Character

Studies
Student Reader’s Notebook

How to use this resource:

These are student notebook pages that are aligned with the
Character Studies unit in the Lucy Calkins Reader’s Workshop
program (Unit 3 – 3rd Grade).

I create booklets for my students at the beginning of the

unit, and that way everything is prepped and ready to go!

My students complete these pages during Workshop time,

and I check on their progress as I confer during workshop. I
also collect student notebooks from time to time so I can
analyze their progress!

Please see Note to Teachers before Session 6.

 Character
Studies
Student Reader’s Notebook

B
Name: ____________________
 Reading Log
Use this reading log to keep track of your reading during this unit.

Title Start Page End Page Minutes

Read

B
 Session 1 Minilesson
Readers Notice How a New Character Talks and Acts

Readers get to know the main character in their book in the same way that
they get to know a new friend, noticing how the character talks and acts.

Today we will revisit a scene from our read-aloud book and think about how
our main character talks and acts.

Let’s Get to Know Our Main

Character!
Our main character is: _______________________________________

What is something that the main character said?:

What does this show us about the main character?

What is something the main character did (action)?:

What does this action show us about the main character?

 Session 1 Workshop
Readers Notice How a New Character Talks and Acts

In minilesson today, we learned that readers pay close attention to the main
character as they read, looking for things they do and say.

Your job in workshop today is to think about how your main character talks and
acts.

Title of book: _______________________________________________________

Main character: ____________________________________________________

What is something that the main character said?:

What does this show you about the main character?

What is something the main character did (action)?:

What does this action show you about the main character?
 Session 2 Minilesson
From Observations to Ideas

Once readers have gotten to know some things about a new character, they
study their observations to think, “What kind of person is this?”

Yesterday we thought about how our character talks and acts. Today we will
think, “What does this information tell us about the character?”. We will do this
work by matching character traits to the character’s dialogue and actions.

K Character Traits R
• friendly • honest
• adventurous • smart
• brave • lazy
• cheerful • mischievous
• curious • curious
• thoughtful • shy
• dangerous • serious
• big-hearted • sad
• annoying • risk-taker

Let’s reread the scene we analyzed yesterday in read aloud.

Which word from the character trait list best fits how the character talks and
acts? _____________________________

Why does this word best fit how the character talks and acts?
 Session 2 Workshop
From Observations to Ideas

In minilesson today, we learned that readers use character talk and actions to
grow ideas about the character.

Your job in workshop today is to use what you noticed about how your main
character talks and acts in Session 1 to assign a character trait to your character.

Title of book: _______________________________________________________

Main character: ____________________________________________________

K Character Traits R
• friendly • honest
• adventurous • smart
• brave • lazy
• cheerful • mischievous
• curious • curious
• thoughtful • shy
• dangerous • serious
• big-hearted • sad
• annoying • risk-taker

Which word from the character trait list best fits how the character talks and
acts? _____________________________

Why does this word best fit how the character talks and acts?
 Session 3 Minilesson
Noticing Patterns, Seeing More

Readers look for patterns in the things a character does again and again, across the
story. They use this thinking to come up with a big idea, or theory, about the
character.

In Session 2, we worked with the idea that our character is: ________________.

To see if this trait is worth growing an idea, we have to see if the behavior is a pattern.
Are there other parts in the text that the character shows this trait?

Circle one:

YES NO
If we circled NO, this means that this trait is not repeated and not worth growing an idea. We
need to go back and look for a new trait.

If we circled YES, this means this is a repeated trait worth growing an idea about! Let’s
complete the rest of the form below.

Parts in the text where character shows this trait:

Big idea (theory) we are growing about character based on this repeating trait:
 Session 3 Workshop
Noticing Patterns, Seeing More

In minilesson today, we learned that readers look for traits a character repeats over and over
again to grow a big idea, or theory.

Your job in workshop today is to grow a big idea about your character.

Title of book: _______________________________________________________

Character: ________________________________________________________
In Session 2, I worked with the idea that my character is: ________________________.

To see if this trait is worth growing an idea, you need to see if the behavior is a pattern.
Are there other parts in the text that the character shows this trait?

Circle one:

YES NO
If you circled NO, this means that this trait is not repeated and not worth growing an idea. You need to go
back and look for a new trait.

If you circled YES, this means this is a repeated trait worth growing an idea about! Complete the rest of the
form below.

Parts in the text where character shows this trait:

Big idea (theory) I am growing about character based on this repeating trait:
 Session 4 Minilesson
Growing Bigger Theories about a Character

Once readers develop a theory about a character, they challenge themselves to dig
deeper. They do this work by asking: “Why might the character be this way?”

