Characters on Wanted Posters

This is lesson 3 of 5 in the unit "Book Week: Choose, Create, Celebrate". Lesson Title: Characters on the Wanted Poster Lesson Description: Length: 55 minutes. Learning intention: We are learning to describe a character and support ideas with evidence from words and illustrations. Success criteria: I can identify character traits, feelings, actions, or goals; give at least one text or illustration clue; create and share a wanted poster in a chosen format. Warm-up (5 min): teacher models a ‘character detective’ think-aloud using a familiar character, separating ‘I know’ evidence from ‘I predict’ inference. Main activities (35 min): students choose a character from a selected text and complete a visual profile: name, appearance, traits, likes/dislikes, goal, problem, allies, evidence, and reward or warning. They then turn it into a playful wanted poster with drawing, collage, typed text, comic panels, symbols, audio QR code, or dictated sentences. Partners may interview one another in role as the character. Include a 3-minute movement break such as ‘freeze like your character’. Years 4–5 differentiation: use trait/emotion picture cards, a small evidence menu, orally rehearsed frames (‘The character is… because…’), and teacher/peer scribing. Years 6–8 differentiation: distinguish explicit description from inference; analyse how narration, dialogue, illustrations, stereotypes, humour, or point of view shape the character; optionally compare two characters or adapt the poster’s tone for a different audience. Resources: text choices, character profile templates, trait/emotion cards, evidence bookmarks, poster paper, art materials, tablets, speech-to-text, role-play props. Formative assessment: conference with each student or pair and record whether the evidence is linked to the character claim; accept pointing, oral explanation, labelled drawing, or recording. No-reading/no-writing alternatives: use illustrations and read-aloud evidence, select icons, act out traits, make an audio profile, dictate to a scribe, or create a purely visual poster. Curriculum links: character and evidence work particularly supports AC9E4LE03, AC9E5LE02, AC9E5LE05, AC9E6LE03, AC9E7LE02 and AC9E7LE03. Years 7–8 may extend by analysing character construction, perspective, representation, and the effect of language and visual choices.

Overview

Lesson 3 of 5 in Book Week: Choose, Create, Celebrate. Students investigate a character’s traits, feelings, actions and goals, using words and illustrations as evidence before creating and sharing a playful wanted poster.

Learning intentions

Students will:

identify character traits, feelings, actions, goals and problems
distinguish evidence from inference
support a character idea with a clue from the text or illustrations
communicate ideas through a visual, written, oral or multimodal wanted poster

Success criteria

I can identify what a character is like, wants, feels or does.
I can give at least one clue from words or illustrations.
I can create a wanted poster in a chosen format.
I can explain my ideas to a partner or audience.

Curriculum links

Creating and responding to imaginative texts, including exploring characters, settings, events and ideas.
Analysing how language features and illustrations shape meaning and audience response.
Using evidence from texts to explain interpretations and inferences.
Creating imaginative, informative and persuasive texts using written, spoken, visual and digital modes.

Lesson structure (55 minutes)

0–5 minutes – Character detective warm-up Open with the character detective hook and think-aloud. Display a familiar character and model two columns: “I know” for evidence and “I predict” for inference. Think aloud, for example: “The illustration shows muddy shoes, so I know the character has been outside. I predict they are adventurous, but I need more clues.”
5–9 minutes – Introduce the investigation Explain the learning intention and success criteria using the learning intention and success criteria. Briefly model how a clue can support a claim: “The character is nervous because the words say their hands shook.” Invite students to suggest one possible trait and evidence clue.
9–22 minutes – Build a visual character profile Students choose a character from one of the selected texts and complete the visual character profile and evidence organiser. They record or represent the character’s name, appearance, traits, likes or dislikes, goal, problem, allies, evidence and a reward or warning. Encourage students to refer to both words and illustrations, not just what they remember.
22–25 minutes – Movement break Use the freeze-like-your-character movement prompt. Call out actions or feelings such as “sneaky”, “confused”, “proud” or “racing towards a goal”. Students move safely, then freeze in character. Ask two or three students to explain which character clue inspired their pose.
25–40 minutes – Create the wanted poster Demonstrate the required features with the wanted poster examples and creation instructions: character name or image, a clear description, at least one evidence clue, and a playful reward or warning. Students choose drawing, collage, typed text, comic panels, symbols, an audio QR code, dictated sentences or a combination. Circulate and conference with each student or pair, asking, “What is your claim about the character?” and “Which word or illustration supports it?”
40–49 minutes – Partner interview and sharing In pairs, students share posters. Where appropriate, one student interviews the other in role as the character: “What do you want?” “What is your problem?” “Who helps you?” Partners identify one strong character claim and its evidence. Students may share orally, point to labelled features or play an audio recording.
49–55 minutes – Gallery walk and reflection Display posters or conduct a seated gallery walk using the sharing prompts and reflection. Students notice one effective use of evidence and one interesting visual or language choice. Finish with a brief oral check: “My character is ___ because ___.” Collect profiles and note students who can link evidence to a character claim.

Resources

Selected class texts, picture books, graphic texts or extracts
the character detective and wanted poster lesson deck
the visual character profile and evidence organiser
Poster paper or digital presentation tool
Pencils, coloured pencils, markers, collage materials and glue
Tablets or computers with speech-to-text
Optional recording tool for audio profiles or QR-linked recordings
Role-play props
Trait and emotion picture cards
Evidence bookmarks or a class evidence menu

Assessment

During conferences, record whether each student identifies a character feature and links it to a relevant word or illustration clue.
Review the profile and poster for a character claim, supporting evidence and clear communication in at least one mode.
Accept pointing, oral explanation, labelled drawing, acting, dictated sentences or an audio recording as evidence of understanding.

Differentiation

Years 4–5: provide trait and emotion picture cards, a small evidence menu and orally rehearsed frames such as “The character is ___ because ___.” Offer teacher or peer scribing.
Years 6–8: require students to distinguish explicit description from inference and analyse how narration, dialogue, illustrations, humour, stereotypes or point of view shape the character.
Years 6–8 extension within the task: compare two characters or adapt the poster’s tone for a different audience, such as younger readers, detectives or a school newsletter.
Support EAL/D, reading and writing needs through read-aloud evidence, illustration choices, icons, acting, audio profiles, speech-to-text, dictation and a purely visual poster. Pair students strategically and provide a reduced profile with fewer fields when needed.

Teaching Instructions