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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

What a Character!

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Guide your readers to explore character traits. As a class, discuss and record the traits of a commonly-known fairy tale character. Then do the same with the main character in the class novel. Finally, have learners use magazines and...
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Writing
Have Fun Teaching

If I Ran the Zoo

For Students Pre-K - 3rd
Here's a fresh take on a writing prompt. After a reading of Dr. Seuss's If I Ran the Zoo, primary graders imagine a creature for Dr. Seuss's zoo, write a description of their animal, give it a name, explain what it eats, how it behaves,...
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Worksheet
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Teacher's Corner

Dr. Seuss Book Report - Character

For Students 3rd - 6th Standards
Bring the imaginative spark in every Dr. Seuss book to your reading lesson with a book report worksheet. After they read the story, learners write a short summary of the tale and include an illustration of their favorite character.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creative Characterization

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners write a character description journal in which they take on the voice of one of the character's made-up friends or relatives. They write a sketch of that character from the friend or relatives' point of view.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Dinopals with WordArt

For Teachers 1st - 5th Standards
Elementary schoolers use the writing process steps to write a descriptive paragraph about a fictional dinosaur. Using a tech tool lesson, they create a graphic title for the paragraph. A nice blending of technology with "old-fashioned"...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Memoir

For Teachers 6th - 10th
After reading and analyzing two narrative memoirs, middle schoolers engage in a variety of activities, including writing an essay, developing a story map, and creating character charts. They then compare and contrast story maps, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Outsiders

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders complete a variety of activities related to the first two chapters of the book The Outsiders. They define metaphor, simile, idiom, and hyperbole, and take a vocabulary pre-quiz. In small groups, they write a character...
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Activity
Novelinks

Walk Two Moons: Biopoem

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers describe the characters of Walk Two Moons as they write biopoems. Following the pattern provided, young writers depict their chosen characters' traits and experiences to make their poems unique.
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Organizer
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Curriculum Corner

Fiction Graphic Organizers

For Students 4th Standards
Get an in-depth look into a narrative text with a three-page worksheet that examines a story's character—actions, sayings, thoughts, and appearance—setting, and challenges scholars to write a brief summary about what they've read. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Descriptive Writing - The Hobbit

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Hobbits, dwarfs, wizards, trolls, and goblins. Readers track these fantastic creatures through J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit noting passages of character description and  scenery changes. Using specific passages from the novel, class...
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Lesson Plan
Education Oasis

Creative Writing Unit: Analyzing, Interpreting, Discussing and Writing Various Genres of African-American Literature

For Teachers 10th - 12th
A six-week unit takes high schoolers through various works of African-American literature, including poems, plays, and short stories. The lesson plan format includes a week-by-week description of activities, goals, materials, and...
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Lesson Plan
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Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program

“Tell Me a Story”: Moving from Reading to Writing

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Narrative essay writing is the focus of a series of exercises that model for learners how to not only read a narrative, but how to also examine the techniques fiction writers use to create a setting, develop their characters, represent...
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Lesson Plan
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Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Need a model for character education? Benjamin Franklin presents himself as in a constant state of striving to become the man he hoped to be, making his autobiography is far more accessible to learners than those of people who consider...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Castles With Character

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students read historic or contemporary fiction that is set in and around castles. Then they build castles and characters to use in retelling stories, demonstrating their understanding of fiction texts and period architecture. Students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Clay Heads

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Sculpting can be a rewarding way to accent a lesson in any subject. This project requires learners to design and sculpt a head out of clay. The entire process is outlined in this resource; including photos and suggested materials. Tip:...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Character Traits

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Using a three-column chart labeled "Character," "Action," and "Trait," pupils analyze the traits of several characters from a short story. The instructional activity is designed for a SMART board, but a teacher could easily do the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Clues to a Character through Text

For Teachers K - 5th
Readers will read a text and fill out a character map based on the characters in that text. They will explore different qualities of each character for their map. this can be modified to support younger learners. They will learn about...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Inferring Character Traits

For Teachers K - 12th
Here is a lesson which is "flexible," and can operate as an individual or whole class activity. After reading a book of their choosing, with the use of a semantic map, learners identify character traits. They infer how their feelings...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Narrative Writing - The Hobbit

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Hobbits, dwarfs, wizards, trolls, and goblins. Readers track these fantastic creatures through J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit noting passages of character description and habitats. Using specific passages from the novel, class members craft...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Narrative Writing-10 Strategies for Engaging the Reader

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders discuss what narrative writing represents. In this language arts instructional activity, 5th graders review the ten strategies for engaging reader. Students listen to and read good examples of each strategyand write...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Character Attributes in Writing

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders analyze the importance of characters in fiction writing and performances.  In this theatre activity, 3rd graders identify the important characteristics of a fictional character and how to portray a character through many...
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Organizer
Teacher Web

Inferring Character Traits

For Students 5th - 12th
Learning how to draw inferences from text is a key reading comprehension skill. Here's a worksheet that gives readers a chance to practice by offering 20 descriptive sentences and asking kids to identify the inferred character trait, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to the Writing Process: Character Description Essays

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students analyze and evaluate an essay and write a character description.  In this character description lesson, students read and analyze an essay in a teacher-led lecture.  Students  brainstorm then write a well-developed essay...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Inferring About Characters Based on How They Respond to Challenges (Chapter 4: "Los Higos/Figs")

For Teachers 5th Standards
How do you know what a character's personality is like if an author doesn't tell you? With a focus on character development in Esperanza Rising, pupils complete a jigsaw activity to analyze the actions of Mama, Abuelita, and Miguel. Once...