Character/Conflict Analysis – Grade 12
Ohio Standards
Connection
Literary Text
Benchmark A
Analyze and evaluate the
five elements (e.g., plot,
character, setting, point of
view and theme) in literary
text.
Indicator 4
Evaluate an author’s use of
point of view in a literary
text.
Benchmark B
Explain ways characters
confront similar situations
and conflict.
Indicator 1
Compare and contrast
motivations and reactions
of literary characters
confronting similar
conflicts (e.g., individual
vs. nature, freedom vs.
responsibility, individual
vs. society), using specific
examples of characters’
thoughts, words and
actions.
Lesson Summary:
In this lesson, students learn to determine point of view and
to analyze and evaluate the effect point of view has on conflict
confrontation and resolution.
Estimated Duration: Three hours
Commentary:
One reviewer cited the wisdom of using “familiar stories to
begin teaching a difficult concept.” Another noted, “I enjoy
using outside sources and children’s book coupled with text
materials.”
Pre-Assessment:
• Read aloud a familiar children’s story (e.g., “The Three
Little Pigs,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,”
“Cinderella”) to students.
• In groups, students discuss the point of view and conflicts
in the piece.
• Read aloud (or ask a volunteer to do so) an alternative
fairy tale (e.g., The True Story of the Three Little Pigs,
Snow White in New York, Cinder-Edna) and discuss the
point of view and conflicts in the piece.
Instructional Tips:
• Perform a web search on alternative or fractured fairy
tales. Many are available online.
• For more sophisticated students, consider using James
Finn Garner’s Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, Once
Upon a More Enlightened Time or Politically Correct
Holiday Stories (or similar texts).
• Students, working in pairs, create a comparison chart (e.g.,
a Venn diagram or T-chart) for the two stories (See
Attachment A, Venn Diagram for Point of View
Comparison/Contrast; Attachment B, T-Chart for Point of
View Comparison/Contrast).
• The pairs illustrate or write their ideas about how the point
of view affects the outcome of the two stories.
• Individually, students write a reflective paragraph about
their reactions, feelings and questions.
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Character/Conflict Analysis – Grade 12
Scoring Guidelines:
Assess students’ understanding of character point of view, ability to determine sequence/plot
similarities and ability to discern differences in detail. Use the reflective paragraphs to determine
student needs (see Attachment C, Sample Rubric for Reflection Writing).
Post-Assessment:
• Assign or allow students to choose novels or short stories (e.g., The Great Gatsby, As I Lay
Dying, A Tale of Two Cities, Frankenstein, Things Fall Apart, or Love in the Time of
Cholera; “Once Upon a Time” by Nadine Gordimer, “Demon Lover” by Elizabeth Bowen,
“Araby” by James Joyce, “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by D. H. Lawrence).
• Students write an analysis that evaluates the reliability of the narrator and effectiveness of the
point of view.
• Students include in the analysis a discussion of how the conflict resolution relates to the point
of view.
Scoring Guidelines:
Use Attachment D, Rubric for Evaluating Analysis of Narrator Reliability and Conflict
Resolution, to assess students’ ability to identify point of view and conflict, analyze outcomes
and character development and support hypotheses.
Instructional Procedures:
Day One
1. Provide three written selections from various sources with different points of view.
Instructional Tip:
Select material appropriate for the skill level and content of the course (e.g., novel chapters or
excerpts).
2. Briefly review the points of view: third person limited, third person omniscient and first
person.
Instructional Tip:
Vary this discussion in breadth and depth depending upon the needs of the particular class.
3. Read the first selection aloud to class.
4. On the overhead or board, brainstorm responses to the following questions: (also available as
a handout—see Attachment E, Questions for Discussion about Point of View and Narrator
Reliability)
• What is the point of view of the piece?
• What textual or context clues lead to this conclusion?
• What needed or desired information does this point of view omit?
• What information does this point of view distort?
• Is the narrator reliable? Why or why not?
• What qualities does a reliable narrator possess?
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Character/Conflict Analysis – Grade 12
5. Discuss how the narrator confronts and resolves conflict.
6. As a class, brainstorm how another character would respond to the same conflict. (also
available as a handout—see Attachment E, Questions for Discussion about Alternate
Character Response)
• What qualities does the character possess that influence your response?
• How is this character’s point of view different from the narrator’s point of view?
• Would this character be a reliable narrator?
• Which character is more believable?
• Are believability and reliability the same?
Day Two
7. In pairs, assign students to read the second selection and respond to the questions on
Attachments E and F. Remind them to be prepared to defend their responses in class
discussion.
8. Monitor pairs as they discuss the second selection.
9. Provide feedback and support as needed.
10. Regroup as a class to discuss the conclusions drawn by the pairs.
11. Students read a third selection independently and respond in writing to the questions on
Attachments E and F. Students prepare to defend their responses in class discussion.
12. Regroup class and discuss the third selection.
13. Record or ask a student record key points of discussions on chart paper or chalk, white or
Smartboard®.
