1. Topic-
Characters Change Over the Course of a Book
 
2. Content-
Characters, Arc of Theme
 
3. Goals: Aims/Outcomes-
By the end of this lesson, the students will have practiced thinking about how a character changes in a story and how that has to happen in order for there to be a plot.
 
4. Objectives-
1.think about what we used to think before, but now know after

2.apply same idea to this book- what the main character used to think but what she knew by the end
 
5. Materials and Aids-
Book The Paper Bag Princess, white board, markers
 
6. Procedures/Methods-

A. Introduction-

Ask leading question: Have any of you ever thought things were one way but when you got older you realized you were wring? Or your thinking changed?
 

B. Development-

1.Give example from my own childhood of man in radio
2. Call for other examples from the floor, reinforcing how that is an example of thinking before and after
3.Wrap up with another of my examples
 

C. Practice-

1.Read the story and then chart the characters feelings at the beginning.
2.Chart the characters feelings in the middle.
3.Chart the character's feelings at the end.
 

D. Independent Practice-

Ask students what led character to change her feelings toward the Prince.
 

E. Accommodations (Differentiated Instruction)-

Scaffold when necessary.
 

F. Checking for understanding-

Rephrase statements to ensure my understanding of their understanding.
 

G. Closure-

1.Recap the events in terms of narrative elements- another 5th grade gle.
2.Suggest that this may be used in their future reading as well as writing.
 
7. Evaluation-
Oral responses-not my class and this isn't part of a larger unit I created.
 
8. Teacher Reflection-
I know the kids ha d a good time and enjoyed the book, but the take away message may have missed them. This would have been part of a larger unit in my own room as well as a question we would be continually asking ourselves as the year went on, in things like the read-aloud. Nothing is ever a time filler!
I quickly realized that they possessed a limited vocabulary making them unable to discuss/describe the events in the story.
I chose not to ask them to emphasize the why part of the character change because I was unsure of their ability to articulate. So I gave it to them and then threw in asking them if they thought the nasty prince would ever change....
Had this been my own class, I would have known that we needed to begin heavy duty word work around the area of vocab, parts of speech( I called for an adjective and no one knew what I was talking about.)and how to talk about books. They were pretty passive. BUT as I was leaving, their teacher asked them how this lesson gave them clues about how the main character in Tiger Rising was changing and they jumped at it.
 

This Lesson Plan is available at (www.teacherjet.com)