#4131. Direct Characterization

Reading/Writing, level: Elementary
Posted Sun Mar 16 13:05:46 PST 2008 by Maranda Edens (Maranda Edens).
McKissick Elem, Pickens
Concepts Taught: Characterization

Maranda Edens
January 20, 2008
Subject : ELA
Standard: 5-1.4 Analyze texts to distinguish between direct and indirect characterization.
Objective: TSWBAT complete a circle map and a bubble map with 100% accuracy using adjectives to analyze direct and indirect characterization.
Materials:
Book (Bud, not Buddy)
Reference sheet of characteristics
Large sheet of construction
Plain white copier paper
2 different colors of copy paper
Markers
Glue stick
Notebook paper
Pencil
Accommodations for Diverse Learners: The teacher will read directions aloud, write them on the board and have models of the finished product for visual learners.
Procedure:
Set: Attention Getter: Ask students if they like a good mystery. Tell them today that they get to be super sleuths or detectives, and they get to figure out what Christopher Paul Curtis really meant when he was describing Bud in the book Bud, not Buddy.
Explanation/ Guided Practice: Have students think about how Curtis describes Bud, and ask how they know that is what Curtis meant. Introduce Direct Characterization, and tell students this is where the author directly tells you that Bud is untruthful. Have students find the page where Curtis states this. Then introduce Indirect Characterization, and tell the students this is where the have to be detectives and figure out what characteristic Curtis is trying to describe Bud as having without directly telling you.
Guided Practice: (SEE ATACHED)Have students create a circle map of direct and indirect characteristics as they read the book complete with page numbers to back up their characteristics (adjectives only).
Direct Characterization- Indirect Characterization-
Author tells directly Reader has to infer or guess
what character acts like. what the character acts like
based on information given
by the author.

Independent Practice:
After students have 6 direct and 6 indirect characteristics of Bud have them create a bubble map using their data. Glue a picture of their character in the middle of the sheet of large construction paper, glue the white circles on the paper also to write their sentences and page numbers of proof on, glue their characteristics (adjectives) on, and last draw lines on to complete the bubble map. I used green colored paper for direct characterization and purple paper for indirect characterization.

Early Finishers: Can begin working on other Bud, not Buddy projects.
Closure: Teacher will discuss Direct and Indirect Characterization with students, and have students share
their completed project with class before hanging them in the hallway.

Assessment: Students will be graded by a rubric.
Reflection: The students really enjoyed the activity, but it took longer than I anticipated. Next year, when I do this activity I plan to have students list characteristics on a sticky note in the book by their sentence as we read and place them in the circle map with the page number.