Instructional Tip:
During the discussion, suggest students add ideas to their discussion notes.
14. Students apply knowledge by writing a personal narrative from the perspective of another
party.
15. Ask students to share narratives with their partners.
16. Partners use Attachments E and F to evaluate the reliability of the narrator.
Differentiated Instructional Support:
Instruction is differentiated according to learner needs, to help all learners either meet the intent
of the specified indicator(s) or, if the indicator is already met, to advance beyond the specified
indicator(s).
• Paired students use shared reading to complete tasks.
• Students may complete graphic organizer (Venn diagram or T-chart) to assist analysis.
• Students rewrite the ending (or entire story depending on length) from another character’s
point of view.
• After rewriting the ending or story, students may choose to illustrate the story using various
art media (e.g., sculpture, charcoal, pastels, watercolor, woodwork, metalwork, etc.)
• Provide audio or video versions of the text whenever possible.
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Character/Conflict Analysis – Grade 12
Extensions:
• Students compare/contrast two thematically similar novels or short stories from varying
points of view.
• Use a newspaper’s Op-Ed section and ask students to write a piece on the same subject from
the opposite point of view.
• Additionally, students prepare answers for possible challenges to their piece (this could be a
bridge to teaching debating skills)
Home Connections:
• Students and family members discuss television program or movie endings from various
characters’ points of view.
• Review the editorial page with an adult at home and discuss their opinions.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
Discipline: Foreign Language
Standard: Cultures: Gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures
Benchmark: C. Analyze, discuss and report on a wide variety of products and perspectives in
the target culture.
Indicator: 4. Identify, analyze and evaluate themes, ideas and perspectives related to the products
being studied (e.g., public transportation, architecture, music)
Many cultures feature myths whose characters are similar to traditional western fairy tale
characters.
Standard: Communication: Communicate in languages other than English
Benchmark: H. Analyze information from a variety of oral, written and visual sources by
summarizing, critiquing and explaining texts.
Indicator: 9. Analyze content from several sources (e.g., newspapers, magazines, Internet)
dealing with a single issue (e.g., military conflicts, pollution).
Materials and Resources:
The inclusion of a specific resource in any lesson formulated by the Ohio Department of
Education should not be interpreted as an endorsement of that particular resource, or any of its
contents, by the Ohio Department of Education. The Ohio Department of Education does not
endorse any particular resource. The Web addresses listed are for a given site’s main page,
therefore, it may be necessary to search within that site to find the specific information required
for a given lesson. Please note that information published on the Internet changes over time,
therefore the links provided may no longer contain the specific information related to a given
lesson. Teachers are advised to preview all sites before using them with students.
For the teacher:
Array of children’s books with varying conflicts and points of view
For the student:
Library and computer access
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Character/Conflict Analysis – Grade 12
Vocabulary:
• infer
• point of view
o third person limited
o third person omniscient
o first person
• reliable narrator
• T-chart
• Venn diagram
Technology Connections:
• Students should demonstrate knowledge and use of word processing program as a tool.
• Students may choose to use e-text versions of texts.
• Students may choose to down the e-text version to their personal data assistants (PDAs).
Research Connections:
Burke, Jim. Tools for Thought: Graphic Organizers for Your Classroom. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann, 2002.
Marking Effective & Efficient Notes
Use a graphic organizer such as a Venn diagram.
Marzano, Robert J., Jane E. Pollock and Debra Pickering. Classroom Instruction that Works:
Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2001.
Identifying similarities and differences enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use
knowledge. This process includes comparing, classifying, creating metaphors, and creating
analogies and may involve the following:
•
•
•
Presenting students with explicit guidance in identifying similarities and differences
Asking students to independently identify similarities and differences
Representing similarities and differences in graphic or symbolic form
Zemelman, Steven, Harvey Daniels, and Arthur Hyde. Best Practice: New Standards of
Teaching and Learning in America’s Schools. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1998.
CLASSROOM STRUCTURES
• Representing-to-learn
Writing to learn developed in the 70s and 80s by Peter Elbow (1973) and Toby Fulwiler
(1987) was widely spread in National Writing Project in-service programs. However, this
need not be limited only to writing words; drawing, sketching, jotting, mapping and other
graphic representations are equally valuable and can be called representing to learn (Daniels
& Bizar 1998). A reading workshop of this variety, as developed by Nancie Atwell (1998)
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Character/Conflict Analysis – Grade 12
•
yields a group of busily working students, engaged in their own reading tasks, responding
and enhancing their comprehension.
Reflective assessment
Teachers adopt and adapt the tools of ethnographic and qualitative research: observation,
interviews, questionnaires, and collecting and interpreting artifacts and performances.
Teachers recognize that the most valuable assessment activities are formative, aimed at
understanding a student’s development and making instructional decisions regarding that
child. Summative evaluation, the process of converting achievements into some kind of
ranked, ordinal system, needs to happen far less often if at all (Grant Wiggins 1998).
