Timothy A. Grady
Section: 1 (Introduction) Lessons: 1-2
The initial lessons are designed to construct a base for the project-based nature of this unit on characterization in fiction writing. This gets the students to begin thinking like writers in regards to characterization (observing, crafting, and reflecting), while also introducing
the basic concepts that the unit will work with. Overall, the introduction is designed as an evocation that will spur student curiosity and motivation
Objectives
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Students will explore aspects of characterization and fiction
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Students will create rudimentary character sketches based on observations of people.
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Students will reflect on their knowledge and experience with the introductory work, discussion, and teaching on characterization
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Lesson 1
Introduction to capturing character: Students go on a "character hunt" with cheap cameras (on their phone or with disposables) and a writing journal somewhere in the community. They take pictures of people on the street (at least five) and write as many details and insights as they can about them. Students are advised to look at setting, speech, clothing, action, visual details, emotional clues, etc. Students come back to class and organize their findings, upload photos, etc. Students spend last ten minutes reflecting on their own experience of capturing character in their project-process log.
Lesson 2
Introduction to Characterization: Students are asked to discuss experience of "character hunt" and then predict what this has to do with writing, how we might use this, etc. Review the three basic sections of the unit for students: 1) five types of characterization, 2) the role of prose, 3) character as pattern. Students use captured characters from yesterday and fill-in a preliminary characterization form covering all the basic ideas of the course. Students spend last ten minutes reflecting on how the day's activity changed how they looked at their "character hunt" from yesterday. At the end of class, inform students they will be on an intensive creative research/learning project on characterization for the next two weeks; explain that they will create detailed character exercises for a story they will create at the end of the creative research/learning period.
Section: 2 (5 Methods) Lessons: 3-10
This section is a writing workshop based around five typical methods taught regarding how to characterize in fiction through the content of the story. Students are reminded that these are building blocks that we must first learn, so we can practice construct various styles of prose later. Aside from the initial lesson, each lesson is based on a workshop model (PROPEL): A short lesson followed by an intensive hands-on workshop in which students (with help of teacher) craft their own projects; finally, each session is concluded with a period of artistic reflection on the work.
Objectives
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Students will know five methods of characterizing in fiction.
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Students characterize their own characters using each method.
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Students will reflect on how methods of characterizations may vary and how their work relates to peers and exemplars.
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Lesson 3
Five Methods of Characterizing Game (content): Teacher acts out each method for a given set of character traits (crazed, fearful, intellectual, etc); students must guess which method of the five (listed on board) the teacher is using and which trait the teacher is attempting to portray. In this way, students become familiar with the five methods of characterization and the basic structure of the game they will be playing. Divide students in to groups of four or five students and give them blank cards for scoring. Explain the game to students, handout a list of potential traits--method combinations for students to pick from hat, and have students play several rounds. Teacher can change groups as needed or have a winner's round near end. Twenty minutes prior to end of class, open the class to discussion; ask students about each method and have them describe in their own words; ask which ones were difficult and why; ask how students will use this in their own stories. Students spend last ten minutes reflecting on their own game experience and briefly think about how they might use these in their own stories; students record this in their project--process log.
Lesson 4
Characterization through Dialogue: Teacher outlines how dialogue reveals traits: things said, not said, eluded to, implied, motivations, and results. Teacher and students read dialogue from a short story (a selection from "Jesus' Son" suggested). Teacher analyzes, thinking out loud, how the dialogue characterizes; then bridge the analytical questions to the students. Then take one of the "captured characters" from the initial lesson and write a bit of dialogue for the character focusing on how what is not said characterizes. Once you have modeled this on an overhead or board, have students enter a workshop period where they attempt to do the same. Have students choose one of their characters from the other day and write some dialogue for them that characterize at least two of the traits the student wrote down for that person. Teacher moves about the room helping. Students spend last ten minutes reflecting on the dialogue they wrote and briefly think about how they used dialogue to characterize, and what they might do differently next time.
Lesson 5
Characterization through Action: Teacher outlines how actions reveal traits: motivation, how it's done, when it's done, results. Teacher and students read an excerpt from a short story (a selection from "Jesus' Son" suggested). Teacher analyzes, thinking out loud, how the character actions characterize; then bridge the analytical questions to the students. Then take another one of the "captured characters" from the initial lesson and write a passage of actions for that character focusing on how motivations revealed. Once you have modeled this on an overhead or board, have students enter a workshop period in which they attempt to do the same. Have students choose one of their characters from the other day and write some action--passage for that character that characterize at least two of the traits the student wrote down during the initiation. Teacher moves about the room helping. Students spend last ten minutes reflecting on the action--passage they wrote and briefly think about how they used actions to characterize, and what they might do different next time.
