3.12 Questions, Sources, and Notetaking

The Small Questions

The Small Questions

That doesn't mean the small questions are not important. They form the body of your biography. The big question helps you to "think about" the facts, to synthesize or put together the facts to create a meaningful essay. The questions below show three categories you can organize your notes into - at least to get started. Depending on the person, your organization might end up being a bit different.

EARLY LIFE

• What is your person’s first and last name-nicknames/pseudonyms?
• What is their date of birth and death?
• What was your person like when they were young?
• What do you know about their family members and important early experiences which contributed to their personality or future? Who influenced this person's life and choices? W
• What schools did your person attend in their life? Where are the schools located? Any interesting information on their school behavior or grades? Was there a particularly influential teacher?
• What obstacles did this person have to overcome? How did s/he overcome them?

LATER LIFE

• When they were an adult, what jobs did they hold? Why did this person enter the field they did? Did they receive and awards or recognition in their lifetime?
• If your person has died: When and where did they die? How did they die?

CONTRIBUTIONS / ACCOMPLISHMENTS / FUTURE

• How did their death affect society or other individuals?
• If your person is still alive: What new projects are they working on?
• What are they doing today?
• What opinions do others have about this person?
• What do you know about their hopes for the future?

QUOTABLE QUOTES

• Quotable quotes can really add to your content and message. If you find a quotable quote by your person or about your person, record it. Just keep track of "who said it".