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UNIT OVERVIEW
{Brainstorming Language Arts Activities.docx}
Week 1
Day:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Title:
Discovering Character Traits
Character Traits Vs. Emotions
What are YOUR character traits?
Character Motivation
New Traits, New Story (Story Innovation)
CCSS ELA:
RL.3.3
RL.3.3
RL3.3, W.3.3
RL.3.3
RL.3.3, W.3.3, W.3.3.A
Teacher Will:
Show Brain Pop Video on Character Traits.
Read text aloud and model creation of a bubble map for organizing character traits.
Play video (Inside Out teaser).
Discuss emotions and character traits, and the differences between them.
Make a list of examples on chart paper during discussion.
Review character traits and discuss how they can affect events in life.
Model the activity: choose a character trait and write about how it would affect my day.
Explain and discuss character motivation.
Read The Tale of Peter Rabbit aloud, and guide students in completing the Character Motivation graphic organizer for one of the characters.
Explain what it means to write a Story Innovation.
Read Thank You, Mr. Falker aloud, then model for students how to write a story innovation: 1) Identify the character’s traits, 2) Change the character’s traits, 3) Explain how the new traits would change the events of the story. Write a model story innovation.
At the conclusion of this lesson, teacher will introduce the unit project.
Students Will:
Read a text independently and create a bubble map.
During independent reading, students will identify character traits and emotions in their text and write them on sticky notes. They will post the stick notes on the anchor chart in the correct column.
Draw a picture of themselves on construction paper, then choose 6 of the character traits (typed on strips of paper) to paste around their picture.
They will choose one of those character traits and write a short narrative about how that trait affects their day at school.
Students will complete a second graphic organizer on a different character from the story.
Then, they will compare and contrast the two characters by drawing a Venn Diagram.
Select a book to read independently. They will identify the character’s traits, choose new traits for the character, and re-write their story based on the new traits.
Assessment:**
Checklist based on learning objectives.
Closing Activity:
Completing a chart with examples of inward traits, outward traits, and emotions.
Checklist based on learning objectives.
Rubric based on learning objectives.
Checklist based on learning objectives.
Week 2
Day:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Title:
What’s the Response?
Character Study
All About the Main Character
Become Another Person (Simulated Journal)
Character Creations
CCSS ELA:
RL.3.3, W.3.3.B
RL.3.3, W.3.3.B
RL.3.3, W.3.3.B
RL.3.3, W.3.3
RL.3.3, SL.3.4, SL.3.6
Teacher Will:
Discuss how a character’s traits cause him/her to respond to different situations in certain ways.
Go over examples of situations and how someone with certain character traits would react.
At end of lesson, teacher will remind students about what they should be doing for their project.
Explain to students that they will be studying and gather information about the main character of the book they chose for their project.
Review the checklist and graphic organizer that they will be using to see if students have questions.
At end of lesson, teacher will tell students what they should be doing to prepare for their project.
Explain to students that they need to be “character detectives” and find out as much information as possible about their main character. Have students think about their character in different ways. How did the character change throughout the story?
Review the graphic organizer that they will use for the activity.
At end of lesson, remind students to be thinking about how they want to create their poster.
Explain to students what it means to write a simulated journal.
Model en example by writing a simulated journal entry taking on the persona of Peter Rabbit’s mother.
At end of lesson, remind students what they are required to do the next day when giving their oral report.
Give students their poster board and other materials for decorating them. Students will have 30 minutes to decorate their posters to describe their character.
Students Will:
Each student will draw a piece of paper out of two containers. One will give them a situation, and the other will give them a character trait. Students will write a paragraph about how they think a character with that trait would respond to the situation, and why.
Read their chosen book and complete the checklist and graphic organizer to gather information about their main character.
Read their book again if they need to.
Complete the graphic organizer.
Write a simulated journal entry while taking on the persona of their main character. They will write this in their reader’s notebook.
Create their posters.
