This lesson expands on students' comprehension of characterization, setting, plot, and point of view while reviewing the components of fiction. Students are going to:
- Determine the qualities of a character.
- Examine how the author develops characters (characterization) through the use of literary elements.

- How can readers decide which information from what they hear, read, and see to believe?
- How do literary and informational texts become meaningful to strategic readers?
- How does interaction with text elicit thought and response?
- What is the true purpose of this text? 

- Characterization: The method an author uses to reveal characters and their various personalities. 
- Literary Elements: The essential techniques used in literature (e.g., characterization, setting, plot, theme). 
- Point of View: How an author reveals characters, events, and ideas in telling a story; the vantage point from which the story is told. 
+ first-person (told through the eyes of a participant in the story, using I) 
+ third-person limited (told by a narrator not participating in the story, using he, she, or they and limited to what one particular character knows) 
+ third-person omniscient (told by a narrator not participating in the story, using third person he, she, or they, and able to show what all the characters know)

- Mildred D. Taylor. (2004). Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Puffin Books. 
- Edgar Allan Poe. (1983). The Tell-Tale Heart. Bantam Classics. 
- Teachers may substitute other books to provide a range of reading and level of text complexity. 
- pictures of people from magazines 
- list of character traits (examples: adventurous, charming, dishonest, greedy, helpful, mysterious, polite, selfish, talented, rude, optimistic, imaginative, enthusiastic, diplomatic, lazy, careless, antagonistic, skeptical, cruel, kind)

- While students are working on their individual Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry characters, go around the classroom and observe which students are struggling to identify the traits of their characters. Remind students of the character creation methods.
- Assess students' comprehension of how a writer develops characterization through literary elements by using the following checklist:
+ Students name three characters whose traits could be crucial in causing conflict.
+ Students give each of the three characters a characteristic.
+ Students offer at least two pieces of evidence for every character attribute. 

Explicit instruction, active engagement, and scaffolding 
W: Assist students in recognizing how an author employs a point of view, character traits, setting, and plot to develop characters. 
H: Before the class starts, give the students a chance to relate to the subject on a personal level. 
E: Go over the components of fiction with the students and assign them to design a character. 
R: Assist students in analyzing the characterization in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry's first chapter. 
E: Encourage students to discuss how they think characterization affects the plot's development, offer evidence to back up their claims, and use feedback and discussions to confirm their understanding. 
T: Assign students to flexible groups based on their instructional reading levels, and include extension activities for all levels by recommending resources for additional practice and more challenging materials to push thinking beyond its current limits. 
O: This lesson's learning exercises include large-group instruction and discussion, small-group inquiry, partner work, and individual application of the material. 

Main question: How can a character's analysis help us comprehend a fictional text better?

Inform the students that they will be studying the creation and analysis of fictional characters in great detail. Say, "You already know how writers develop their characters in books, movies, and TV shows; you just may not be aware of it. We're going to examine your prior knowledge. First, consider a person you like and are familiar with. What one quality would you use to characterize that person if you had to choose just one?" (Ask students for their responses, but do not ask them to name the person.)

Say, "Now think about why you selected that character trait. What illustrations come to mind to support your decision?" Ask a few pupils to present their instances. "As a writer, you already know that people are unique individuals with defining characteristics. You have observed them and made deductions based on your observations, so you are aware of this."

Part 1

Say, "Now you're going to use your abilities and forge a personal identity." Give a list of character traits and a picture of the person to small groups. Refer to the materials. Ask students to identify a character trait for the individual and write about what the person might say or do to demonstrate that particular trait. Remind students that there's often a gulf between what characters say and do, just like in real life. (For instance, a classmate whom Walter confides in about a painful secret says, "I'm here for you, Walter. You can rely on me. The classmate then divulges Walter's secret to three more individuals.)

Once students are done, ask each group to present their work to the class as a whole.

Say, "You just developed a fictional character. The opposite of this is to analyze a character that has been developed by another writer. Based on the available evidence, you determine the character's characteristics.” In real life, we are constantly analyzing the character of others. When we watch characters on TV shows or in movies, we act similarly. We can tell which characters are brave and which are cunning without the need for captions on the screen. When the characters engage with one another, we can observe it for ourselves.

Say: "We discover everything about characters in novels and short stories from the written word, but we also learn about them from their words, actions, and other characters' responses. Characterization is the process by which a writer creates a character, and it encompasses all of these strategies."

Say, "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry [or other suitable text] introduces you to a group of fascinating characters that you will soon meet. Before we start, consider the fundamental components of any work of fiction. We need characters first." On the board or interactive whiteboard, write "Story Ingredients" and list characters as the first ingredient. "What more is needed for a story?" (plot, setting, and viewpoint) Write down the answers from the pupils.

