Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Examining Character Motivation
During this unit, students will ask "Why do we do what we do?" They will read different novels to analyze character motivation. Throughout the unit they will debate whether they think characters made smart choices and why. They will also...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Nature/national Geographic: Flora's Background and Motivation
Learn about what motivated Flora, a woman from the city, to move to the African bush in this short video from Nature/National Geographic. This is one in a series of three videos about Flora's life. [7:00]
John F. Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center: Arts Edge: What a Character!
In this lesson, students analyze how a character's personality traits, actions, and motives influence the plot of a story. Students also learn how storytellers use their face, body, and voice, as well as the five senses, to enhance the...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Fly to Freedom
Students build a working definition of slavery by looking at examples and non-examples, use the book The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton to identify internal and external conflict, and finally complete a writing assignment focusing...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Using Digital Notebook to Visualize Thematic Links
Students will work in groups of two or three to produce two pages of a digital scrapbook covering a thematic element from Macbeth. The pages will then be assembled into a visual review of the play's themes and character motivations...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Exploring Character, Conflict, and Plot in Dramatic Tragedy
Contains plans for four lessons that ask students to change the action in the turning point of a tragedy in order to see the effect on the rest of the play. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links...
ArtsNow
Arts Now Learning: Character Choreography [Pdf]
In this lesson, portraits provide inspiration for students to create character descriptions. Then, basic dance techniques are used to express the traits, motivations, and feelings of the characters as students work collaboratively to...
Other
Prezi: Julius Caesar Character Traits and Motivations
A slideshow looking at the character traits and motivations of Brutus, Julius Caesar, and Antony in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.RL.9-10.3 Analyzing Characters
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Unit: Character Development in Historical Fiction: Bud, Not Buddy
Big Ideas: Authors write historical fiction to show the reader what it was like to live in a certain time period. Readers can use historical fiction to learn about new settings. People are influenced by and react to their setting so you...
University of Illinois
University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "Do You Mean?"
Excellent classroom activities for building students' character. Used to motivate students to use higher-level thinking skills, read, and develop an appreciation for their culture. Good resource.
University of Illinois
University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "Old Wisdom"
Excellent resource for empowering students to become better learners. This lesson includes motivating students to read, encouraging students to use inferential and critical thinking skills, and promoting an understanding and appreciation...
University of Illinois
University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "Do You Mean?"
Excellent classroom activities for building learners' character. Used to motivate students to use higher-level thinking skills, read, and develop an appreciation for their culture. Good resource.
University of Illinois
University of Illinois Extension: Character Ed "Interpreting Maxims"
Excellent resource for empowering students to become better learners. This lesson includes motivating students to read, encouraging students to use critical thinking skills, cooperative learning and shared experiences, and appreciation...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Understanding Fairy Tales Old and New
A collection of digital resources for three different English Language Arts curriculum standards for grades 3-5 that address characters' traits and motivations in works of literature. They focus on modern retellings of old stories and...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Fairy Tales Collection
A collection of digital resources for three different English Language Arts curriculum standards for grades 3-5 that address characters' traits and motivations in works of literature. They focus on modern retellings of old stories and...
E Reading Worksheets
E Reading Worksheets: Differentiated Reading Instruction Worksheets, Activities
A collection of differentiated reading activities are provided in this collection. Worksheets for the following reading topics are included: climax, story structure, elements of a story; fact and opinion; summarizing, narrative sequence;...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Road to Freedom Through Research and Historical Fiction
Young scholars learn how to walk a mile in someone else's shoes by reading historical fiction about the Underground Railroad. This is a lengthy unit of four lessons that spans thirty lesson periods where students examine characteristics...
Louisiana Department of Education
Louisiana Doe: Louisiana Believes: English Language Arts: Grade 3: The Stories Julian Tells
Third graders learn that stories and books are important for learning about themselves and others. This unit allows students to learn how storytelling can be a way to learn about other cultures, pass on family history and traditions, and...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Modern Little Red Riding Hood: Video
As you watch this updated story of Little Red Riding Hood, notice the traits, motivations, and feelings of the characters in the story. Check out the additional activities including Guided viewing. Students describe characters in a story...
Read Works
Read Works: Kindergarten: Character: Lesson 2: Actions of a Character
[Free Registration/Login Required] A lesson plan, based on Kevin Henkes's Sheila Rae, the Brave, in which young scholars learn how to use text and picture clues to describe and understand Sheila Rae's actions. With free login, users gain...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Curious: Cancer a New Treatment
Short video from Curious in which Mark Davis is motivated to develop a new, less debilitating treatment for his wife's cancer. [4:49]
Character Lab
Character Lab: Purpose
This article discusses the importance of having a sense of purpose and ways to foster it in young people.
Character Lab
Character Lab: Build Connections for Classrooms: Curiosity
Lead your students to understand how their existing interests relate to the content they learn in school by using this scripted activity. This 30-minute activity can have benefits across the curriculum. Printables and examples of...