The theory we developed yesterday was:

H Let’s Dig Deeper!

H
Now let’s think: Why does the character act in this way? List some possibilities
below:

•
•
•

Let’s select our STRONGEST idea about why the character acts in this way and
use it to grow a bigger idea about our character.

Our bigger idea about the character is that…

 Session 4 Workshop
Growing Bigger Theories about a Character

In minilesson today, we learned that once readers develop a theory about their character, they
challenge themselves to think deeper by asking why the character acts in that way.

Your job in workshop today is to grow a bigger idea about your character.

The theory I developed yesterday was:

H Dig Deeper!
H
Now think: Why does the character act in this way? List some possibilities
below:

•
•
•

Select your STRONGEST idea about why the character acts in this way and use
it to grow a bigger idea about your character.

My bigger idea about the character is that…

 Session 5 Minilesson
Using Theories about Characters to Predict

Today in our minilesson, we are going to use what we know about a character to make
predictions as we read.

We are revisiting the part of the text when…

E Let’s Predict!
What’s Next? E
Now let’s think: What do we already know about our character? We can think
about what the character tends to do, say, or want, again and again.

•
•
•

Based on what we know about our character, what do we predict will happen
as we read on?

Let’s read on…

Was our prediction correct? Circle one:

Yes No
 Session 5 Workshop
Using Theories about Characters to Predict

In minilesson today, we learned that readers use what they know about what a character does,
says, or wants, again and again, to make predictions.

Your job in workshop today is to make predictions as you read.

Reread the last page you read in your book. Describe this part below:
I am revisiting the part of the text when…

E Let’s Predict!
What’s Next? E
Now think: What do you already know about your character? You can think
about what the character tends to do, say, or want, again and again.

•
•
•

Based on what you know about your character, what do you predict will
happen as you read on?

Now read on…

Was your prediction correct? Circle one:

Yes No
 Note to Teachers

In your student notebooks, you will want to

include a copy of the Inferring about
Characters and Other Story Elements strand
from the Narrative Reading Learning
Progression. I insert a copy of this strand right
into my student notebooks by the Session 6
pages.

Progressions can be found under Session 6 (or

under Narrative Reading Learning Progression
link) when you register your resource on
Heinemann.

K
 Session 6 Minilesson
Taking Stock and Self-Assessing

In minilesson today, we will be learning about how we can improve in the

thinking we do about characters.

Let’s look at the Inferring about Characters and Other Story Elements
strand in the learning progression. What does it say a third grader
should be able to do when thinking about a character?

A third grader will be able to…

Now that we have talked about what a third grader can do when thinking
about characters, let’s give it a try! We will revisit the work we did in our
Session 5 minilesson and think about how we can improve in our
thinking about the characters.

Revised character statement:

 Session 6 Workshop
Taking Stock and Self-Assessing

In minilesson today, we learned about the type of work that third graders do when
they think about characters.

Your job in workshop today is to create a goal for yourself. What can you do to do
third grade work in inferring about characters? You can look back at our notes to
remind yourself what third graders should do when thinking about characters.

J
My Goal:

My plan to reach my goal:

 Session 7 Minilesson
Stories Are Shaped Like a Mountain

In minilesson today, we will be learning about how all characters move

across a story in predicable ways. Readers work to understand how
characters fit into the shape of a story.

We will do this work by creating a story mountain for a book we will read
together.
 Session 7 Workshop
Stories Are Shaped Like a Mountain

In minilesson today, we learned all characters move across a story in predictable

ways. We also learned that we can track character movement using a story
mountain.

Your job in workshop today is to create a story mountain for a story that you read
independently.

Title of book: _______________________________________________________

 Session 8 Minilesson
Readers Expect Characters to Face – and React to - Trouble

As we read, we should expect characters to face problems. Readers

notice what problems characters face and also how they react to these.

We will do this work by thinking about the challenges our main character
faces and how they respond to them.

Character:_______________________________

Challenge How Character Responds

 Session 8 Workshop
Readers Expect Characters to Face – and React to - Trouble

In workshop today we learned that we should expect characters to face

problems. Readers think about the problems characters face and
analyze how characters react to their problems.

Your job in workshop today is to think about the challenges your main
character faces and how they respond to their problems.

Character:_______________________________

Challenge How Character Responds

 Session 9 Minilesson
Readers Notice the Roles Secondary Characters Play in the Main Character’s
Journey

Readers pay close attention to the roles that secondary characters

(supporting characters that are along for the ride) in a story play in the
main character’s journey.

Secondary characters can serve different purposes in a book.