Lesson 6
Characterization through Thoughts: Teacher outlines how character thoughts reveal traits: interior realizations, ideas not shared with other characters, private motivations, etc. Teacher and students read an excerpt from a short story (a selection from "Jesus' Son" suggested). Teacher analyzes, thinking out loud, how the character thoughts characterize; then bridge the analytical questions to the students. Then take another one of the "captured characters" from the initial lesson and write a passage that utilizes character thoughts to reveal something about that character. Once you have modeled this on an overhead or board, have students enter a workshop period in which they attempt to do the same. Have them choose one of their characters from the other day and write a passage that uses character thoughts to reveal things about the character that dialogue and action do not. Teacher moves about the room helping. Students spend last ten minutes reflecting on the action--passage they wrote and briefly think about how they used thoughts to characterize, and how that is different from other methods of characterization.
Lesson 7
Characterization through Description: Teacher outlines how descriptions reveal traits: stereotypical traits, clothing, manner of movement, physical quirks and special features, etc. Teacher and students read an excerpt from a short story (a selection from "Jesus' Son" suggested). Teacher analyzes, thinking out loud, how the character description characterizes; then bridge the analytical questions to the students. Next, take another one of the "captured characters" from the initial lesson and write a passage that utilizes character description to reveal at least two traits about that character. Once you have modeled this on an overhead or board, have students enter a workshop period during which they attempt to do the same. Have them choose one of their characters from the other day and write a passage that uses character description to reveal things about the character. Teacher moves about the room helping. Students spend last ten minutes reflecting on the descriptive passage they wrote and briefly think about how they could use such descriptions with other characters they have worked on.
Lesson 8
Characterization through Setting: Teacher outlines how setting reveals traits: what type of person "hangs out" there, contrasts to setting, associative properties, etc. Teacher and students read an excerpt from a short story (a selection from "Jesus' Son" suggested). Teacher analyzes, thinking out loud, how the character's setting characterizes; then bridge the analytical questions to the students. Next, take another one of the "captured characters" from the initial lesson and write a passage that utilizes character setting to reveal at least two traits about that character. Once you have modeled this on an overhead or board, have students enter a workshop period where they attempt to do the same. Have them choose one of their characters from the other day and write a passage that uses character setting to reveal things about the character. Teacher moves about the room helping. Students spend last ten minutes reflecting on the passage they wrote and briefly think about why setting tells so much about characters.
Extension
Some students will invariably move ahead of the class. There are additional ways to characterize that they can work on such as: 1) characterization through comments by the narrator, and 2) characterization through other characters talking about someone. If a student accomplishes both of these, have them begin using combinations of different techniques.
Section: 3 (The Prose Style) Lessons: 9--12
This section is a writing workshop focusing on three ways to affect characterization through prose style. The five methods learned previously can be thought of as content; the prose style focuses on form. There are countless ways to affect characterization through variations in prose, but this short set of lessons will introduce the concept. Each lesson is based on a workshop model (PROPEL): A short lesson followed by an intensive hands--on workshop during which students (with help of teacher) craft their own projects; finally, each session is concluded with a period of artistic reflection on the work.
Objectives
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Students will know three methods of characterizing through prose.
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Students characterize their own characters using each of the three methods.
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Students will reflect on how different prose styles affect characterization and why.
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Lesson 9
Prose Effects; the How--What game: Teacher explains how three basic prose features (length, arrangement/position, and complexity) can affect how a reader interprets the information given them; explain through analogy to the different lenses of a camera. Show students some examples of effects that prose can have, model creating new ones on board, then have students help you create another for each category. When students get the basic concept, have them write down five things about themselves (inform them this will be a shared activity, and they should be mindful of what they write), and put their names at the top. Students then turn in their five things to teacher. Teacher has students draw names out of a box (each name has a technique written under it), and they don't tell anyone whose name they have received. Whichever name the student gets, they are assigned to write about that student/character using the technique listed on that slip, BUT there are rules for each technique in the game (assign different numbers of rules for different class levels). When all students are done, each student reads his or hers; the rest of the class must guess who it is and what technique was used. Teacher keeps score if he or she wants. Students spend last ten to fifteen minutes reflecting on how each technique shapes differently how character is portrayed in the process--log.
Lesson 10
Sentence Length as an Effect: Teacher outlines different ways sentence length can affect a reader's view of the subject of content (in this unit, character): short sentences, a series of short sentences, long sentences, a series of long sentences, combinations of short and long. Teacher and students read an excerpt from a short story collection (a selection from "Jesus' Son" suggested). Teacher analyzes, thinking out loud, how the sentence length affect characterization; then bridge the analytical questions to the students. Then take another one of the "captured characters" from the initial lesson and write a short passage about that character while playing with various sentence lengths. Once you have modeled this on an overhead or board, have students enter a workshop period in which they attempt to do the same. Have them choose one of their characters from the other day and write two passages for that character; each passage must use a different type of sentence length. Teacher moves about the room helping. Students spend last ten minutes reflecting on the sentence length changed how they wrote and experienced the characters. Have them predict how different choices with sentence length might have changed how the character was portrayed.
