CCSS ELA Standards Addressed: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.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.
Objectives: I can:
Determine the character’s motivation based on his/her actions.
Create a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast two characters.
Materials needed: Book to be Read: The Tale of Peter Rabbit Potter, B. (1987). The tale of Peter Rabbit. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: F. Warne.
Character Motivation Graphic Organizer (2 copies per student) Hook: Have you ever wondered why someone did a certain thing or acted a certain way? Well the answer to your question has to do with character motivation. Does anyone think they know what motivation means? Give students the chance to respond.
Teacher Input/Modeling:
Motivation is a force or influence that causes someone to do something. In other words, motivation is the reason why a character does something. I will then project a list of character motivations on the smart board using the document camera. The list will include motivations such as love, power, fear, hunger, jealousy, greed, anger, happiness, gain friends, etc.
Today, we are going to look for character motivations as we read The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
Students will be given a Character Motivation graphic organizer. As I read the book aloud, we will fill out the graphic organizer together for the motivations of Mr. McGregor.
As I read, let’s pay attention to the characters of Mr. McGregor and Peter’s mother. As we go along we will fill out our graphic organizer first about Mr. McGregor. CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING & ENGAGEMENT This will occur naturally as we complete the graphic organizer as a class.
Independent Practice: Now I want you to try to do the same thing we just did together on your own. I am going to give you another graphic organizer, but this time I want you to use Peter’s mother as the character. (To help students get started, I will have already provided a couple character actions on the graphic organizer, but students are responsible for all motivations and for adding more character actions.) Students can work with a partner if they’d like.
When you have completed the second graphic organizer, I want you to get a plain white piece of paper and draw a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the two characters.
Closure: Ask the class: Who can tell me why it is important that we understand the characters’ motivations? It is important because it helps us comprehend the text better when we understand why the characters act the way they do.
Lesson Title: Character Motivation
Length of time needed: 1 - 1 1/2 hrs.
CCSS ELA Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.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.
Objectives:
I can:
Materials needed:
Book to be Read: The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Potter, B. (1987). The tale of Peter Rabbit. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: F. Warne.
Character Motivation Graphic Organizer (2 copies per student)
Hook:
Have you ever wondered why someone did a certain thing or acted a certain way? Well the answer to your question has to do with character motivation. Does anyone think they know what motivation means? Give students the chance to respond.
Teacher Input/Modeling:
Motivation is a force or influence that causes someone to do something. In other words, motivation is the reason why a character does something. I will then project a list of character motivations on the smart board using the document camera. The list will include motivations such as love, power, fear, hunger, jealousy, greed, anger, happiness, gain friends, etc.
Today, we are going to look for character motivations as we read The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
Students will be given a Character Motivation graphic organizer. As I read the book aloud, we will fill out the graphic organizer together for the motivations of Mr. McGregor.
As I read, let’s pay attention to the characters of Mr. McGregor and Peter’s mother. As we go along we will fill out our graphic organizer first about Mr. McGregor.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING & ENGAGEMENT
This will occur naturally as we complete the graphic organizer as a class.
Independent Practice:
Now I want you to try to do the same thing we just did together on your own. I am going to give you another graphic organizer, but this time I want you to use Peter’s mother as the character. (To help students get started, I will have already provided a couple character actions on the graphic organizer, but students are responsible for all motivations and for adding more character actions.) Students can work with a partner if they’d like.
When you have completed the second graphic organizer, I want you to get a plain white piece of paper and draw a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the two characters.
Closure:
Ask the class:
Who can tell me why it is important that we understand the characters’ motivations?
It is important because it helps us comprehend the text better when we understand why the characters act the way they do.
Assessment:
Key: 1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Always
Character Motivation Graphic Organizer: