Skip the typical Katherine Mansfield introduction lecture as you launch a reading of The Doll’s House, The Garden Party, or any of her other works. Instead, empower students to find their own interesting facts about Mansfield’s life with this “Author Bio” print/post-and-teach activity.
This single-page worksheet (both printable PDF & Google Drive versions included) is a powerful research organizer that’ll get students digging deep into Katherine Mansfield’s fascinating background.
Please note: This download does NOT include a specific article or links to defined articles. It is an organizer tool for students to use as they conduct their own research. In my experience, students take more ownership of the material when they are the ones to research and discover the elements that make a literary figure’s life fascinating. They’ve seen enough of our introductory slideshows; this time, let your kids do the work and discuss/determine what they think is meaningful about Katherine Mansfield’s life.
Here are a few suggested uses for this flexible research tool:
1. Book your school’s computer lab or have students access Katherine Mansfield’s biography information on their own devices. Assign students to either work solo or in teams of two. Once the grids are complete, have students share and compare answers in small groups, focusing on the four interesting facts they discovered, the meaningful quote, and the personal/professional obstacle. Then, pull the students into a full-class discussion, having each group present an interesting fact, quote, or obstacle until every team has contributed. No repeats allowed.
This assignment works great as an “into” activity, but it could also be a “through” activity to add variety to your in-class routine as you work through her short stories, such as “The Doll’s House,” “The Garden Party,” or any of her other works. If you’re using this as an “after” activity, during the discussion I would also ask how any of the biography elements are reflected in the Mansfield work your students just read.
2. Assign the worksheet as a traditional homework assignment. Launch the discussion mentioned in #1 at the beginning of the next class period.
3. Use the grid as the beginning assignment to a larger project where students read two or three pieces or interviews by Katherine Mansfield. Later, this author study could be turned into a compare/contrast essay or a speech presentation, if you wish to expand the assignment. (Author Bio sheets on a variety of modern writers are available in my shop if you want to vary speech topics within one class.)
4. Use as an emergency sub plan.
Download includes: 1-page PDF & Google Drive version of student handout
Please note: This item is not included in any of my other materials. Also, the image on the student PDF worksheet is slightly ghosted to save printer/copier ink. I encourage students to doodle/shade in that space as they work.
Want more Katherine Mansfield materials? Introduce students to her famous short story, “The Doll’s House.” Literary analysis lesson materials for this story here:
https://laurarandazzo.com/product/the-dolls-house-katherine-mansfield-short-story-analysis-pdf-google-drive-ccss/
Thanks for stopping by!
Image credit: Charlotte Mary Pickthall, Alexander Turnbull Library, WikiMedia Commons, public domain
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