Pathfinder 

6th​ ​Grade​ ​Language​ ​Arts 

Author​ ​Biography​ ​Research 
Project​ ​Pathfinder 
___ 

By​ ​Cassidy​ ​Earle 

INTRODUCTION 
This​ ​resource​ ​contains​ ​information​ ​relevant​ ​to​ ​research​ ​in​ ​a​ ​middle​ ​school​ ​English​ ​Language 
Arts​ ​classroom​ ​learning​ ​about​ ​famous​ ​authors​ ​and​ ​how​ ​to​ ​write​ ​a​ ​research​ ​paper.  

Standards: 

Teacher​ ​Information 

General​ ​Information:​ ​The​ ​6th​ ​grade​ ​students​ ​complete​ ​a​ ​research​ ​project​ ​in​ ​April​ ​about​ ​an 
author​ ​they​ ​have​ ​read​ ​at​ ​some​ ​point​ ​in​ ​the​ ​year.​ ​Then​ ​they​ ​write​ ​a​ ​paper​ ​about​ ​their​ ​author 
using​ ​fats,​ ​quotes,​ ​and​ ​details​ ​to​ ​support​ ​their​ ​findings.​ ​Their​ ​paper​ ​can​ ​include​ ​multimedia 
findings​ ​such​ ​as​ ​videos​ ​and​ ​graphics​ ​as​ ​well.​ ​They​ ​take​ ​what​ ​they​ ​have​ ​learned​ ​throughout​ ​the 
year​ ​about​ ​writing​ ​and​ ​research​ ​and​ ​combine​ ​both​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​more​ ​about​ ​an​ ​author​ ​they​ ​have 
enjoyed​ ​reading​ ​during​ ​the​ ​year.​ ​One​ ​of​ ​the​ ​focuses​ ​of​ ​this​ ​paper,​ ​is​ ​to​ ​develop​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​works 
cited​ ​page​ ​and​ ​find​ ​credible​ ​sources​ ​about​ ​their​ ​authors.  

 
  

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1. Who​ ​would​ ​use​ ​the​ ​pathfinder?​ ​How​ ​could​ ​the​ ​pathfinder​ ​be​ ​used? 
Teachers​ ​and​ ​students​ ​alike​ ​can​ ​use​ ​this​ ​pathfinder​ ​to​ ​create​ ​research​ ​papers​ ​about 
famous​ ​authors.​ ​Teachers​ ​could​ ​narrow​ ​down​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​resources​ ​in​ ​this​ ​pathfinder 
to​ ​the​ ​ones​ ​they​ ​want​ ​their​ ​students​ ​to​ ​use​ ​or​ ​they​ ​could​ ​let​ ​students​ ​explore​ ​all​ ​the 
available​ ​resources​ ​and​ ​narrow​ ​down​ ​the​ ​most​ ​helpful​ ​ones.​ ​These​ ​resources​ ​can​ ​be 
used​ ​for​ ​planning​ ​purpose​ ​for​ ​teachers​ ​or​ ​they​ ​can​ ​be​ ​given​ ​to​ ​students​ ​as​ ​a​ ​place​ ​to 
begin​ ​their​ ​research.​ ​This​ ​pathfinder,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​others,​ ​could​ ​be​ ​posted​ ​on​ ​a​ ​Media 
Specialists​ ​website​ ​for​ ​teachers​ ​to​ ​access​ ​when​ ​they​ ​are​ ​ready​ ​to​ ​begin​ ​the​ ​project.​ ​The 
Media​ ​Specialist​ ​will​ ​be​ ​available​ ​to​ ​have​ ​students​ ​come​ ​to​ ​the​ ​library​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​how​ ​to 
use​ ​the​ ​databases​ ​in​ ​the​ ​pathfinder​ ​if​ ​they​ ​do​ ​not​ ​already​ ​know​ ​how​ ​to​ ​use​ ​them.​ ​The 
Media​ ​Specialist​ ​will​ ​also​ ​be​ ​available​ ​to​ ​teacher​ ​mini-lessons​ ​on​ ​research​ ​prior​ ​to 
giving​ ​students​ ​this​ ​pathfinder.​ ​ ​After​ ​the​ ​projects​ ​are​ ​completed​ ​the​ ​teacher​ ​sits​ ​down 
with​ ​the​ ​media​ ​specialist​ ​to​ ​decide​ ​what​ ​resources​ ​worked​ ​best,​ ​what​ ​can​ ​be​ ​taken​ ​out, 
and​ ​what​ ​could​ ​be​ ​added​ ​the​ ​following​ ​year.​ ​As​ ​a​ ​result,​ ​every​ ​year​ ​the​ ​pathfinder 
becomes​ ​a​ ​better​ ​tool​ ​in​ ​the​ ​research​ ​process!   

