Lesson Plan
Who's Who? A Character Deep Dive
Students will be able to infer character traits and motivations by using specific details and evidence from the text.
Understanding characters helps students better comprehend stories and connect with the text on a deeper level. This skill is crucial for developing strong reading comprehension.
Audience
3rd Grade
Time
15 minutes
Approach
Through modeling, guided practice, and independent application.
Materials
Character Clues Slide Deck, Character Detective Worksheet, and Short Story Reading
Prep
Review Materials
5 minutes
- Review the Character Clues Slide Deck to familiarize yourself with the presentation content.
- Print copies of the Character Detective Worksheet for each student.
- Prepare the Short Story Reading for display or individual student copies.
- Ensure projector/smartboard is set up for the slide deck.
Step 1
Connect to Prior Knowledge
3 minutes
- Begin by asking students what they know about story characters.
- Prompt them with questions like: "What makes a character interesting? How do we know what a character is like?"
Step 2
Model the Skill
5 minutes
- Use the Character Clues Slide Deck to introduce character traits and motivations.
- Model how to use text evidence from a short example (provided in the slide deck) to infer character traits and motivations.
Step 3
Guided Practice
4 minutes
- Distribute the Character Detective Worksheet.
- Work through the first example on the worksheet together as a class, using the Short Story Reading as the source text.
- Encourage students to share their inferences and the text evidence they used.
Step 4
Independent Application
3 minutes
- Have students independently complete the remaining questions on the Character Detective Worksheet using the Short Story Reading.
- Circulate to provide support and answer questions.
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Slide Deck
Who's Who? A Character Deep Dive!
Becoming a Character Detective!
- What makes a character interesting?
- How do authors show us what a character is like?
Good morning, everyone! Today we're going on an adventure to become character detectives. Have you ever wondered what makes a character in a story tick? How do we know if they are brave, sneaky, or kind? We're going to learn how to find clues in the story to figure out exactly 'Who's Who!'
What are Character Traits?
Words that describe a character's personality
- Brave
- Kind
- Curious
- Loyal
- Grumpy
- Shy
Character traits are like personality words that describe what a character is like on the inside. Are they shy? Adventurous? Grumpy? What are some character traits you know?
What are Character Motivations?
Why a character does what they do
- To help a friend
- To achieve a goal
- To escape danger
- To learn something new
Character motivations are the reasons why a character does something. What makes them act the way they do? Do they want to help a friend? Are they trying to win a game? The reasons behind their actions are their motivations.
How Do We Find Clues?
Look for Text Evidence!
- Says: What does the character say?
- Thinks: What does the character think or feel?
- Effect on others: How do others react to the character?
- Actions: What does the character do?
- Looks: What does the character look like?
(We'll focus on SAYS and ACTIONS today!)
How do we find these clues? Authors don't always tell us directly. We have to look at what the character SAYS, what the character DOES, and what OTHER CHARACTERS say about them. This is called 'text evidence' – clues directly from the story!
Let's Practice! (Model Example)
Lily and the Lost Puppy
Lily saw a lost puppy crying by the road. She immediately stopped playing, gently picked up the puppy, and took it to her house to give it food and water.
- What trait describes Lily?
- What evidence tells you this?
Let's try one together. Imagine a character named Lily. She sees a lost puppy crying by the road. Lily immediately stops playing, gently picks up the puppy, and takes it to her house to give it food and water. What character trait would you use to describe Lily? Why? What evidence from the text tells us that? (Guide students to 'kind' or 'caring' because she 'gently picks up the puppy' and 'gives it food and water'.)
Worksheet
Character Detective Worksheet
Directions: Read the short story "The Brave Little Squirrel." For each character, use details from the story to infer their character traits and motivations. Remember to use text evidence!
Character 1: Squeaky the Squirrel
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What are some character traits for Squeaky?
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What text evidence from the story makes you think this?
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What is Squeaky's motivation for his actions?
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What text evidence supports his motivation?
Character 2: Hoot the Owl
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What are some character traits for Hoot?
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What text evidence from the story makes you think this?
-
What is Hoot's motivation for his actions?
-
What text evidence supports his motivation?
Reading
The Brave Little Squirrel
Squeaky the squirrel loved his cozy nest high up in the oak tree. Every morning, he would peek out to see the sun rise, and every evening, he'd gather acorns for his winter stash. He was a small squirrel, but he was always busy.
One breezy afternoon, Squeaky heard a faint cry. It wasn't the usual chirping of birds or the rustling of leaves. It sounded like a tiny, scared squeal. Squeaky, who usually stayed close to his tree, felt a strange pull. He scurried down the trunk, his heart thumping like a drum. The sound led him to a patch of tall grass where he found a baby bird, fallen from its nest. Its wing looked bent, and it was shivering.
Squeaky knew that his friend, Hoot the owl, was very wise and lived in the tallest pine tree at the edge of the forest. Hoot always knew what to do. Even though Squeaky was a bit scared of the open ground and the big, shadowy trees, he gently nudged the baby bird onto a large leaf. Carefully, he began to pull the leaf, dragging the little bird across the forest floor towards Hoot's tree.
It was a long journey for such a tiny squirrel. Other animals watched, some with curiosity, some with indifference. A grumpy badger grumbled about Squeaky disturbing the peace, but Squeaky just kept going. He eventually reached Hoot's tree, panting but determined. Hoot, seeing Squeaky and the injured bird, immediately understood. With a gentle swoop, Hoot carried the baby bird back to its nest and then offered Squeaky a sweet, ripe berry as a reward. Squeaky, tired but happy, scampered back to his own tree, feeling proud of his brave deed.