Lesson Plan
Building Character Arcs
Students will be able to identify key elements of character development and analyze character arcs in literary texts, applying this understanding to enhance their own creative writing.
Understanding how authors craft compelling characters deepens a student's appreciation for literature and provides essential tools for creating their own rich, believable stories.
Audience
Middle School Students
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Through discussion, analysis, and reflection.
Materials
Whiteboard or projector, Beyond the Page Character Study Slide Deck, My Character's Inner Monologue Journal, and Character Archetypes Explained Reading
Prep
Review Materials
15 minutes
- Review the Building Character Arcs Lesson Plan and familiarize yourself with the activities.
- Prepare the Beyond the Page Character Study Slide Deck for presentation.
- Print or prepare digital copies of the My Character's Inner Monologue Journal and Character Archetypes Explained Reading.
Step 1
Introduction: What Makes a Character Click?
5 minutes
- Begin by asking students: "What makes a fictional character truly memorable?"
- Facilitate a brief class discussion, noting student responses on the board.
- Introduce the lesson objective using the Beyond the Page Character Study Slide Deck (Slide 1-2).
Step 2
Exploring Character Archetypes
10 minutes
- Distribute or display the Character Archetypes Explained Reading.
- Have students read individually or in pairs.
- Lead a discussion on common character archetypes (e.g., hero, villain, mentor) using Beyond the Page Character Study Slide Deck (Slide 3-5) and connect them to familiar stories.
Step 3
Deconstructing Character Arcs
15 minutes
- Explain the concept of a character arc: how a character changes or develops throughout a story.
- Use examples from popular culture or literature to illustrate different types of arcs (e.g., redemption, transformation) with Beyond the Page Character Study Slide Deck (Slide 6-8).
- Guide students through an analysis of a short character journey, perhaps from a well-known fairy tale or short story. Focus on identifying the character's initial state, inciting incident, rising action, climax, and resolution of their internal conflict.
Step 4
Inner Monologue Journaling
10 minutes
- Introduce the My Character's Inner Monologue Journal.
- Instruct students to choose a character (either from a story they know or one they create) and write a journal entry from that character's perspective, focusing on their thoughts, feelings, and internal conflicts related to a significant event.
- Encourage them to consider how this event might lead to a change in their character.
Step 5
Wrap-up and Share
5 minutes
- Invite a few volunteers to share excerpts from their My Character's Inner Monologue Journal (optional).
- Briefly recap the importance of character development and character arcs in storytelling. Ask students to reflect on how understanding these concepts might impact their own reading and writing.
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Slide Deck
Beyond the Page: Unmasking Characters
What makes a fictional character unforgettable? How do authors make them feel so real?
Greet students and start with an engaging question to activate prior knowledge. Ask them what characters from books, movies, or games they find most interesting and why. This helps connect to their experiences.
Our Character Quest!
Today, we will:
- Discover what makes characters come alive.
- Explore different character types.
- Learn how characters grow and change through their 'arcs'.
Clearly state the learning objectives for the lesson. Explain that by understanding character development, they'll become better readers and writers. Refer back to the Building Character Arcs Lesson Plan objective.
Character Archetypes: Familiar Faces
Have you ever noticed characters in different stories who seem to play similar roles?
Character archetypes are like blueprints for common character types we see again and again.
Introduce the concept of character archetypes. Explain that these are common patterns or models for characters found across many stories. Emphasize that authors often build upon these archetypes but add unique twists.
Archetype Examples:
- The Hero: Brave, selfless, often on a quest.
- The Mentor: Wise, guides the hero.
- The Villain: Opposes the hero, creates conflict.
- The Sidekick: Loyal companion, often provides comic relief.
Provide a few clear examples of archetypes. You can ask students for their own examples if time permits, or use characters from stories they are likely familiar with. Reference the Character Archetypes Explained Reading.
Why Archetypes?
- Quick Understanding: We instantly recognize their role.
- Foundation: Authors build unique characters on these foundations.
Think of a character: what archetype are they?
Encourage a quick discussion about why authors use archetypes and how they can be both helpful and sometimes limiting. Ask students to think of a character from a book or movie and identify their archetype.
Character Arcs: The Journey Within
Characters rarely stay the same from beginning to end.
A character arc is the transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of a story.
Transition to character arcs. Explain that characters don't stay the same throughout a story; they change, learn, and grow. This journey of change is their 'arc'.
Arc Examples:
- Transformative Arc: Character undergoes significant change (e.g., Scrooge from A Christmas Carol).
- Redemption Arc: Character atones for past wrongs.
- Growth Arc: Character learns and matures.
- Fall Arc: Character declines or becomes worse.
Illustrate with examples of different types of character arcs. Use simple, well-known characters to make the concept accessible. For instance, a character who starts as selfish and becomes generous (redemption arc).
Why Do Arcs Matter?
- Relatability: We connect with characters who face struggles and change.
- Depth: Arcs add complexity and meaning to a story.
- Life Lessons: Characters' journeys often reflect real-life challenges and growth.
Reinforce the idea that understanding character arcs helps us appreciate the depth of stories and the challenges characters face. This also ties into their My Character's Inner Monologue Journal activity.
Your Turn: Character's Inner Voice
Now, it's your chance to step into a character's mind!
We'll be working on our My Character's Inner Monologue Journal to explore their thoughts and feelings.
Introduce the journal activity. Explain that they will be putting themselves in a character's shoes to explore an inner monologue. Emphasize the connection between internal thoughts and external actions/arcs.
Character Close-Up: What Did We Learn?
- Characters are made memorable through their traits and journeys.
- Archetypes provide a foundation, but arcs show their growth.
- Understanding characters enriches our reading and writing!
Conclude by reiterating the main takeaways. Thank them for their participation and invite them to continue thinking about character development in the stories they encounter. This sets up the cool-down or exit ticket.
Journal
My Character's Inner Monologue
Choose a character, either one you've created yourself or a character from a book, movie, or game that you know well. Imagine a significant moment in their story – a challenge they face, a tough decision they have to make, or a realization they experience.
Now, write a journal entry from that character's perspective. Focus on their inner monologue – what are they thinking, feeling, and struggling with deep down? How does this moment make them question themselves or their world? What internal conflicts are they experiencing? How might this moment change them?
Character's Name:
The Significant Moment:
Journal Entry:
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