2. Search​ ​tips 
Students​ ​should​ ​know​ ​that​ ​the​ ​pathfinder​ ​is​ ​a​ ​place​ ​to​ ​begin​ ​research,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​does​ ​not 
mean​ ​the​ ​only​ ​tools​ ​available​ ​for​ ​the​ ​topic​ ​are​ ​in​ ​this​ ​pathfinder.​ ​The​ ​resources​ ​in​ ​this 
document​ ​are​ ​divided​ ​up​ ​between​ ​research​ ​tools​ ​and​ ​writing​ ​tools.​ ​Research​ ​happens 
first,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​writing​ ​will​ ​happen​ ​second,​ ​so​ ​most​ ​resources​ ​can​ ​be​ ​viewed​ ​in​ ​that​ ​order. 
Several​ ​of​ ​the​ ​resources​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​databases​ ​where​ ​detailed​ ​research​ ​can​ ​take​ ​place. 
Encourage​ ​students​ ​to​ ​try​ ​each​ ​database​ ​out​ ​by​ ​searching​ ​for​ ​the​ ​same​ ​information​ ​and 
then​ ​comparing​ ​results.​ ​Students​ ​should​ ​search​ ​for​ ​the​ ​authors​ ​first​ ​and​ ​last​ ​name​ ​in 
the​ ​databases.​ ​If​ ​they​ ​need​ ​more​ ​specific​ ​person​ ​then​ ​they​ ​should​ ​add​ ​words​ ​such​ ​as 
age,​ ​career,​ ​biography,​ ​and​ ​hometown​ ​into​ ​their​ ​search​ ​descriptions.​ ​ ​The​ ​most 
detailed​ ​biographies​ ​will​ ​be​ ​in​ ​Literary​ ​Reference​ ​Center,​ ​but​ ​Explora​ ​and​ ​Sirs 
Discoverer​ ​will​ ​also​ ​have​ ​facts​ ​about​ ​authors​ ​they​ ​can​ ​include​ ​in​ ​their​ ​papers.​ ​The 
writing​ ​tools​ ​help​ ​with​ ​works​ ​cited​ ​page,​ ​organizing​ ​paragraphs​ ​and​ ​information,​ ​and 
giving​ ​ideas​ ​for​ ​what​ ​a​ ​sample​ ​biography​ ​paper​ ​looks​ ​like.  

3. Possible​ ​authors​ ​to​ ​research 

Students​ ​should​ ​research​ ​a​ ​favorite​ ​author​ ​or​ ​an​ ​author​ ​they​ ​have​ ​read​ ​this​ ​year.​ ​In 
order​ ​to​ ​find​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​information​ ​about​ ​their​ ​author,​ ​students​ ​should​ ​try​ ​to​ ​research 
more​ ​well-known​ ​authors.​ ​Students​ ​should​ ​know​ ​if​ ​they​ ​research​ ​a​ ​new​ ​teen​ ​fiction 
  

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author,​ ​they​ ​are​ ​likely​ ​to​ ​not​ ​find​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​information​ ​they​ ​need​ ​to​ ​complete 
their​ ​project.​ ​Author​ ​suggestions​ ​include​ ​J.K​ ​Rowling,​ ​James​ ​Patterson,​ ​John​ ​Boyne, 
Madeleine​ ​L’Engle,​ ​Sharon​ ​Creech,​ ​Suzanne​ ​Collins,​ ​John​ ​Grisham,​ ​Agatha​ ​Christie, 
Lois​ ​Lowry,​ ​Elie​ ​Night,​ ​S.E.​ ​Hinton,​ ​Lois​ ​Sachar,​ ​Anne​ ​Frank,​ ​Jerry​ ​Spinelli,​ ​Katherine 
Paterson,​ ​Jeff​ ​Kinney,​ ​Gary​ ​Paulsen,​ ​Jeanne​ ​DuPrau,​ ​C.S.​ ​Lewis,​ ​ ​and​ ​J.R.R.​ ​Tolkien.  

