TEKS Lesson Plan/Unit Plan



Focus Plan

Texarkana Independent School District

|GRADING PERIOD: |1st 6 Weeks |PLAN CODE: |R6.1.1 |

|Teacher: |Ables |Course/subject: |English Language Arts |

|Grade(s): |6 |Time allotted for instruction: |2-3 class periods |

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|Title: |You’re Such a Character |

|Lesson TOPIC: |Character Traits |

|TAKS Objective: |Objective 2 |

| |The student will apply knowledge of literary elements to understand culturally diverse written |

| |texts. |

|FoCUS TEKS and Student Expectation: |6.12 Reading/text structures/literary concepts. The student analyzes the characteristics of |

| |various types of texts (genres). The student is expected to: |

| |(F)   analyze characters, including their traits, motivations, conflicts, points of view, |

| |relationships, and changes they undergo (4-8). |

|Supporting TEKS and Student Expectation: |6.10   Reading/comprehension. The student comprehends selections using a variety of strategies.|

| |The student is expected to: |

| |(H)   draw inferences such as conclusions or generalizations and support them with text |

| |evidence [and experience] (4-8). |

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|Concepts |Enduring Understandings/Generalizations/Principles |

| |The student will understand that |

|Character traits |A character trait is a distinguishing quality of a person or character that can include personality, |

| |likes/dislikes, and behavior. |

|Direct characterization |Through direct characterization, a writer reveals a character by directly telling the reader the |

| |character’s traits. |

|Indirect characterization |Through indirect characterization, a writer reveals a character by showing the reader the character’s |

| |traits in the description of describing actions, speech, thoughts, and feelings. |

|Inferences |A successful character analysis demands that students infer abstract traits and values from literal |

| |details contained in a text. |

|Conclusions |Students use textual clues to draw conclusions concerning a character’s personality. |

|Text evidence |In citing text evidence, students connect specific details to their inferences. |

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[pic]I. Sequence of Activities (Instructional Strategies)

A. Focus/connections

Have students participate in a Free Writing based on the topic: You can tell when I’m angry. (See handout for free writing instructions.) Ask for students to volunteer to share examples or passages from their writing. After a short discussion, explain to students that just as they have feelings or emotions in real life, so do the characters that authors write about. Identify the objectives of the lesson (analyzing characters, making inferences, drawing conclusions, using text evidence).

B. Instructional activities

(demonstrations, lectures, examples, hands-on experiences, role play, active learning experience, modeling, discussion, reading, listening, viewing, etc.)

Using the Transparency Packet, introduce the concept of character traits and define “traits” (Transparencies 1 and 2). Briefly review adjectives (Transparency 3) and have students create their own sentences using adjectives before a noun and sentences using adjectives after a verb. Emphasize that certain adjectives can serve as character traits.

After students share their sentences, introduce the concepts of direct and indirect characterization (Transparency 4). Divide students into groups and have them use indirect characterization to illustrate the same character trait (Transparency 5). Provide time for groups to share their responses.

Discuss the concept of text evidence and have students identify a character trait based on a given action (Transparency 6).

C. Guided activity or strategy

The guided activities for this lesson are embedded in the instruction on Transparencies 3, 5, and 6.

D. Accommodations/modifications

E. Enrichment

II. STUDENT PERFORMANCE

A. Description

1. To help student develop a strong vocabulary of character traits, begin with a short list of character trait adjectives. Distribute Activity 2: Building Character Vocabulary and have students define any unfamiliar terms. Next, have them match the terms with the descriptions of a friend.

2. Once student have practiced individually matching actions with character traits, group the students with partners. Explain that the students are going to create their own characters with specific traits. They will develop the characters by describing the character’s words, thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Distribute the graphic organizer for Activity 3: Developing a Character and Handout 1: Character Traits. Begin by having students define any unfamiliar words on this larger list of adjectives. They then should choose four adjectives they would like to use with their created characters. Encourage the students to use words that might be new to them. Using the graphic organizer, they should provide evidence of their character’s traits in each of the four categories listed.

B. Accommodations/modifications

C. Enrichment

To extend the lesson, have students write a brief narrative that includes the character’s words, thoughts, feelings, and actions they created in activity 3.

iii. Assessment of Activities

A. Description

1. Activity 1: Free Writing - Require one page of writing. Since this activity involves getting as many ideas as possible down on paper, grade on length. One complete page should be written to receive all possible points.

2. Practice Activities: Transparency Packet – Require students to take notes during the lecture/classroom discussion and to write the practice activities. Grade on completeness of notes.

3. Activity 2: Building Character Vocabulary

4. Activity 3: Developing a Character

B. Rubrics/grading criteria

See rubric for specific grading information.

