Building Characters in Personal Narratives
Year 8 English Lesson 3: Exploring Personal Narratives 60 minutes
WALT: We Are Learning To...
Explore how characters are developed in personal narratives Identify character traits and motivations using examples Describe at least two methods of character development Create character profiles with supporting evidence
Think About It...
What makes a character memorable in a story you've read? How do authors help us understand who their characters really are? What's the difference between knowing about a character and feeling like you know them personally?
Two Key Methods of Character Development
Direct Description: The author explicitly tells us about character traits Example: 'Sarah was incredibly stubborn and never backed down from an argument' Character Actions & Dialogue: Behaviour and speech reveal personality Example: Sarah slammed her fist on the table. 'I don't care what you think - I'm doing this my way!'
Text Detective Activity
Work in pairs to read the provided excerpts Find examples of DIRECT DESCRIPTION in the text Find examples of CHARACTER ACTIONS & DIALOGUE Be ready to share your findings with the class!
Character Analysis Chart
{"left":"CHARACTER TRAITS: What adjectives describe them?\nACTIONS: What do they do that shows their personality?","right":"DIALOGUE: What do they say and how do they say it?\nMOTIVATIONS: Why do they act this way? What drives them?"}
Extension: Create Your Character Profile
Design a character for your own personal narrative Include: Name and basic description List three character traits with supporting actions or dialogue Explain their motivations and goals Advanced: Add potential conflicts or challenges they might face
Success Criteria Check
✓ Can you describe two methods of character development? ✓ Can you explain character traits and motivations with examples? ✓ Have you created a character profile for a personal story? Homework: Write a brief personal narrative draft focusing on character development