Biography in a Box
Pack your box with the following items:
_____ Decorate a box _____ 5 biographical information cards
______ An original artifact
Steps in creating your Biography in a Box for _________________________________
Due date _________________________
1. Research at least three sources for your biography. To prevent your biography from
being as dry and boring as a cardboard box begin with some good questions.
1. Answer the “outside” questions. Questions that are answered easily. These
would be the who, what, when type of questions.
2. Answer the “inside” questions. These types of questions:
• In what ways was this life remarkable?
• Why is this individual admired?
2. Find a box to put your biography in. Decorate the box.
1. Decorate the box to represent the life of the person you researched.
• Include the person’s name
• Add materials that reflect the time the person
lived and what he accomplished.
3. Put all the pieces of your research together and complete the written component of the
Biography in a Box. Instead of writing a traditional report you will write your information on
five 4” x 6” index cards. Label each card like the ones below and include the information in
the examples below. For some of the cards you will have to make inferences based on your
research. Staple your cards together. (See pg. 2 for more information)
Biographical
Information
Write basic information on
this card.
Card #1
Action Card
Character Card
Write about the person’s
character attributes.
For what actions is the
subject of your biography
known?
Card #2
Influence Card
How did the subject
influence others? What
influence did he have
on history?
Card #4
Card #3
Bibliography Card
Cite sources you used for
your research.
Card #5
4. Create an original artifact that might have belonged to the subject of your biography. Imagine
what the person might have carried, or might have had in his home, or might have passed on
to his/her children.
How to Write the Biography Cards
For the “Biography in a Box” you will not write a traditional biography in composition format. See
each card below for the format you should use.
Biographical Information Card (Card #1)
Front
Back – Continued from front
Name:
Date of Birth:
Date of Death:
Basic biographical information
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Basic biographical information
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You may use bullets to
write basic biographical
facts.
You must write using
complete sentences.
Student name:
Action Card (Card #2) – What actions are the most important?
Why?
Character Card ( Card #3) – What is this person like? Why do
you believe this is true?
Influence Card ( Card #4) - How did the subject influence
others? What influence did he have
on history? Why?
Cards 2,3, and 4 must be
written using good paragraphs
and sentences. Be sure you
answer the “why” for each card.
Bibliography or Works Cited Card ( Card #5)
Use the reference on citing sources we have used in class for
other assignments.
• Cite all sources including images you use on you box.
• Use MLA format.
• Build your entries as you do research.