Characterization Lesson

Jake is Cassie's older brother. One day they are walking home from school when a cold front rolls in and the temperature drops 20 degrees. Jake is dressed more appropriately for the weather than Cassie. He takes off his hooded sweatshirt and offers it to her. She gratefully accepts. Jake is now colder, but he is happier.

What character trait does Jake show?

• considerate

• selfish

• cautious

• respectful

Corey came back from the bathroom and noticed that her rainbow pencil was missing. She looked around the room and saw that Beth was using a rainbow pencil. Corey started crying uncontrollably and ran out of the room.

Which character trait does Corey demonstrate?

• active

• emotional

• suspicious

• reasonable

Kelvin found a wallet on the ground. He opened up the wallet and saw an old woman's ID card. Kelvin took the ID out of the wallet, walked to the woman's house, and returned the wallet to her.

Which character trait does Kevin demonstrate?

• persistent

• upbeat

• honorable

• rich

Jonathan invited a bunch of friends over to his house. He then talked to them for hours about all the trophies that he had won, his rare comic book collection, and how much money his dad makes. His friends did not enjoy their time at Jonathan's.

Which character trait does Johnathan demonstrate?

• humble

• boastful

• accepting

• outgoing

Rocky's cousin brought him to a party. Rocky didn't know anyone at the party. Shortly after getting there, Rocky's cousin disappeared. Rocky made a lot of new friends at this party and had a great time. Which character trait does Rocky demonstrate?

• affable

• timid

• curious

• kind

After Mark's mechanical pencil ran out of lead, he asked Pete, who sat next to him, if he could borrow a pencil. Pete yelled, "No, Mark. If you didn't come prepared, why is that my fault? Bring TWO pencils to class! You can't have one of mine or you'll never learn your lesson."

What character trait does Pete exhibit?

• insightful

• helpful

• angry

• harsh

Scott doesn't talk much, but five girls in our homeroom class are currently competing for his attention. This is nothing new. Girls have liked Scott for as long as I can remember. What character trait does Scott exhibit?

• quiet

• interesting

• sulky

• frustrated

The teacher asked Khadija what the answer was to the problem on the board. Khadija wore a worried expression on her face for a moment and then put her head down on her desk. After the teacher moved on to someone else, Khadija whispered to her friend that the answer was 26. Khadija was right.

What character trait does Khadija demonstrate?

• kind

• intelligent

• anxious

• obedient

What is the difference between direct and indirect characterization?

• Indirect characterization shows things that reveal the personality of the character while direct characterization tells the audience what the character's personality is.

• Direct characterization reveals character traits through thoughts only while indirect reveals the character traits through other things.

• Indirect characterization relies on the reader's ability to determine the setting and plot, and direct characterization tells you what the setting and plot are.

• Direct characterization is always used, but indirect characterization is not commonly used in writing.

What acronym did we learn to remember the indirect ways an author can tell us about a character?

• FACE

• STEAL

• READ

• LONG