Ask someone to define "setting" when it is brought up. Put where and when in parenthesis after it. If the point of view is not brought up, inquire as to the significance of the narrator. Draw attention to the fact that the narrator decides what information is revealed to the reader and how the story is told. If the various viewpoints are not brought up, consider the following:

first-person (told using the first-person perspective of a story participant)
third-person (told by an uninvolved narrator who uses the pronouns he, she, or they and is restricted to the knowledge of one specific character)
third-person omniscient (told by an uninvolved narrator who uses the pronouns he, she, or they to indicate that all characters are aware of something)
Once you've created the list, describe the various components of a story as literary elements. They (all except characters, which are circled) aid in the presentation of the characters in a work of fiction, like a novel or short story. Draw attention to the fact that a story is produced when all the components are combined.

Part 2

Discuss the following questions to demonstrate how to analyze characterization: (Adjust to suit additional suitable texts.)

What qualities does T.J. Avery possess?
What environment is it in?
Why does characterization depend on the setting?
Which perspective does the story tell?
Would it really make a difference if another character told the story?
Give each student a different character to choose from, and have them list two characteristics of that person. Next, assign students to write two or more examples from the book that demonstrate each of the traits.

Once students are done, ask them to share with other students who selected the same character. Ask students to locate evidence for the remaining characters, if any (the Logan children, Mama, Papa, Claude, Jeremy, Lillian Jean, Miss Crocker, Fred, and Griselda) are not covered. Reiterate that Cassie is the story's first-person narrator and that the narrative reveals her opinions of other people. Draw attention to the fact that this provides details about Cassie as well as the other characters.

Instruct students to reconsider the methods the writer employs to flesh out their characters (characterization). Give students a piece of writing to illustrate a specific action that reveals a feature of any character. Encourage them to recognize the quality of character that the action has revealed.

Say, "Consider the novel's setting." When and where does the narrative occur?" (Southern Mississippi farm/rural area; 1930s, Depression-era) Provide a list of the following explanations for why the setting matters to the plot to your students:

The farm setting is significant due to the family's love of the land and their inability to pay the mortgage.
Because of segregation and unequal treatment of the races, the 1930s South is a significant setting for this story.
The Depression-era setting is significant because Papa is forced to look for work elsewhere due to a lack of funds.
"Now consider how these setting details are used to reveal the character of the people in the novel," you might say. Put some examples on the board or interactive whiteboard, like the ones below:

When Papa stays months away from home to do physical labor so that his family can maintain the farm and have what they need, he demonstrates his bravery and endurance.
The school receives badly worn textbooks as a result of segregation, which prompts Little Man to display his pride and meticulousness by refusing his book and Mama to display her fearless, independent spirit by taking the books back in defiance.
Say, "You have examined how the book's opening chapter uses literary devices to develop its characters. That information is used in what you will do next. Conflict is a necessary part of every story, and conflict and characters are closely related. It influences their actions and feelings. Character development occurs all throughout the book. Examine the first chapter once more, and consider the possible outcomes that you believe the characters and their circumstances might lead to later in the narrative. This is how you will examine the connection between conflict and characterization." On the board or interactive whiteboard, write the following:

Select three characters that are crucial to the conflict.
Justify your decisions.
Provide examples from the narrative.
Say, "Select three characters whose character traits you believe will be crucial in generating conflict. Write a justification for your decisions. Give each character a minimum of two pieces of evidence from the narrative. Make sure you recognize the personality traits that could cause problems clearly."

Gather student work to assess how well they understand characterization.

Extension:

In case students require more practice with characterization, kindly remind them that a character's identity is disclosed through their actions, words, and remarks made by other characters or the narrator. Ask students to make a list of the things the stepmother says, does, and says about her using a story like "Cinderella." As an illustration:
She forces Cinderella to work nonstop, sleep on ashes, and dress in rags.
She informs Cinderella that she is not permitted to attend the ball because she prefers her own daughters.
Attempting to force her own daughters' feet into the glass slipper, she gives it her best shot.
Inquire of the students about their conclusions regarding the stepmother's personality. (She is cruel, evil, and mean.)

Provide extra practice with a well-known children's book, like Beatrix Potter's "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," if the plot or point of view proves to be challenging. Students should be asked to retell the tale from Peter's mother's or Mr. McGregor's perspective.
Pupils who are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty could try altering a character attribute to see how it affects the plot. For instance, have students examine the impact of giving Cinderella's stepmother a compassionate, thoughtful personality.