Most of the handouts from the blog post are found in this

Most of the handouts from the blog post are

found in this pdf file. A few files could not be

added because they are different shapes or

sizes than this file. You will find links to get those

scattered throughout this handout. © Gay Miller @ Book Units Teacher

When writing a story, an

author usually begins with

physical descriptions of the

characters. The author must

then go a step further to

describe the personality of

each of the characters. The

characters need to have

both positive and negative

qualities to make them

seem realistic. Good

authors do not simply list

character traits. They show

the personalities of the

characters through actions.

© Gay Miller @ Book Units Teacher

Types of Characters

Protagonist vs. Antagonist

The protagonist is the main character. The character that causes conflict against the protagonist is called the antagonist.

Round vs. Flat

A round character is one whose personality, background, motives, and other features are fully described or explained by the author. A flat character is one who is not fully described but is useful in carrying out some narrative purpose of the author. They tend to be minor characters.

To remember round and flat characters think of a basketball. The information you know about a character is like the air going inside the ball. If you know only a little, you would not be able to put much air inside the ball; therefore, it would be flat. However, if you know a lot of information you would be able to put a lot of air inside

of the ball. The ball would become inflated and round. Therefore, if a character is round, readers know a lot about him/her.

Dynamic vs. Static

A dynamic character is one who goes through a personality change due to the events in the story. A static character is one whose personality does not change throughout the story.

In most books, the main character is both dynamic and round.


Question Stems for Character

Who is the main character in this story?

Describe the main character’s traits in this story.

How do the main character’s actions help you determine his/her traits?

What did the actions of the character reveal in paragraph ___?

How does the main character change within the selection?

What can you tell by the character’s response?

What do the character’s thoughts show?

How does the character change from the beginning to the end of the story?


Activity #1

Silhouette Characters


This post will illustrate how to teach character traits using silhouettes. This simple no prep method is both engaging and fun for students.

Instructions Option 1 - Print the silhouettes found on page 8 on heavyweight paper. Cut out the patterns. Students trace the character onto a piece of ordinary paper. Option 2 - Show students the 'Bean Character Clipart.’ found on pages 9 and 10. Students then draw their own silhouette people in a similar fashion. Option 3 – Print the sample organizers.

Activity #1 - Students draw a silhouette figure in the center of their page. Out from the silhouette, students draw rays. In each shape formed by the rays, students write facts about the character.

Activity #2 - Students choose one character from the book or story they are reading. They draw the character as a silhouette covering the entire piece of paper. On the body of the character, students describe the character. On the arms and legs, students list four actions.

Activity #3 – Students copy the boy or the girl silhouette in the center of the page. Students then write a paragraph describing the character’s physical features. This includes coloring - hair, eyes, etc.; size - tall, short, thin, muscular, etc.; and distinguishing features - mustache, curly hair, etc. on the left side of the figure. On the opposite side of the character, students describe inner character traits. This could be in the form of a paragraph or a list of adjectives such as absent-minded, disrespectful, humorous, immature, etc.

Activity #4 – Students create two overlapping character shapes to form a Venn Diagram. Students then compare and contrast the two characters by telling how they are different and alike.

Activity #5 - Students draw a simple house structure. The house needs six windows. In each window, students answer Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? To explain how a specific character handled one situation in the story.

Silhouette Characterization A Teaching Strategy


Samples

This organizer explains how one

character’s actions influenced

how another character acted.


Physical Appearance ________________________________

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Character Traits ________________________________

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________________________________ © Gay Miller @ Book Units Teacher

Physical Appearance ________________________________

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Character Traits ________________________________

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________________________________ © Gay Miller @ Book Units Teacher

ECHO by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Elisabeth Friedrich Father


Character ____________________________

____________________________

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Character ___________________________

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Both ________________________________

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Where? How? o

Who?

When? What?

Why?



Bean Character Clipart was part of the

Microsoft Office Clipart Collection.



Activity #2

Animated Short


Characters

Check other products in this series on Teachers Pay Teachers: Part 1 - 52 Organizers Teaching Reading and Writing Skills with Animated Shorts Pt 1 [Digital + Printable] Teaching Reading and Writing Skills with Animated Shorts Pt 1 [Printable] Part 2 - An Additional 52 Organizers Teaching Reading and Writing Skills with Animated Shorts Pt 2 [Digital + Printable] Teaching Reading and Writing Skills with Animated Shorts Pt 1 [Printable] Animated Shorts Christmas Teaching Reading and Writing Skills with Animated Shorts [Digital + Printable] Teaching Reading and Writing Skills with Animated Shorts [Printable]


https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teaching-Reading-Writing-Skills-with-Animated-Short-Films-Digital-Printable-3353376

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teaching-Reading-and-Writing-Skills-with-Animated-Short-Films-Printable-3353357

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teaching-Reading-and-Writing-Skills-with-Animated-Short-Films-Part-2-Digital-3574635

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teaching-Reading-and-Writing-Skills-with-Animated-Shorts-Pt-2-Printable-3574669

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teaching-Reading-and-Writing-Skills-with-Animated-Shorts-Christmas-4213756

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teaching-Reading-and-Writing-Skills-with-Animated-Shorts-Christmas-4213763

Whi

te G

eri •List two reasons the character with glasses is

nicknamed White Geri.

•_________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

List personality traits of White Geri.

•_________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Blac

k G

eri

•Name two things this character does to earn the

nickname Black Geri.

