Ninety elementary and middle school educators attended the March 17, 2005 conference, “Compelling Characters: Enlivening History through Biography.” Educators met renowned children’s authors and reflected on the use of biography in the classroom at this annual spring conference sponsored by the John F. Kennedy National Historic Site and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
During the first session of the day, moderator Norman Finkelstein invited three accomplished authors to share their experiences of writing biographies for children: James Cross Giblin, author of many highly regarded nonfiction books for young people including The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin and The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler; Kathryn Lasky, author of more than 80 books for children and adults including The Story of Phyllis Wheatley, Slave Poet and A Brilliant Streak: The Making of Mark Twain; and Diane Stanley, author and illustrator of outstanding picture-book biographies including Michelangelo, Joan of Arc, and Shaka: King of the Zulus. The authors described why they chose to write biographies, how they research their topics, and what challenges they face when writing for young readers.
Following the panel, Myra Zarnowski, professor of education at Queens College, CUNY, and author of History Makers: A Questioning Approach to Reading and Writing Biographies, described her work with children in New York City public schools. Using images of children’s work, and drawing from books by authors Giblin, Lasky, and Stanley, Dr. Zarnowski demonstrated how she used four questions to approach biography with students: What if?, What’s the difference?, What do I think?, and What else? She illustrated how each question inspired an activity in which students took on the role of biographer and experienced the challenges and excitement of actually “doing” history.
Participants met in smaller groups in the afternoon for discussions with one of the guest authors. During these sessions educators had ample opportunity to ask the authors detailed questions about their books, their writing process, and their experience as biographers.
At the end of the conference, participants waited patiently in line to have their books signed, a precious reminder of an unforgettable day.