Unmasking Characters: What Makes Them Tick? Script

Warm-Up: Who Am I? (10 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning, class! Today, we're going to start with a fun warm-up that will get us thinking about something we all do naturally: observing people. I'm going to give each of you a Character Trait Warm-Up sheet. On this sheet, I want you to think about a fictional character – it could be from a book, a movie, or even a TV show you love. Don't tell anyone who it is yet! Your task is to write down 3-5 character traits that describe this character's personality. Remember, don't give away their name!"

Pause for students to complete the warm-up.

Teacher: "Alright, now that you've all got your character traits listed, I want you to get into small groups of 3-4. In your groups, one person will share their list of character traits, and the others will try to guess which character they're thinking of. After you guess, discuss how you were able to figure out the character based on the traits. What clues did you use?"

Circulate and monitor group discussions.

Teacher: "Excellent discussions, everyone! It sounds like you're all natural character detectives. The reason you were able to guess many of these characters is because authors and creators give us clues about who their characters are. Today, we're going to learn how to identify these clues, which we call characterization, and understand the incredible variety of character traits that make fictional people feel real."

Introduction to Character Traits & Characterization (15 minutes)

(Slide 1: Unmasking Characters: What Makes Them Tick?)

Teacher: "Take a look at our first slide. 'Unmasking Characters: What Makes Them Tick?' What does that title make you think of? What does it mean to 'unmask' someone?"

Allow for student responses. Guide them to the idea of revealing true identities or personalities.

Teacher: "Exactly! We're going to pull back the layers and discover the true personalities of characters in stories. When you meet someone new in real life, how do you learn about them? What do you pay attention to?"

Encourage responses like what they say, what they do, how they look, how others react to them.

(Slide 2: What are Character Traits?)

Teacher: "Just like real people, fictional characters have personalities, and we describe those personalities using character traits. Read the definition on the slide with me: Character traits are qualities or characteristics that describe a character's personality."

"It's important to remember that character traits are internal qualities. You can't see them directly, like you can see someone's hair color. Instead, you have to infer them based on what the character says, does, thinks, or how others react to them."

"Think about some famous characters you know. What are some of their character traits? For example, Harry Potter is often described as brave and loyal. Can you think of others?"

List student examples on the board. (e.g., Hermione Granger: intelligent, Ron Weasley: humorous, insecure; Katniss Everdeen: resilient, protective).

(Slide 3: Direct Characterization: Right Out In The Open!)

Teacher: "Authors have two main ways of revealing these traits to us. The first is called direct characterization. This is the easiest to spot because the author tells you exactly what the character is like. It's like the author just comes right out and says it!"

"Look at the example on the slide: 'Sarah was a very generous girl, always willing to share her lunch with friends.' The author directly tells us Sarah is generous. There's no guessing involved."

"Can anyone give me an example of direct characterization? Imagine you're writing a story and you want to tell your reader your character is lazy. How would you write that directly?"

Allow students to offer examples. (e.g., 'The old man was grumpy.')

(Slide 4: Indirect Characterization: Showing, Not Telling)

Teacher: "Now, direct characterization is clear, but often, authors make us work a little harder, and that's where the fun really begins! This is called indirect characterization. With indirect characterization, the author shows us what a character is like through their actions, thoughts, and words, and we, as readers, have to infer or figure out the character traits based on those clues."

"Think of yourselves as detectives. The author gives you clues, and you piece them together to solve the mystery of the character's personality."

"Why do you think an author might choose to use indirect characterization instead of just directly telling us?"

Possible student answers: It's more engaging, it makes the reader think, it feels more realistic.

(Slide 5: Cracking the Code: The STEAL Method)

Teacher: "To help us become master character detectives and uncover those hidden traits through indirect characterization, we're going to use a super helpful tool called the STEAL method. STEAL is an acronym, where each letter stands for a different type of clue the author might give us."

"The letters stand for: Speech, Thoughts, Effect on Others, Actions, and Looks. We're going to break down each of these, one by one."

STEAL Method for Indirect Characterization (15 minutes)

(Slide 6: S is for Speech: What Do They Say?)

Teacher: "Let's start with S for Speech. When we analyze a character's speech, we're looking at what the character says, but also how they say it. Do they speak politely or rudely? Do they use complex vocabulary or simple words? Are they loud or quiet? Sarcastic or sincere?"

"Look at the example: 'I demand to speak to the manager immediately! This is unacceptable!' Based on this speech, what character traits can you infer about this person?"

Guide students to identify traits like demanding, impatient, easily frustrated, rude.

Teacher: "What if a character says, 'Oh, it was nothing, really,' after winning a huge award? What trait might that show?" (Modesty, humility).

(Slide 7: T is for Thoughts: What Do They Think?)

Teacher: "Next, we have T for Thoughts. This is about what a character is thinking privately, their inner feelings, beliefs, dreams, or fears. Sometimes authors let us inside a character's head. What does that reveal?"

