Character Traits

Designed by: Emily Herbig            School: Meadowfield Elementary

Grade Level: First         Subject: Language Arts

Lesson/Unit Title: Characters, Character Traits, Setting, Problem, and Solution Discovered in Literature

Core Curriculum Objective(s): Identify the story elements (characters, character traits, setting, problem, solution). (1-AL-6); South Carolina Standard: (I.F.4 and I.F.6 ).

Overview: 
The teacher will use the Internet to present the children with an electronic version of The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. After reading or playing the story, the teacher will use the Pat Cunningham story ball activity to review the story elements of characters, character traits, setting, problem, and solution by identifying these elements in the story. Then, the teacher will read the book Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfiester, and the students will be assessed on identifying the story elements of character, character traits, setting, problem, and solution in this story. The story elements will be identified through the student's story element mobile.

Focus/Essential Question(s): 

Who are the people or animals that play a big part in the story? 

How do the important people or animals in the story act and/or feel? 

Where does most of the story happen or take place? 

What is wrong in the story? 

How do these wrong things get fixed in the story?

Time Frame: 
1 1 1/2 hour Period

Resources/Materials:

For the teacher:
Averkey 

Television 

Computer 

Destination Computer (optional) 

Beach ball (On each color strip of the ball, the teacher should write one of the following questions: Who are the characters in the story and how do they feel? What is the setting in the story? What is the problem in the story? What is the solution in the story? What is the title of the story, and who is the author?

Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfiester

Teacher mobile- The teacher should cut a big fish pattern out of white poster board, write the title Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfiester in black marker, decorate the fish colorfully, spread a thin layer of glue over it, and then sprinkle glitter on it. Then, the teacher should punch out five holes at the bottom of the fish. The teacher will thread yarn through each hole and tie a knot. The other end of the yarn will be attached to a colored piece of poster board cut out in the shape of a circle. Each circle will be a different color and have a different label: yellow = Characters; blue = How the Character Feels; red= Setting; green = Problem; and orange = Solution.

For each student:

Mobile- Each student will be given the white poster board pattern of a fish with the title Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfiester written on it in black marker.

Five colored circles with the story element labels already written on one side of the circle (see teacher mobile to see which colors match which labels).

Ten pre-cut white circles Crayons Pencil Markers Glue

Culminating Assessment: 
The following rubric will be used to assess identifying story elements (characters, character traits, setting, problem, solution). In the child's mobile:

1. The student correctly identifies the character in the story as a fish or "Rainbow Fish" = 2 points

2. The student correctly identifies Rainbow Fish as feeling sad or lonely (when he has no friends) or happy (how he feels when he begins to give away his scales and has new friends) = 2 points

3. The student correctly identifies the setting as the sea or ocean = 2 points

4. The student correctly identifies the problem as being that Rainbow Fish has no friends, he is sad, or he will not share any of his scales = 2 points

5. The student correctly identifies the solution as being that Rainbow Fish shares his scales with the other fish = 2 points

TOTAL = 10 points so that

10/10 points and 9/10 points = + 8/10 points = a check 7/10 points and below = a dot

Instructional Activities:

1. The teacher will tell the students that today they will be reviewing something that the children have already learned through their reading stories. The teacher will tell the students that he/she wants to see how well the children remember what story elements are (for example: characters, how characters feel, setting, problem, solution).

2. The teacher will tell the students that first the class will review these elements together and then, the students will be required to show the teacher how much he/she remembers about the elements.

3. For a review of story elements, the teacher will call on students to provide a definition and/or an example of a character, character feeling, setting, problem, and solution.

4. The teacher and students will engage in this discussion until the teacher is confident that most of the class remembers and understands these previously learned story elements.

5. In order to review story elements from a specific story, the teacher will use the story The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter.

6. The teacher will tell the students that he/she will read or play from the Internet the story The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter and that the students' job is to "play detective" and discover the mystery of who the characters are in the story, how they are feeling, where most of the story is happening, what's wrong in the story, and how this problem is solved.

