Characters and Characterization

Mrs. Madison smiled warmly at each person in her food line. She put generous scoops of food on their plates and gave them an extra serving of dessert. At the end of lunch, she stood at the door to pat each person on the back as the exited the building. Mrs. Madison encouraged them to stay safe, to take care of themselves, and to return the next day for a meal. What are Mrs. Madison's traits?

• quiet, disinterested

• upbeat, bubbly

• caring, compassionate

• curious, skeptical

Mrs. Madison smiled warmly at each person in her food line. She put generous scoops of food on their plates and gave them an extra serving of dessert. At the end of lunch, she stood at the door to pat each person on the back as the exited the building. Mrs. Madison encouraged them to stay safe, to take care of themselves, and to return the next day for a meal. How were Mrs. Madison's traits revealed?

• direct characterization

• indirect characterization

Shanice, Amelia, and Lucia planned to hang out at the lake. On Saturday morning, they climbed aboard Lucia's dad's boat for a day of water and waves. Amelia and Lucia immediately turned up the fun, doing back flips off the edge of the boat into the water. Shanice watched them squeal and laugh as they splashed each other with water. "I really want to get in with them," she though to herself. The girls kept coaxing her to join them. After an hour, Shanice blew out a big breath she had been holding in. "Here goes nothing," she thought to herself. She took a leap off the edge of the boat into the cool, crisp water below. Shanice soon found that she was having the time of her life! How did the writer reveal Shanice's character traits?

• direct characterization, her thoughts, & her actions

• direct characterization, her actions, & her thoughts

• indirect characterization, her words, & the writer's description

• indirect characterization, her actions, & her thoughts

Traci and Shannon walked to recess together. On their way down the hall, Traci talked nonstop. In between stories, she sang songs she knew from the radio. She also stopped by her teacher's room to tell her she had been studying. Traci is:

• flat

• round

Traci and Shannon walked to recess together. On their way down the hall, Traci talked nonstop. In between stories, she sang songs she knew from the radio. She also stopped by her teacher's room to tell her she had been studying. In the same story, what type of character would Shannon be?

• flat

• round

Evan lived and breathed music. When he woke up in the morning, he spent a few minutes blowing beautiful notes on his trumpet. In between classes, you could find him outside, his fingers dancing over the keys. In the evening each night, Evan played his trumpet for at least an hour before going to bed for the night. What are Evan's character traits?

• quiet, lonely

• smart, wise

• dedicated, skilled

• outgoing, friendly

Evan lived and breathed music. When he woke up in the morning, he spent a few minutes blowing beautiful notes on his trumpet. In between classes, you could find him outside, his fingers dancing over the keys. In the evening each night, Evan played his trumpet for at least an hour before going to bed for the night. Evan's traits were revealed through:

• his thoughts

• his actions

• his words

• how he interacted with others

Brittany also went over each part of the dance carefully in her mind. She saw herself doing the opening steps then gradually moving through the routine to the last parts of the song. Brittany thought through her solo, counting the steps silently in her head. She knew she was ready to go on stage. How were Brittany's traits revealed?

• direct characterization

• indirect characterization

Brittany also went over each part of the dance carefully in her mind. She saw herself doing the opening steps then gradually moving through the routine to the last parts of the song. Brittany thought through her solo, counting the steps silently in her head. She knew she was ready to go on stage. Brittany's traits were revealed through:

• her thoughts

• her actions

• her words

• how she interacted with others

Sandra was one of the worst bullies at the whole school. She shoved people into lockers, smacked books out of their hands, and intimidated them to give her their chips at lunch. Lucinda had watched Sandra all year and had grown tired of her. On Friday at the end of lunch, Lucinda told Sandra exactly how she felt about the way she treated people. "You think you're something because you put people down? Well, I think you're weak. You are a weak, pathetic person who likes to step on people to feel better about yourself!" When she was finished, Lucinda marched back to her table. Sandra stood slowly, hung her head, and apologized to the entire student body. How were Sandra's traits revealed?

• direct characterization

• indirect characterization

• both