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Unpacking Characters
F 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pre & Primary Essentials Worksheets English Examining Literature 1 Page

Unpacking Characters

This activity is a great way to motivate your students to examine characters. It can be used with any age of students and can accompany any book your class is examining. Students first brainstorm character traits for their chosen character; they then select one to write about. Students must then find specific examples of what the character does, says, thinks or feels to annotate their character and complete the sentence frames. Once completed, students can then draw and colour their characters.
 

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Learning goals

  • We are learning to describe the settings in texts and character traits using descriptive adjectives that influence the mood of the narrative.
  • We are learning to recognise that the point of view in a literary text influences how readers interpret and respond to events and characters.
  • We are learning to understand the techniques that authors use to make stories exciting and hold the readers’ interest, e.g. character development and plot tension.
  • We are learning to describe plot, characters and settings in stories.
  • We are learning to recognise characteristics of different types of texts, e.g. traditional beginnings and endings of fairy tales and rhyme in poetry.
  • We are learning to compare characters and settings in different texts and identify the verb groups used to convey actions, emotions and dialogue.
  • We are learning to identify, describe and discuss the similarities and differences between texts, including comparing two or more texts of the same author or illustrator to identify their individual style.
  • We are learning to identify some features of texts including events and characters and retell events from a text.
  • We are learning to describe characters, settings and events in different types of literature.
  • We are learning to discuss characters and settings in different texts and explore how language is used to present these features in different ways.
  • We are learning to describe the settings in texts and character traits using descriptive adjectives that influence the mood of the narrative.
  • We are learning to understand the techniques that authors use to make stories exciting and hold the readers’ interest, e.g. character development and plot tension.
  • We are learning to identify the narrative voice, discuss the impact of first person narration on engagement and examine texts written from different narrative points of view.
  • We are learning to discuss characters, events and settings in different contexts and the authors’ reasons for these depictions.
  • We are learning to identify the effect of imagery in texts when reading aloud, e.g. the use of nature in haiku poems and language devices such as rhythm and onomatopoeia to add momentum to poetry.
  • We are learning to draw connections between personal experiences and the worlds of texts and share responses with others.

Curriculum alignment

AC9E5LE03 9 Recognise that the point of view in a literary text influences how readers interpret and respond to events and characters AC9E3LE02 9 Discuss connections between personal experiences and character experiences in literary texts and share personal preferences AC9E3LE04 9 Discuss the effects of some literary devices used to enhance meaning and shape the reader’s reaction, including rhythm and onomatopoeia in poetry and prose AC9E3LE01 9 Discuss characters, events and settings in different contexts in literature by First Nations Australian, and wide-ranging Australian and world authors and illustrators AC9E3LE03 9 Discuss how an author uses language and illustrations to portray characters and settings in texts, and explore how the settings and events influence the mood of the narrative AC9E4LE03 9 discuss how authors and illustrators make stories engaging by the way they develop character, setting and plot tensions AC9E1LE03 9 Discuss plot, character and setting, which are features of stories AC9EFLE03 9 Recognise different types of literary texts and identify features including events, characters, and beginnings and endings AC9E2LE03 9 Discuss the characters and settings of a range of texts and identify how language is used to present these features in different ways AC9E6LE03 9 Identify and explain characteristics that define an author's individual style ACELT1599 8.4

Discuss how language is used to describe the settings in texts, and explore how the settings shape the events and influence the mood of the narrative

 ACELT1578 8.4 Identify some features of texts including events and characters and retell events from a text ACELT1785 8.4 Recognise some different types of literary texts and identify some characteristic features of literary texts, for example beginnings and endings of traditional texts and rhyme in poetry ACELT1584 8.4 Discuss features of plot, character and setting in different types of literature and explore some features of characters in different texts ACELT1616 8.4 Identify, describe, and discuss similarities and differences between texts, including those by the same author or illustrator, and evaluate characteristics that define an author’s individual style ACELT1591 8.4 Discuss the characters and settings of different texts and explore how language is used to present these features in different ways ACELT1610 8.4 Recognise that ideas in literary texts can be conveyed from different viewpoints, which can lead to different kinds of interpretations and responses ACELT1605 8.4 Discuss how authors and illustrators make stories exciting, moving and absorbing and hold readers’ interest by using various techniques, for example character development and plot tension
EN2-10C old Thinks imaginatively, creatively and interpretively about information, ideas and texts when responding to and composing texts EN2-8B old Identifies and compares different kinds of texts when reading and viewing and shows an understanding of purpose, audience and subject matter EN3-8D old Identifies and considers how different viewpoints of their world, including aspects of culture, are represented in texts EN3-7C old Thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information and ideas and identifies connections between texts when responding to and composing texts EN1-7B old Identifies how language use in their own writing differs according to their purpose, audience and subject matter ENe-8B old Demonstrates emerging skills and knowledge of texts to read and view, and shows developing awareness of purpose, audience and subject matter ENe-10C old Thinks imaginatively and creatively about familiar topics, simple ideas and the basic features of texts when responding to and composing texts EN2-VOCAB-01 new Builds knowledge and use of Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary through interacting, wide reading and writing, and by defining and analysing words EN1-UARL-01 new Understands and responds to literature by creating texts using similar structures, intentional language choices and features appropriate to audience and purpose EN1-OLC-01 new Communicates effectively by using interpersonal conventions and language to extend and elaborate ideas for social and learning interactions EN2-OLC-01 new Communicates with familiar audiences for social and learning purposes, by interacting, understanding and presenting EN2-RECOM-01 new Reads and comprehends texts for wide purposes using knowledge of text structures and language, and by monitoring comprehension ENE-UARL-01 new Understands and responds to literature read to them EN2-UARL-01 new Identifies and describes how ideas are represented in literature and strategically uses similar representations when creating texts EN3-OLC-01 new Communicates to wide audiences with social and cultural awareness, by interacting and presenting, and by analysing and evaluating for understanding EN3-VOCAB-01 new Extends Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary through interacting, wide reading and writing, morphological analysis and generating precise definitions for specific contexts EN3-RECOM-01 new Fluently reads and comprehends texts for wide purposes, analysing text structures and language, and by monitoring comprehension EN3-UARL-01 new Analyses representations of ideas in literature through narrative, character, imagery, symbol and connotation, and adapts these representations when creating texts EN3-UARL-02 new Analyses representations of ideas in literature through genre and theme that reflect perspective and context, argument and authority, and adapts these representations when creating texts
VCELT343 Identify, describe, and discuss similarities and differences between texts, including those by the same author or illustrator, and evaluate characteristics that define an author’s individual style VCELT208 Discuss features of plot, character and setting in different types of literature and compare some features of characters in different texts VCELT149 Recognise some different types of literary texts and identify some characteristic features of literary texts VCELT150 Identify some features of texts including events and characters and retell events from a text VCELT315 Recognise that ideas in literary texts can be conveyed from different viewpoints, which can lead to different kinds of interpretations and responses VCELT219 Discuss the characters and settings of different texts and explore how language is used to present these features in different ways VCELY289 Compare and evaluate two texts presenting the same ideas and analyse why one is more comprehensible or engaging than the other VCELT284 Discuss how authors and illustrators make stories exciting, moving and absorbing and hold readers’ interest by using various techniques VCELT253 Discuss how language is used to describe the settings in texts, and explore how the settings shape the events and influence the mood of the narrative

Australian Curriculum covers QLD / SA / WA / NT / TAS / ACT.

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