7. Using an averkey or destination computer, the teacher will go to http://www.tcom.ohiou.edu/books/kids.htm and click on the rabbit icon in order to read the book on-line. The teacher can read aloud the text on each page, which is supported by the real illustrations from the book, or the teacher can click onto the Real Audio Player symbol which should enable the students to view the illustrations while hearing the story being read aloud by a narrator (with this option, each screen of new text automatically advances, instead of the teacher actually advancing the screens with a click of the mouse).

8. After the teacher reads or plays the story from the Internet, the teacher will tell the students that they will play the story ball game to discuss the story elements from The Tale of Peter Rabbit. On each color strip of the beach ball, there should be a different story element question.

9. The teacher will ask all the children to stand behind their desks. The teacher will call a child's name and throw the beach ball to that child. When the child catches the ball, he/she chooses a color of the beach ball and answers the story element question on that color or he/she can tell the class what story element question he/she wants to answer. Once the student finishes answering the question, then that child calls on another student and throws the ball to him/her. The second student can then elaborate or add to the first student's response or he/she can choose a new story element question to answer. As the students play the story ball game, they should provide the following responses: Characters: Peter Rabbit (main character), Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, Mrs. Rabbit, Mr. McGregor, the cat, the mouse. Character feelings: Peter- scared, worried, sad, happy (to be back home); Mr. McGregor- angry, upset; Mrs. Rabbit- worried, concerned. Setting- Mr. McGregor's garden and land (primarily) and the Rabbit home. Problem: Peter was being chased by Mr. McGregor, Peter did not know how to get off Mr. McGregor's land. Solution: He found the garden gate that he could escape under and he ran all the way home.

10. After a thorough discussion of the story elements in The Tale of Peter Rabbit, the teacher will ask the students if they have any questions about any of the story elements.

11. After answering any questions, the teacher will tell the students that he/she will read them another story and that their job is to identify the characters, how they feel, where the story is happening, what the problem in the story is, and what the solution is. The teacher will remind the students that they must listen very carefully because after the story, they will engage in a fun activity in order to show what they know about story elements.

12. The teacher will transition the children to a reading area and read aloud the book Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfiester. After reading the story, the teacher will transition the children back to their seats.

13. The teacher will show each student his/her model mobile of the Rainbow Fish and will tell the students that they will be able to decorate their mobile after they finish the first part of their project. The teacher will tell the students that they will get five different circles that will become a part of their mobile. On one side of their yellow poster board circle will be the word "Characters". On one side of their blue poster board circle will be the words "How the Character Feels". On one side of the red poster board circle will be the word "Setting". On one side of the green poster board circle will be the word "Problem". On one side of the orange poster board circle will be the word "Solution". Also, each child will receive 10 (5 extra in case of "messy work") pre-cut white circles on which he/she will identify the various story elements through writing and/or drawing. At this time, the teacher will explain the rubric.

14. The teacher will tell the students that after they identify each story element, they should glue their white circle onto the back of the story element circle that matches the drawing or writing (example: the picture of Rainbow Fish should be pasted on the back of the circle labeled "Characters").

15. The teacher will pass out all colored circles, white circles, crayons, and glue to each student, and the students will be instructed to begin their projects.

16. As the children engage in this activity, the teacher will circulate and provide any assistance or encouragement. If a child has difficulty drawing and/or writing his/her answer, the teacher can ask the child to tell the teacher the answer, and the teacher can help guide the child through the project.

17. When a child finishes with this first part of the project, then the teacher will give the student the other part of his/her mobile (the white poster board fish with the title and author written on both sides). The child will be instructed to write his/her name on both sides at the bottom of the fish, and then the teacher will provide the student with markers to decorate the Rainbow Fish. The teacher should make sure that the student does not decorate over the title or his/her name (At a later time, when all projects are complete, the teacher should apply a thin layer of glue on both sides of the fish and then apply a light coat of silver glitter on top of the glue. Also, the teacher will attach yarn from the bottom of the fish to the story element poster board circles).

18. At the end of the period, the teacher will call on students to place all parts of their mobile in a designated area of the room, and then the teacher will call on students to identify the story elements from Rainbow Fish.

19. Once the teacher has assembled all student mobiles, he/she can display the mobiles in the room, the hallway, the library, and/or on the school's website.