Roles Secondary
Characters Play
• Advisor
• Sidekick (friend)
• Challenger

Let’s think about secondary characters in our book. What roles do they
play?

Secondary Character Role

 Session 9 Workshop
Readers Notice the Roles Secondary Characters Play in the Main Character’s
Journey

In workshop today we learned that as we read a book, we should think

about secondary characters. We should ask ourselves, “Why did the
author put this guy into the story?”

Your job in workshop today is to think about the secondary characters

in your book and the roles they serve. Remember, possible roles could
be advisor, friend, or challenger.

Secondary Character Role Evidence to prove

character fits this role
 Session 10 Minilesson
Noticing the Roles Illustrations Play in a Story

In workshop today, we are going to investigate the following questions:

• Why might authors include illustrations?
• What do pictures contribute or add to stories?

We are going to be looking back at the story we read in Session 7. We

are going to be looking at the illustrations and thinking, “What does this
illustration add to the story?”

Illustration (page number) What does this illustration add to

the story?

FG
 Session 10 Workshop
Noticing the Roles Illustrations Play in a Story

In workshop today we learned to think about why authors put illustrations in

their stories, and what purpose illustrations serve.

Your job in workshop today is to think about the illustrations in your book.

What Do Illustrations Add

to Stories?

• Show characters’ feelings

FG
• Reveal characters’ relationships
• Indicate trouble/tension
• Show the main character’s movement along the story mountain
• Paint a picture of the setting
• Reveal the mood/feeling of a scene

Illustration (page number) What does this illustration add to

the story?
 Session 11 Minilesson
Readers Pay Close Attention to the Climax of a Story, Noticing How the Main
Character Is Tested

As readers near the end of a story, they know that things will heat up
and the character will be tested in some way. When this happens,
readers notice how the character reacts, and think “Why might this be
important to the character’s journey?”

Near the end of a story, things start to heat up. This is called the climax.
Let’s think about the climax in our book.

The climax of our book is when...

The main character is being tested in this part because…

This situation is important to the main character’s journey because…

 Session 11 Workshop
Readers Pay Close Attention to the Climax of a Story, Noticing How the Main
Character Is Tested

In workshop today we learned that things heat up at the end of a story

(climax), and it is our job as readers to think about the way the
character is tested in this part.

Your job in workshop today is to think about the climax of your story
and why it is important to the main character’s journey.

The climax of my book is when...

The main character is being tested in this part because…

This situation is important to the main character’s journey because…

 Session 12 Minilesson
Readers Notice How a Character Resolves Big Trouble

As a story comes to a close, the main character resolves his or her

biggest problems. This is called the resolution. Readers stop at the
resolution and ask, “What strength did this character draw on to solve
this problem?”, and also, “How has the character changed?”

The resolution of our book is when...

What strength did our main character draw on to solve this problem?

How has the character changed?

 Session 12 Workshop
Readers Notice How a Character Resolves Big Trouble

In workshop today we learned that in the resolution of a story, the main

character solves their biggest problems.

Your job in workshop today is to think about the resolution of your

story. You will also need to think about how your main character
changed throughout the course of the story.

The resolution of my book is when...

The strength my main character drew on to solve this problem was…

My main character has changed because…

 Session 13 Minilesson
Readers Learn Lessons Alongside Their Characters

As a story nears the end and a character resolves his or her problem,
they learn lessons. These lessons are things that the character learned
that they did not know at the start of the story. As readers, we can
learn from these lessons as well.

Lesson Lesson I
Character Could Learn
Learned from this
part
 Session 13 Workshop
Readers Learn Lessons Alongside Their Characters

In minilesson today, we talked about how characters learn lessons in the

resolution of a story. As readers, we can learn from these lessons as well.

In workshop today, your job is to think about lessons that the main character
in your book learned and how you could apply these lessons to your own life.

Lesson Lesson I Could

Character Learn from
Learned this part
 Session 14 Minilesson
Lingering with a Story after It’s Done

Once readers get to the end of a book, they think about how all of the parts fit
together to make the whole story.

Story Elements
The Main Character

R (traits, motivations/wants)

The Setting

E (How the time and place adds

to the story)

?
The Problem (or challenge)
and the character’s response to them

The Resolution
Finish (the way things end up)

The main character is:

Their motivations/wants:

The time and place the story takes place:

The problem (or obstacle/challenge) the character faces:

The character’s response to the problem:

The resolution of the story is:

 Session 14 Workshop
Lingering with a Story after It’s Done

In minilesson today, we learned that when readers reach the end of a book, they
think about how all of the parts fit together to make the whole story.

