Unofficial Biographer

Does your child have a future in reference book publishing? Here's an entry-level assignment that can serve as a preview.

Unofficial Biographer

Required:

Reference materials

Does your child have a future in reference book publishing? Here's an entry-level assignment that can serve as a preview.

Your child chooses a person he or she is studying in school—a famous inventor, a U.S. president, or another noteworthy public figure. Then he or she writes an encyclopedia entry for that person, including as many facts (such as date of birth, hometown, notable achievements, and the like) as possible.

When your biographer is finished, open an encyclopedia, and read the "real" article. See how many similarities you can find between the actual entries and the homespun bios. If there are any discrepancies between entries, check other sources for verification—don't assume the encyclopedia is always right.

So, Thomas Edison invented the record player, the light bulb, and the ping-pong ball, did he? Only your young unofficial biographer knows for sure!