More Analyzing Characters

I posted the other day about my first analyzing character lesson using Lilly from Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse that I saw on ReadWorks.org.  Now, this next lesson I did started with an idea from ReadWorks.org, but then took off on it's own. To continue with the Lilly theme and see how a recurring character would be in two different stories, towards the end of last week we read Julius, The Baby of the World. Another great Kevin Henkes book - his books are fantastic for literary elements.

 

While reading we stopped a few times, once after the first page to write down Lilly's traits, once towards the end of the middle section, and then again at the end. To show Lilly's character traits we used a bubble map.  As we were going we saw that Lilly's characteristics changed throughout the book.  In the very beginning, she was excited to have a baby brother.  Then, in the middle she was jealous (love that my ELL kiddos came up with that word that describes Lilly perfectly).  And, in the end, she sticks up for her brother and becomes protective.  As we were charting this together as a class and independently, I was talking with the kids about how confusing the chart looked since it said she was nice, mean, excited, grumpy, and rude.  I had an aha moment! I decided to have the kiddos and myself mark each bubble with a B for beginning, M for middle, and E for end, so we knew which part of the story we saw those traits in.  I'm sure someone has thought of this before, but it was one of those teaching moments where I was like how have I not thought of it. 

 

So, on day 1 we completed the bubble map....see examples

 

 

Then, on day 2, we took the bubble map and wrote up a little analysis as a class since it was our first time writing it. 

 

 

 

For our first try at character analysis I think we did a pretty good job.  Look for these lessons and lesson ideas to continue with Strega Nona next week.