Lesson plan



|Reading Lesson: Characters |Grade Level: 4 |

|Lesson Summary: Students will demonstrate their knowledge of character traits by viewing a picture and determining how the character feels. Then, as a whole |

|group the students will view a PowerPoint to discuss character, character traits, and how a character changes. They will partner up and read a short story and |

|determine character traits by writing a bio poem. Independently, the students will complete a worksheet on character analysis. Advanced learners will reread a |

|familiar text and complete a double-entry diary. Struggling learners will reread a familiar text with the teacher and work on creating a list of words that |

|describe the main character and identifying changes that the character experienced during the story. |

|Lesson Understandings: |

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|The students will know… |

|Character’s traits are determined by what a character says, does, and thinks and how the character interacts with others. |

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|The students will be able to… |

|Identify, explain, and describe character traits based on the character’s dialogue, thoughts, relationships, and actions. |

|Interpret a character’s personal growth using evidence from the text. |

|Learning Styles Targeted: |

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|Visual |

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|Auditory |

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|Kinesthetic/Tactile |

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|Pre-Assessment: Give each student a whiteboard, dry-erase marker, and tissue. Project the “How Do They Feel” PowerPoint*. Ask the students to look carefully at |

|all of the pictures. For each of the picture slides, have the students write how the character feels on an individual whiteboard and then hold up their whiteboard|

|to you so that you can see their answer. Then, discuss how the picture gives clues to describe the character. |

|Whole-Class Instruction |

|Materials Needed: Character PowerPoint*, LCD projector and computer, 1 individual whiteboard per student, 1 dry-erase marker per student, 1 tissue per student, |

|document camera, 1 copy of the Bio Poem Directions* to project, 1 copy of the Oscar Story* per pair of students, 1 copy of the Independent Practice worksheet* per |

|student, 1 highlighter per student, lined notebook paper, drawing paper, crayons or markers, scissors, glue |

|Procedure: |

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|Remind students that in the “How Do They Feel” PowerPoint, the pictures gave clues about the characters. Tell them that authors use words to clue the reader about|

|the characters in the story. |

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|Project the Character PowerPoint. Use the slides to aid you in discussing with the students what a character is, what a character trait is, and how to find |

|character traits. Also discuss how a character can grow and change during a story. The slides with a blue question mark will prompt the students with a question. |

|Have students answer these questions on their individual whiteboard. Tell them to hold up their board to you so that you can see their answer. Take a minute to |

|discuss students’ answers before moving to the next slide. |

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|Project the Bio Poem Directions on the document camera for students to see. Tell students that they are going to read a story and that you want them to write a bio|

|poem about the main character. Show the class how to write the poem by completing one about yourself on the document camera with the students. To see how well |

|your students know you, you can have the students help you. |

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|Divide students into pairs, and hand each pair a copy of the story “Oscar.” Have students read the story with their partner. Then, have each pair write a bio |

|poem about Oscar’s character. Keep the Bio Poem Directions projected on the document camera. Walk around the classroom and observe students’ ideas. Offer |

|assistance if needed. |

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|For continued practice, have students complete the Independent Practice worksheet. |

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|When students have completed the independent work, have each student write a Bio Poem about himself/herself on notebook paper. After their poems are complete, you|

|can have the students create a Bio Poem Body. They can draw a picture of their head on drawing paper and then glue the notebook paper underneath the head. The |

|poem is the body. Then, they can add arms and legs to the paper as well. These are fun pieces of character art to display in the classroom. |

|Advanced Learner |

|Materials Needed: 1 copy of a familiar text per student, 1 copy of the Double-Entry Diary worksheet* per student |

|Procedure: |

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|Give each student a copy of the familiar text and a copy of the Double-Entry Diary worksheet. Tell students that you would like them to look at the story they’ve |

|already read again and use the text to help them complete the Double-Entry Diary worksheet. Go over the worksheet’s directions, and then do an example with the |

|students. For example, for the story “Oscar,” an entry may be: |

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|Story Event |

|Character Response |

|Your Response |

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|Oscar’s parents tell Oscar that they are going camping. |

|He is excited but sad that he cannot take any books. |

|I would feel upset because I do not like camping. |

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|Once students understand the assignment, have students work independently. |

|Struggling Learner |

|Materials Needed: 1 individual whiteboard per student, 1 dry-erase marker per student, 1 tissue per student, 1 copy of a familiar short story, chart paper, marker |

|Procedure: |

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|Gather struggling learners in a circle. Hand each student a whiteboard, a dry-erase marker, and a tissue. |

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|Revisit the definition of character traits. Then, have students write “CHARACTER” on their whiteboard and then brainstorm and list all the ways that characters |

|can show their traits in a story. Assess the students’ answers, and then discuss them until students understand that the list should include: relationships, |

|actions, dialogue, and thoughts. |

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|Ask students to think of ways they can remember these character trait rules. They can draw pictures, write words, or come up with hand motions to help them |

|remember. |

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|Then, tell students that you are going to reread a familiar story aloud to students and that while they are listening, you want them to jot down words that |

|describe the main character. Before reading the story, ask students if they can remember who the main character is. If students have trouble remembering, begin |

|reading the story and have a student raise his/her hand when he/she knows who the main character is. |

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|Once you have finished reading the story, draw a T-chart on a sheet of chart paper. Label the left side with “Character Trait” and the right side with “Clue.” |

|Then, have the students share their answers. Record their responses underneath the left side of the T-chart, and for each description, ask students how they |

|figured out that character trait. Go back in the text to see where each trait can be found, if necessary. Jot down the event/clue next to the character trait |

|underneath the right side of the T-chart. |

*see supplemental resources

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