Web Character Traits

Overview

Students will read a short portion of Charlotte’s Web and analyze a character’s traits (thoughts, feelings, and motivations). They will explain how those traits lead to specific actions and how those actions help cause the sequence of events in the story.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Identify a character’s traits and support the idea with evidence from the text
• Describe how a character’s actions contribute to what happens next in the story
• Use story details to explain the sequence of events clearly

Success criteria

• I can name a character trait (example: caring, worried, hopeful) and tell how I know.
• I can describe one character action from the story.
• I can explain how that action leads to the next event in order.
• I can use evidence (a sentence or short phrase) from the text to support my explanation.

Curriculum links

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3: Describe characters by traits, motivations, or feelings, and explain how actions contribute to the sequence of events.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.5: Refer to parts of the story (beginning/middle/end or named sections) when writing or speaking about the text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7 (optional use if illustrations are included): Use illustrations and words to show understanding of when/where key events occur.

Lesson structure (25 minutes)

1. 0–3 min · Hook. Teacher displays a simple “Trait → Action → Next event” chart and reads a brief prompt: “How can what someone is like affect what they do?” Students turn and talk, using one guess about a character they know (real or story).
2. 3–8 min · Mini-lesson (modeling). Teacher introduces the target character (Wilbur or Charlotte) and shows a short excerpt (1–2 pages) from Charlotte’s Web focusing on one key event chain. Teacher thinks aloud: “The trait I notice is ___ because the character ___ (evidence). That leads to the action ___, which causes/helps the next event ___.”

• Students underline one evidence sentence/phrase in their copy for later reference.

3. 8–16 min · Guided practice (small-group). Students work in pairs with the chart. Each pair chooses one trait for the character and completes:

• Trait: (one word or short phrase)
• Evidence: (copy a sentence/phrase)
• Action: (what the character does)
• Sequence link: (one sentence explaining how the action contributes to what happens next) Teacher circulates and prompts with sentence starters:
• “I think the character is ___ because…”
• “When ___ happened, the character ___.”
• “This leads to ___ next because…”

4. 16–22 min · Share + refine. Select 3–4 pairs to share their “sequence link” sentence. Teacher charts the class examples and coaches students to make the “because/therefore” connection clearer.

• Students listen for whether each explanation includes trait + evidence + action + next event connection.

5. 22–25 min · Exit ticket (quick assessment). Students complete a 3-sentence writing response:

• “A trait of ___ is ___.”
• “The evidence says ___.”
• “Because of this, ___ happens next.”

Resources

• Student copies of a short Charlotte’s Web excerpt (clear pagination)
• “Trait → Action → Next event” chart (paper or slide)
• Highlighters or colored pencils
• Sentence starter strips
• Anchor chart showing example format (“Trait, Evidence, Action, Next”)
• Exit ticket slips

Assessment

• During pair work: teacher checks for evidence use and whether explanations connect action to the next event (quick verbal feedback).
• During sharing: listen for complete reasoning (trait + evidence + action + sequence link).
• Exit ticket: collect and score for alignment to trait identification and sequence explanation.

Differentiation

• Support for readers needing scaffolds:
• Provide a character trait word bank (caring, brave, nervous, determined, curious, hopeful) and allow students to choose from it.
• Offer sentence frames for each chart box and an “evidence bank” of 2–3 pre-marked sentences in the excerpt.
• Support for students learning English (EAL):
• Use visual cues on the chart (icons for trait, evidence, action, next event).
• Allow verbal rehearsal before writing; offer a word bank with translations if your classroom resources include them.
• Challenge/extension for advanced learners (required):
• Require an added layer: “What would probably happen if the character had a different trait?” or “Name a second trait and show how both traits affect two different moments in the sequence.”
• Encourage stronger cause-and-effect language (“because,” “so,” “this results in”).
• Additional help for students who struggle with sequence:
• Use a two- or three-step event timeline (Event 1 → Event 2 → Event 3) and limit the explanation to one link (Event 1 to Event 2 or Event 2 to Event 3).

Extension (optional)

• Not included (lesson is already aligned to a single character sequence focus and fits the 25-minute window).