Students will then have 20 minutes to gather their notes, materials, etc. for their oral report.
Students will share their oral reports with the class.
Assessment:
Rubric based on learning objectives.
Checklist based on learning objectives.
Checklist based on learning objectives.
Checklist based on learning objectives.
Rubric based on learning objectives to evaluate culminating project.

Spoke at an understandable pace.
Spoke in complete sentences.
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21st CENTURY CONNECTIONS
Provide an overview of the following here:
Differentiation: What are some general ideas for differentiation for this unit? Your lesson plansDifferentiation:
Accommodations will be more specific, but it's goodmade for activities to provide the viewer with information up front about waysbecome lower or higher in difficulty, as to makemeet the individual needs of the students at the time. Students may also be given the opportunity to work morewith a buddy or less challengingin groups to complete certain learning tasks. Students may be given extra time to complete a task, or the length of the task may be reduced as another form of accommodation. Videos and graphics may be used to enhance understanding of the concept being taught.
It's difficult to determine exactly how the differentiation will occur without having taught the unit to actual students; however, I am aware of various differentiation strategies that can be implemented when needed.
21st
21st Century Skills and Strategies: Which
This unit supports students' growth in 21st Century Skills does this unit support? Providesuch as Critical Thinking, Communication, and Creativity.
Students will be challenged to think critically as they learn to determine the motivation behind a brief description
Technology: Incharacter's actions, which requires reasoning. Also, when identifying the traits of a character, students must use their reasoning to determine how those traits affect the events in the story.
Students will be given many tasks that will build communication skills such as writing, speaking, and listening. Almost every activity in the unit requires students to write in some way, and some of them require students to listen to what ways is technologybeing read by the teacher in order to complete the activity. At the end of the unit, students are to give an oral report to the class to inform them about the traits of their character, how they affected the events of the story, etc.
The culminating activity of the unit requires student to tap into their creativity. Students are to create a poster that represents the traits of the main character in their chosen book. Students are to use the combinations of colors, pictures, artwork, and writing to make a visual display of their character.
Technology: The Smart Board and Elmo document camera are used during this unit? What tech materials are required?
Interdisciplinary Connections:the unit for instructional and engagement purposes.

Lesson 2 Closing Activity also used for Assessment:
{EE3 Lesson 2 - Closing Activity-Assessment.docx}
Lesson 3 Checklist:
The Student:
Described him/herself using character traits.
Wrote a narrative about his/her experience at school.
Explained how his/her character trait affected the experience.
Used appropriate sequence of events in his/her writing.
Lesson 4 Rubric:
Key: 1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Always
Student
Identified character’s motivations
Identifies similarities and differences between characters.
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Lesson 5 Checklist:
The student:
Identified the traits of their chosen character.
Chose new character traits for their character.
Changed the events of the story as needed.
Used descriptive details and clear event sequence.
Lesson 6 Rubric:
Key: 1 = Poor, 2 = Fair, 3 = Good, 4 = Excellent
Student
Described an appropriate character response to the situation.
Included supporting details in his/her paragraph to explain his/her thinking.
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Lesson 7 Checklist:
The student:
Identified their character’s traits
Used descriptions of the character’s actions, thoughts, or feelings as the clues that led them to the character trait(s).
Lesson 8 Checklist:
The student:
Identified the main character’s quotes, actions, and traits.
Described how the character changed from the beginning of the story to the end.
Lesson 9 Checklist:
The student:
Demonstrated his/her knowledge of the character by taking on his/her persona when writing.
Wrote a simulated journal entry by developing imagined experiences using effective technique and descriptive details.
Lesson 10 Rubric:
Scoring Guide: 1 = Poor, 2 = Fair, 3 = Good, 4 = Excellent
Student:
Described the main character’s traits.
Explained how the character’s actions contributed to the story.
Shared appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details.
Spoke at an understandable pace.
Spoke in complete sentences.

Type (or paste) your next lesson plan here.
