A 6th grade lesson from Unit 2 in the Springboard curriculum explaining characterization in a story

1. Unit 2: Changes in My
World
The Lion King
Created by: Gina Giordano
Un de rs ta n di ng C h a racter iz ati on

2. Definition

3. Definition
Characterization is the process of conveying
information about characters in narrative or dramatic works of art or
everyday conversation. Characters may be presented by means of
description, through their actions, speech, or thoughts.

4. Ways to know a Character
Appearance
how the character looks
how the character dresses
Thoughts and conversation
what the character says, thinks, or feels
what others in the story say or think about the
character
Actions
what the character does
what the character chooses not to do
what others in the story do to the main character

5. Types of Characters
Protagonist
★ The main character in the story
Antagonist
★ The character or force that opposes the
protagonist
Foil
★ A character who provides a contrast to
the protagonist.

6. Major versus Minor
MAJOR CHARACTERS MINOR CHARACTERS
Almost always round or three-dimensional Almost always flat or two-dimensional
characters. They have good and bad characters. They have only one or two
qualities. Their goals, ambitions and values striking qualities. Their predominant quality
change. A round character changes as a is not balanced by an opposite quality. They
result of what happens to him or her. A are usually all good or all bad. Such
character who changes inside as a result of characters can be interesting or amusing in
what happens to him is referred to in their own right, but they lack depth. Flat
literature as a DYNAMIC character. A characters are sometimes referred to as
dynamic character grows or progresses to a STATIC characters because they do not
higher level of understanding in the course change in the course of the story.
of the story.

7. Character: _____________________
Main Character Trait:
Directions: Write the character’s main personality trait or attribute in the center. Find
four pieces of evidence in the text which reveal the trait or attribute. Write the evidence
on the lines provided. (Include the page number on which you found the evidence.)
© 2006 Education Oasis™ http://www.educationoasis.com May be reproduced for classroom use only.

8. Readers who want to understand a character
can ask questions like the following:
Are the characters believable? Have you ever felt like this character, or have you known
anyone who felt like this character? What about the character seemed real and true?
Is each character’s behavior consistent with what we know about him or her? Does the
behavior remain consistent throughout the book? Is the change that occurs in the
character consistent with what we know about the character?
Although the character’s behavior is consistent, is it also not stereotyped? Does the
character’s behavior show that the character is a unique individual?
Do you identify with the character? How would you have reacted if you were the character?
Does the character change or learn as the story progresses? Does the character reach a
new understanding about the situation or about life?
Is the character memorable? Will you remember this character in a month?

9. Directions: In the left-hand column, write the character traits of the one of the characters in the story.
In the right-hand column, list how the trait is revealed in the text. (Traits can be revealed
by events, actions, words, thoughts, attitudes, and feelings.)
Character: ___________________________________
Trait Revealed by...
Character Traits Word Bank
adventurous, afraid, ambitious, arrogant, bad, bold, bossy, brainy, brave, brilliant,
calm, careful, careless, charming, cheerful, childish, cowardly, cruel, curious,
demanding, depressed, dishonest, eager, easygoing, energetic, evil, faithful, fearless,
foolish, friendly, funny, gentle, giving, gloomy, graceful, greedy, guilty, happy,
healthy, helpful, honest, hopeful, imaginative, impatient, impolite, innocent, inventive,
intelligent, jealous, kind, lazy, lonely, loving, loyal, lucky, mature, mean, mysterious,
nervous, nice, noisy, obedient, peaceful, pleasant, polite, poor, proud, quiet, responsible,
rough, rowdy, rude, sad, scared, selfish, serious, shy, silly, sly, smart, sneaky, spoiled,
strange, sweet, talented, thoughtful, thoughtless, trusting, trustworthy, unfriendly, unhappy,
upset, warm, weak, wicked, wise, worried, zany
© 2006 Education Oasis™ http://www.educationoasis.com May be reproduced for classroom use only.

10. Analyzing
Character refers to a person, an animal or an
object in a story. It is very important that
characters are well-developed, believable and
consistent. At the beginning of a story a
conflict is presented for the main character
to resolve. There are secondary characters
who are important to the main character
because they help the main character move
toward solving a problem. By the end of a
story, a character should change or grow
somehow. This could be by learning something
new or by growing in understanding of self.

11. How does Simba change in the end
of the story? What happens that
makes him grow?

12. Name Date Period
Character Study
Other people think that I... What I really like is...
Draw a picture in this space.
One day I will... I really dislike...
I like people who... My favorite thing to do is...
Freeology.com - Free Teaching Resources

13. References
★Freeology.com
★Educationoasis.com
★Disney images from Google images
★Disney writters Irene Mecchi & Johnathon Roberts
★Disney song writer Hans Zimmer
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Create d as an enha nc emen t to th e 6t h grade Sp ringb oa
cu rr icu lum fo r Un it 2