4. Galileo​ ​databases 
Literary​ ​Reference​ ​Center​ ​is​ ​going​ ​to​ ​be​ ​the​ ​best​ ​Galileo​ ​database​ ​to​ ​use​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to 
find​ ​the​ ​most​ ​information​ ​about​ ​authors.​ ​This​ ​database​ ​is​ ​user​ ​friendly​ ​and​ ​has 
information​ ​specifically​ ​about​ ​books​ ​and​ ​authors.​ ​There​ ​is​ ​even​ ​a​ ​way​ ​you​ ​can​ ​search 
for​ ​biographies​ ​and​ ​information​ ​about​ ​authors​ ​specifically.​ ​Explora​ ​is​ ​an​ ​encyclopedia 
that​ ​could​ ​have​ ​articles​ ​on​ ​certain​ ​authors,​ ​but​ ​every​ ​author​ ​may​ ​not​ ​be​ ​included.​ ​Sirs 
Discoverer​ ​is​ ​an​ ​index​ ​that​ ​will​ ​lead​ ​students​ ​to​ ​other​ ​books​ ​and​ ​articles​ ​they​ ​can​ ​use 
to​ ​find​ ​more​ ​information​ ​about​ ​their​ ​author.  

5. Web​ ​directories 
Biography.com​ ​is​ ​a​ ​great​ ​place​ ​to​ ​search​ ​for​ ​newer​ ​biographies.​ ​This​ ​website​ ​has 
historic​ ​biographies​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​newer​ ​famous​ ​people.​ ​If​ ​a​ ​student​ ​is​ ​choosing​ ​a​ ​newer 
author,​ ​this​ ​would​ ​be​ ​a​ ​good​ ​site​ ​to​ ​use.​ ​NewsELA​ ​serves​ ​as​ ​a​ ​directory.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​find 
collections​ ​on​ ​your​ ​topic,​ ​then​ ​the​ ​site​ ​has​ ​links​ ​to​ ​external​ ​articles​ ​and​ ​information. 
NewsELA​ ​holds​ ​the​ ​information,​ ​but​ ​you​ ​can​ ​access​ ​it​ ​outside​ ​of​ ​the​ ​platform.  

 
  

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Research​ ​Resources 

The​ ​research​ ​resources​ ​include​ ​Galileo​ ​Databases,​ ​websites,​ ​and​ ​videos​ ​about​ ​research.​ ​It​ ​is 
recommended​ ​you​ ​start​ ​with​ ​the​ ​databases​ ​Literary​ ​Reference​ ​Center,​ ​Sirs​ ​Discoverer,​ ​and 
Explora​ ​for​ ​your​ ​research.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​looking​ ​for​ ​authors​ ​to​ ​chose​ ​and​ ​how​ ​to​ ​start​ ​reserach 
then​ ​watch​ ​the​ ​Flocabulary​ ​videos​ ​and​ ​go​ ​to​ ​Famousauthors.org.​ ​Good​ ​luck​ ​in​ ​your​ ​research! 

Explora​ ​for​ ​Middle​ ​School 

Explora​ ​is​ ​an​ ​online​ ​encyclopedia​ ​offered​ ​through 
the​ ​Galileo​ ​databases.​ ​There​ ​is​ ​a​ ​biography​ ​tab 
you​ ​can​ ​click​ ​on​ ​and​ ​then​ ​there​ ​is​ ​a​ ​large​ ​list​ ​of 
biographies​ ​you​ ​can​ ​easily​ ​access.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​also 
search​ ​your​ ​author​ ​in​ ​the​ ​search​ ​bar​ ​if​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not 
want​ ​to​ ​read​ ​through​ ​the​ ​list​ ​of​ ​biographies.​ ​Even 
if​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not​ ​see​ ​a​ ​biography​ ​about​ ​your​ ​author, 
chances​ ​are​ ​you​ ​can​ ​still​ ​find​ ​information​ ​about 
your​ ​author​ ​in​ ​the​ ​generic​ ​search​ ​bar.​ ​I​ ​found 
articles​ ​for​ ​almost​ ​every​ ​famous​ ​author​ ​we​ ​read 
this​ ​year​ ​through​ ​this​ ​database. 

Biography​ ​(2017).​ ​Explora.​ ​EBSCO​ ​Industries​ ​Inc.​ ​Retrieved​ ​from 

http://web.a.ebscohost.com/web/src_ic/home/topics/TopicBioAll 

Sirs​ ​Discoverer  
Ten​ ​years​ ​ago,​ ​jeff​ ​kinney​ ​created​ ​a 
new​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​comic​ ​hero.​ ​(2017,​ ​26 
Apr).​ ​Lincoln​ ​Courier​ ​Retrieved​ ​from 
http://discoverer.prod.sirs.com 

This​ ​database​ ​is​ ​an​ ​index​ ​for 

elementary​ ​and​ ​middle​ ​school 
students.​ ​This​ ​database​ ​will​ ​probably 
not​ ​lead​ ​you​ ​to​ ​biographies​ ​about 
  