LessonLesson Title: Character Creations (Demonstrating Knowledge)
Length of time needed: 1 1/2 hrs.
CCSS ELA Standards Addressed:
Objectives: (1-3 "I Can"CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or "The learner will be able to" statements)feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.4
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.6
Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.
Objectives:
I can:
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
Report on a text with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.
Materials needed:
Anticipatory Set:Small sheets of Poster Board (for each student)
Markers
Glue
Colorful paper shapes
Magazine photo clippings
Mason Jar
Popsicle sticks with students’ names on them
Hook:
Who is excited about their character creation?
Teacher Input/Modeling:
Guided Practice:Students will be given poster board, markers, crayons, glue, paper shapes, magazine photo clippings, etc. They will use any of those materials to design their poster board so that it represents the character traits of the main character. I will guide them as they create their posters. (They will have 30 minutes to do this.)
After posters are complete, students have 20 minutes to gather their notes, materials, etc. for their oral report.
Students will be selected at random (by pulling a popsicle stick out of the jar) to share their report with the class.
Independent Practice:
Students share their reports one by one.
Closure:
Today you demonstrated your knowledge of character traits and their effects on the events of the story, by giving your oral report and presenting your character creations.
Assessment:
PROVIDE ANY LINKS TO RUBRICS, ASSESSMENTS, WORKSHEETS, ETC.
LINKS CAN BE WEBSITES OR DOCUMENTS.Scoring Guide: 1 = Poor, 2 = Fair, 3 = Good, 4 = Excellent
Student:
Described the main character’s traits.
Explained how the character’s actions contributed to the story.
Shared appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details.
Spoke at an understandable pace.
Spoke in complete sentences.

Type (or paste) your next lesson plan here.
LessonLesson Title: Become Another Person (Simulated Journal)
Length of time needed: 1 - 1 1/2 hrs.
CCSS ELA Standards Addressed:
Objectives: (1-3 "I Can"CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or "The learner will be able to" statements)feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
Objectives:
I can:
Demonstrate my knowledge of my character by taking on his/her persona when writing.
Write a simulated journal entry by developing imagined experiences using effective technique and descriptive details.
Materials needed:
Anticipatory Set: None
Hook:
Today, each of you will "become another person."
Teacher Input/Modeling:
Guided Practice:You are going to learn how to write a simulated journal entry. Do you know what it means for something to be simulated? It means that it is not real, and that it’s made to be like something else.
To write a simulated journal means that you are writing a journal entry as if you were someone else. I will model an example of a journal entry written while taking on the persona of Peter Rabbit’s mother.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING & ENGAGEMENT
I will ask students if they have any questions about what a simulated journal is.
Independent Practice:
Closure:
You are to “become” the main character from your book. You want to think like they would think, and feel the things they feel.
On a fresh page in your reader’s notebook, write a journal entry from the perspective of your character. Think about all that your character experienced in the story. What would your character say if he/she were writing in his/her diary?
Closure:
Today you took on the persona of your character – you “became” them as you wrote your simulated journal entry. This allowed you to make a deeper connection with your character, as you had to try to think like him/her.
*TONIGHT…using all the information you’ve gathered about your character, practice your oral report by telling your parents about your character and about what happened to your character in the story.
*TOMORROW… you will create your poster to describe your character. (Be thinking about what you want it to look like.) You will also share an oral report with the class stating:
Title of your book
Character’s name
Character traits
How the character’s actions affected what happened in the story.
What you liked about the book.
Remember to practice speaking in complete sentences. (You can use note cards.)
Assessment:
PROVIDE ANY LINKS TO RUBRICS, ASSESSMENTS, WORKSHEETS, ETC.
LINKS CAN BE WEBSITES OR DOCUMENTS. Checklist:
The student:
Demonstrated his/her knowledge of the character by taking on his/her persona when writing.
Wrote a simulated journal entry by developing imagined experiences using effective technique and descriptive details.

Type (or paste) your next lesson plan here.
