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Watch: What are autobiographies and biographies?

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Biographies and autobiographies are both types of non-fiction stories about someone鈥檚 life.

They are both based in fact but there are some key differences between them.

Watch this video in which teacher Mr McPartlin explains the differences. Listen carefully and join in with the activities.

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What are the differences between biographies and autobiographies? Watch this Teacher Talk to find out.

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Similarities and differences

Time for a recap on those similarities and differences!

Similarities

Both biographies and autobiographies:

  • tell the story of someone鈥檚 life

  • are written in the past tense

  • follow chronological order (the order in which things actually happened)

  • are non-fiction

Differences

BiographyAutobiography
Written by a person about someone else鈥檚 life.Written by a person about their own life.
Written in third person (he/she/they)Written in first person (I)

Examples

To see some examples, watch the first minute of each of these clips.

The first clip is written as a biography of activist Rosa Parks and the second clip is written as if it were an autobiography. Can you spot the differences?

Watch: Rosa Parks biography example

Watch: Rosa Parks autobiography example

The life of Rosa Parks, in her own words.

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Top tip!

Autobiographies tell you more about the person鈥檚 thoughts and feelings, however they may not always give you the full picture about someone鈥檚 life.

If the person telling the story doesn't want to mention things that don't make them look good, they could just miss them out!

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Activity 1

Complete this true or false quiz about biographies and autobiographies.

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Activity 2

Click on the image below to read a biography from Bitesize KS2 History about the famous fossil hunter Mary Anning.

Mary Anning biography

Imagine the same story, but told by Mary Anning herself. How would it be different? What would Mary's thoughts and feelings be?

Re-write the story as if you were Mary writing your autobiography.

Use this sentence to start you off:

My name is Mary Anning and I was born on the 21 May, 1799.

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Activity 3

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You don't have to be famous to write an autobiography! People in the future will be very interested in the life you are leading right now.

If you could write a letter for someone in the future, what would you tell your reader?

You could mention:

  • the things you do in your daily life

  • the things you like and that you are interested in

  • the changes you have seen in your life in the last year

  • your thoughts and feelings about what has happened to you

You could start your autobiography with these words:

Dear Reader Of The Future,

It has been an interesting and unusual year鈥

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Top tip!

When you have written your autobiography, you could make a copy and hide it somewhere.

Perhaps, in hundreds of years鈥 time, someone will find it and discover what it was like to be you, today!

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Challenge

Have you ever read a biography or autobiography?

Lots of famous people from history, or even those alive today, have written or had books written about their lives.

Why not see if you can find an autobiography or biography of your favourite pop star, sports star or celebrity to read?

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Play our fun English game Crystal Explorers. game

Use grammar, punctuation and spelling skills to explore jungles, caves and tombs on your mission!

Play our fun English game Crystal Explorers
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