Firsthand Biography, Introduction Text Guidelines and Annotations

Text:
A firsthand biography
•	focuses on one person who stands out in the writer's mind
•	uses details about physical appearance, habits, and typical activities
•	includes incidents that show what a person is like
•	interprets the person's actions, motives, beliefs
•   explains the importance of the person to the writer

Annotations
•	The paper focuses on the person the writer admires most, his father.
•	The writer characterizes his father through the use of details. These include the father's physical appearance, dialogue, habits, and activities.
•	The writer includes two incidents that characterize his father. One incident involves the father losing his job; the other is about the time the writer lost his social studies report.
•	The writer interprets his father's actions. His father has "a special dignity" and is "calm and considerate of others."
•	The writer explains the significance of his father to him. From his father, the writer has learned that he, too, is a special person.