•
Small group activities
Cooperative learning has been described by William Glasser (1990), David and Roger
Johnston (1991), Yael and Shlomo Sharan (1992) and Robert Slavin (1985) among others.
Manifestations
Partner/Buddy reading
Peer Response and Editing
Reading Circles/Text Sets
Study Teams
Group Investigations
General Tip:
Monitor and evaluate the progress of each student’s work. Use this information to guide further
instruction or to differentiate instruction based on student needs.
Attachments:
Attachment A, Venn Diagram for Point of View Comparison/Contrast
Attachment B, T-Chart for Point of View Comparison/Contrast
Attachment C, Sample Rubric for Reflection Writing
Attachment D, Rubric for Evaluating Analysis of Narrator Reliability and Conflict Resolution
Attachment E, Questions for Discussion about Point of View and Narrator Reliability
Attachment F, Questions for Discussion about Alternate Character Response
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Character/Conflict Analysis – Grade 12
Attachment A
Venn Diagram for Point of View Comparison/Contrast
POV Character from
Original Fairy Tale
_____________________
______
POV Character from
Alternative Fairy
Tale
________________
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Character/Conflict Analysis – Grade 12
Attachment B
T-Chart for Point of View Comparison/Contrast
Original Fairy Tale Character
Alternative Fairy Tale Character
________________________________________________________________________
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Character/Conflict Analysis – Grade 12
Attachment C
Sample Rubric for Reflection Writing
Name___________________________
1. Does the writing show evidence of thought and effort? Did the writer go deeper than the
immediate surface reaction to the prompt?
1-----------------------2----------------------------3---------------------------4----------------------5
Little to no
Clearly shows
thought
in-depth
and effort
thought and
effort
2. Did the writer stay focused on the assigned prompt?
1-----------------------2----------------------------3---------------------------4----------------------5
May touch
on topic, but
most of the
writing was
off-topic
Focused on the
assigned
prompt
3. Does the writer support his or her ideas with specific examples and ideas?
1-----------------------2----------------------------3---------------------------4----------------------5
Few or no
specific
examples
Specific
examples that
support the
writer’s ideas
4. Does the writer completely explain his or her ideas?
1-----------------------2----------------------------3---------------------------4----------------------5
Difficult to
understand
what the
writer is
trying to
say
Reader can
clearly
understand the
writer’s views
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Character/Conflict Analysis – Grade 12
Attachment D
Rubric for Evaluating Analysis of Narrator Reliability and Conflict
Resolution
Aspect
Organization
Developing - 2
Proficient - 3
Confusing as it
jumps from topic to
topic
Basic – 1
Weak; introduction
fails to set stage for
author’s ideas; no
conclusion present
Reliability and Response shows no
Point of View understanding of
Response shows
some limited
understanding of
narrator reliability
and point of view.
However, there are
no specific
references to their
use within the text
Response show
some limited
consideration of
alternate point of
view or conflict
resolution;
however, there are
no specific
references to the
text to support
conclusions
Response has
limited textual
evidence to support
the messages
articulated in the
written response
Effective
organization of
ideas, however,
introduction and
conclusion are
unimaginative
and/or repetitive
Response shows
understanding of
narrator reliability
and point of view
and makes a few
specific references
to the text
Effective
organization of ideas
with an attentiongetting introduction
and a creative and
summative
conclusion
Response shows solid
understanding of
narrator reliability
and point of view;
makes specific
references to their
development with the
text
Response shows
consideration of
alternate point of
view or conflict
resolution with a
few specific
references to the
text to support
conclusions
Response shows solid
consideration of
alternate point of
view or conflict
resolution. Makes
specific references to
the text to support
conclusions
Response
articulates
massages found
within the text but
does not use ample
support for those
ideas
Writing
conventions are
solid but minor
mistakes are
evident
Response clearly
articulates messages
found and supports
writer’s ideas with
ample references to
the text (quotes and
examples)
Response indicates a
strong grasp of the
writing conventions
of the English
language
narrator reliability or
point of view
Alternate
Character
Point of View
and Conflict
Resolution
Response shows no
consideration of
alternate point of
view or conflict
resolution
Development
Response does not
clearly articulate
messages and ideas
present in the literary
text
Writing
Conventions
Response
demonstrates little
grasp of the
conventions of the
English language
Writing
conventions are
weak and hinder
the complete
understanding of
the response
Expert - 4
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Character/Conflict Analysis – Grade 12
Attachment E
Questions for Discussion about Point of View
And Narrator Reliability
•
What is the point of view of the piece?
•
What textual or context clues lead to this conclusion?
•
What needed or desired information does this point of view omit?
•
What information does this point of view distort?
•
Is the narrator reliable? Why or why not?
•
What qualities does a reliable narrator possess?
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Character/Conflict Analysis – Grade 12
Attachment F
Questions for Discussion about Alternate Character Response
•
What qualities does the character possess that influence your response?
•
How is this character’s point of view different from the narrator’s point of view?
•
Would this character be a reliable narrator?
•
Which character is more believable?
•
Are believability and reliability the same?
12