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your​ ​author.​ ​However,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​find​ ​articles​ ​and​ ​interviews​ ​with​ ​your​ ​author​ ​from​ ​credible 
sources.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​need​ ​different​ ​information​ ​besides​ ​biographies​ ​an​ ​author​ ​facts,​ ​then​ ​this 
source​ ​is​ ​a​ ​great​ ​place​ ​to​ ​get​ ​a​ ​wide​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​information​ ​about​ ​your​ ​author.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​also 
find​ ​information​ ​about​ ​newer​ ​authors​ ​with​ ​this​ ​database.​ ​The​ ​information​ ​you​ ​can​ ​find 
through​ ​this​ ​database​ ​would​ ​be​ ​great​ ​for​ ​adding​ ​interesting​ ​facts​ ​and​ ​details​ ​about​ ​your 
author​ ​to​ ​the​ ​project.  

Literary​ ​Reference​ ​Center  

Literary​ ​Reference​ ​Center​ ​is​ ​a​ ​literary​ ​sources 
database​ ​available​ ​through​ ​Galileo.​ ​You​ ​can 
search​ ​for​ ​your​ ​author​ ​or​ ​you​ ​can​ ​browse​ ​most 
studied​ ​authors.​ ​The​ ​search​ ​results​ ​will​ ​be​ ​a 
variety​ ​of​ ​biographies,​ ​magazines,​ ​reviews, 
reference​ ​books,​ ​and​ ​literary​ ​criticism.​ ​You​ ​will​ ​be 
able​ ​to​ ​find​ ​biographies​ ​for​ ​many​ ​of​ ​the​ ​authors 
on​ ​the​ ​suggested​ ​authors​ ​list​ ​for​ ​this​ ​project. 
When​ ​you​ ​find​ ​an​ ​author​ ​through​ ​the​ ​“most 
studied​ ​authors”​ ​search​ ​feature,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​be​ ​able 
to​ ​read​ ​a​ ​biography​ ​about​ ​the​ ​author​ ​through​ ​the 
Literary​ ​Reference​ ​Center​ ​without​ ​having​ ​to​ ​download​ ​an​ ​ebook​ ​or​ ​find​ ​a​ ​book​ ​in​ ​a​ ​library. 
This​ ​would​ ​be​ ​a​ ​great​ ​tool​ ​to​ ​use​ ​for​ ​this​ ​author​ ​biography​ ​project.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​cannot​ ​decide​ ​what 
author​ ​to​ ​study,​ ​find​ ​an​ ​author​ ​off​ ​of​ ​this​ ​database,​ ​because​ ​you​ ​will​ ​find​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​information 
here​ ​to​ ​get​ ​you​ ​started.

Martinsek,​ ​D.​ ​(2007).​ ​Sharon​ ​Creech.​ ​Guide​ ​To​ ​Literary​ ​Masters​ ​&​ ​Their​ ​Works​,​ ​1.​ ​Literary 
Reference​ ​Center,​ ​EBSCOhost​ ​Retrieved​ ​from 
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/lrc/detail/detail?vid=9&sid=fdc2fa7c-ffbb-4f31-aba8-fb33278b36
29%40sessionmgr4009&bdata=JnNpdGU9bHJjLWxpdmU%3d#AN=103331LM83219790308328
&db=lfh​’ 

Video​ ​Interview 
W.​ ​(2017,​ ​June​ ​23).​ ​Video​ ​Interviews​ ​with​ ​Children's​ ​Authors​ ​and​ ​Illustrators.​ ​Retrieved​ ​from 
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews 

Reading​ ​Rockets​ ​has​ ​an​ ​entire​ ​webpage​ ​dedicated 

to​ ​author​ ​interviews.​ ​Many​ ​of​ ​the​ ​authors 
interviewed​ ​are​ ​authors​ ​students​ ​read​ ​during​ ​the 
  

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year​ ​and​ ​may​ ​be​ ​interested​ ​doing​ ​their​ ​projects​ ​about.​ ​Some​ ​of​ ​these​ ​authors​ ​include​ ​Lois 
Lowry,​ ​Walter​ ​Dean​ ​Myers,​ ​Beverly​ ​Cleary,​ ​Katherine​ ​Paterson,​ ​Cece​ ​Bell,​ ​Mary​ ​Pope​ ​Osborne, 
Jeff​ ​Kinney,​ ​and​ ​many​ ​more.​ ​This​ ​resource​ ​would​ ​be​ ​an​ ​engaging​ ​way​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​more​ ​about​ ​the 
authors​ ​you​ ​are​ ​learning​ ​more​ ​about​ ​for​ ​your​ ​project.​ ​This​ ​resource​ ​could​ ​be​ ​used​ ​during 
research​ ​if​ ​your​ ​author​ ​is​ ​on​ ​the​ ​list​ ​of​ ​video​ ​interviews​ ​or​ ​before​ ​research​ ​if​ ​you​ ​are​ ​trying​ ​to 
narrow​ ​down​ ​who​ ​you​ ​would​ ​like​ ​to​ ​research.  