•_________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

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List personality traits of Black Geri.

•_________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as

how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

Geri’s Game

Describe Geri’s mental state. __________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe how the story is ‘told’ without any words. _________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________


http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/4/3/









Whi

te G

eri •List two reasons the character with glasses is

nicknamed White Geri.

•White Geri plays with the white game pieces. He is also the ‘good’ character. In old western films, a

white hat signified the character who was good or of high virtue while the characters with black hats were

bad or evil villains.

• List characteristics and personality traits of

White Geri.

•wears glasses •appears to be a deep thinker

•looks worried – scratches his head •appears nervous – hands tremble

Blac

k G

eri

•Name two things this character does to earn

the nickname Black Geri.

•Black Geri plays the chess game using the black game pieces. His personality appears more like the

‘bad guy’ as he makes fun and teases his opponent.

•List characteristics and personality traits of

Black Geri.

•grins and laughs as he makes moves during the

game •taunts White Geri by shaking his finger in a motion that ‘says’ wrong move/bad decision

•gives the appearance of having a lot of confidence at playing chess by using boastful expressions

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as

how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

Geri’s Game – Answer Key

Describe Geri’s mental state.

This is a good question for discussion. Geri could be considered senile by playing a game with himself. Geri could also be bored or lonely, so he ‘invents’ a friend to play a game with.

Describe how the story is ‘told’ without any words.

Mannerisms, gestures, facial expressions, and the interaction between the two characters are ways the film maker shows the personality of each of the characters.











Activity #3

Interactive Notebook

Ideas


Download this free card fold activity for The Tale of Despereaux.


https://bookunitsteacher.com/reading_despereaux/charactercards.pdf



Do you need additional teaching resources? Check out The Sign of the Beaver Book Unit on Teachers pay Teachers.


https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sign-of-the-Beaver-2420920



Instructions Both color and blackline versions of the characters are provided. Answer keys are provided on the pages with the color version of the

characters.

1. Print characters. 2. Have students cut out the character and tabs as one piece.

3. Have students write about the characters in the boxes before cutting out the boxes.

4. Glue the characters onto the boxes as shown. (See both options for assembling the characters and boxes.)

5. Have students color the characters.

6. Students glue the characters onto two adjacent pages of their interactive notebooks. [Note: These may also be used in a lapbook.]

Option #1 Glue characters at the bottom of the boxes, so figures will be visible when folded up for storage.

Option #2 Glue characters at the top of the boxes. Information is easier to read, but the backs of the figures will be visible when folded up for storage.


If you need additional teaching

materials for The Sign of the Beaver, you

might wish to check out The

Sign of the Beaver Book Unit at Teachers Pay

Teachers.

The Finished Project








Matthew Hallowell ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ben ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Attean ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Saknis ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Matthew Hallowell

• settler • 12 at the beginning of

the book/turns 13 • uses a rifle to hunt • knows how to read • can't hunt animals after

he "loses" his rifle

Ben

• scoundrel • takes advantage of

Matt’s kindness by stealing his rifle and running off during the middle of the night

Attean • member of Penobscots • 14 years old • heavy black hair to his

shoulders • black eyes • wears breechcloth • greases his body to keep

mosquitos away • uses a bow and arrows

to hunt • doesn't want to learn

how to read • makes his own tools

Saknis • chief of Penobscots • Attean’s grandfather • He and his tribe detest

white man after they slaughtered Attean’s father and mother.

• wants Matt to teach Attean how to read so he won’t be tricked by white man’s treaties


Penobscot Boys ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mr. Hallowell ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Marie ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Attean’s Grandmother

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Penobscot Boys

• brought up to hate white men

• test Matt’s bravery during a rough ball game

Mr. Hallowell

• Matt’s dad • leaves Matt at the

homestead in the Maine woods to go back to fetch Matt’s mother and sister

• Although Matt’s dad is not around for most of the story, his advice guides Matt’s actions.

Marie

• Attean’s sister • Attean doesn’t think

highly of his sister because she is just a girl

• goes with Matt to free Attean’s dog after he is caught in a trap

• She reminds Matt of his sister Sarah. Matt wishes the two could meet.

Attean’s Grandmother

• doesn’t want to get to

know white men since her daughter was slaughtered by them

• sends Matt to an abandoned wigwam instead of welcoming him into her home after the Beaver clan’s celebration for killing the bear

• warms up to Matt when he risks endangering himself for Attean’s dog


Download this free pyramid fold for Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes including a blank pyramid handout that can be used for any novel.


https://bookunitsteacher.com/reading_sadako/pyramid.pdf





Activity #4

Organizers



Character________________________________________

Appearance

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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Actions

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Words and Thoughts

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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

http://bookunitsteacher.com/

Character’s Name ________________

Character’s Problem

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Best Solution

Page 127 © Gay Miller

Results

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Attempted

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Character’s Name ________________

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Character’s Thoughts

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The Character’s Actions

Personality Traits

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Character’s Picture

(c) Gay Miller @ Book Units Teacher


Activity #5

Anchor Chart

Venn Diagram without lines

Venn Diagram with lines


https://bookunitsteacher.com/reading_terabithia/venn.pdf

https://bookunitsteacher.com/reading_terabithia/venn2.pdf

© Gay Miller 35

© Gay Miller 36

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Documents

Most of the handouts from the blog post are found in this