Subject: Reading
Grade Level: Year/Grade 4 (age of students is 8-9)
Length: 30 minutes
Objectives:
- To identify the key elements of character development in a story
- To analyze how a character changes throughout a story
- To use evidence from the text to support character analysis
Materials:
- "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White
- Whiteboard or chart paper and markers
- Worksheets for character analysis
- Images of the characters from "Charlotte's Web" {The image of Wilbur the pig, Charlotte the spider, and Templeton the rat.}
Procedure:
- Begin by asking students what they think character development means. Record their answers on the board. Discuss what makes a character interesting or memorable to readers.
- Introduce the book "Charlotte's Web" and the three main characters: Wilbur the pig, Charlotte the spider, and Templeton the rat. Show images of the characters and ask students to describe what they notice about each character.
- Read aloud the first chapter of the book, stopping at appropriate places to ask questions and discuss the characters. Ask students to share what they observe about the characters based on their actions, thoughts, and dialogue.
- Have students work in small groups to complete a character analysis worksheet about one of the main characters. Encourage them to use evidence from the text to support their analysis.
- After completing the worksheet, have each group share their analysis with the class.
- Discuss as a class how the characters change throughout the story. Ask students to identify events in the book that cause the characters to change. Record their responses on the board.
- As a homework assignment, have students choose a book they have recently read and complete a character analysis worksheet about one of the main characters.
Assessment:
Assess students' understanding of character development by reviewing their completed character analysis worksheets and their contributions to class discussions.