Common Core Standard

Fifth Grade Week Lesson Guide Common Core Standard: RL.5.3. Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

W.5.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. a. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations. c. Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events. d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Objective: I can describe the qualities of a character based on inferences and evidence in the text. Whole Group Independent Practice/ Modeling & Practice Guided Instruction Introduction: Independent Practice: Using a common text such as the class read aloud or picture book, put up a During free reading time (while guided reading groups are being met picture or book cover with one of the main characters name on the with), students will pick one strong character from their independent SmartBoard. On the second slide of the SmartBoard lesson, put up an example chapter books. Have them create a web in their reading notebook for this of a web for the students. In the reading notebook, students will each draw the character. As they read, add descriptions of the character using the five web and begin to describe the chosen character. After a few minutes, the ways taught in the lesson. If students have things to add from earlier in the students will pair share the words they have chosen and the reason for book, that is fine as well. choosing each word. Point out to the students that they may have a difficult time coming up with specific words to describe the character at this point. Introduce the I can statement for today’s lesson.

Modeling & Practice: Instruct students to leave reading notebooks on desk to be finished after today’s lesson. The students will meet on the floor by an anchor chart. Prepare the anchor chart before the lesson by drawing the diagram that is on the link below. Title the chart “Characterization.” Tell students that as I read the picture book, they will learn various ways to describe a character. Start the discussion with what the title of the chart means. Explain the chart and the 5 ways they can learn about the character (appearance, actions, words, thoughts/feelings, and opinions of others) so that students can be thinking throughout the book. Use a picture book such as Mr. Peabody’s Apples, Miss Alanieus, or one of your Guided Instruction: Fifth Grade Week Lesson Guide choice with a strong character. Your librarian may have suggestions as well. Use leveled graphic organizers such as the examples below with guided Prior to the lesson, mark several stopping points in which you can discuss one reading groups. Re-teach concepts from mini-lesson if students are not of the 5 ways to describe a character. Model finding characterization by confident finding ways to talk about characters. Allow students who are on reading and thinking aloud throughout the text. After the reading, the students target time to practice with your support and encouragement. Challenge will use a sticky note to describe the character through one of the 5 ways that advanced groups by having them explain qualities they inferred instead of were discussed. Walk around and listen as students share their findings with a just finding in the text. partner. Choose students to put their sticky note on the chart to share with the whole group (one for each category). Those who still have their sticky notes will http://www.dubois.cps.k12.il.us/PDFs/character_study.pdf put them in their reading notebook. Move students back to their desks and (several choices and levels here) reading notebooks. Give them time to add to their initial character web using the five ways to talk about a character. Return to the Smartboard slide with the http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/PDF/G4-5/45CPartOne.pdf web outline. Ask students to share how they described the character by filling (the man like on the anchor chart) out the web on the Smartboard. http://freeology.com/wp-content/files/characterization2.pdf http://newsletter.schoolbox.com/2009/09/08/graphic-organizers-stick- man-to-the-rescue/

Move to independent practice and pulling guided reading groups. Assessment: -sticky notes with examples -circulating and listening to pair share discussions -character web in reading notebook -graphic organizers from guided reading groups -web for character from student’s independent chapter book in reading notebook -writing piece Writing Connection: Each student draws a notecard with an adjective (bossy, intelligent…) on it. They must write a narrative paragraph in which their main character portrays the adjective on the card. They may not ever say the adjective in the paragraph. After writing and revising, trade paragraphs with a partner. Partners need to then write a list of words that describe the character (using the five ways on the anchor chart). The author will check to see if their partner identified the word on their card. If not, have the partners discuss what could have been changed to make the adjective more clear. Possible Next Teaching Points: -How do we use inferring when we describe characters? (review the meaning of inferring and the formula: prior knowledge + text clues = inference) -Use evidence from the text to support the words you choose to describe a character. -Use a venn diagram to compare two characters in the same book (use the five ways we learn about a character) -Use a venn diagram to compare two characters from different books -Character Types: round, flat, static, dynamic, protagonist, antagonist, foil