"Consider the example: (Thinking) 'If only I had studied harder, I wouldn't be in this predicament now.' What traits does this reveal about the character?"

Guide students to identify traits like regretful, reflective, conscientious, responsible.

Teacher: "If a character is always thinking about how to help others, what might that tell you about them?" (Selfless, compassionate).

(Slide 8: E is for Effect on Others: How Do Others React?)

Teacher: "Then there's E for Effect on Others. This means looking at how other characters react to our main character. Do people listen to them, ignore them, fear them, or admire them? What do other characters say about them?"

"The example is: When the new student walked into the room, everyone immediately quieted down and stared at their shoes. What can we infer about the new student based on this reaction from others?"

Guide students to infer traits like intimidating, mysterious, perhaps powerful or feared.

Teacher: "If a character always makes everyone laugh, what trait does that suggest?" (Humorous, charismatic).

(Slide 9: A is for Actions: What Do They Do?)

Teacher: "Now we come to A for Actions. This is often one of the strongest clues. What does the character do? How do they behave in different situations? Do their actions match their words? Remember that actions often speak louder than words!"

"Look at the example: He quietly slipped his lunch money into the struggling student's locker without anyone seeing. What traits can we infer from this action?"

Guide students to identify traits like compassionate, discreet, altruistic, kind.

Teacher: "If a character constantly pushes their way to the front of the line, what might that tell you?" (Impatient, rude, self-centered).

(Slide 10: L is for Looks: What Do They Look Like?)

Teacher: "Finally, we have L for Looks. This is about a character's physical appearance, their clothing, or how they carry themselves. While we need to be careful not to stereotype, sometimes an author uses a character's appearance to hint at their personality."

"For instance: The detective wore a rumpled trench coat and hadn't shaved in days. What could this appearance suggest about the detective?"

Guide students to infer traits like dedicated (to work), disheveled, perhaps eccentric or focused on things other than appearance.

Teacher: "What about a character who always wears bright colors and a huge smile? What might their 'looks' suggest?" (Optimistic, cheerful).

(Slide 11: Putting It All Together: Your Turn!)

Teacher: "Great job analyzing those examples! You've learned the different ways authors characterize their creations. Remember the STEAL method: Speech, Thoughts, Effect on Others, Actions, and Looks. Now, you're going to put on your detective hats and practice this skill!"

Character Trait Analysis Activity (15 minutes)

Teacher: "I'm going to hand out the Character Trait Analysis Activity. On this sheet, you'll find a short passage. Your task is to read the passage carefully and then, using the STEAL method, identify at least three character traits for the character in the passage. For each trait, you'll need to provide evidence from the text using one of the STEAL categories. You can work individually or with a partner for this."

Distribute the activity. Circulate to offer help and guidance.

Teacher: "As you're working, think about: What words does the character use? What internal thoughts do they have? How do other characters respond to them? What actions do they take? What do they look like? Use these clues to infer their traits."

After about 10 minutes, bring the class back together.

Teacher: "Let's share some of our findings. Who would like to tell us a character trait they identified and what STEAL evidence they used to support it? Were there any traits that different groups interpreted differently? Why might that be?"

Facilitate a brief class discussion, addressing any misconceptions.

Cool-Down: One Trait Takeaway (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Fantastic work today, everyone! You've really started to master the art of unmasking characters. To wrap up, please take out your Character Trait Cool-Down. On this sheet, I want you to write down one new thing you learned about character traits or characterization today. It could be something about direct or indirect characterization, or one of the elements of STEAL."

Collect the cool-downs as students finish, using them as an exit ticket.

Teacher: "Thank you all for your excellent participation today. We'll continue to build on these skills as we read more stories. Have a great rest of your day!"

Character Trait Warm-Up: Who Am I?

Instructions: Think of a fictional character (from a book, movie, or TV show). Without writing their name, list 3-5 character traits that describe their personality.

My Character's Traits:

Bonus: What is one action your character often takes that shows one of these traits?

Character Trait Analysis: Detective Work!

Instructions: Read the short passage below. Then, use the STEAL method (Speech, Thoughts, Effect on Others, Actions, Looks) to identify at least three character traits for the main character. For each trait, provide evidence from the text and explain which STEAL category it falls under.

Passage:

Elara clutched her tattered, hand-sewn satchel tightly as she walked through the bustling marketplace. Her eyes darted from vendor to vendor, not lingering on the bright silks or fragrant spices, but quickly scanning for discarded scraps of fabric or forgotten fruit. A small child, no older than five, stumbled and dropped a loaf of bread. Before anyone else could react, Elara swiftly scooped it up, brushed off the dirt, and gently placed it back into the child's tiny hands with a reassuring smile. Later, as she sat alone by the river, she pulled out a worn book and began to carefully mend a torn page, muttering to herself, "Waste not, want not."

Character Trait Analysis Chart

Character Trait Cool-Down: One Trait Takeaway

Instructions: In one or two sentences, write down one new thing you learned or understood better about character traits or characterization today.