Your job in workshop today is to look for story elements in your book!

The main character is:

Their motivations/wants:

The time and place the story takes place:

The problem (or obstacle/challenge) the character faces:

The character’s response to the problem:

The resolution of the story is:

 Session 15 Minilesson
Comparing Characters

When readers read books that go together in some way, they can make
all sorts of comparisons. One way that readers can make comparisons
is by looking at the main characters.

We will do this work by thinking:

• What are similar things that the characters say and do?
• How are the characters different in what they say and do?

Character 1: _________________________________________________
Character 2: _________________________________________________

Character 1 Character 2
 Session 15 Workshop
Comparing Characters

In workshop today, we learned that readers can make comparisons across

books they read by looking at the main characters.

We learned we can do this work by thinking:

• What are similar things that the characters say and do?
• How are the characters different in what they say and do?

Your job in workshop is to compare and contrast two characters. Character

1 should be the main character in your independent reading book. Character 2
should be the main character in our read aloud book.

Character 1: _________________________________________________
Character 2: _________________________________________________

Character 1 Character 2
 Session 16 Minilesson
Readers Compare the Problems Characters Face – and Their Reactions

One important way readers compare characters in two books is to

notice and name the kinds of problems each one has and the ways in
which they react to these.

We will do this work by looking at characters from 2 books we have read

this year.

Character Character
1 2

____________________ ____________________
Problems

Reactions
 Session 16 Workshop
Readers Compare the Problems Characters Face – and Their Reactions

Today we learned that one way readers compare characters in two books is
to notice the problems they have and how the characters tackle that trouble.

Your job in workshop is to look at THE SAME TWO CHARACTERS you analyzed in
Session 15. You will think about the character’s problems and how the
characters reacted to them.

Character Character
1 2

____________________ ____________________
Problems

Reactions
 Session 17 Minilesson
Readers Ask, “What Makes You Say That?”

Readers can develop debatable ideas about characters across books by

exploring a big question that does not have one “right” answer. Readers can do
this work by sharing their ideas, supporting them with evidence from the text.

We will practice debating by using one of these questions: (circle the question
we will use)

• Which characters is more _______? (trait)

• Which character is better at solving problems?
• Which character would make a better friend?

Below, we will prepare our argument for the debate.

Steps to Follow in a Debate

1. My position is that… (what you think)

2. One part that shows this is… (say the part and why)

3. Another part that shows this is… (say the part and say why)
 Session 17 Workshop
Readers Ask, “What Makes You Say That?”

In minilesson today, we learned that readers can debate questions in a text that
do not have one “right” answer. When readers do this work, they support their
thinking with text evidence.

Your job in workshop today is to practice debating by using one of these

questions: (circle the question you will use)

• Which characters is more _______? (trait)

• Which character is better at solving problems?
• Which character would make a better friend?

Below, you will prepare your argument for the debate.

Steps to Follow in a Debate

1. My position is that… (what you think)

2. One part that shows this is… (say the part and why)

3. Another part that shows this is… (say the part and say why)
 Session 18 Minilesson
Comparing and Contrasting the Lessons Characters Learn

Another way that readers can draw comparisons across books is to study the
lessons characters learn from the problems they encounter.

Readers can do this work by asking:

• What big issues were resolved in each story?

• What big lesson did each character learn?

Below, we will compare themes in two books we have read this year.

Book 1: ______________________________________________________
Book 2: ______________________________________________________

Book 1 Book 2
 Session 18 Workshop
Comparing and Contrasting the Lessons Characters Learn

In minilesson we learned that readers can draw comparisons across books by

studying the lessons characters learn from the problems they encounter.

Readers can do this work by asking:

• What big issues were resolved in each story?

• What big lesson did each character learn?

Your job in workshop is to compare the themes in two books you have read this
unit.

Book 1: ______________________________________________________
Book 2: ______________________________________________________

Book 1 Book 2
 Session 19

Celebration
When I chose our books sets for this unit, I acted almost like
Amazon.com. Amazon suggests books to their customers based on
what they are searching on the site. These book lists are a bit like the
text sets that I put together for all of you.

For our celebration today, you are going to work with a club to become
real-life versions of Amazon. You are going to think about one category
of books (ways books fit together) that you want to share with the class.
Then, you will list books that fit into the category. This way, students
that are interested in this category can have a list of books that are
recommended by your club!

Before we get started, let’s brainstorm some possible categories:

•
___________________ Book Club

Recommends
Category:
_________________________________

Books that Fit in

this Category:

B
 Thank you!

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If you enjoyed this resource, be sure to check out my other reader’s

workshop products at:

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