Biography Checklist Pack – A Simple Way to Support Student Writing

It’s fair to say that most of our students understand that they should revise and edit their written work, but do they actually understand how to complete this important process? No matter what the text type, teachers should specifically teach and guide students through the steps when it comes to self-editing a piece of writing.

To help your students self-edit their biography writing, Teach Starter has created this differentiated biography checklist pack. This set of six biography writing checklists will support your students in reviewing and refining their biographies to ensure they contain the appropriate structure and language features. They can also serve as a reminder when it comes to reviewing general writing conventions like spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Some of the statements found in this biography writing checklist pack include:

• I introduced the subject using an attention-grabbing statement.
• I explained why the subject is a noteworthy person.
• I included key achievements written in chronological order.
• I included a conclusion that reaffirms the importance of the subject. 
• I used correct punctuation.
• I checked my spelling. 
• I used past and present tense.
• I used complete sentences.

The features included on each biography checklist vary slightly, allowing you to choose the checklist that best suits your class or the abilities of individual students.

Help Students Improve Their Writing with a Biography Features Checklist

Editing and revising are crucial parts of the writing process, yet younger students often find it difficult to know where to start or what to look for when improving their work. This biography checklist pack provides clear, structured guidance, helping students develop essential revision skills. It helps students to:

• Take Ownership – Using a biography writing checklist empowers students to review their work before submitting it.  
• Identify Errors – Reviewing writing with the support of a biography checklist helps students identify areas for improvement, such as sentence structure and clarity.
• Build Confidence – With the aid of a writing checklist, students can have greater confidence in the quality of their finished piece.

Download a Biography Checklist for Students

This biography checklist pack can be downloaded as either a black-and-white PDF or an editable Google Slides file. If you download the Google file, please note that you will be asked to make a copy to your personal drive.

Choose the checklist that best suits the needs of your class or provide different versions to students based on their writing ability.

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This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and a Teach Starter collaborator.

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More Curriculum-Aligned Biography Writing Resources

Teach Starter takes pride in offering a wide range of curriculum-aligned resources crafted by teachers. Explore our fantastic biography writing activities to help you save time on lesson planning!

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