Happy, sad, mad…oh my! Teaching character traits is such a fun and engaging way to dive deep into a character study unit. In my previous posts, I shared with you an engaging way to kick off a new unit of study and ideas for how to teach characters’ feelings. If you missed these blog posts (or videos!), you can click on the link below to watch them!
Kicking off a new unit for character unit: Video on YouTube
Kicking off a new unit for character unit: Blog post
Teaching Character Feelings: Video on YouTube
Teaching Character Feelings: Blog Post
In this blog post, I will write all about character traits! Before I begin, it is important to mention that there are many different mini-lessons that you could teach under the umbrella of “character traits.”
Some mini-lessons that would fall under this umbrella of character traits would be teaching about internal (inside) and external (outside) character traits, inferring character traits based on what a character is thinking, saying or doing, or even observing how a character thinks, talks, and acts in similar ways in each book in a series.
For this blog post, the mini-lesson I will model is readers use text evidence to prove their inference. This lesson would be taught after a lesson about inferring character traits. These lessons are all part of my character unit, where I include a script of each mini-lesson in the character study unit.
Before we begin, would you rather watch my video about how I teach this lesson? Then check out my YouTube video about teaching Character Traits: Teaching Character Traits
When I worked as an instructional coach, one way that I helped teachers was by going into their classrooms and modeling how to teach a lesson. For the next part of this blog post, I am going to write a script of my exact words that I would use when teaching a group of students, including my own second graders!
I will explain and model how I teach this lesson by using the framework of a mini-lesson. In my previous blog post ( mini-lesson musts ), I breakdown all of the important components to reading workshop mini-lesson: making a connection, teaching point, guided practice, link to independent learning, and closing.
It is also important to note that you will need a fiction book with a strong character. This will be used as your mentor text. ( Do you need a refresher about what a mentor text is? You can read my blog post here: Mentor Text ) For this lesson I will be using Because of Winn-Dixie as my mentor text. Let’s get started!
Make a connection
Teacher Talk: For the past few days, we discussed the meaning of character traits and we identified specific character traits of Camilla Cream and other main characters in stories.
Teaching point/Explicit Instruction
Teacher Talk: Today we are going to learn about inferring character traits. Strong readers can infer specific character traits about the main character. Since authors usually do not list specific traits for the characters in the books they write, it is up to us, being a good reader, to infer the character traits based on things the characters do and say. Good readers use clues about the character’s actions, words, and feelings to make an inference. (Read the colorful poster and display on anchor chart.) For example, even though Kate DiCamillo (the author of Because of Winn-Dixie) did not specifically write about Opal’s loneliness, we can certainly infer she was lonely based on her actions and her words. In fact, we can infer many of the characters in that beautiful story are lonely, based on their actions and their words.
Active engagement/Guided Practice
Teacher Talk: Now it’s your turn. Remember the list of character traits we read yesterday? I am going to pass out that list again. Today, we will work together to infer what character traits could describe your characters, by using clues in the story. (Work through the list of traits.)
Link to independent reading/work time:
Teacher Talk: When you are reading independently today, please challenge yourself to write down different character traits you inferred for the character in the book you are reading.
Closing/Sharing:
Teacher Talk: Today we learned about character traits and how to infer character traits. I would now like you to turn to your partner and share what you inferred.
When students are reading independently, I meet with guided reading groups. If you want to learn more about how I meet with guided reading groups remotely on Zoom, you can read the blog post or watch the video on my YouTube channel.
When I meet with guided reading groups, I dive deeper by expanding what was taught during the mini-lesson. For example, I may ask my group to bring a book they are currently reading, with a strong main character, to our meeting. As we are working together, in a strategy-focused guided reading group, each student is reading their own book and sharing what they inferred. In a strategy-based guided reading group, all the students are reading a different leveled book, but working on the same skill or strategy.
Well there you have it my friends! I sure hope that your students enjoy this lesson that teaches about inferring character traits! Be sure that you are on my email list and following me on YouTube so that you do not miss the next blog post in my character unit series!
Love this lesson? This lesson is one of 16 lessons that is included in my character unit resource. You can learn more about my character unit by reading below.
Be sure that you are on my email list and following me on YouTube so that you do not miss the next video in my character unit series! In my next blog posts, I will model lessons about character feelings, traits, and changes!
Now, go and gather some of your favorite books with strong characters! :)
Love this lesson? This lesson is one of 16 lessons that is included in my character unit resource. You can learn more about my character unit by reading below.
You can find this resource at my TPT store: Character Study Unit
Or, you can find this resource on my website: Character Study Unit
Mini-lessons include:
- Mini-lesson: Readers identify the characters in a story
- Mini-lesson: Readers get to know characters
- Mini-lesson: Readers gather information about characters by writing sticky notes
- Mini-lesson: Readers notice characters’ feelings
- Mini-lesson: Readers identify character feelings
- Mini-lesson: Readers identify secondary characters and how they help the main character
- Mini-lesson: Readers infer character traits
- Mini-lesson: Readers identify how a character changes throughout the story
- Mini-lesson: Readers use text evidence to prove their inference
- Mini-lesson: Readers can identify character motivations
- Mini-lesson: Readers identify how a character’s actions contribute to the sequence of events
- Mini-lesson: Readers identify the point of view
- Mini-lesson: Readers ask powerful questions about characters
- Mini-lesson: Readers identify internal and external character traits
- Mini-lesson: Readers can identify how a character responds to challenges
- Mini-lesson: Readers identify their favorite book character and CELEBRATE the end of the unit with a favorite book character party!
Included in this resource:
– 15 scripted mini-lessons
– Colorful posters to display as anchor charts for every mini-lesson
– Student worksheets for every mini-lesson
