Analyzing Characters


ELAR-Grade-7 Literary Genres Analyzing Characters
Students read a short story by Chekhov and describe the story’s characters’ personalities. Next, they explain the effect of the characters’ personalities on the story’s plot. Finally, they choose a different short story and apply the same analytical process to it.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

1:1 Devices
Teacher Pack

The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.

Here are the teacher pack items for Analyzing Characters:

Preview - Scene 1
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Overview

In this experience, students read a short story by Chekhov and describe the story’s characters’ personalities. Next, they explain the effect of the characters’ personalities on the story’s plot. Finally, they choose a different short story and apply the same analytical process to it.

In Scene 4, students will read a self-selected short story. You may choose to assign a story or to let them choose from a list of suggestions.

Objectives

  • Analyze how characters' personalities develop the plot.
  • Analyze how characters influence the plot resolution.

Duration

One class period. You may choose to have the students read the short story (provided in the Student Pack) and the self-selected short story at home before beginning the experience.

Vocabulary Words in the Story

  • prosecutor: a government lawyer who tries people accused of crimes
  • medieval: of or like the Middle Ages, late 5th century to late 15th century
  • rapture: a state of great joy or bliss
  • enthusiastic: possessing eager, positive interest
  • aristocratic: of or having to do with the nobility
  • sullen: sour, gloomy, dismal, sad
  • vulgar: (1) having to do with the common people; (2) rude, impolite, offensive
  • melancholy: sad


The characters in a well-developed story have individual personalities, just as real people do. In this experience, you’ll learn how characters’ personalities help develop a story’s plot, including influencing the resolution—the way the story’s main conflict is concluded.

Objectives

  • Analyze how characters' personalities develop the plot.
  • Analyze how characters influence the plot resolution.


diverse, smiling students with two personality charts in the background

Every single person on earth has a different personality. Think about the people you know: friends, classmates, teammates, teachers, family members, and more.


Record words and phrases that describe the personalities of several people you know. To list more than one description, separate your ideas with a comma, like this: tall, short

Post your answer

Tell students that examples of words and phrases for personalities include “friendly,” “one of a kind,” “stubborn,” and countless others. Encourage them to think of specific, original ones.

Use student responses to lead to the idea that fictional characters’ personalities could be described using the same terms. Their personalities can be as specific and varied as real people’s. Readers discover the personalities of characters just as they discover people’s personalities in real life: by looking at them, listening to them, seeing what they do, and thinking about it all.

Invite students to describe the personalities of characters in a story you have read recently in class.


When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.

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The Complete List of Learning Experiences in Literary Genres Unit.
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