Key stage 2 biography example

KS2 Text Types – Biographical Recounts

Download now
Subscribe today and receive…
  • Unlimited access to 1000s of resources
  • 80+ CPD guides and 60+ training videos
  • Access to THREE whole-school curriculums:
    - Real Writing
    - Real Comprehension
    - Real Grammar
  • The complete Word Whosh vocabulary building programme
  • Free subscription to Teach Reading & Writing magazine, and digital access to all back issues
  • Exclusive, member-only resource collections
  • New resources added every week
View All Membership Benefits

Teach children how to write informative biographical recounts with this Key Stage 2 text types resource pack.

Pupils will write a biography about an influential person, either someone that they know or someone who is in the public eye. Two model texts are included, showing WAGOLL (what a good one looks like), to inspire writing.

This KS2 resource includes:

  • Model Text 1 Great Uncle John
    an example biography about a relative who inspires
  • Model Text 2 Jessica Ennis-Hill
    an example biography about an influential public figure
  • Biography writing sheet
    a PDF containing success criteria that pupils can use to support their writing; it includes examples of adverbials and past tense verbs which can be used to create cohesion
  • Biography research sheet
    a PDF for pupils to record key information about the person for whom they are writing a biography
  • Biography writing plan
    a worksheet to support pupils to plan and structure their writing
  • Writing frame
    A PDF sheet that pupils could use to present their work
  • Themed writing paper

What is a biography?

A biography is a written account of someone’s life, written by someone else.

National Curriculum English programmes of study links

Year 3/4

  • Pupils should plan their writing by discussing writing that is similar to that which they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from its structure, vocabulary and grammar.
  • Pupils should draft and write by usin

Exploring biographies

Watch: What is a biography?

A biography is a non-fiction text about someone's life.

Biographies are true pieces of text, based on fact, so biographers (the people who write biographies) have to do a lot of research. They use websites, letters, photographs, diaries and newspapers to help them.

  • Because biographies are written by someone else, they are written in the third person(//).

  • They are usually written in chronological order (the order in which events actually happened).

For example, watch this clip. It gives a biography of the scientist Marie Curie.

Back to top

Watch: Biography of Stephen Hawking

Even though biographers do lots of research, they can only guess at what it was like to be that person, or the thoughts and feelings the person had.

If the person they want to write about, or anyone who knew them, is still alive, biographers sometimes carry out an interview to ask lots of questions about the person's life.

Here's another biography of a scientist, this time Professor Stephen Hawking.

Back to top

Who are biographies about?

Often biographies are about people who are famous because of something they have done. Scientists, artists, sports stars or world leaders often have biographies written about them.

But you don't have to be famous to have a biography written about you. You just need to have a life story that someone else could find interesting or want to find out about.

People in the future will be interested in lives being led right now!

Back to top

Biographies should be based on fact. How many facts do you remember about the biographies of Marie Curie and Stephen Hawking? Try this true or false quiz to find out!

Back to top

Time to become a biographer! Write a short biography of someone you are interested in.

It could be a famous person from history, a sports star, a scientist or an artist. It could even be your favourite TV star!

1. Mak

  • Biography examples year 3

    • Who makes Puffin Schools?

    Puffin is an imprint of Penguin Random House, the world’s number-one publisher representing a vibrant community of publishing houses marked by unparalleled success. Through our world of stories, Puffin aims to open up the world to every child. Our mission is to inspire children to feel they can be and do anything, and to create readers for life.

    Puffin started out as a non-fiction publisher, with its first title appearing in 1940. As the most iconic and well-known children’s book brand in the UK today, we are always on the lookout for innovative ways to tell the world’s favourite stories and for brilliant new debut talent and brands that connect with today’s young readers, from newborn up to twelve years old.

    We publish a diverse and wide range of fiction, non-fiction, picture books and children’s classics. Our list includes some of the world’s favourite authors, illustrators and licensed brands, such as Eric Carle, Helen Oxenbury, Nadia Shireen, The Snowman, Doctor Who, Roald Dahl, Tom Fletcher, Jeff Kinney, Rick Riordan, Robin Stevens, and Jacqueline Wilson to name but a few.

  • Biography examples for kids

    • .