Character Sketcher
Your job as Character Sketcher is to identify a character’s actions (traits) and explain or prove these traits, identify the character’s goal (which is what the character wants to do or accomplish), identify the problem and solution in the reading, and complete a sketch or illustration of the character.You need to be aware that the character traits you will choose will be implied character traits. In other words, they are not directly stated in the passage. You really want to use descriptive words for your character traits. You do not want to use words like good, bad, nice, and mean.
Sometimes the solution to your character’s problem will not be in the section of the book that you are reading. In this case, you will need to come up with a possible solution for your character’s problem.
When you begin sketching or illustrating your character, try to use any physical descriptions from the text to help you. Your paper should look like this:
Character Traits (3)
1. (trait)_________ p. __ par. ___
(explanation or proof of trait)
2. (trait)__________p. __par.____
(explanation or proof of trait)
3. (trait)_________p. ___par._____
(explanation or proof of trait)
Character Goal:
__________’s goal is to ________________________________________________________________.
Problem :
_________’s problem is ____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________.
Solution or Possible Solution
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________.
Your sketch of the character can go anywhere!
How To Discuss "Character Sketcher"
Let the group guess who your character is, or simply tell them.
Tell the group the page and paragraph numbers where they will find the character trait.
Have someone in your group read the passage where the trait is found. Make sure the rest of your group is following along.
Ask the group to try and figure out what your character trait is by using the clues in the passage that they just read. *Note: Remember to tell the students to look in the passage for clues to your trait. These are implied character traits that you have chosen. In other words, they are not directly stated in the passage. The students have to figure these traits out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Encourage your group to use the "Character Traits" paper to help them figure out the trait you picked. If someone in the group guesses a word that is not exactly what you chose as a trait but is very close, it is o.k. to go ahead and tell them your trait. You have to be smart enough to figure out if what they have guessed is close to your trait. Also, if everyone has had a chance to guess and no one guessed correctly, MOVE ON! Go ahead and share with the group the trait you wrote down.
After the student has guessed the trait, or even if you have to tell them the trait, the next step is to have the student prove the trait by telling you how or why the character exhibits that certain trait.
Move on to trait 2 and 3 and do the exact same thing for those traits.
Move on to character goal next. Ask the group to tell you what the character goal is. Never tell them! Always ask first! Then if they don’t know, then you may tell them. Always remember to consider what your group members say. They may think of something you didn’t. Just because you didn’t put that down on your paper doesn’t mean what they said is wrong. Always have them prove or justify what they tell you!
Complete the same procedure for problem.
Complete the same procedure for solution. However, you may want to ask the group how they would have solved the problem, or to come up with their own possible solution.
OR You may decide you would rather give the group the character trait (determined) and have them find a passage in the book where the character exhibits that character trait.