Biography Text

A biography is a story of a person's life that is more complex than

just a curriculum vitae and work data. Generally, a biography tells a

deeper story about the feelings a person faces in facing an event or

someone's life.

A biography explains a character's life from childhood until he grows

up, even until he finally dies. All services, works and things produced

by a figure are also explained. The biographical text itself was not

composed by myself. Types of life history text include Short life

history and Long life history.

A Biography Text generally uses the specific names of the people involved in a biography which is then written in the past

tense.

A biography text can also use words that are related to time. Biographical notes generally describe events, so they use more

action verbs.

Ge�eric Structure

A Biography Text consists of three parts:

1. Orientation

The orientation provides the reader with background information about why the biography is being written. The opening

paragraph should answer the questions: who, what, where, when, and how.

Usually contains narrated biodata such as full name and place and date of birth. Some general information can also be

presented in this section as an introduction to the characters.

2. Events

The events stage is the stage where an event or occurrence is experienced by the character. Contains an explanation of a

story in the form of problem solving, other processes, and various events that have been experienced by the character to

lead him to success. The events themselves are usually told chronologically, referring to a certain time.

3. Re-Orientation (Closing)

This section contains the author's views on the characters being told. Reorientation is optional so that the author can give

his personal view of the character being told. Reorientation also consists of a type of conclusion with comments about the

contribution which is then summarized in an interesting conclusion or storyline.

Ge�eric Structure of a Biograp�y Text

1. Orie�tatio�

Provides background information—

who, what, where, when, and how.

Includes biodata (name, birthdate,

etc.) and introductory details.

2. Eve�t�

Details the character's experiences,

chronologically showing problem-

solving, processes, and events leading

to success.

3. Re-Orie�tatio� (Clo�i�g)

Presents the author's perspective;

optional and may include a summary

or concluding statement about the

character's contributions.

Biograp�y Text

T�o�a� Alva Edi�o�

Thomas Alva Edison as Inventor who was born on February

11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio. Thomas Edison was the youngest of

seven children Samuel and Edison. His father was an exiled

political activist, while his mother was an accomplished

school teacher and had a great influence on Thomas’ early

life. Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor, his

inventions include the telegraph, the phonograph, the first

practical incandescent electric light bulb, alkaline storage

batteries and the Kinetograph (camera for film).

During his lifetime, Edison received many patents. His first

patent was obtained from the Electrographic Vote-

Recorder on October 13, 1868, at the age of 21. His last

patent was for equipment used to hold objects during the

electroplating process. While the artificer wasn’t the

inventor of the first light bulb, he did find the technology

that helped bring it back in time.

Edison was driven to perfect the commercially practical

incandescent light bulb after the British inventor invented

the first early electric arc lamp in the early 1800s. Thomas

Edison later died of complications from his illness on

October 18, 1931, at his home, “Glenmont,” in West Orange,

New Jersey.

Laetania Belai Djandam, a member of Indonesia’s Dayak people, learned from an early age the importance of community

and environmental conservation.

“I have an Indigenous background and for our people, the two most important things that we have to take care of are

nature and culture,” she told Global Citizen.

“Growing up, my parents emphasized those two things and everything in between. They would take me to forests and

national parks, and I do acknowledge my privilege in being able to visit rural communities to not only meet the environment

there but also get to know the different communities in Indonesia. That long-term exposure to the environment and

community work pushed me into activism,” she said.

Djandam grew up in the city of Bogor, not far from the capital Jakarta. But she also toured the countryside and visited parts

of Borneo, where she spent extensive time with various Indigenous communities, learning about their customs and how best

to advocate for them.

She first volunteered on a river clean-up project when she was 7 years old and started learning about forest management

when she was 9. And at 17, she observed the people of the Dayak Iban Sungai Utik Long House resist illegal logging and palm

oil efforts in West Borneo.

These encroachments by illegal loggers destroyed and displaced wildlife, degraded the soil, and released greenhouse

gasses into the atmosphere.

Djandam saw firsthand how the climate crisis was worsening these problems and making it difficult for communities in West

Borneo to continue their way of life. Intense rainfall happens a lot more regularly now, degrading the quality of soil,

overwhelming local animal and plant populations, and flooding homes.

“We grow all of our own food, including rice,” Djandam said. “Because of the changing of the weather patterns, a lot of the

harvests are smaller than they once were. And there’s often not enough food for the entire community.

“Toward the end of 2021, we had two or three floods in the span of one month, which is something that doesn't really happen

in our community,” she said.

Image: Laetania Belai Djandam community

Djandam was part of a team of advocates who brought the 40-year campaign for land rights by Dayak Iban Sungai Utik

Long House to a global audience, applying for and helping them win the United Nations’ Equator Prize.

The Dayak Iban are demonstrating what sustainable forest management looks like. They reserve 6,000 hectares of forest for

protection, which they guard against outside forces, and set aside 3,504 hectares of forest for rotational crop cultivation that

operates in harmony with local ecosystems.

“Valuing nature and cultural integrity over temporary wealth from the sale of their land, the Dayak Iban illustrate the power

of sustainable Indigenous management for climate change mitigation and human well-being,” the UN wrote when

announcing the prize.

Djandam stresses that the community did all of the real work to earn the prize, but the experience opened her eyes to the

potential of advocacy. As awareness of their plight grew, the government finally granted them land rights.