Grammar for Writing: Level Orange — Chapter 13

Native American Men, Native American Women Sacajawea, Shoshone guide and translator for Lewis and Clark, appears on the new U.S. Golden Dollar. Few people fail to recognize the names Sitting Bull, Cochise, and Crazy Horse. But while many Native American leaders have been warriors, many have been artists, politicians, and social reformers. Among such female notables have been Pocahontas, Sacajawea, Sara Winnemucca, Dat So La Lee, and Maria Tallchief. Lesser-known male leaders have been Sequoyah, Chief Joseph, Osceola, and Ben Nighthorse Campbell. Investigate the life and contributions of one Native American leader. Then, write a two-page biography of that leader, telling the story of his or her motivations, dreams, and achievements. Often, a single spark inspired leadership; one event changed him or her forever. STEP 1: Initial Search Begin your research with visits to the following websites: Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian Search: Individuals and tribal information. The Smithsonian site also has a link leading to many other Native American sites. Public Broadcasting System Search: Biography subjects Take notes on names, dates, and accomplishments of Native American leaders. Search one area of interest, such as education, politics, or social reform. Use cluster diagrams to organize the facts you've collected, then choose the leader who most interests you. (See Grammar for Writing, Level Orange, page 11.) STEP 2: Focus Your Search Search the Internet for more information on the subject you chose. Visit the following website: LibrarySpot Run a name-specific search of Libraryspot.com using Google's search engine. Explore other resources, such as histories of Native American culture, an encyclopedia, and newspaper and magazine articles. Collect biographical information about your subject, quotes about or from that person, and information about what world and national events occurred during his or her life. If you choose to write about an artist, record the names and locations of the artist's works. STEP 3: Define Your Audience Make the biography interesting to American history students. The audience probably knows something about Native Americans, but may not have specific knowledge about the subject of your biography. Make the biography informative and factual. Avoid opinion statements; support your statements with research. STEP 4: Apply the 5-W and How? Questions Use the 5-W and How? questions to organize your material. (See Grammar for Writing, Level Orange, page 11.) Sort your information chronologically. You need not begin with the subject's birth and childhood unless that childhood had some significance in the subject's achievements. Proper use of mechanics can bring clarity and power to your writing. Be sure you know where and when to use commas, and which end marks are appropriate. Review the rules for using end marks and commas in Grammar for Writing, Level Orange, pages 239-244 and 249. Professional writers always consider the reading abilities of their audiences. They are careful to vary sentence length and structure, to avoid run-on sentences, and to use proper punctuation. A good plan when writing for a general audience is to make sentences no longer than twelve to eighteen words. STEP 5: Organize Your Ideas and Write a Rough Draft Where do you start? Since key events often trigger the careers or achievements of people, that is a good place to start. Decide which events most influenced your subject. Once you have chosen a starting point, present the events in your subject's life in chronological order. Enrich your writing with quotes and comments from others who were affected by your subject. Explain why this person's actions made him or her a leader. Photo courtesy of Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian This bronze statue of Sequoyah stands in the Capitol Building's Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. STEP 6: Revise, Edit and Proofread Your Writing Reread the biography. Be sure each paragraph has a topic sentence and that all sentences in the paragraph support that topic. Ask yourself: "Have I explained clearly why this person became a leader?" Add facts, descriptions, anecdotes, or quotations from or about the subject to your paragraphs to develop a clear portrait for readers. Review the pace of your writing. Is the content gripping, or have you bogged readers down in long strings of tedious details? If so, carefully edit and rewrite those sections. Edit your writing for grammatical errors; then proofread your work carefully for spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors. STEP 7: Publish Your Work Present the biography to the class. Give the work an interesting title, and create a title page. If possible, illustrate your biography with a portrait and/or other pictures of either momentous events or memorable people in his or her life. Copyright ©2007 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.