Big Question Overview and Resources

Personal experiences shape your personality and help determine the kind of person you are today. Sometimes you go through experiences that challenge you to become a stronger person. Reading about other people’s experiences can help you to figure out how to bring out the best in yourself.

A biography is the story of a person’s life that was written by another person. An autobiography is the story of a person’s life written by that same person. Biographies and autobiographies include the important events that change lives and create history.

Web Resources

Science Biographies
http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/
This website offers biographies of famous scientists. Narrow your search by choosing by branch of science, gender, ethnicity, historical periods, or prize winners.

Favorite Authors
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/askauthor/
Read about your favorite authors and find links to their websites.

American Music and Arts
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/ihas/profiles.html
Read about the composers, poets, writers, and artists who have shaped American music throughout time.

Biographies and Autobiographies
http://books.scholastic.com/teachers/authorsandbooks/authorstudies/authorstudies.jsp
This site has many biographies and autobiographies of your favorite authors. Just type their names in the “Quick Find” box.

Bringing Out the Best
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/
Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicated his life to defending Civil Rights. His work brought out the best in many others. Read his biography and the biography of his wife, Coretta Scott King.