Area of Study 2 – Creating and Presenting – Outcome 1 – 43 minutes – Lesson #3
Year Level:
VCE
Unit One
(Year 11)
Focus of the lesson:
Resources and Equipment:
Associated Texts:
The primary focus of this
lesson is for students to
understand the process of
character creation.
Whiteboard Eraser
Whiteboard Pens
Activity 1: Character Creation Worksheet 1 and 2.
Activity 2: Dramatic Action Plot Graph
Picture of an old lady/man.
Hosseini, K. (2004). The Kite Runner. Toronto, Canada: Penguin.
Frost, R. (1920). The Road Not Taken. Mountain Interval. Retrieved
September 8, 2013, from http://www.poemhunter.com/poem
/the-road-not-taken/
Frost, R. (1920). The Armful. Mountain Interval. Retrieved September 8,
2013, from http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-armful/
Henson, B. (Director). (1992). A Muppet Christmas Carol [DVD]. USA: Jim
Henson Productions; Walt Disney Pictures, 1992.
Jacobs, W.W. (1902). The Monkey’s Paw. Retrieved September 8, 2013,
from http://resources.mhs.vic.edu.au/creating/downloads
/The_Monkey%27s_Paw.pdf
Relevant AusVELS Content Descriptions:
Unit One: Creating and Presenting: Outcome 1
Learning Intentions:
1. To understand how characters are created for use in narratives.
Exploring and Presenting Themes:
Students explore the way that the theme of ‘choices and redemption’ are presented in set print (The Kite Runner, The
Monkey’s Paw, The Road Not Taken and The Armful) and non-print (A Christmas Carol) texts.
Students draw on this exploration to create and present their own short story on the same theme of ‘choices and
redemption’ for a specific audience, purpose and context.
Key Knowledge gained from this lesson:
The structures, features and conventions of a range of print and non-print texts created for different purposes.
The metalanguage necessary to be able to discuss structures, features and forms of their own and others’ texts.
Key Skills gained from this lesson:
The ability to draw on content suggested by set texts to develop and support ideas and arguments.
Plan and revise for coherence of form, language, structure, audience and context.
How to use appropriate metalanguage necessary to be able to discuss structures, features and forms of their own and
others’ texts.
Links to Students’ Prior Knowledge and
Experiences:
Students have used the collaborative online wall
Padlet to investigate the metalanguage used
when discussing written work (protagonist,
structure, audience, etc). The students also
created a plot continuum graph mapping the
turning points, catalysts and climactic points in
Assessment /Feedback Strategies:
Formative:
1. Metalanguage Worksheet 2 to be viewed by facilitator (this
was set as homework).
2. Character Creation Sheets
3. Dramatic Action Plot Graph
Summative:
To be provided at the close of the sequence (lesson 6).
1.
2.
Edited copy of their short story centred around the theme of
Choices and Redemption.
Finalised copy of their short story centred around the theme of
Choices and Redemption.
the short story The Monkey’s Paw by W.W.
Jacobs. Last lesson students learned about the
metalanguage required to discuss structures,
features and forms of their own and others’
texts. They also completed a Decision Making
Model Graphic Organiser which enabled
students to think of one problem, three alternate
choices to respond to the problem, the positive
and negative outcomes, as well as a potential
form of redemption for each choice-line. This is
to be used to form the plot of their short stories.
3.
A written exegesis explaining their short story as well as its
audience, purpose and context.
Lesson Sequence
What will I do?
What will students do?
Orient
Welcome students.
Write learning intentions on the Whiteboard.
Explain learning intention.
Students to come in and sit down at their desks
Write Key Questions in a bubble on the whiteboard:
When we meet someone new what do we want to know about them?
Students to add ideas on what we want to know when we meet someone
new. What changes when that person is fictional and only accessible through
words?
Engage
Key Activity:
Character Creation using “See, Think, Wonder”
Place the following picture up using the projector or a printed copy:
Teaching Strategy:
Visual Cue, creative
Purpose:
This activity works as a warm up to the
Character Creation Worksheet 1. This activity
asks students to collectively brainstorm
information based on what they see in the
picture, what they think about the picture and its
elements and most importantly, what they wish
to know about elements of the picture.
What do we see in the picture?
i.e. I see a smiling old man with a hat.
What do we think about the old man?
i.e. I think he is happy.
What do we want to know about the old man?
Students are to discuss what they see in the picture.
Students are to discuss what they think about the picture and the old man.
Students are to ask questions, to develop their curiosity.
Transform and Extend Part One
Key Activity:
Character Creation Worksheet 1
Teaching Strategy:
Creative Thinking
i.e. why is he happy?
Students are to discuss ideas on these questions:
Maybe he is happy because...
He works at...
Handout Worksheet 1: Character Creation.
This worksheet contains three images, each of which represents a
person of a different gender or age.
Students are to select one image of the three and fill out the
worksheet accordingly.
Students must think about the picture and create a character around what
they see using the worksheet.
Students are to create a character using Character Creation
Worksheet 2.
There are to be no visual cues for this exercise.
Students should be advised that this character will be the protagonist
of their short stories on ‘choices and redemption’.
Students should work on their own to create their characters for their short
story.
Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to present
students with a visual cue in order to create a
character. This model presents an opportunity to
really think about the characters and as such
have a better idea of how to create their own
characters without a visual cue.
This activity can also be completed as a group
activity as well as “think pair share”.
Transform and Extend Part Two
Key Activity:
Character Creation Worksheet 2
Teaching Strategy:
Creative Thinking
Discuss:
What types of characters do we have?
Did we have any difficulties creating them?
Students are to participate in the discussion.
Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to have students
create their own characters, without a visual cue
to rely on.
Reflect and Evaluate
Key Questions for discussion:
1.
2.
Observations and notes for next lesson:
Why is it important to use visual cues to help us when
creating something new?
What negatives could there be to beginning with an
image?
Students are to think about the assistance that an image can give whilst also
considering the forms of restriction it may cause.
In what other circumstances can images help us?
In what other circumstances can images hinder us?