NewsELA 
Newsela​ ​Staff.​ ​(2017).​ ​Great​ ​Authors.​ ​Retrieved​ ​from 
https://newsela.com/text-sets/194900 

NewsELA​ ​has​ ​a​ ​great​ ​text​ ​set​ ​of​ ​famous​ ​authors.​ ​In 
order​ ​to​ ​view​ ​the​ ​articles,​ ​you​ ​must​ ​log​ ​in​ ​with​ ​your 
school​ ​account.​ ​When​ ​you​ ​click​ ​on​ ​an​ ​author,​ ​you​ ​will 
find​ ​articles​ ​about​ ​the​ ​author.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​can​ ​find​ ​your 
author​ ​on​ ​this​ ​list,​ ​then​ ​this​ ​would​ ​be​ ​a​ ​great​ ​resource 
for​ ​more​ ​information.​ ​Some​ ​authors​ ​include​ ​F.​ ​Scott 
Fitzgerald,​ ​Edgar​ ​Allen​ ​Poe,​ ​C.S.​ ​Lewis,​ ​Maya​ ​Angelou, 
and​ ​Madeleine​ ​L’Engle.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​researching​ ​someone 
historical,​ ​than​ ​you​ ​may​ ​find​ ​them​ ​on​ ​this​ ​list​ ​of​ ​Great 
Authors​ ​by​ ​NewsELA. 

Biblio.com 
Author​ ​Biographies​ ​and​ ​Bibliographies.​ ​(2017). 
Biblio.com​ ​Retrieved​ ​from 
https://www.biblio.com/authors.php  

This​ ​is​ ​the​ ​only​ ​source​ ​where​ ​you​ ​would​ ​need​ ​to​ ​pay 
$5​ ​or​ ​less​ ​for​ ​the​ ​books​ ​you​ ​are​ ​looking​ ​for​ ​if​ ​you 
wanted​ ​the​ ​hard​ ​copies.​ ​However,​ ​I​ ​would​ ​use​ ​this 
tool​ ​to​ ​find​ ​lists​ ​of​ ​books​ ​by​ ​your​ ​author​ ​and​ ​where 
to​ ​find​ ​them.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​find​ ​if​ ​there​ ​are​ ​any 
biographies​ ​written​ ​by​ ​your​ ​author​ ​as​ ​well.​ ​I​ ​would 
use​ ​this​ ​source​ ​as​ ​a​ ​list​ ​of​ ​books​ ​written​ ​or​ ​about​ ​your​ ​author​ ​to​ ​include​ ​in​ ​your​ ​paper.​ ​The 
search​ ​tools​ ​are​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​use,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​gives​ ​detailed​ ​results.  
  

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Famous​ ​Authors 
Famous​ ​Authors.​ ​(2012).​ ​FamousAuthors.org.​ ​Retrieved​ ​from 
http://www.famousauthors.org/  

This​ ​article​ ​would​ ​be​ ​great​ ​for​ ​deciding​ ​what​ ​author​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to 
research.​ ​Many​ ​of​ ​the​ ​suggested​ ​authors​ ​for​ ​this​ ​project​ ​are 
included​ ​on​ ​this​ ​website.​ ​Each​ ​author​ ​has​ ​a​ ​short​ ​biography.​ ​This 
would​ ​be​ ​another​ ​great​ ​source​ ​to​ ​include​ ​in​ ​your​ ​paper.​ ​You​ ​might 
find​ ​out​ ​something​ ​new​ ​about​ ​your​ ​author.​ ​Information​ ​about​ ​the 
authors​ ​typically​ ​include​ ​birth,​ ​death,​ ​life​ ​growing​ ​up,​ ​career,​ ​and 
books​ ​written​ ​by​ ​the​ ​author.​ ​You​ ​might​ ​need​ ​more​ ​details​ ​in​ ​order 
to​ ​write​ ​a​ ​paper​ ​about​ ​the​ ​author,​ ​but​ ​this​ ​website​ ​does​ ​have 
factual​ ​information​ ​and​ ​interesting​ ​details​ ​about​ ​many​ ​famous 
authors.  