LessonLesson Title: All About the Main Character
Length of time needed: 1 hr.
CCSS ELA Standards Addressed:
Objectives: (1-3 "I Can"
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or "The learner will be able to" statements)feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3.B
Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.
Objectives:
I can:
Identify the main character’s quotes, actions, and traits.
Describe how my character changed from the beginning of the story to the end.
Materials needed:
Anticipatory Set:Main Character graphic organizer
Hook:
Today we are going to be character detectives!
Teacher Input/Modeling:
Guided Practice:Looking again at the book you chose for your project, it is important that you gather as many details as possible about your character.
Try to find discover details different from those you found yesterday, especially with regard to things that your character says (“quotes”).
Also, pay attention to how your character changes throughout the story, or maybe your character doesn’t change. Either way, you should be able to describe what your character is like at the beginning of the story and at the end.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING & ENGAGEMENT
I will review the graphic organizer with the students and ask if anyone has questions.
Independent Practice:
Feel free to read your book again if you want to.
Today, you are to complete the “All About the Main Character” graphic organizer. Pretend that you are a detective trying to find out all the information you can about this character.
Closure:
Assessment:
PROVIDE ANY LINKS TO RUBRICS, ASSESSMENTS, WORKSHEETS, ETC.
LINKS CAN BE WEBSITES OR DOCUMENTS.Today you gathered additional information about the main character for your project. You also learned to pay attention to how your character changed throughout the story.
Be thinking about any visuals you can use for your poster (photographs, drawings, etc.).
Assessment:**
The student:
Identified the main character’s quotes, actions, and traits.
Described how the character changed from the beginning of the story to the end.
Main Character graphic organizer:
: {EE3 Lesson 8 - Main Character Graphic Organizer.jpg}

Type (or paste) your next lesson plan here.
LessonLesson Title: Character Study
Length of time needed: 1 - 1 1/2 hrs.
CCSS ELA Standards Addressed:
Objectives: (1-3 "I Can"CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or "The learner will be able to" statements)feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3.B
Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.
Objectives:
I can:
Identify the character traits that my character possesses.
Use descriptions of the character’s actions, thoughts, or feelings as the clues that led me to the character trait(s).
Materials needed:
Anticipatory Set:Scholastic Character Traits Checklist
My Character Then & Now graphic organizer
Hook:
Today, you will be doing a “character study” that will help in developing your unit project.
Teacher Input/Modeling:
Guided Practice:By “character study” I mean that you will use a checklist and a graphic organizer to gather details about the main character of the book you chose for your project.
I will project the checklist and the graphic organizer onto the smart board and review them with the students to see if they have any questions about what is expected of them.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING & ENGAGEMENT
Questions will be asked/answered naturally as I review the documents with the students.
Independent Practice:
First, you are going to re-read the book you chose. As you are reading, use the checklist to identify the traits of your character. After reading, answer the questions at the top of the checklist.
Once that is complete, use the graphic organizer as you identify the specific details (actions, thoughts, or feelings of the character) that helped you determine the character’s traits.
Closure:
Assessment:
PROVIDE ANY LINKS TO RUBRICS, ASSESSMENTS, WORKSHEETS, ETC.
LINKS CAN BE WEBSITES OR DOCUMENTS.Today we learned how to study a character. This is important as you prepare for your unit project.
Be thinking of ways that you can describe or even symbolize your character’s traits in an artistic way. Are there any particular colors that represent any of your character’s traits? For example, blue can represent sad, lonely, discouraged; red can represent angry; yellow can represent happiness.
Assessment: Checklist:**
The student:
Identified their character’s traits
Used descriptions of the character’s actions, thoughts, or feelings as the clues that led them to the character trait(s).
Scholastic Character Traits Checklist: {EE3 Lesson 7 - Character Traits Checklist.pdf}
My Character Then & Now graphic organizer:
{EE3 Lesson 7 - Graphic Organizer.jpg}