EDUC 2220- Educational Technology Lesson Plan Template

Character Trait Detectives

Sequoia Coffey-Hullum
Third Grade / Language Arts

Common Core Standards

Key Ideas & details:
RL.3.1 ​Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text ​as the basis for
the answers.
​RL. 3.3 ​Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions
contribute to the sequence of events

Craft & Structure :

RL.3.6 ​Describe the difference between points of view in texts, particularly first- and third-person narration

Integration of knowledge & Ideas:

​RL.3.7 ​Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story
(e.g., emphasize aspects of a character or setting).

Range of reading & Level of text comprehension :

RL.3.10 ​By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas,and poetry, at the high end
of the grades 2–3 text complexity band independently and proficiently. Activate prior knowledge and draw on
previous experiences in order to make text-to-self or text-to text connections and comparisons.

Lesson Summary:
Students will read “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Students will identify each character’s traits. (personality,
motivations, emotions) and describe how these traits affected their actions in the story. As we read , students will
assist in completing a character trait graphic organizer where their character trait ideas will be recorded. At the end of
the lesson, students will answer the writing prompt: Which character trait best describes the character? Give 2 details
from the text that supports your answer.

Students will read Charlie and the chocolate factory and identify each character and their traits. Then each student will
talk about how each character's trait, motivation and emotions affected them throughout the story.

Estimated Duration:
  

Four 50 min. class periods

Commentary:
The teacher will talk a little with the students about the knowledge that they have about what are characteristics, and
traits. They will also discuss any books the students have read and what the main characters were like and what they
thought the characters would look like. How to keep the students hooked well simply tell them that they will become
character trait detectives and that they will be cracking the case of what their character traits are, by keeping them
engaged and hands on with this project it will allow them to really have fun.

Instructional Procedures:
Day 1: The students will all come together, as the teacher reads the first half of " Charlie And The Chocolate Factory"
by Ronald Dahl. The students will be instructed to bring paper and pencil for they are to write down the names of each
character and write what they hear about each character (traits, emotions, etc.).
Day 2: The students will again come together as the teacher finishes off the story, and they will continue writing about
the characters that you have already met in previous chapters or characters that they are meeting for the first time.
After finishing the story the students will be divided into smaller groups.
Day 3: The students will be brought together once more to recap about the characters and a few of their traits, which
the teacher will be writing down on a board for all to see. The students will then be in their assigned groups where
they each will be able to vote on which character they would like to write about. After each group has picked a
character (No group gets the same character) they will then begin to discuss the different traits, characteristics and
motivation of their character, each group will be allowed to have access to finding out more information about their
character using google. The teacher will then explain to the students how to use the presentation site Prezi for them to
make their own creative presentation on their character.
Day 4: The students will be in their assigned groups where they will talk about their characters and they will be able to
use the presentation site Prezi to make a short presentation about their character. The students will finish up creating
their presentations on this day.
Day 5: The students will go to their assigned groups and do a final look through there Prezi’s prior to presenting. The
teacher will randomly call groups to then present to the class about their character that they picked, giving their traits,
their attitude throughout the story and if they liked their character, why or why not. As the students listen to students
that are presenting they each will ‘give a grade’ for each group, as well as the teacher will be making notations during
each presentation.
Pre-Assessment:
The teacher will hand out a writing prompt asking the students if they have ever watched Charlie and the chocolate
factory or if they have ever read the book and if so which characters stood out the most and why. After about 20
minutes the teacher will bring all the students together to then discuss what they have written about, and the teacher
will take notes of each student's response.

Scoring Guidelines:
  

The teacher will decided based on what each student has writing down during the prompt writing segment, also during
the discussion.

During Day 3 and 4 the teacher will meet with each group to check on their progress as well as their individual
understanding of character traits, and details.

Post-Assessment :
Each student will be assessed by their presentation as well as attention to detail of the questions asked. The teacher
will also take the ‘grading charts’ that were given by their peers and use that to see overall how the class understood
the lesson as a whole.

Scoring Guidelines:
Each presentation will be graded based off of the creativity as well as the use of the Prezi website. Then the
students will also be graded based off of presentation of the character they have picked; each students
involvement in creating the presentation as well as the students grading one another.

Differentiated Instructional Support

Describe how instruction can be differentiated (changed or altered) to meet the needs of gifted or accelerated students:
These students will then be assigned two characters that they must compare how they are similar and how both
characters are different, and they must refer to the book and explain why. This allows these students to dig a little
deeper and help to challenge them a bit more.

Discuss additional activities you could do to meet the needs of students who might be struggling with the material:
Students that are struggling with the project will be put in a smaller group and will work along side the teacher to
create a presentation. Prior to starting to create the presentation the teacher will create visuals to help them to better
understand the topic of the project.

Extension
This website is what they will be using for their presentations and the students will be able to play around on it and
use there creativity.
https://prezi.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fprezi.com%2Fdashboard%2Fnext%2F#/presentations

Homework Options
The students will be able to choose a book that has been approved by the teacher in order to then create a presentation
(at home) on one or two characters that they found interesting in the story.
  

The teacher will give them a writing prompt that they must fill out and bring back to school as well as they must email
their presentations to their teacher.

Interdisciplinary Connections

Art
The students can draw their characters based off of the characteristics and the traits that they have, allowing the
students to add another fun and creative element to this project.

Materials and Resources:

For teachers Computer, Paper, Pencil, Grading Rubrik

For students Smartboard, Computer/laptop, paper, pencil, rubrik

Key Vocabulary
Characteristic, Traits, Emotions