Flocabulary 
Flocabulary​ ​Team.​ ​(2017).​ ​The​ ​research​ ​process. 
Flocabuary.com​ ​Retrieved​ ​from 
https://www.flocabulary.com/unit/research-process/ 

Looking​ ​for​ ​some​ ​inspiration​ ​about​ ​beginning​ ​your 

research​ ​paper.​ ​Look​ ​no​ ​further​ ​than​ ​Flocabulary! 
This​ ​video​ ​is​ ​both​ ​funny​ ​and​ ​informative.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​get 
stuck​ ​during​ ​the​ ​research​ ​process,​ ​than​ ​watch​ ​this 
video​ ​to​ ​get​ ​you​ ​back​ ​on​ ​track​ ​and​ ​show​ ​the​ ​next​ ​step​ ​to​ ​take.​ ​The​ ​research​ ​process​ ​can​ ​be 
overwhelming,​ ​so​ ​this​ ​video​ ​is​ ​here​ ​to​ ​simplify​ ​the​ ​process​ ​and​ ​make​ ​things​ ​easier.​ ​You​ ​can 
watch​ ​the​ ​video​ ​or​ ​read​ ​the​ ​lyrics​ ​to​ ​get​ ​tips​ ​on​ ​the​ ​research​ ​process.  

Writing​ ​Resources 

Learning​ ​background​ ​information​ ​about​ ​authors​ ​you​ ​enjoy​ ​reading​ ​is​ ​one​ ​part​ ​of​ ​this​ ​project. 
However,​ ​another​ ​major​ ​component​ ​is​ ​the​ ​writing​ ​portion.​ ​You​ ​must​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​accurately​ ​cite 
facts,​ ​quotes,​ ​and​ ​images​ ​in​ ​your​ ​paper.​ ​You​ ​must​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​combine​ ​information​ ​you​ ​find 
during​ ​your​ ​research​ ​with​ ​your​ ​own​ ​words​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​create​ ​a​ ​paper​ ​that​ ​flows​ ​and​ ​tells​ ​a 
story​ ​about​ ​your​ ​author.​ ​These​ ​resources​ ​below​ ​will​ ​help​ ​you​ ​during​ ​this​ ​process.  
  

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MLA​ ​Handbook  
Gibaldi,​ ​J.​ ​(2016).​ ​MLA​ ​handbook​.​ ​New​ ​York:​ ​Modern 
Language​ ​Association​ ​of​ ​America. 

Creating​ ​a​ ​Works​ ​Cited​ ​page​ ​can​ ​be​ ​overwhelming.​ ​There​ ​are 
a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​rules​ ​to​ ​remember​ ​about​ ​citing​ ​a​ ​picture​ ​vs.​ ​a​ ​website 
vs.​ ​a​ ​book​ ​vs.​ ​a​ ​video.​ ​Each​ ​English​ ​teacher​ ​has​ ​a​ ​copy​ ​of​ ​this 
handbook​ ​in​ ​their​ ​classrooms​ ​and​ ​there​ ​are​ ​a​ ​couple​ ​copies​ ​in 
the​ ​media​ ​center​ ​available​ ​for​ ​check​ ​out.​ ​You​ ​will​ ​not​ ​have​ ​to 
worry​ ​about​ ​making​ ​careless​ ​mistakes​ ​if​ ​you​ ​use​ ​this 
handbook​ ​as​ ​a​ ​guide​ ​for​ ​properly​ ​citing​ ​in​ ​text​ ​and​ ​works 
cited​ ​information.  

Noodle​ ​Tools 
NoodleTools.​ ​(2017).​ ​NoodleTools​ ​Inc.​ ​Retrieved​ ​from 
http://www.noodletools.com/ 

With​ ​a​ ​school​ ​or​ ​library​ ​subscription,​ ​creating​ ​a​ ​works 

cited​ ​page​ ​has​ ​never​ ​been​ ​easier.​ ​This​ ​tool​ ​compares 
to​ ​EasyBib​ ​or​ ​Citation​ ​Machine,​ ​except​ ​it​ ​is​ ​much​ ​more​ ​user​ ​friendly​ ​or​ ​elementary​ ​and 
middle​ ​school​ ​students.​ ​All​ ​you​ ​need​ ​is​ ​a​ ​link,​ ​video,​ ​or​ ​book​ ​title,​ ​and​ ​this​ ​database​ ​creates​ ​a 
citation​ ​for​ ​you.​ ​It​ ​also​ ​stores​ ​all​ ​your​ ​citations​ ​for​ ​a​ ​specific​ ​project​ ​until​ ​you​ ​are​ ​ready​ ​to 
move​ ​them​ ​into​ ​a​ ​works​ ​cited​ ​document,​ ​which​ ​NoodleTools​ ​will​ ​export​ ​for​ ​you.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​a 
great​ ​tool​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​open​ ​as​ ​you​ ​work​ ​on​ ​your​ ​project.​ ​It​ ​will​ ​help​ ​you​ ​create​ ​your​ ​citations​ ​as 
you​ ​write.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​must​ ​use​ ​for​ ​less​ ​stress​ ​during​ ​your​ ​research.​ ​This​ ​tool​ ​takes​ ​all​ ​the​ ​hard 
parts​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​citation​ ​process.  

