Character Analysis | Standard Lesson
Students will learn to describe a story character using simple describing words and picture clues. They will practice saying what a character looks like, does, and feels using complete sentences.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| character | A person or animal in a story. |
| describe | To tell what someone or something is like. |
| adjective | A word that tells more about a noun, like big, kind, or happy. |
| clue | A hint that helps us learn something. |
| feelings | How a character feels, like happy, sad, or scared. |
Show a familiar story picture and ask: Who is this? What do you notice? Model one simple describing word.
Look at the picture and share ideas about the character using words or short phrases.
Define character analysis in kid-friendly language: 'We think about what a character is like.' Read or retell a short part of the story. Model using sentence frames: 'The character is ___. The character feels ___. The character does ___. '
Listen, repeat the sentence frames, and help identify words that describe the character.
Create a class chart with three headings: Looks Like, Does, Feels. Ask students for ideas and write their responses under the correct heading. Support with prompts and pictures.
Offer describing words and actions, sort ideas into the chart, and practice speaking in complete sentences.
Give students a simple character picture or page. Ask them to draw the character and write or dictate one sentence: 'My character is ___. '
Draw the character and complete the sentence with a describing word or feeling word.
Invite a few students to share their sentences. Review that good character analysis uses clues from the story and our thinking.
Share work with the class and listen to others' descriptions.
Review the class chart and ask: What do we do when we analyze a character? Students respond: We describe what the character looks like, does, and feels.
Students will be assessed through teacher observation during discussion and by their completed sentence or drawing showing one clear character description.
Choose a character from a favorite story at home. Draw the character and tell a family member one word that describes them.