Teacher: Lauren Newman-Lipp

Date: 20 October 2015

School: Preston Middle School
Grade Level: 6th grade
Content Area: English
Title: Far North Character Maps Lesson #: 3 of 6
Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson:
2.1 Understanding the meaning within different types of literature depends on
properly analyzing literary components.
Understandings:
1. Students will be able to listen to chapters 3 and 4 of Far North, and then
create character maps based on a character in the novel.
Inquiry Questions:
1. How can we determine what matters to a character and how can we depict
what they care about, what they know, and their personality visually.
Evidence Outcomes:
Every student will be able to:
Given the first four chapters of the novel, Far North by Will Hobbs, 6th grade
English students will be able to create a visual representation of a character map
to depict a specific characters thoughts, feelings, personality, etc. with
consistency and accuracy to the novel.
I can: Look at chapters 1 through 4 of Far North to gather enough evidence
about a specific character and create a character map.
This means I can:
-Listen to chapter 3 and 4 of Far North
-Think about a specific characters behavior, appearance, relationships, and
thoughts/feelings
-Use a characters BART to create a visual character map/body biography
List of Assessments:
1. Character map
Planned Lesson Activities
Name and
Purpose of
Lesson

Far North Character Maps

Students will use the first four chapters of Far North to
construct visual body biography maps to better understand
characters in the novel, Far North by Will Hobbes.

Approx. Time
and Materials

75 minutes
Far North by Will Hobbes, body biographies, writing uensil,
audio CD of novel, CD player

Anticipatory
Set

Launch
Students will start all together in the middle of the room on
the floor to go over the agenda of the day, reminders, and
learning targets. Students will also receive insight into what
to focus on during their reading (characterization).

Procedures

1. Sustained Silent Reading. (10 minutes)

2. Launch. (5 minutes)
3. Teacher will re-iterate aspects of characterization,
while also introducing B.A.R.T. (Character behaviors,
appearance, relationships, and thoughts/feelings.
Students will be instructed that the purpose of their
reading today is to specifically look closer at the
characterization of Gabe, Raymond, or Clint. (5
minutes)
4. Students will listen and follow along to chapters 3
and 4 of Far North. (25 minutes)
5. Students will then go back to their table groups, and
work individually on their own character maps.
Students may converse with each other as they make
their visual representations of characterization. (25
minutes)
6. Closure. (5 minutes)

Closure

Assessment

Students will share their character maps with each other and
explain what each visual on their body biography means in
relation to the character they chose. They will also answer
the question: How does visually representing a character
help us better understand their B.A.R.T.?
Body Biography