Sample Assignment: True Autobiographies?

Class: American History or Literature 

Assignment Name:  True Autobiographies?
 

Objective: Students will examine their understanding of "history" by comparing Haley's The Autobiography of Malcolm X to the historic record.  
 

Themes: the life of Malcolm X, the 1960s
 

Assignment: Compare The Autobiography of Malcolm X to the historic record and to the ways that scholars and historians view Malcolm X's life.  Is The Autobiography a "true" autobiography?  How should we treat this book in terms of understanding this historic period? 

Write a paper where you decide whether or not The Autobiography is "true."  Support your opinion with evidence from scholars, historians, or primary documents. 

Submitted by Troy Swanson