CHARACTER
TRAITS
WHAT ARE CHARACTER TRAITS? HOW
DOES THE READER UNDERSTAND A
CHARACTER’S TRAITS?
COMMON CHARACTER TRAITS
THESE ARE DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE
WHAT A CHARACTER IS LIKE. WHICH QUALITIES
DESCRIBE YOU?
June 22July 22
•
•
•
•
Loving
Protective
Sympathetic
emotional
• Generous
• Warmhearted
July 23- • Faithful
August 21
• bossy
•
•
October 24- •
November 22 •
Determined
Exciting
passionate
obstinate
•
•
November
•
23-December
•
22
Optimistic
Honest
Intellectual
Irresponsible
•
•
•
•
•
•
August 22- •
September
•
23
Shy
Diligent
Intelligent
fussy
December
23-January
20
•
•
September •
21-October
•
23
Charming
Easygoing
Sociable
indecisive
•
•
January 21- •
February 19
•
ambitious
Patient
Humorous
pessimistic
Friendly
Independent
Loyal
Unpredictable
February
20March20
March
21-April
20
April 21May 21
May 22June 21
•Imaginative
•Sympathetic
•Selfless
•Easily-led
•Adventurous
•Confident
•Courageous
•Impatient
•Reliable
•Determined
•Patient
•jealous
•lively
•witty
•Communicative
•nervous
HOW DO WE LEARN ABOUT A CHARACTER’S
TRAITS WHEN READING?
Kyle strolled into the classroom ten
minutes late. His nonchalant look said it all, as did
the roll of his eyes when Mr. Smith snarled, “Kyle,
this is the third time this week that you have been
tardy. That’s a yellow slip for you.”
•
What a character says
•
What a character does
•
What a character thinks
“So,” Kyle mumbled as he slouched into
his desk, neither embarrassment nor regret on his
freckled face. Then he leaned into the aisle.
“Dude, got a pencil?” Kyle whispered to Timothy
who sat in the adjacent row.
What other characters
say, do, and think
towards that character
“No, for the millionth time!” Timothy
retorted, unsure why Kyle even bothered showing
up to class at all. Then he watched Kyle take his
regular, not so scholarly position – head on desk,
eyes shut, and drool seeping from the side of his
mouth.
•
How would you describe Kyle based on the story
and the questions on the left? (Discuss)
KYLE IS…
•
Irresponsible
What a character says
•
What a character does
•
What a character thinks
•
What other characters
say, do, and think
towards that character
Unlike most
responsible
students, Kyle
came to class
without supplies.
This is shown
when he asked
Timothy for a
pencil, and it
obviously was
not the first time.
Kyle didn’t
care about
his studies;
in fact, he
slept in
class,
“eyes shut,
drooling.”.
Kyle had been late three times in one
week, and he didn’t seem to care
because his look was “nonchalant.”
DESCRIBE A CHARACTER FROM YOUR
LIBRARY BOOK (SUPPORT YOUR CLAIM
WITH TEXT EVIDENCE)
•
What a character says
Detail from
the story
to support
your claim
•
What a character does
•
What a character thinks
Character
Trait
•
What other characters
say, do, and think
towards that character
Detail from
the story
to support
your claim.
Detail from
the story
to support
your claim
“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”
Journal Response – Write for 7-10 minutes on the following
quote:
“What is right is not always
popular; what is popular is not
always right.”
“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”
1. Based on the title and the picture from
the reading, write a short prediction for this
story. (Discuss)
2. As we popcorn read “If the Truth Be
Told,” circle all words that are unfamiliar to
you.
3. Be prepared to stop and actively discuss
each paragraph.
“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”
Which adjective does NOT describe Sojourner Truth?
A. Influential
B. Persistent
C. Brave
D. Irresponsible
E. Heartfelt
Why does that word not describe Sojourner Truth but the
other four words do? (Discuss using text examples.)
“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”
influential
persistent
Sojourner Truth
brave
heartfelt
With your small group, find text evidence to support each of these character
traits and underline or highlight pieces of text evidence. Be prepared to
share in ten minutes. Write the trait in the margin next to your underlining.
WRITE AN ESSAY THAT SHOWS SOJOURNER TRUTH’S
CHARACTER TRAITS. (WHICH CHARACTER TRAITS WOULD
YOU USE TO DESCRIBE SOJOURNER TRUTH? PROVIDE TEXT
EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR CLAIMS.)
influential
brave
persistent
heartfelt
(topic sentence)
Isabella Baumfree, who
renamed herself Sojourner
Truth after escaping slavery
and as a tribute to her life’s
journey, can be described as
____________________,
____________________, and
____________________.
“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”
Influential
Which of the following
statements would best
support the trait of
influential?
…through her public speaking,
she gained the respect of famous
Americans like William Garrison,
Frederick Douglass, and
Abraham Lincoln.
…she attempted to vote in 1872,
even though she was a woman
and a black, two groups who did
not have the right to vote.
…she impacted the lives of many
famous people through her
candid speeches. The text stated
that she “earned the respect of a
nation” through her public
speeches about ending slavery,
reforming prisons, and ending
capital punishment.
Based on the essay
“If the Truth Be Known,”
the reader can infer that
Sojourner Truth was an
___________ person
because ______________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________.
IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD
Choose the best trait for the
statements below.
heartfelt
persistent
brave
Choose two statements that
best fit this trait. Order them
according to the paragraph.
… attempted to cast a ballot
to vote even though it was
illegal for women to vote in
1872.
…she fed black soldiers
during the Civil War.
… courageously spoke
publically about women’s
rights and the equal
treatment of women.
…she rode a “whites only”
streetcar.
In addition to being
influential, Ms. Truth was also
__________. This is revealed
because she
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
______________________________.
Another specific action that reveals
this trait is that
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________.
“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”
Use the words below to
complete the statements.
(Not all will be used.)
heartfelt
persistent
brave
Support with these statements.
One does not belong.
…she spoke from the heart.
…she was born a slave in
1797 and was sold four
times.
For example, she could
not read or write, but her
own stories encouraged
and touched others.
Speaking from the heart
was “where she could
find the truth.”
In addition to being
influential and ________,
Sojourner Truth was also
____________. This is
shown because _______
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________.
“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”
The concluding sentence
sums up what you have said.
Finish the concluding
sentence with the traits we
have used.
Essay Format Reminders
Topic sentence…tell them
what you are going to say
Body…say it with specific
text evidence or by
summarizing what the text
explicitly said.
Conclusion…tell them what
you said.
Because she impacted
many lives, escaped
slavery and fought for
reforms, and spoke from
her heart, Sojourner
Truth can be described
as ________________,
________________, and
_____________________.
USING THE NOTES, WRITE A
WELL-DEVELOPED
PARAGRAPH REVEALING THE
CHARACTER TRAITS OF
SOJOURNER TRUTH. WATCH
PUNCTUATION AND SPELLING,
AS THOSE MISTAKES WILL BE
COSTLY TO YOUR GRADE!
“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”