How do you determine who a
character really is?
In this lesson you will analyze
a character’s actions by
recording what a character
does and how he does it.
Let’s Review
Tom:
•Has to paint the fence,
but doesn’t want to.
•Friends with Jim, who
is a slave.
•Tries to convince
people with his words.
A Common Mistake
Character Theory:
 Words
 Thoughts
 Actions
How?
CoreLesson
Core
Lesson
What is Tom
doing?
“Why, ain’t THAT work?”
Tom resumed his whitewashing, and
answered carelessly: “Well, maybe it is, and
maybe it ain’t. All I know, is, it suits Tom
Sawyer.”
“Oh come, now, you don’t mean to let on
that you LIKE it?”
“Like it? Well, I don’t see why I oughtn’t to
like it. Does a boy get a chance to white
wash a fence every day?”
That put the thing in a new light. Ben
stopped nibbling his apple…”Say Tom, let
ME whitewash a little.”
Tom is whitewashing
the wall and talking
to Ben.
CoreLesson
Core
Lesson
HOW is Tom
doing it?
“Why, ain’t THAT work?”
Tom resume his whitewashing, and
answered carelessly: “Well, maybe it is, and
maybe it ain’t. All I know, is, it suits Tom
Sawyer.”
“Oh come, now, you don’t mean to let on
that you LIKE it?”
“Like it? Well, I don’t see why I oughtn’t to
like it. Does a boy get a chance to white
wash a fence every day?”
That put the thing in a new light. Ben
stopped nibbling his apple…”Say Tom, let
ME whitewash a little.”
Tom is being sneaky,
by telling Ben he likes
painting, and
continuing to do it.
He tricks Ben into
thinking it is fun and
that he wants to try.
CoreLesson
Core
Lesson
This scene matters
because it shows us that
Tom is willing to use his
words and actions into
tricking people. He tricks
Ben into thinking that
painting is fun, when Tom
himself actually really
hates the task.
Why does this
matter?
CoreLesson
Core
Lesson
1
Ask: What is the character doing?
2
Ask: How is the character doing it?
3
Ask: Why does it matter?
In this lesson you have
learned to analyze a
character’s actions by
recording what a character
does and how he does it.
Guided Practice
“Say, Jim, I’ll fetch the water if you’ll
whitewash some.”
Jim shook his head
…
“And besides I will show you my sore
toe.”
Jim was only human—this attraction
was too much for him. He put down his
pail, took the white alley, and bent over
the toes with absorbing interest while
the bandage was being unwound.
What is
Tom
doing??
Guided Practice
“Say, Jim, I’ll fetch the water if you’ll
whitewash some.”
Jim shook his head
…
“And besides I will show you my sore
toe.”
Jim was only human—this attraction
was too much for him. He put down his
pail, took the white alley, and bent over
the toes with absorbing interest while
the bandage was being unwound.
How is Tom
doing it??
Guided Practice
Why does it
matter?
Extension Activities
Group Extension:
Working as a class or in small groups
read a selected text. Then apply the threesteps to record what a character is doing,
how he/she is doing it, and why it
matters.
Extension Activities
Individual Extension:
Using the three steps and a character
from your independent reading book,
record what a character is doing, how
they are doing it, and why it matters.
Quick Quiz
Quick
Quiz
What is Sid
doing ??
In “Playing Hooky”…
Quick Quiz
Quick
Quiz
How is Sid
doing it??
Quick Quiz
Quick
Quiz
Why does it
matter?