Third grade reading standards require students to analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact with a text to demonstrate reading comprehension. In third grade, readers go beyond identifying whether the character is nice or mean, they dive into a deeper analysis by looking through the eyes of the characters to figure out motivations. Empathy is a necessary life skill that can also be developed through reading biographies.  Using a biography, students were able to learn about a person in a historical context and construct analysis of character beyond the realm of “good” and “bad”. Reading about a historical figure gives students an opportunity to learn about a person, their struggles or challenges, and their accomplishments. As students realized that every famous person they studied had struggles and challenges, they learned that it is important to be kind to everyone, as we don’t know the battle they are fighting. Through reading a biography, the students were exposed to history, and made connections to themselves and the world.