Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
C. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
UNDERSTAND
- Students will understand that writers use character traits (both physical and
personality traits) to help readers get to know their characters.
KNOW
- Students will know the difference between physical and personality character traits,
and be able to identify and come up with them.
DO
- Students will help build an anchor chart of character traits using a passage from the
mentor text Charlotte’s Web. They will also be able to create a paragraph describing
character traits of themselves and of another character from Charlotte’s Web.
D. ASSESSING LEARNING
Before we read the text, I will have students write a paragraph describing themselves
using physical and personality traits. This will serve as a pre-assessment to see how
much they understand traits and if they can use them in their writing. After we read the
text, students will create an anchor chart that lists all the character traits of Charlotte
found in the passage of the mentor text (p.35-37, 41). I will provide support by drawing
the chart and asking the questions, “What does the passage say about Charlotte? If you
were to describe her to someone else, what details would you include?” This chart and
the discussion will be an informal assessment, giving me an idea of the students’
thought process with character traits. As a formal assessment the students will write a
paragraph about Charlotte or another character using the character traits found in the
passage. They may also use the main themes of the book to make inferences about
Charlotte’s character.
A good paragraph would include the vocabulary of physical and personality traits, and
one that includes inferences would demonstrate deeper thinking. For example,
sentences like “Charlotte had eight legs and was pretty. She seemed blood-thirsty
because she ate the fly, but Wilbur learned that she was a kind and good friend. She was
loyal to Wilbur because she stayed with him and helped him her whole life.”
Rubric:
Name Included minimal Includes medium Uses lots of Goes the extra
detail, does not amount of detail detail with mile by making
use both physical with 1 example several examples inferences about
and personality each of phys. of both kinds of character from
traits or use text and pers. traits traits, references traits
to find evidence from passage passage as
evidence
B. MATERIALS NEEDED
Big Post-it Note/Poster Board
Marker
Charlotte’s Web passage
Lined paper
Pencils
C. PRODCEDURE
BEFORE CONNECT I gather my small group of students either on the
Students learn why front rug or at a table down the hall from the
today’s instruction is classroom. I welcome them saying, “Alright my
important to them as friends, today we are going to talk about
writers and how the character traits. Does anybody know what I mean
lesson relates to their by that? Any ideas about what a character trait
prior work (if might be?”
applicable). The
teaching point is Allow students to throw out ideas. Then come
stated. back together and say, “A character trait is a word
we use to describe what a character is like. We
can use words like pretty, clever, or loyal to give a
sense of what someone’s personality is like.
Writers use character traits to tell the readers
what a character is like. For example, does anyone
have a favorite book character?” Allow a student
to share and ask them, “What is that character
like, and how do you know that?” Allow them to
explain. Affirm them and restate definition.
D. DIFFERENTIATION
In my group I will have at least one English Language Learner, so I will provide sentence
starters when they write their paragraphs. (Ex: “I look like ____________. A few words
that describe me are ___________.”)
For those who struggle with this, I will go back to the definition of character traits and
help them brainstorm words that describe their personality. From there we can move to
the passage and work slowly to find traits in the text. I can also have them dictate their
paragraphs to me if they are anxious about writing the words and that keeps them from
brainstorming words.
For the ones that finish early, I will go further into inferring. I will ask them what they
can infer from the passage about Charlotte’s character, and have them discuss (with a
friend if they’ve finished also) how they know that.
E. WHAT COULD GO WRONG WITH THIS LESSON AND WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT?
The students could get really confused with character traits, and not understand them
at all. If that happens, I will talk about the idea that a writer wants his readers to get to
know his characters. Just like when you meet a new friend, you want to learn about
what they are like. I will ask them to pretend they are meeting Charlotte for the first
time, and have a “conversation” with her, listing what they learn about her.