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The Trustworthy Hero: How Reliability Shapes a Story

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Lesson Plan

The Trustworthy Hero: How Reliability Shapes a Story

Students will be able to analyze how a character's dependability affects the plot of a story and articulate how self-management contributes to being a reliable group member in a collaborative project.

Understanding how reliability impacts storytelling helps students analyze literature more deeply and develop critical thinking skills. It also directly applies to their own lives, fostering better collaboration and personal accountability.

Audience

12th Grade Students

Time

45 minutes

Approach

This lesson will use a warm-up, vocabulary introduction, character analysis, and a reflective exit ticket.

Materials

Google Slides or Projector, Analyzing Character Dependability, Warm-Up: Unreliable Characters, Activity: Think-Pair-Share Scenarios, and Exit Ticket: My Reliability Pledge

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up Discussion: Unreliable Characters

10 minutes

  1. Distribute or display the Warm-Up: Unreliable Characters.
    2. Ask students to individually brainstorm characters they know from books, movies, or TV shows who are unreliable. This could be because they lie, forget things, or don't follow through.
    3. Facilitate a brief class discussion about their examples. Ask: "What happens in the story because of this character's unreliability? How does it affect other characters or the plot?"

Step 2

Introduce Key Vocabulary & Concepts

5 minutes

  1. Present the first few slides of Analyzing Character Dependability.
    2. Define 'dependability,' 'reliability,' 'character analysis,' and 'plot development.'
    3. Briefly explain how these concepts intertwine in storytelling.

Step 3

Analyze a Character's Reliability

15 minutes

  1. Continue through Analyzing Character Dependability to discuss examples of dependable characters.
    2. Using an example from literature (e.g., Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings, Hermione Granger from Harry Potter), lead a discussion on how their reliability (or lack thereof) impacts the story's progression and outcomes.
    3. Focus on specific actions and their consequences. Use guiding questions: "How does [character's] reliability move the plot forward? What conflicts are resolved or created because of their dependable nature?"

Step 4

Connect to Personal Experience: Think-Pair-Share

10 minutes

  1. Distribute or display Activity: Think-Pair-Share Scenarios.
    2. Ask students to think about a time they had to be reliable in a group project or a situation where someone else's reliability (or lack thereof) impacted them.
    3. In pairs, have students share their experiences and discuss how self-management contributes to being a reliable group member.
    4. Bring the class back together for a brief share-out of key takeaways.

Step 5

Exit Ticket Reflection: My Reliability Pledge

5 minutes

  1. Distribute or display Exit Ticket: My Reliability Pledge.
    2. Instruct students to complete the exit ticket, reflecting on what they've learned about reliability in stories and in personal collaboration.
    3. Collect the exit tickets as students leave or transition to the next activity.
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Slide Deck

The Trustworthy Hero

How Reliability Shapes a Story and Your Group Work!

Welcome students and introduce the lesson's main question to pique their interest.

Why Does This Matter?

Reliability isn't just about heroes in books; it's about being a great teammate in life! Today we'll explore both.

Explain that today's lesson will connect literary analysis with real-world collaboration.

Unreliable Characters: A Quick Recall

Think about characters who made things difficult because they weren't reliable. What happened?

Ask students to recall characters who were not dependable for the warm-up, then transition to defining key terms.

Key Vocabulary: Dependability & Reliability

Dependability: The quality of being trustworthy and reliable.
Reliability: The quality of being consistently good in quality or performance; able to be trusted.

Essentially, it's about being someone others can count on!

Define dependability and reliability. Encourage students to think of synonyms or examples.

Key Concepts: Character & Plot

Character Analysis: Examining a character's traits, motivations, and how they contribute to the story.
Plot Development: How the events of a story unfold and progress.

A character's reliability is a huge part of who they are, and it directly affects what happens in the story!

Define character analysis and plot development, emphasizing their interconnectedness.

Case Study: The Ultimate Wingman, Samwise Gamgee

In The Lord of the Rings, Samwise never wavers in his loyalty and commitment to Frodo.
* What specific actions show his dependability?
* How does his reliability impact Frodo's quest?
* What if Samwise wasn't dependable? How would the story change?

Introduce a literary example of a highly dependable character. Samwise Gamgee is a classic example. Discuss specific actions.

Another Example: Hermione Granger

From Harry Potter, Hermione is often the brains and the planner of the trio.
* How does her reliability (or occasional pushiness!) move the plot forward?
* Think of a time her quick thinking or preparation saved the day. What would have happened without her?

Introduce another example, Hermione Granger, and prompt students to think about her impact.

Reliability in *Your* World

How does dependability play out in your own life, especially when working with others? Let's discuss!

Transition to the personal connection activity.

Your Reliability Pledge

Before we go, reflect on what you've learned and how you can apply it. Complete your exit ticket!

Remind students of the cool-down activity.

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Warm Up

Warm-Up: Unreliable Characters

Think about characters you know from books, movies, or TV shows. These could be characters who often:
* Lie or mislead others
* Forget important things
* Don't follow through on promises
* Are consistently late or unprepared

1. Name two unreliable characters you can think of.
Character 1:


Character 2:


2. For one of these characters, briefly explain what makes them unreliable.





3. How did this character's unreliability affect the story or other characters? What would have been different if they were reliable?





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Activity

Activity: Think-Pair-Share Scenarios

## Part 1: Think (5 minutes)
Individually, reflect on the following questions. You can jot down some notes below.

1. Think of a time when you were part of a group project (at school, in a club, with friends, etc.). Describe a situation where your own dependability (or lack thereof) impacted the group.
* What did you do (or not do)?
* What was the consequence for the group?
* How did it make you feel?





2. Now, think of a time when a group member's dependability (or lack thereof) impacted you or the project.
* What did they do (or not do)?
* What was the consequence for you or the project?
* How did it make you feel?





## Part 2: Pair & Share (5 minutes)
Find a partner and discuss your reflections from Part 1. Listen to each other's experiences and share your thoughts. Consider these questions during your discussion:

* What patterns do you notice about how reliability affects group outcomes?
* How does self-management (being organized, meeting deadlines, communicating) contribute to being a reliable group member?
* What are some strategies for improving personal reliability in a group setting?

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Cool Down

Exit Ticket: My Reliability Pledge

1. Reflecting on our discussion today, what is one key takeaway you learned about how a character's reliability impacts the plot of a story?





2. In your own words, explain how 'self-management' contributes to being a reliable member of a collaborative group.





3. My Reliability Pledge:
Complete the following sentence to make a personal pledge about reliability in your own life.

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