Autobiography Project
Write Your Story
Share with me and the class what is important to you...
Who you are has a great deal to do with how you view the world. It is the lens through which you interpret history. Who you are determines the issues that are important to you and who appeals to you as a political candidate. Your view of the world and your life experiences determine how you interact with other people. For that reason, I am asking that you share a small slice of your life with the class.
You will choose one of the options below and use that prompt to create an autobiography of yourself. These options are based on vignettes written by Sandra Cisneros in The House on Mango Street. In that book, the main character, Esperanza, describes her life through small details about herself, her family and her home.
You will have several options for how to present your autobiography. You can create a book with book creator. You may create a short video (no more than 2 minutes) in which you complete your choice for option completely. You can use photographs in a video to create a documentary video (no more than 2 minutes) with narration. Or you may create a podcast in which you complete your option at podomatic.
This autobiography will be shared on a webpage dedicated to your class. So, while we want to know as much as we can about you, make sure that you share only information that you're comfortable sharing with your classmates and me.
Theme 1 - Your Name
Through your autobiography share the following or the portions of the following that you think are an important window into your life:
How did your parents choose your name? Why did they give you your name?
What does your name mean?
Does your name fit you? Why or why not?
How do you feel about your name?
Do you have a nickname that you love? Do you have a nickname that you hate?
Do you have positive or negative memories about your name?
Theme 2 - Your House
What does where you live say about you? Does it say anything about you? Do you think another place is more your style?, etc...
Where do you live? (Neighborhood/ nearest large intersection: example - Western and Division.
How does your home look? On the inside? on the outside?
What's your favorite place in your home?
What is your least favorite thing about your home?
Would you want to move to a different home if you had the chance?
What are some important memories you have of your home that say something about you and your family and the place that you live?
Theme 3 - Your Hair
The changing and developing life of your hair...
What does your hair look like?
How has your hair changed throughout your lifetime?
Introduce your family members based on their hair.
Compare/contrast yourself with your family members based on hair style, color, texture, etc.
Theme 4 - Where You Feel You Belong
Is there a group of people or a place that makes you feel at home or with whom you feel like you've found your people or your tribe?
Neighborhood
Team
Activity
Religious Community
School Community
What is that community like?
How would you describe it?
What are the shared characteristics of the people in that community?
What makes it/ them special?
What is a memory of that community that you think sums up how you feel about it/ them?
Theme 5 - The Future
The future and life after high school seem really far away, but it won't be that long from now...
What do you see as your future?
Where will you be living?
Who will you be living with? Family, significant other, pets, your children....
What will you be doing for a job?
What will you be doing in your free time?
Example - The Future
Project Expectations
This project is worth 200 points.
These elements need to be present in your project:
A well-organized explanation of yourself through the option that you have chosen. (beginning, middle, end)
Strong connection to the theme you have chosen -example - if you chose hair, then your entire autobiography should be connected to your hair or your family's hair in some way. It shouldn't be mentioned and then forgotten. Make the theme that you chose part of the entire autobiography.