Kim Ann Johnston
English Literature
Day 3 (Week 1) ? Minutes
Project Title: Examining character traits through character mapping
Audience: Eleventh grade English Literature Class, second & third period.
Subject Areas: English writing skills.
Previous Knowledge and Experience:
1. Students must have read the assigned book.
2. Character map worksheet.
Purpose/Executive Summary:
The students will use their memories and reading comprehension to analyze a character from a
book.
Lesson Objectives:
The students will understand the importance of character development within stories.
ESOL Modification:
Preproduction: 1. The students will use simplified language
2. The students will use pantomime/body language with nonverbal responses.
3. The students will know what character maps look like.
4. The students will model the use of character maps with labeled
diagram sheets.
5. The students will answer yes/no questions.
6. The students will use pictures of the characters in the book.
7. The students will work in a group for student involvement and
exposure to the English language.
Early Production:
1. The students will use simplified language to give examples:
who/what/where questions with one-word responses.
2. The students will use pantomime/body language with
verbal/non-verbal responses.
3. The students will know what character maps look like.
4. The students will model the use of character maps with labeled
diagram sheets.
5. The students will work in a group for active student involvement
and exposure to the English language.
6. The students will verbally answer the essay topic in phrases.
7. The students use a bilingual dictionary.
Speech Emergence:
1. The students will use simplified language : basic sentences.
2. The students will know what character maps look like.
3. The students will model the use of character maps with labeled
diagram sheets.
4. The students will work in a group for active student involvement
and exposure to the English language.
5. The students will chart their ideas using the character maps.
6. The students will verbally answer the student using how and
why questions for describing the characters in a book.
7. The students will use a bilingual dictionary to look up
new vocabulary words.
Intermediate Fluency:
1. The students will use simplified language: no complicated
words.
3. The students will know what character maps look like.
2. The students will model the use of character maps with labeled
diagram sheets.
4. The students work in a group for active student involvement.
5. The students will chart their ideas using the character maps.
6. The students will use extra time to pre-write his or her character
description.
7. The students will answer the student using how and why
questions for describing the characters in a book.
8. The students will use a bilingual dictionary to look up new
vocabulary words.
9. The students will use extra time to analyze and correct their
mistakes.
Linguistic Objectives: Students of all four stages of language development will be introduced to
the concept of describing and analyzing the characters from a book while learning a new
vocabulary.
Cultural Objectives: Brainstorming ideas for a character description comes from the student’s
reading comprehension of a book.
Sunshine State Standards:
LA.1112.1.5.1 - The student will adjust reading rate based on purpose, text difficulty, form, and
style.
LA. 1112.1.6.1 - use new vocabulary that is introduced and taught directly
LA. 1112.1.7.2 - analyze the author’s purpose and/or perspective in a variety of text and
understand how they affect meaning;
LA. 1112.1.7.4 - identify cause-and-effect relationships in text;
LA. 1112.1.7.8 - use strategies to repair comprehension of grade-appropriate text when selfmonitoring indicates confusion, including but not limited to rereading, checking context clues,
predicting, note-making, summarizing, using graphic and semantic organizers, questioning,
and clarifying by checking other sources.
LA. 1112.2.1.5 - analyze and develop an interpretation of a literary work by describing an
authors use of literary elements (e.g., theme, point of view, characterization, setting, plot), and
explain
and analyze different elements of figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor,
personification, hyperbole, symbolism, allusion, imagery);
LA. 1112.2.2.2 - use information from the text to answer questions or to state the main idea or
provide relevant details;
LA. 1112.2.2.3 - organize information to show understanding or relationships among facts, ideas,
and events (e.g., representing key points within text through charting, mapping, paraphrasing,
summarizing, comparing, contrasting, or outlining);
LA. 1112.3.1.1 - generating ideas from multiple sources (e.g., brainstorming, notes, journals,
discussion, research materials or other reliable sources) based upon teacher-directed topics and
personal interests
ESE Sunshine State Standards: (Applied to the student’s ability.)
LA. 1112.1.5.1 - The student will adjust reading rate based on purpose, text difficulty, form, and
style.
LA. 1112.1.6.1 - use new vocabulary that is introduced and taught directly
LA. 1112.1.7.2 - analyze the author’s purpose and/or perspective in a variety of text and
understand how they affect meaning;
LA. 1112.1.7.4 - identify cause-and-effect relationships in text;
LA. 1112.1.7.8 - use strategies to repair comprehension of grade-appropriate text when selfmonitoring indicates confusion, including but not limited to rereading, checking context clues,
predicting, note-making, summarizing, using graphic and semantic organizers, questioning,
and clarifying by checking other sources.