Lesson 11
Arrangement/Position as an Effect: Teacher outlines different ways sentence arrangement can affect a reader's view of the subject of content (in this unit, character): placing key information at beginning, in the middle, or at the end. Teacher and students read an excerpt from a short story collection (a selection from "Jesus' Son" suggested). Teacher analyzes, thinking out loud, how the sentence arrangements affect characterization; then bridge the analytical questions to the students. Then take another one of the "captured characters" from the initial lesson and write a short passage about that character while playing with various sentence arrangements. Once you have modeled this on an overhead or board, have students enter a workshop period in which they attempt to do the same. Have them choose one of their characters from the initial day and write a passages for that character at least two different ways. Teacher moves about the room helping. Students spend last ten minutes reflecting on how the sentence arrangement changed how they wrote and experienced the characters. Have them predict how different choices with sentence arrangement might have changed how the character was portrayed.
Lesson 12
Sentence Complexity as an Effect: Teacher outlines different ways sentence complexity can affect a reader's view of the subject of content (in this unit, character): coordinate clauses, subordinate clauses, restrictive clauses, descriptive clauses, oppositions in complex sentences. Teacher and students read an excerpt from a short story collection (a selection from "Jesus' Son" suggested). Teacher analyzes, thinking out loud, how the sentence arrangements affect characterization; then bridge the analytical questions to the students. Then take another one of the "captured characters" from the initial lesson and write a short passage about that character while playing with complex sentences. Once you have modeled this on an overhead or board, have students enter a workshop period where they attempt to do the same. Have them choose one of their characters from the initial day and write a passage for that character at least two different ways. Teacher moves about the room helping. Students spend last ten minutes reflecting on the sentence complexity changed how they wrote and experienced the characters. Have them predict how different choices with sentence arrangement might have changed how the character was portrayed.
Section: 4(Pattern /Story) Lessons: 13--20
This section is a writing workshop focusing putting together all we have learned into the construction of a story. The key concepts in this section include: Character as Pattern, Flat vs. Round Characters, and Freytag's Dramatic Triangle. Each lesson is based on a workshop model (PROPEL): a short lesson on writing process now, followed by an intensive hands--on workshop in which students (with help of teacher) craft their own projects. Finally, each session is concluded by a period of artistic reflection on the work.
Objectives
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Students will understand how character is a pattern.
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Students craft stories using various techniques of characterization.
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Students will craft a story with both a round and flat character
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Students will reflect on how characterization affects story and how their facility with it has changed.
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Lesson 13
A Sense of Character (Pattern): Teacher presents the concept that readers get a "sense of character" from a pattern of traits with which a character is characterized consistently, and that a large part of the growth of a character is the reasonable change of those traits given the events of a story. Present the concept dynamic/round characters and flat/static characters. Examine several passages for the same character within the same story to see how a pattern of traits is consistently shown and how those change for a round/dynamic character in a story. Model this on the board with a character from the initial exercise (and two or three traits chosen for the character); create three passages: at the start of the story, right before some conflict, and at the end. As you model have students begin helping you create the passages. When this is complete, students will reflect in the project--process logs on how they expect this will develop in their story. After writing discuss this as a class, with each student presenting his or her thoughts. When this is finished move students into a writing workshop that will continue for the next seven lessons
Lesson 14--20
Characterization in Story: This is an intensive writing workshop period. Each day students log the number of words they have written at the start and end of class on a public board, as well as the part of Freytag's triangle they are on. The teacher moves through the room helping students characterize as they write and revise their stories. During this phase of the unit, the students must reflect in their project--process logs each day about what they characterized that day; they should write down a passage, the techniques they used (both prose and content), and how the story as a whole is developing a "sense of character" for its main character. At the end of this set of lessons, students should have at least two drafts, preferably three. Some classes may need more than seven days to work through the drafting cycle.
Culmination
When the unit and story are finished, publishing works is a critical extension of the unit. It seals the learning the students gained and presents the opportunity for a final reflection. If possible, have the students, or an art class, create a picture of the main character from the story. Students will then share these with each other in class. As part of the publishing process have students compile and organize their portfolios. They should select the three exercises that were critical to their learning, one set of board notes, three reflections from the creative research part of the unit, and three reflections from the drafting/revision part of the unit. The final part of the portfolio is completed when the students read their work to each other; after the sharing, the students reflect in their project--process log about the unit and story as a whole. In the final reflections students must discuss how they grew as writers through the unit, what they learned, what they would do differently, what they would like to learn more about, and how it felt to have their work "published".