Character Development & Characterization Mini-Lesson

Aimee Gallert
GRADE LEVEL: Eighth Grade
OBJECTIVES AND STANDARDS:
Standard 4: Synthesize integrated information to share learning and/or take action.
Indicator 1: Employ a critical stance to demonstrate that relationships and patterns
of evidence lead to logical conclusions, while acknowledging alternative views.
Standard 5: Determine meaning and develop logical interpretations by making
predictions, inferring, drawing conclusions, analyzing, synthesizing, providing evidence,
and investigating multiple interpretations.
Indicator 5.1: Cite the evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what
the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Standard 6: Summarize key details and ideas to support analysis of thematic development
Indicator 6.1: Determine one or more themes and analyze the development and
relationships to character, setting, and plot over the course of a text; provide an objective
summary
Students will be able to...
Differentiate between the different types of characters that exist in literature and
understand the roles they play in the course of certain texts
Accurately capture and recall the setting the character portrayed/impacted in the
novel
Make connections to lessons the different characters taught the protagonist
Pull specific quotes from text to support their claims (find evidence)
Reflect on their own personal experiences creating journal entries about their own
lives in relation to what the protagonist went through (aka what each new memory
the character brought with them the students own versions of similar memories)
MATERIALS:
1. Student copy of book Five People You Will Meet in Heaven
2. ELA notebook
3. PowerPoint on character development / tools authors use differentiating
between different types of characters and the roles that they play in the course of
the novel.
PROCEDURES:
1. On the first day, there will be a PowerPoint going over the roles numerous
characters may play and a discussion on how authors differentiate between them.
Notes and vocabulary will be written down in student notebook regarding
definitions such as the different types of characters that appear in fiction
(major, minor, dynamic, static, round, flat, protagonist, antagonist, anti-hero,
foil, as well as symbolic characters).
2. After introduction to the different types of characters that appear in fiction, go
over the ten direct/indirect ways in which a character can be revealed in a text

Things to remember: literary characters may embody more than one

character types at a time and just because they may be two types does not
mean that the terms are congruent in meaning.
3. After each portion of the book, students will identify the character (name, type),
the setting, and the lesson that the specific character is teaching the protagonist,
and list two quotes that support their claim about the lesson.
3. After all is completed, either directly after or as a reflection in a journal or a quick
homework assignment, students will think about their own experiences in relation
to what the characters throughout the novel are going through/have gone through
with writing prompts (to differentiate from strictly reading and recalling tactics)
such as What would you do if it was your last day on Earth? Write about your
best birthday, Write about a burden that you carry List some lessons you have
learned from middle school Choose your final words of wisdom.
3. Students will continue to do these activities/worksheets for the five lessons that
are learned throughout the novel.
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ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION:
Students will be evaluated on their understanding of the different types of characters that
appear in fiction works of literature, as well as how different characters can be
introduced. They will also be evaluated and observed through their reflections that
changes things up from them recalling information through reading and connecting their
experiences through quick writing prompts.

My mini-lesson revolves around the differentiation and

observation of character development/characterization. For
each mini-lesson for each section of the book for the five
people Eddie meets in his ventures. For each character
students will identify the character, the setting that revolves
around each character (with the help of the other minilessons), the lesson learned from said specific character, two
quotes that support the lesson that was taught (teaching
students how to cite textual evidence), as well as reflect and
connect their personal experiences with those of Eddies.

The First Lesson

(pages 32 55)

The Person:
The Setting:
The Lesson:

Two Quotes from this section that I enjoyed (with explanations)

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To Think About:

What would you do if it was your last day on Earth?

The Second Lesson

(pages 56 96)

The Person:
The Setting:
The Lesson:

Two Quotes from this section that I enjoyed (with explanations)

1.______________________________________________________________________
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2.______________________________________________________________________
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To Think About:
best birthday

Write about your

The Third Lesson

(pages 98 144)

The Person:
The Setting:
The Lesson:

Two Quotes from this section that I enjoyed (with explanations)

1.______________________________________________________________________
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2.______________________________________________________________________
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To Think About:

Write about a burden that you carry

The Fourth Lesson

(pages 146-178)

The Person:
The Setting:
The Lesson:

Two Quotes from this section that I enjoyed (with explanations)

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2.______________________________________________________________________
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To Think About:
school

List some things you have learned during high

(both educational and inconsequential)

The Fifth Lesson

(pages 179 - 194)

The Person:
The Setting:
The Lesson:

Two Quotes from this section that I enjoyed (with explanations)

1.______________________________________________________________________
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2.______________________________________________________________________
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To Think About:

Choose your final words of wisdom