Lesson Plan:
Character Sketches
Rationale:
The first grade students have previously been introduced short biographies. This
lesson includes making character sketches about the person the biography is about.
They have already been introduced to picking out details in stories. This lesson will
be strengthening those skills and help them to show those details in a different form
by being able to pick out text clues to help create inferences about the character.
Goals (Standards):
The students will:
CCSS RL.1.7: Use illustrations and details in a story to describe it’s characters,
setting, or events.
For the teacher:
Standard 7-The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter,
students, the community, and curriculum goals.
Objectives:
The students will:
 Be able to pick out text clues to help create inferences about a character.
Assessment:
The students will be assessed after the modeling of the character sketch of Amelia
Earhart. The students will then create a character sketch of Johnny Appleseed,
which they have already read during one of their stations. The character sketch
should have all the bubbles filled in with specific characteristics of Johnny
Appleseed and special events that he accomplished. At the end of the station time
they will hand them in. I will be looking for correct inferences taken from the text
that give characteristics of Johnny Appleseed (at least 3 out of the 6).
Strategies for children requiring additional assistance:
If needed I will leave the model of Amelia Earhart’s character sketch up on the
overhead so the students have an example of what details they should be picking
out.
Materials Needed:
 Title: Johnny Appleseed by Patricia Demuth (Non-Fiction)
 Title: Amelia Earhart by Wil Mara (Non-Fiction)
 Overhead of blank character sketch
 36 copies of blank character sketches for Johnny Appleseed
 Folder to collect student work
Total Time Needed:
15-20 minutes for total instruction time:
2-5 minutes for introduction
5-10 minutes for reading Amelia Earhart
5 minutes for character sketch
2-3 minutes for closure
Introduction:
 Good morning class, today we will be reading a book about Amelia Earhart and
creating a character sketch of her. A character sketch is a way to organize the
description of a character. What they looked like, what things they accomplished,
and what kind of person they were are all good ways to describe a character.
When we find the descriptions of the character we can make inferences about
why the character did things. An inference is making a good guess based on facts
that we find in the text. This book talks about Amelia Earhart’s life. Does anyone
know anything about Amelia Earhart? Let’s read to find out.
Demonstration and Participation:
 Let’s first take a picture walk of the book to see what clues we can get. (Do
picture walk) Do we have any predictions about Amelia Earhart?
 Now let’s find out if our predictions are correct. (Read book and stop at points
where students had made predictions and point out if the predictions were
accurate or not)
 Now after reading this book we have a much better understanding of who
Amelia Earhart was. We can now use the details about Amelia’s life to create her
character sketch.
 One thing I want to write on her character sketch is that Amelia was brave. I
made this inference because the text says that she flew higher than any other
woman. I know I could never fly as high as she did!
Participation
 Now lets have some more details that describe Amelia Earhart or even things
she accomplished. (Call on students to give details)(Finish the character sketch)
 If needed go back in text to help students see where their inferences came from.
 Each student must explain why he or she chose that word to describe Amelia.
 After finishing character sketch: I think this really sums up what we read about
Amelia Earhart. We did a great job using the text to make inferences about her
life. We can make inferences about any character in a text to help us understand
who they are and why they do certain things.
Closure/Continued Practice:
 Now, I know you have already read the biography of Johnny Appleseed and now
I want you to create a character sketch for Johnny Appleseed by picking out
details about what he looked like, what he accomplished, and what kind of
person he was.
 You will be working on this as one of your stations today. I will hand out a
character sketch while you are having your silent reading time. I would like you
to place them in this folder (hold up folder) when you’re done. If you want me to
I can leave Amelia Earhart’s character sketch up on the overhead while the
stations are going on. Now let’s quietly grab the book boxes and find a space to
sit. (Call off tables to go get their book boxes and snack)
Possible Next Steps:
 Compare the two character sketches.