Liane Kolesar
Ed Media Masters
Professor Chalfin
Lesson Title: Character Traits
Grade Level: Second
Time Period: 2-1 hour Workshops
DIAGNOSTIC PHASE: This is a second grade class with diverse cultural backgrounds and learning
styles. This class has two students who receive RTI in Reading and 5 students who receive RTI in
math. There are 6 advanced learners, 9 average learners and 7 struggling learners. I have
children who are tactile, auditory, and visual learners.
Learning Standard(s)
ELA Core Curriculum (2005), 2nd Grade , Literacy Competencies: Reading
 Work cooperatively with peers (e.g., peer pairs or groups) to comprehend text
 Organize text information by using graphic or semantic organizers
 Compare and contrast similarities and differences among characters and events across
stories
 Demonstrate comprehension of grade-level text through creative response, such as
writing, drama, and oral presentation
ELA Core Curriculum (2005), 2nd Grade, Literacy Competencies: Writing
 Write in response to the reading of imaginative and informational texts
 Use capitalization, punctuation, and spelling rules to produce final products
ELA Core Curriculum (2005), 2nd Grade, Literacy Competencies: Writing
 Share writing with others (e.g., participate in author's circle)
ELA Core Curriculum (2005), 2nd Grade, GSPI: Reading
Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.
 Use specific evidence from stories to describe characters and relate sequences of
events, with assistance
Goal(s)
(1) Students will be able to analyze character traits and give supporting evidence.
Objective(s)
(1) The students will utilize the skill of identifying and analyzing character traits.
(2) The students will also use their imagination to create their own character.
(3) Student will be able to plan out their character web using Kidspiration.
Entry Skills
(1) Students understand character feelings.
(2) Students have an understanding of what character traits are and how they are used in
literature that we read.
(3) Students are familiar with the Kidspiration program.
Model/Strategy appropriate achieving objective
(1) Graphic organizer-Web of character Traits
(2) Cooperative Learning Groups
(3) Discovery
(4) Whole Group Discussion
Materials
Brown Paper Bags
Objects for character traits
Poster Paper
Graphic organizer
Computers
Kidspiration
Classroom Organization
Whole Group for modeling of Assignment
Small Cooperative Groups
Partners
Individual
DELIVERY PHASE:
Anticipatory Set: The teacher will have a brown paper bag at the rug. She will tell the students
that she has a new neighbor but hasn’t met her yet. She will tell the children that she was so
curious that she went in her garbage and took some things out to find our more about her
character! Show the students what you found. Pull out the objects and ask kids to turn and talk
to discuss what each object found might tell us about the “character.” She will then tell the
students that they will do the same to figure out character traits in small groups.
Procedures for achieving objective(s):
Day 1:
(1) Help the students brainstorm a list of character traits such as honesty, courage, and
laziness. Write each character trait on a small strip of paper (one for each student).
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
Place the strips in a small paper bag labeled "character traits." Direct each student to
pick one strip from the bag.
Instruct the student to write three sentences that describe a character with the trait
that was drawn - without using the word written on the strip. Have the student write
one sentence each about what the character thinks, says, and does.
Direct each student to read their sentences to another student to see if they can guess
the character trait based on the descriptions.
Now that they have practiced giving evidence without using the “trait,” break the
students up into small groups.
Each group will get a brown paper bag with objects that tell about a character. Their job
is to figure out what these objects say about their character. They will write down the
traits they think the obejcts portray about the character. There will be a Creative Author
(writer), The Detective, The “Host,”, and the Publicist (reporter).
Then, they need to plan out a story that uses the character traits that they were given in
their groups. They can be as creative as they want with the story; as long as their
character proves the traits that they are given. It can be differentiated by groups having
certain materials. Advanced groups would have to come up with the character trait
words for the objects. The average groups would have objects but have index cards with
the words on them also. They would have to match the objects and the words.
If time permits, have groups start to share their work.
Day 2:
(1) The teacher will remind the students of what they did yesterday. They had to figure our
character traits and create a story. Students will be asked to make a plan for their own
character. We will break down each part of the Story Elements by using Kidspiration.
They will be asked to make a plan for a new character. They will have to think of at least
3 character traits that their character has and give examples of how this can be proved.
There needs to be evidence and a graphic organizer will be given to make this plan. She
will remind the students to use our “Character Trait Person,” to get ideas for traits they
may want to use for their character.
(8) The students will then be asked to go to the computer. The teacher will show the Jing
Model of how to get to Kidspiration. She will then go step-by-step through Kidspiration
to bring them to the web needed to create the Character Web.
(9) She will tell the students to go to the start buttom at the bottom left-hand corner of the
screen and click up until they see Kidspiration with the blue, yellow and red stars. They
will be told to click this.
(10)
Then, once it loads, the children will click the books box where it says reading
and writing. When another page loads they will be asked to click the 3rd box on the top
row that says Character Web. The teacher will model how to click each bubble to add
text. She will explain that the red ovals are where they will add the trait and the blue
boxes attached to each oval is where they will put the example of evidence of this trait.
She will model how to go to the blue arrows or the orange arrow to find a new
character. She will also show them how to add more bubbles, add a background, and
different pictures to match their words.
(11)
Students will be given about 20-25 minutes to complete this Kidspiration Web.
(12)
Each student will be able to share their character and the traits they are deciding
to use for their Character Trait Story.
Guided practice activities
(1) Student will be in groups and create a story together based on traits found in brown
paper bags.
(2) Students will work with partners to figure out the trait by analyzing the sentences clues.
Bloom’s Taxonomy Questions
o Knowledge – What is a character?
o Comprehension – What are character Traits?
o Application – What are some character traits from this story? Can they change?
o Analysis – Can you generalize traits on a person/character based on these objects?
o Synthesis – Create traits for a character and create a story that gives evidence of these
given traits.
o Evaluation - Student evaluation will take place when they pair up with another student to
read their sentences to one another. The students will be able evaluate each other’s
sentences by seeing if they can guess the character trait based on the descriptions.
Closure
(1) Students will be able to share their webs and then go back to Kidspiration and make a
full story element web to tell a story.
(2) Review with the students about how authors try to create a mental picture of their
characters in order to understand them better. Have them explain some ways an author
can do this (by describing how a character looks, speaks, thinks and acts.)
Independent practice activities
(1) Students will think about a character and traits they would like to give them.
(2) They will create a Character Web on Kidspiration.
Assessment:
(1) Participation during Anticipatory Set
(2) Sentences Created based on given trait: Could they create sentences without using the
word?
(3) Partners: Were they able to figure out the trait by understanding the clues and
evidence?
(4) Graphic Organizer: Plan for Character
(5) Kidspiration Character Web
Follow-up Lesson
(1) Now that the students have their character and examples, they will be asked to go back
to Kidspiration and be shown how to use the Story Web. They will now take their
information from their first web, and plan out their full story.
(2) Once there webs are created and brainstormed, the students will be taught how to use
Storybook Weaver to write their story.