LA. 1112.2.1.5 - analyze and develop an interpretation of a literary work by describing an
authors use ofliterary elements (e.g., theme, point of view, characterization, setting, plot), and
explain
and analyze different elements of figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor,
personification, hyperbole, symbolism, allusion, imagery);
LA. 1112.2.2.2 - use information from the text to answer questions or to state the main idea or
provide relevant details;
LA. 1112.2.2.3 - organize information to show understanding or relationships among facts, ideas,
and events (e.g., representing key points within text through charting, mapping, paraphrasing,
summarizing, comparing, contrasting, or outlining);
LA. 1112.3.1.1 - generating ideas from multiple sources (e.g., brainstorming, notes, journals,
discussion, research materials or other reliable sources) based upon teacher-directed topics and
personal interests;
LA. 1112.3.4.1 - spelling, using spelling rules, orthographic patterns, generalizations, knowledge
of root words, prefixes, suffixes, knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon root words, and
knowledge of foreign words commonly used in English (laissez faire, croissant);
LA. 1112.3.4.2 - capitalization, including names of academic courses and proper adjectives;
LA. 1112.3.4.3 - punctuation, including commas, colons, semicolons, apostrophes, dashes,
quotation marks, and underlining or italics;
LA. 1112.3.4.4 - possessives, subject/verb agreement, comparative and superlative adjectives
and adverbs, and noun/pronoun agreement; and
LA. 1112.3.4.5 - sentence formation, including absolutes and absolute phrases, infinitives and
infinitive phrases, and use of fragments for effect.
Materials Needed:
1. Book.
2. Dry erase markers.
3. Character map sheets.
4. Notebook paper
5. Pencils or pens
ESOL students:
Preproduction:
Character map sheets, labeled pictures from the characters in the
book, and an audio cassette of the book would be helpful. The
pictures should be interesting. A sketch pad and markers are
helpful if the student cannot describe a thought. He or she may
draw a picture of it to describe it.
Early Production:
Character map sheets, labeled pictures from the characters in the
book, and an audio cassette of the book would be helpful. The
pictures should be interesting. A sketch pad and markers are
helpful if the student cannot describe a thought. He or she may
draw a picture of it to describe it.
Speech Emergence:
Character map sheets, labeled pictures from the characters in the
book, and an audio cassette of the book would be helpful. The
pictures should be interesting. A sketch pad and markers are
helpful if the student cannot describe a thought. He or she may
draw a picture of it to describe it. A bilingual dictionary (text or
electronic) should be provided.
Intermediate Fluency:
Character map sheets, and labeled pictures from the characters in
the book. The pictures should be interesting. A bilingual dictionary
(text or electronic) should be provided. Sentences must be
complete with proper spelling and punctuation.
Lesson Opening:
Ask the students which character they like best as an informal vote with a show of raised hands.
Discus the story plot with excitement and explain how the character is involved.
Lesson Development/Procedures:
1. Select a character from a book that you are reading.
2. On the overhead projector or whiteboard, Think and list (model) the information you know
about the character (age, gender, hair color, personality, traits, and other characteristics).
3. Discuss with the students how you learned of this information. Was it directly stated in the
book? Or, was the information inferred based on other information within the book?
4. Distribute the character map sheets.
5. Have the students follow the directions on the character map and make sure you fill in as
much information about their favorite character as much as possible.
6. Collect the character maps to grade them.
Ways to extend the student activity
Have the students create a character map from another story that they are writing.
Lesson Closure:
Walk around the room and look at the students’ group work while explaining any errors.
Compliment the students on their good description. Find the most interesting character map(s).
Ask the student(s) to draw it on the dry erase white board. Review the process…
ESOL:
Preproduction: Re-explain the lesson with a language interpreter if there is
one available. Small drawings can easily illustrate the
character maps.
Early Emergence: Re-explain the lesson with a language interpreter if there is
one available. Simplify words. Lend the student a translation
dictionary to take home. Provide examples in the native
language.
Speech Emergence: Re-explain the lesson if necessary. Simplify words. Lend the
student a translation to take home. The character maps should
be in phrase and sentence responses, but drawings should be
labeled using the bilingual dictionary. Punctuation and
spelling should be correct.
Intermediate Fluency: Re-explain the lesson if necessary. Simplify words. Lend
the student a translation dictionary to take home. The
character maps should be in phrase and sentence responses
using the bilingual dictionary. Additional time is needed for
the student’s correction and final draft. Punctuation and
spelling should be correct.
Evaluation/Self Check:
Examine the students while they are working on their character maps. Make sure that everyone is
participating. Have extra handout sheets ready if the students want to practice at home. Answer
any student questions at the end of class. The graded character maps should reveal and clarify the
students’ reading comprehension of the story.
Name:_________________________________________
Date: ______________________
Period: ______
Character Map
Book:______________________________________
What does the character look like?
Character’s Name: ______________________________
How does the character act?
How do other characters react with this character?