Characterization and Identity

Overview

In this second lesson of the five-part unit New Kid: Identity and Perspective, students examine how Jordan’s identity is developed through direct and indirect characterization. They build from prior work identifying textual details and move toward explaining how setting, relationships, expectations, and choices shape a character without reducing anyone to a stereotype.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Distinguish direct characterization from indirect characterization.
• Identify how setting, relationships, expectations, and choices influence a character’s responses.
• Select strong textual or visual evidence and explain what it reveals.
• Write a precise analytical paragraph using trait vocabulary and because/although clauses.
• Discuss a speaker’s claim and evaluate whether the evidence supports it.

Success criteria

• I can identify a character trait and distinguish it from a temporary feeling.
• I can use at least two details from the selected pages or panels.
• I can explain how setting or another character influences a character’s response.
• I can write a paragraph with clear context, logical sequencing, evidence, and reasoning.

Curriculum links

• Reading literature — analyze how story elements interact, including how setting and relationships shape characters and plot.
• Writing — establish context and point of view, introduce characters, and organize an event sequence logically.
• Speaking and listening — delineate an argument or claim and evaluate the relevance and sufficiency of its evidence.
• Reading literature — determine and develop a theme or central idea through objective analysis and summary.

Lesson structure (80 minutes)

1. 0–8 min · Warm-up: convincing inferences. Teacher displays the question, “What makes an inference about a fictional character convincing?” using the opening question slide, then asks students to rank actions, dialogue, appearance, thoughts, and others’ reactions from strongest to weakest evidence. Students rank independently, justify one choice in writing on the characterization evidence and paragraph worksheet, and briefly share with a partner; they do not compare characters with themselves.

2. 8–23 min · Retrieval and mini-lesson. Teacher reviews direct characterization—when a narrator or character states a trait—and indirect characterization, when a trait is revealed through actions, dialogue, thoughts, appearance, or others’ reactions. Using the characterization teaching and modeling slides, the teacher models a short CER paragraph: claim, specific evidence, and reasoning. The teacher emphasizes that a temporary feeling is not necessarily a lasting trait and introduces respectful identity language: describe what the text shows rather than claiming a character represents an entire group. Students annotate the model and identify its claim, evidence, and reasoning.

3. 23–40 min · Close reading. Teacher provides a teacher-selected excerpt or panel sequence involving Jordan’s school adjustment and guides students through the close-reading directions and evidence-category slide. Students read or view the sequence, marking actions, dialogue, visual cues, and others’ reactions on the worksheet. Pause for students to name a possible trait and explain whether the detail is direct or indirect characterization. Offer a chunked excerpt, audio or read-aloud option, trait word bank with icons, color-coded evidence categories, and sentence frames as needed.

4. 40–55 min · Partner evidence sort. Teacher models sorting one detail, then directs pairs to organize their marked evidence on the evidence-sort organizer under “what the character does,” “says,” “thinks,” “looks like,” and “how others respond.” Students compare interpretations, use precise trait vocabulary, and select the two strongest details for their paragraph. Partners must explain why their selected evidence is more useful than a vague description or unsupported assumption. Invite students to use respectful discussion stems such as “This detail suggests ___ because ___.”

5. 55–70 min · Writing workshop. Teacher displays the paragraph frame with the writing model and workshop directions and conferences with a small support group. Students draft a paragraph beginning, “The text develops ___ as ___ when ___.” Their paragraph must establish the situation or context, include two cited textual or visual details, and explain how setting, another character, expectations, or a choice influences the response. Students use because and although clauses to connect evidence and reasoning. For an additional challenge, students explain a tension between how a character is seen and who the character is.

6. 70–75 min · Formative assessment. Teacher collects the completed evidence sorts and scans paragraphs using a checklist: clear trait, two specific details, reasoning that connects evidence to the trait, and respectful precision. Students reread their paragraphs and underline the claim once, evidence twice, and reasoning three times, revising one unclear sentence if needed.

7. 75–80 min · Exit ticket and transition. Teacher distributes the retrieval practice exit ticket strips and displays the final prompt using the plenary and exit-ticket slide. Students identify one indirect characterization detail and explain the trait it suggests. Collect responses to plan the next lesson.

Resources

• the characterization and identity slide deck
• the characterization evidence and paragraph worksheet
• Teacher-selected excerpt or panel sequence from New Kid
• Copies of the excerpt or access to a projected digital version
• Trait word bank with icons and sentence frames
• Highlighters or colored pencils
• Audio or read-aloud version of the excerpt
• the retrieval practice exit ticket strips

Assessment

• During the warm-up and close reading, listen for students distinguishing traits from temporary feelings and supporting inferences with specific details.
• Review evidence sorts and paragraph drafts for a claim, two relevant details, reasoning, logical sequencing, and respectful identity language.
• Use the exit ticket to identify whether students can explain indirect characterization independently.

After the lesson, administer the short quiz:

1. What is indirect characterization?
2. Which is stronger evidence for a trait: “He is kind” in narration or a scene showing him helping someone? Explain.
3. Give one character trait that could be supported by repeated actions.
4. What two elements should an analytical characterization paragraph include besides a claim?

Answer key:

1. Character information shown through actions, dialogue, thoughts, appearance, or others’ reactions rather than simply stated.
2. The scene showing help, because it demonstrates behavior; accept a reasoned alternative with valid explanation.
3. Accept a valid trait-and-evidence pair, such as persistent shown by continuing after setbacks.
4. Specific textual or visual evidence and reasoning explaining how it supports the claim.

Differentiation

• Provide MLLs and students needing support with a chunked excerpt, audio/read-aloud access, icons, a trait word bank, color coding, and frames such as “The detail ___ suggests ___ because ___.”
• Preteach trait vocabulary and distinguish feeling words from trait words with brief examples.
• Allow students to dictate or orally rehearse the paragraph before writing; assign supportive partners and conference with the small support group.
• Extend ready students by analyzing a tension between a character’s public image and internal identity or by evaluating which evidence best supports a competing interpretation.