Work with your partner, asking and answering the questions.
1. What do you remember of your childhood? 2. What do parents tell about you as a three-year-old child? 3. What were you passionate about in primary school? 4. Has your passion changed today? How? 5. What are your ups and downs? 6. What are your goals?
b) Think o f your own questions. c) Tell your friend about him / her. Ask for your friend's permission to tell the group about him or her.
4 For my folder a) Discover yourself further by asking your parents and friends about:
• your childhood • your personality • you as a friend • your strengths and weakness b) Make a fact file and present it to your class.
