Building Characters in Personal Narratives
Year 8 English Exploring Personal Narratives - Lesson 3 WALT: Explore how characters are developed in personal narratives
What Makes Characters Interesting?
Think about your favourite book, movie, or story What made the characters memorable? Was it what they said, what they did, or how they were described?
Two Key Methods of Character Development
Direct Description - The author explicitly tells us about character traits Character Actions and Dialogue - We learn about characters through what they say and do Both methods help readers understand personality and motivation
Identifying Character Development Methods
Work in pairs to read the provided text excerpts Find examples of direct description in the text Find examples where actions or dialogue reveal character traits Be ready to share your findings with the class
Class Discussion: What Did You Find?
Share your examples of direct description Share examples of character actions and dialogue Explain how these methods help us understand the character's personality Discuss what motivates the characters
Character Trait Chart
Complete the graphic organiser for the character in your text Traits: What descriptive words describe this character? Actions: What does the character do that shows their personality? Motivations: Why might they act this way? What drives them?
Extension: Create Your Own Character Profile
Develop a character for your own personal narrative Include: Name and basic description Three character traits with supporting actions or dialogue Character motivations or goals Advanced: Add possible conflicts or challenges
Success Criteria Check
Can you describe at least two methods of character development? Can you explain character traits and motivations with examples? Have you created a character profile? (Extension) What's one new thing you learned about character development today?