What a Character!

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Take students on a reading and writing adventure through the pages of their favorite stories. With the Inkheart writing program, students will explore characters and plots that will help them in writing their own creative narrative.

OBJECTIVE

• Understands elements of character development in literary works
• Makes connections between characters or simple events in a literary work and people or events in his or her own life

MATERIALS
Student Worksheet 1: What a Character! , pen/pencil

SET UP AND PREPARE
Time Required: 40 minutes

DIRECTIONS

1. Tell students: Let’s think about some of our favorite book characters. Make a list on the board of your class’s favorite heroes, villains, and sidekicks (e.g., Peter Rabbit, Voldemort, Alex Rider, Clifford, Encyclopedia Brown, etc.)
2. Imagine what would happen if these characters were removed from their stories. How would removing each character change each book? Why is each character important? Use the list on the board to jump-start your discussion.
3. Discuss what makes a character memorable (someone you can relate to, humor, physical characteristics, etc.) Ask: Do you think of yourself as a character? Why or why not?
4. Distribute a copy of Student Worksheet 1 to each student. Read the introduction together and provide ten minutes for students to complete it.
5. Ask: Read your answers again. Do they reflect the truth about your personality? What is the difference between you–the character and you–the person? Discuss how authors often focus on one or two main traits that emphasize their character’s core personality.   
6. Engage students in a lively discussion about what might happen if they were added to their favorite story’s world. Get things started with a personal example like: If I entered the world of Percy Jackson (from “The Lightning Thief” series), I would be a poetry teacher at Camp Half-Blood. How would that affect the lives of Percy and his friends?