Lesson Plan Title: Characterization in a Short Text

Classroom Environment (makeup of the classroom):

For this assignment, the class will be 10th grade English (not an honors or AP class)
and be made up of 25 students. Students in the classroom will be above, below, and at
grade level in terms of reading, but there will be no ESL students in this particular
class.
Knowledge:
Characterization: The act or an instance of characterizing. A description of
qualities or peculiarities (yourDictionary.com)
Direct Characterization: The process through which the personality of a
fictitious character is revealed by the use of descriptive adjectives, phrases,
or epithets (Dictionary.com)
Indirect Characterization: The process through which the personality of a
fictitious character is revealed through the characters speech, actions,
appearance, etc. (Dictionary.com)
Understandings:
1. Understanding how different story elements can contribute to characterization
2. Understanding how characters can change over time in a text
3. Understanding how to comprehend abstract texts
4. Understanding/spotting the difference between indirect and direct characterization
DO: This is going to be a two-day lesson.
1. The first day, I will give a refresher on characterization, both direct and indirect (a
review of what we did the previous day). I will give the students background
knowledge about the story (when it was written, who it was written by, and that it is a
slightly creepy story). I will then give the students half of the class to read the story
while thinking of the following questions: How is the narrator characterized and
what are some textual examples of this? How does the narrator change over the
course of the story? What are some textual examples of this change? How is her
husband characterized? What are some textual examples of his characterization?
2. The next day, we will start by breaking off into groups (counted off by three so that
there are seven groups of three and one group of four) and talk about our first
impressions of the story and then to think about the questions) (10 minutes)
3. Come back to the whole class and share what stuck out to you about the story and
then move into the questions, focusing on the characters and how they are
characterized (30 minutes).
4. Students will then be asked to create and present an exit slip (see Assessment
below) and be told their homework for the night (reading the first three chapters of
Lord of the Flies and to create a list of the characters that are named with one defining
characteristic for each).
Text: The Yellow Wallpaper
(https://www.nlm.nih.gov/literatureofprescription/exhibitionAssets/digitalDocs/The-

Yellow-Wall-Paper.pdf)
Lesson Accommodations (special needs and gifted)
Because this is a story about mental illness, the day before I introduce/ assign the
story, I am going to announce to the class that we are going to be reading a story that
has themes of mental illness. I will tell the students that if they feel that they will be
uncomfortable for any reason with talking about mental illness, they an come and talk
to me either after class, during lunch, after school, or before school the next day (I am
assuming this class could be taking place in the morning). If a student meets with me
and decides that they would rather not read this piece for personal reasons, I will have
them begin reading the first chapter of Lord of the Flies (something the students will
be working on two days from then) and they will be a discussion leader during the
Socratic Seminar I would have planned for the next week based around
characterization within the first 5 chapters of the novel. They will be asked to think
about the same types of questions the rest of the class will be thinking about while
reading the Yellow Wallpaper.
In terms of special needs children, I am working under the assumption that there
will be a para-pro in the room should any students need extra help.
CCSS
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1 : Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the
text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3 : Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those
with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact
with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Essential Questions:
Students should consider these questions:
1. How can we (the readers) tell that the narrator is suffering from a mental illness
(be able to site specific passages)?
2. Is there more direct or indirect characterization in the story? Be sure to cite
specific examples of each.
3. Which (in your opinion) is stronger, indirect or direct characterization?
Assessment
Students will be asked to write, in their own words, the answer to the question Which
is stronger, indirect or direct characterization? and explain why in a few short
sentences as an exit slip before they leave the room (5 minutes)
Summative & Formative Assessments, Performance Task(s) & Other Evidence i.e.
Pre-assessments, Unit Tests, Quizzes, Essays, Exit Cards, etc.
1. This is all building up to two assessments, one a creative writing assignment
and the other a test on A Streetcar Named Desire.
2. Creative Writing Assignment: The students will be asked to create a character

and write a three page short scene where they will be characterized
3. Test on SND: Choose one character from SND and define what you think is
the MOST important moment for their character. This CANNOT be when a
character dies. Describe the event/moment and analyze why you think this is
this characters defining moment.
What will you do if students do not understand?
Because it is a discussion based classroom, I will make sure to try and build the
student teacher relationship where if a student has an issue
understanding/comprehending a text, they feel comfortable enough to let me know. If
a student does not comprehend the text, I will encourage them to say so before class
and I will try and put them in a group with a student who is high achieving.
Extended Learning (Homework)
Read the first Act of a Streetcar Named Desire in preparation for a Socratic
Seminar while also making a list of the characters in those chapters and writing down
one characteristic for each of them. On the 11th, as a class, we will finish up what we
havent read and then brainstorm some questions regarding characters and
characterization to prepare for the Socratic Seminar.