C. Accommodations/modifications

D. Enrichment

E. Sample discussion questions

1. What is a character trait?

2. What is the difference between direct characterization and indirect characterization?

3. What adjectives would you use to describe your own character traits?

4. Could we group these adjectives in any way?

5. What is your text evidence?

IV. TAKS Preparation

A. Transition to TAKS context

On the 2003 and 2004 TAKS, questions measuring TEKS 6.12 (F) involved the following:

1. Character change – how the character changes (2 questions)

2. Character traits – why a character feels a certain way (2 questions - anxious,

3. Character attitude – (2 questions – one question was the cross-over question between two selections)

4. Character actions – why a character does something (2 questions - cause and effect)

5. Character point of view – why the author tells the story from that point of view (1 question)

Throughout the year, the teacher should use these question stems to practice this objective:

• How did the character’s opinion change?

• Why does the character feel ---?

• Why does the character say ---?

• Why did the character ---?

• Why does the author tell the story from ___’s point of view?

B. Sample TAKS questions

1. In paragraph 1 of the story, why did Armstrong marvel at what he was about to do?

A He couldn’t believe that the moon mission was going so well.

B He was amazed to be doing what so many had dreamed of doing.

C He was surprised that the spacecraft was working so perfectly after the alarm.

D He thought the moon was the most incredible thing he had ever seen.

From Spring 2003 Grade 6 Reading TAKS

2. In paragraph 8, Sheri says, “I’m not like you,” because Sheri---

A is a better rider than Tacy

B wants to make Tacy feel better

C thinks Tacy is upset about being in fourth place

D isn’t afraid to make mistakes

From Spring 2004 Grade 6 TAKS

3. In paragraph 2, Armstrong was a little anxious because he---

F wasn’t sure what lay ahead and he knew that people were counting on him

G thought the spacecraft might have been too heavy for the rocket to carry into space

H had been in space for a long time and wanted to return to Earth

J wasn’t sure that he would be able to remember everything he needed to do

From Spring 2003 Grade 6 Reading TAKS

4. Which of these statements best describes Andy’s attitude at the end of the story?

F Andy thinks that physical therapy is a waste of time.

G Andy accepts that he will never compete in gymnastics again.

H Andy is determined to recover from his injury.

J Andy realizes that his physical therapy isn’t really very painful.

From Spring 2003 Grade 6 TAKS

5. How do Andy’s and Armstrong’s attitudes differ at the beginning of each story?

A Andy is filled with negative thoughts about his recovery, but Armstrong has a positive outlook about his mission.

B Andy is excited that he will be able to walk again, but Armstrong is afraid that his mission will fail.

C Andy is worried that he will fall and injure himself, but Armstrong doesn’t worry about his personal safety.

D Andy is looking forward to doing the exercises on the walking bars, but Armstrong is nervous about landing on the moon.

From Spring 2003 Grade 6 TAKS

6. How does Jennifer change by the end of the story?

A She feels she should be trusted more.

B She decides to work at the grocery store.

C She is eager to work at the diner.

D She realizes she should listen to her parents.

From Spring 2004 Grade 6 TAKS

7. Which statement best reflects Tacy’s change in attitude at the end of the story?

F Tacy thinks barrel racing isn’t important after all.

G Tacy realizes that being careful is more important than winning.

H Tacy learns that she can’t win if she is afraid to lose.

J Tacy sees that she is a better rider than Lynda Adams.

From Spring 2004 Grade 6 TAKS

8. The author tells this story from Tacy’s point of view to help the reader understand---

A how Tacy trained her horse

B what time a barrel racer has to beat

C why Tacy’s attitude changes

D why Sheri decides to ride fast

From Spring 2004 Grade 6 TAKS

V. Key Vocabulary

Character, trait, adjective, conclusion, inference, text evidence

VI. Resources

A. Textbook

Glencoe Literature: The Reader’s Choice, Course 1

• “Characterization,” page 173

• “Characterization,” page 262

• “Characterization,” page 279

• “Characterization,” page 729

B. Supplementary materials

• Activity 1: Free Writing

• Transparency Packet

• Activity 2: Building Character Vocabulary

• Activity 3: Developing a Character

• Handout 1: Character Traits

• Handout 2: Character Traits

• Rubric: Character Traits

C. Technology

vii. FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

(reteaching, cross-curricular support, technology activities, next lesson in sequence, etc.)

Vocabulary is a key component in mastery of this objective. For example, if the students do not know the definition of “anxious,” they will have difficulty determining events or actions that lead to a character’s anxiety. To build the students’ vocabulary, consider reserving bulletin board or wall space in your classroom as a character wall. Throughout the year, have the students collect adjectives that serve as vivid character traits and post them on the wall. Students also could keep an adjective list in their notebooks to serve as their own personal bank of traits.

VIII. Teacher Notes

A more extensive list of adjectives is provided on Handout 2: Character Traits. The teacher may use the traits on this handout throughout the year.

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