Lesson plan includes...
Lesson Plan
Lesson 8: Narrative Features – Building a Character
60 minutes | Suitable for Grades: 3 - 4A 60 minute lesson in which students will use descriptive language effectively to build a character.
This lesson plan includes the following resources:
Lesson Plan
Tuning In
- Watch the video excerpt Yes, Ms. Trunchbull… Sir! from the movie adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda on YouTube. After watching, construct a Y-chart as a class to describe Miss Trunchbull’s appearance, personality and feelings. Ask the students questions, such as
- How would you describe what Miss Trunchbull looks like?
- How would you describe what type of person Miss Trunchbull is?
- How do you think she feels about children? Her job? Her employees?
- Read Roald Dahl’s description of The Trunchbull in the chapter of the same name. Use the description in the novel to add to the Y-chart. Ask the students:
- Do you think the actor in the movie did a good job at playing the role of Miss Trunchbull?
- Which words and phrases would have been most helpful for the actor playing this role?
- Why is detailed description of characters important when writing a story?
Teacher Instruction
- Discuss slide 14 of the Introduction to Narrative Features PowerPoint. Encourage the students to suggest characters from stories they have enjoyed who are people, animals, imaginary beings or magical objects.
- Discuss the STEAL technique, as outlined on slide 15. Read out the example description of a character on slide 16 (students should close their eyes for this activity). Once the students have opened their eyes, encourage them to share how the image on slide 17 compares to the image they pictured in their minds. Return to slide 16 and allow the students to identify examples of the STEAL technique.
Guided/Independent Learning
- Read through the instructions for the activity on slide 18 and answer any questions the students may have.
- Remind the students about the guidelines for writing a narrative paragraph that they learned about earlier in the unit.
- Allow the students to work in pairs to complete the activity. Alternatively, the activity could be completed as a whole class joint construction.
Wrapping Up
- Allow each pair to share their character descriptions with the class. Encourage the students to identify uses of the STEAL technique in each description.
Differentiation
Extending Students
- Allow more confident writers to work individually, rather than in pairs (if they wish to do so).
Supporting Students
- Allow students who find writing challenging to work with a teacher or teacher aide during the pair activity.
Assessment Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
- used strategic whole class or individual questioning
- observed student participation during learning activities
- recorded student progress on a checklist
- annotated student work samples
- collected and reviewed student work samples
- facilitated whole class or peer feedback sessions
- encouraged student self-reflection
- administered formal assessment tasks.
NSW Curriculum alignment
Victorian Curriculum alignment
- VCELT264
Create imaginative texts based on characters, settings and events from students’ own and other cultures including through the use of visual features
Australian Curriculum alignment
- ACELT1601
Create imaginative texts based on characters, settings and events from studentsâ own and other cultures using visual features, for example perspective, distance and angleElaborationsdrawing on literary texts read, viewed and listened to for insp...
- ACELT1794
Create literary texts by developing storylines, characters and settingsElaborationscollaboratively plan, compose, sequence and prepare a literary text along a familiar storyline, using film, sound and images to convey setting, characters and points o...
Find more resources for these topics
EnglishWritingText TypesImaginative WritingCharactersNarrative Writing
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Just wondering regarding any resources using your recommended STEAL strategy for writing and characterisation? It is mentioned in the Powerpoint – Introduction to Narrative Features PowerPoint from slide 14.
Alana Stewart · Oct 27th, 2020
Hi Alana
Thanks for getting in touch with us!
Might I suggest that you make a new resource request for other resources using STEAL? You can do so on our Requests page. https://www.teachstarter.com/request-a-resource/
Your fellow Teach Starter members can then vote for it and, if it proves popular, we would love to make it for you!
Kind regards
Janeen
Janeen · Oct 28th, 2020