Graphic​ ​Organizers 
Edu​ ​Place.​ ​(n.d.).​ ​Graphic​ ​Organizers.​ ​Eduplace.com​ ​Houghton​ ​Mifflin​ ​Company.​ ​Retrieved 
from​ ​http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/k_5/graphorg/index.html 

When​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​writing​ ​a​ ​paper,​ ​sometimes​ ​the​ ​best​ ​way​ ​to​ ​stay​ ​organized​ ​is​ ​a​ ​graphic 
organizer.​ ​Graphic​ ​organizers​ ​for​ ​author​ ​biographies​ ​come​ ​in​ ​many​ ​different​ ​styles.​ ​Eduplace 
has​ ​a​ ​list​ ​of​ ​many​ ​different​ ​generic​ ​graphic​ ​organizers​ ​you​ ​can​ ​sort​ ​through​ ​to​ ​find​ ​one​ ​that 
would​ ​work​ ​for​ ​you​ ​or​ ​your​ ​students.​ ​However,​ ​I​ ​also​ ​attached​ ​additional​ ​links​ ​from​ ​Teachers 
Pay​ ​Teachers,​ ​Curriculum​ ​Corner,​ ​and​ ​Oak​ ​Dome​ ​for​ ​specific​ ​organizers​ ​for​ ​this​ ​project.​ ​All​ ​of 
  

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these​ ​sources​ ​were​ ​located​ ​through​ ​a​ ​Pinterest​ ​search.​ ​Check​ ​out​ ​the​ ​links​ ​and​ ​choose​ ​a 
graphic​ ​organize​ ​to​ ​best​ ​help​ ​you​ ​or​ ​your​ ​students​ ​write​ ​a​ ​paper​ ​and​ ​organize​ ​this​ ​project.  

Check​ ​out​ ​additional​ ​graphic​ ​organizers:  

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/My-Biography-Research-Graphic-Organizer-4
35416 

http://www.thecurriculumcorner.com/thecurriculumcorner123/2015/01/famous-people-resea
rch-graphic-organizers/ 

http://oakdome.com/k5/lesson-plans/internet/common-core-biography-research-graphic-org
anizer.php 

Biographical​ ​Essay​ ​Reminders 

Biographical​ ​Essay​ ​(n.d).​ ​Writing​ ​Workshop.​ ​Pearson​ ​Education​ ​Inc.​ ​Retrieved​ ​from 
http://www.phschool.com/atschool/ahon09/pdfs/AHON_WW_unit_3.pdf 

This​ ​online​ ​PDF​ ​gives​ ​great​ ​reminders​ ​about​ ​the​ ​information​ ​you​ ​learned​ ​in​ ​class​ ​with​ ​your 
English​ ​teacher​ ​about​ ​how​ ​to​ ​write​ ​a​ ​biographical​ ​essay.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​need​ ​tips​ ​or​ ​reminders​ ​about 
how​ ​to​ ​begin​ ​your​ ​paper,​ ​then​ ​this​ ​is​ ​the​ ​perfect​ ​resource.​ ​There​ ​is​ ​information​ ​about 
prewriting,​ ​drafting,​ ​revising,​ ​and​ ​self-assessment.​ ​There​ ​is​ ​also​ ​a​ ​model​ ​essay​ ​about​ ​George 
Washington​ ​you​ ​can​ ​view​ ​for​ ​ideas​ ​about​ ​how​ ​to​ ​start​ ​your​ ​introduction​ ​paragraph.​ ​This​ ​PDF 
presents​ ​information​ ​in​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​understand​ ​vocabulary​ ​and​ ​graphics​ ​to​ ​make​ ​writing​ ​your 
paper​ ​easier.  

