Character Description

 

Ms. Jodoin á Memorial Middle School á Beverly, MA
 

Learning Standards: Composition Strand

 

19.17 Write a short explanation of a process that includes a topic statement, supporting details, and a conclusion.

21.1 After writing or dictating a composition, identifying words or phrases that could be added to make the thought clearer, more logical, or more expressive.

21.2 Revise writing to improve level of detail after determining what could be added or deleted.

21.4 Revise writing to improve level of detail, and precision of language after determining where to add images and sensory detail, combine sentences, vary sentences, and rearrange text.

21.5 Improve word choice by using dictionaries or thesauruses.

21.6 Revise writing to improve organization and diction after checking the logic underlying the order of ideas, the precision of vocabulary used, and the economy of the writing.

22.8 Use knowledge of types of sentences, correct mechanics, correct usage, sentence structure and Standard English spelling when writing and editing.

 

 

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

What do details reveal about a character?

 

ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES:

Pre-assessment:  Ask students to write a short description of a family member to determine possible placement for tiered activity.

 

Formative: Varied graphic organizers, rubrics, class discussion, demonstration, question and answer, cooperative learning, ãI Learnedä Statements.

 

Summative:  The students will write a paragraph describing a character with supporting details utilizing the aforementioned strands from the Composition Standard.

 

PREVIOUS UNITS:

Adding color, vivid details, thoughts and feelings to writing.

Use of Inspiration Software

Sentence stretching lesson

Answering who, what, when, where, how and why?

Catchy beginning sentence lesson

Reading written work aloud lesson

Backward-bottom spell check lesson

Word banks

Using the dictionary and thesaurus

Selecting graphic organizers

Point of view lesson

Revising and edit lessons

 

POSSIBLE LEARNING EXPERIENCES/ASSIGNMENTS:

 

Tier One: Collaboratively, each child shares something they notice about the character in the picture.  The students will brainstorm these ideas on paper or use the white board. Graphic organizers or use of Inspiration will be used to assemble their ideas. The children will use these discoveries to write a descriptive paragraph about this character.

 

Write a descriptive paragraph about the person in this photograph. Tell about the characterâs

    • Gender ö Male or female?
    • Hair (color, texture and style, curl)
    • Eyes (color, glasses, size)
    • Ears (shape, size)
    • Nose
    • Mouth
    • Skin
    • Neck
    • Shoulders
    • Arms and hands
    • Tummy
    • Legs
    • Feet
    • Clothes (for each part of the body - style, color)
    • Give the character a name

What does the character: 

 

  • See?
  • Hear?
  • Taste?
  • Smell?
  • Touch?

Tier Two: On paper the students will describe each of the three people in the photographs. Next, the students will share these discoveries within their collaborative groups.  Varied graphic organizers or Inspiration will be available for the children to map out the character traits. The students will chose one of the three characters and write a paragraph describing their character.

Carefully observe the three characters below.

Write a group of characteristics describing each person.

 

 

    

 

Compose a well-written character sketch describing something this person does that will demonstrate those characteristics.

 

Your paragraph should include elements of character:

 

  • What is the character's physical description?

 

  • What is the character thinking and feeling?

 

  • Is the character saying anything to anyone? 

 

  • What is the character doing?

 

á        Is the character getting reactions from others?

 

Describe the setting.

 

  • Why is the character there?

 

  • When in the character's life is this moment taking place?

 

  • What is the character remembering, hoping, fearing?

 

á        What is important to the character in this moment?

 

Tier Three: After reading the first page of John Steinbeckâs The Red Pony the students will share, discuss and write at least twenty ways Steinbeck describes the character of Billy Bob on presentation paper or the whiteboard. The students will then be asked to discover when Steinbeck reveals the Billy Bobâs occupation. Next, the children will use a graphic organizer or Inspiration to create their own character. Finally, the students will write a descriptive paragraph revealing their characterâs occupation in the Steinbeck format.

Please read this passage carefully.

 

            At daybreak Billy Buck emerged from the bunkhouse and stood for a moment on the porch looking up at the sky.  He was a broad, band-legged little man with a walrus mustache, with square hands, puffed and muscled on the palms.  His eyes were a contemplative, watery grey and the hair which protruded from under his Stetson hat was spiky and weathered.  Billy was still stuffing his shirt into his blue jeans as he stood on the porch.  He unbuckled his belt and tightened it again.  The belt showed, by the worn shiny places opposite each hole, the gradual increase in Billyâs middle over a period of years.  When he had seen to the weather, Billy cleared each nostril by holding its mate closed with his forefinger and blowing fiercely.  Then he walked down to the barn, rubbing his hands together.  He curried and brushed two saddle horses in the stalls, talking quietly to them all the time; and he had hardly finished when the iron triangle started ringing at the ranch house.  Billy stuck the brush and currycomb together and laid them on the rail, and went up to breakfast.  His action had been so deliberate and yet so wasteless of time that he came to the house while Mrs. Tiflin was still ringing the triangle.  She nodded her grey head to him and withdrew into the kitchen.  Billy Buck sat down on the steps, because he was cow-hand, and it wouldnât be fitting that he should go first into the dining room.  He heard Mr. Tiflin in the house, stamping his feet into his boots. 

(268 words)  From ãThe Red Ponyä by John Steinbeck).

 

Examine every word of this description.  Steinbeck is a masterful writer and his 268 words are filled with not only Billyâs physical description but also his personality, philosophy, occupation, rank in society, attitudes to life and work, competence at his job, among other things.  List at least 20 separate aspects that relate to Billy Buck.

Write a character description. Include the following:

  • Your character's name.
  • The characterâs physical description.
  • What does your character wear, or carry around?
  • A major goal of the character.
  • The character's greatest strength.
  • The character's greatest weakness.
  • Tell character's likes, dislikes, some actions, etc.
  • Your character's favorite hangout.
  • At least eight adjectives. (Use a thesaurus to find colorful adjectives.)
  • At least two similes.

 

MATERIALS/RESOURCES:

Varied graphic organizers, pictures, Excerpt from John Steinbeckâs The Red Pony, paper, presentation paper, pens, erasers, pencils, whiteboard, dry erase markers, Inspiration Software, schedule computer lab.

 

DIFFERENTIATION:

Tiered activities, varying graphic organizers, cooperative learning activities, rubrics, group investigation

 

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