 
  

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Tips​ ​for​ ​writing​ ​a​ ​biographical​ ​essay-Wiki 

This​ ​Wiki​ ​has​ ​information​ ​about​ ​many​ ​types​ ​of 
papers.​ ​The​ ​tips​ ​for​ ​writing​ ​a​ ​biographical 
narrative​ ​essay​ ​are​ ​applicable​ ​for​ ​the​ ​author​ ​study 
project.​ ​Although​ ​students​ ​do​ ​not​ ​have​ ​to​ ​write 
their​ ​research​ ​in​ ​narrative​ ​format,​ ​many​ ​choose​ ​to 
do​ ​this.​ ​If​ ​a​ ​student​ ​does​ ​decide​ ​to​ ​take​ ​this​ ​route 
with​ ​their​ ​writing,​ ​then​ ​the​ ​tips​ ​on​ ​this​ ​wiki​ ​are​ ​a 
good​ ​starting​ ​place​ ​in​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​any​ ​information 
learned​ ​in​ ​class.​ ​When​ ​a​ ​student​ ​is​ ​working 
independently​ ​and​ ​needs​ ​help​ ​with​ ​the​ ​research 
process,​ ​this​ ​page​ ​is​ ​a​ ​great​ ​place​ ​to​ ​go.​ ​The​ ​tips​ ​offered​ ​in​ ​this​ ​article​ ​are​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​and 
will​ ​help​ ​students​ ​create​ ​a​ ​quality​ ​paper. 

Greatlakeswiki.​ ​(2013).​ ​Writing​ ​an​ ​interesting​ ​biographical​ ​narrative​ ​essay.​ ​Retrieved​ ​from 
http://www.greatlakeswiki.org/the-best-5-tips-on-writing-biographical-narrative-essay-for-s
tudents.php 

Author​ ​Biography​ ​Examples 

Urban,​ ​D.​ ​(2016).​ ​Writing​ ​Your​ ​Author​ ​Bio?​ ​Here​ ​Are​ ​10 
Great​ ​Examples.​ ​Retrieved​ ​from 
https://insights.bookbub.com/great-author-bio-examples/ 

When​ ​writing​ ​a​ ​new​ ​type​ ​of​ ​paper,​ ​sometimes​ ​the​ ​best 
resources​ ​are​ ​examples​ ​to​ ​help​ ​you​ ​know​ ​how​ ​to​ ​get 
started.​ ​This​ ​article​ ​includes​ ​paragraphs​ ​from​ ​ten​ ​different 
author​ ​biographies.​ ​My​ ​favorite​ ​feature​ ​is​ ​that​ ​after​ ​each 
example​ ​there​ ​is​ ​a​ ​description​ ​explaining​ ​why​ ​it​ ​is​ ​a​ ​good 
paragraph.​ ​Reading​ ​through​ ​these​ ​examples​ ​to​ ​get​ ​ideas 
about​ ​style,​ ​tone,​ ​and​ ​format​ ​is​ ​a​ ​great​ ​way​ ​to​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​you​ ​are​ ​on​ ​the​ ​right​ ​track​ ​with​ ​your 
paper.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​not​ ​always​ ​ask​ ​your​ ​teacher​ ​for​ ​help,​ ​so​ ​when​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​see​ ​if​ ​you​ ​are​ ​doing 
what​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​do​ ​or​ ​if​ ​you​ ​just​ ​need​ ​inspiration,​ ​check​ ​out​ ​this​ ​article.  
  

  11 

Flocabulary 
Flocabulary​ ​Team.​ ​(2016).​ ​Works​ ​Cited. 
Flocabulary.com​ ​Retrieved​ ​from 
https://www.flocabulary.com/unit/works-cited/ 

Keeping​ ​up​ ​with​ ​a​ ​quality​ ​works​ ​cited​ ​page​ ​can 

be​ ​a​ ​difficult​ ​task​ ​for​ ​anyone​ ​of​ ​any​ ​writing​ ​level. 
The​ ​key​ ​to​ ​remember​ ​is​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​up​ ​with​ ​it​ ​as​ ​you 
go,​ ​and​ ​do​ ​not​ ​wait​ ​until​ ​the​ ​end​ ​to​ ​try​ ​and 
remember​ ​how​ ​to​ ​cite​ ​everything.​ ​This​ ​article 
uses​ ​humor​ ​to​ ​remind​ ​students​ ​of​ ​the 
importance​ ​of​ ​a​ ​works​ ​cited​ ​page.​ ​The​ ​video​ ​also​ ​gives​ ​great​ ​steps​ ​for​ ​how​ ​to​ ​create​ ​citations. 
This​ ​video​ ​is​ ​a​ ​great​ ​way​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​about​ ​works​ ​cited​ ​in​ ​a​ ​different​ ​format​ ​than​ ​an​ ​article​ ​or 
handbook.