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Unit
EDUC
139
Bri
Varela
Physical
Descriptions
of
Characters
in
Narratives:
Characterization
and
Word
Choice
th
Objective:
4
grade
students
will
be
able
use
superior
word
choice
to
write
physical
descriptions
of
a
character
in
a
narrative.
Common
Core
Standard:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3
Describe
in
depth
a
character,
setting,
or
event
in
a
story
or
drama,
drawing
on
specific
details
in
the
text
(e.g.,
a
character's
thoughts,
words,
or
actions).
Continuum
of
Literacy
Learning
Goal:
Use
descriptive
language
and
dialogue
to
present
characters/subjects
who
appear
and
develop
in
memoir,
biography
and
fiction.
Vary
word
choice
to
create
interesting
description
and
dialogue
Use
memorable
or
vivid
words
Day
1:
Introduction
of
Physical
Descriptions
and
Word
Choice
Teacher:
o Read
aloud
excerpt
from
Matilda
by
Roald
Dahl
on
page
26
multiple
times
so
that
students
can
hear
the
physical
descriptions
o Write
down
descriptions
that
you
and
the
students
notice
in
the
passage.
o Write
down
words
that
stand
out
to
the
students
from
the
passage
Students:
o Listen
o Participate
in
adding
character
descriptions
to
a
character
chart
about
Trunchbull.
o Think
Pair
Share:
What
makes
this
passage
so
descriptive?
o Generate
a
list
of
words
that
stand
out
(examples:
eccentric,
bloodthirsty,
sinewy,
obstinate)
Materials:
Matilda,
chart
paper
and
marker
Day
2:
Teacher
Model
of
Physical
Description
and
Word
Choice
Teacher:
o Show
teacher-crafted
writing
an
model
your
brainstorming
before
you
started
your
write
by
filling
out
the
Character
Profile
organizer
below
o Read
the
model
to
the
class
multiple
times
o Write
down
descriptions
that
you
and
the
students
notice
as
well
as
words
that
stand
out
o Explain
why
we
need
physical
description/word
choice
and
how
it
is
useful
in
writing.
Students:
o Listen
o Participate
in
coming
up
with
descriptions
and
words
for
the
chart
paper
Materials:
Teacher
crafted
writing
(electronic
or
printed
for
showing
on
ELMO),
chart
paper
and
markers
Day
3:
Snapshots
of
Characters
Teacher:
o Read
aloud
expert
from
Charlottes
Web
by
E.B.
White
a
few
times
o Explain,
Snapshot:
many
books
begin
with
a
description
of
the
character
or
have
the
description
some
where
in
the
text.
A
snapshot
is
like
a
picture
made
of
words.
o Do
a
shared
write
of
a
snapshot
about
another
character
that
the
class
has
read
about
(i.e.
Harry
Potter
or
Annemarie
Johansen
from
Number
the
Stars)
Students:
o Listen
o Participate
in
class
write
by
generating
the
character
to
write
about
and
adding
to
the
snapshot
of
the
character.
Materials:
Charlottes
Web,
chart
paper
or
something
to
write
the
snapshot
on.
Day
4:
Using
the
5
Senses
in
Snapshots
of
Characters/Brainstorm
Teacher:
o Read
aloud
the
excerpt
from
The
Witches
by
Roald
Dahl
multiple
times
o Fill
out
5
senses
chart
chart:
How
is
the
way
Dahl
uses
characterization
play
to
your
senses?
What
senses
are
engaged?
o Point
out
that
there
is
no
right
way
of
describing
a
character.
Students:
o Listen
o Participate
in
the
5
senses
chart
making
o Start
brainstorming
character
ideas
for
their
own
snapshot.
They
will
create
a
new
character
from
a
story
that
they
will
write
later.
o 3-2-1:
3
possible
ideas
for
your
character,
2
reasons
why
we
use
a
snapshot,
1
question
you
have
for
me
about
snapshots
or
your
brainstorm
Materials:
The
Witches,
Chart
paper
for
5
senses
chart,
students
writers
notebooks,
sticky
notes
for
the
3-2-1
Day
5:
Word
Choice
in
Descriptions/Rough
Draft
Teacher:
o Revisit
the
words
chosen
from
the
example
texts.
How
are
these
words
important
for
the
description?
What
do
they
add?
How
can
we
find
better
words
to
make
our
snapshots
more
descriptive?
o Walk
around
and
help
students
write
their
drafts.
Monitor
and
answer
questions.
Look
for
word
choice.
o Hand
out
rubric
and
checklists
and
explain
what
you
will
be
looking
for
in
their
snapshot
Students:
o Participate
in
opening
questions
o Write
a
rough
draft
of
character
snapshot
Materials:
students
writers
notebooks,
rubrics,
checklists
Details:
I
chose
Matilda
also
because
I
loved
it
but
additionally
I
love
the
way
Roald
Dahl
uses
description.
He
does
a
fantastic
job
of
showing
instead
of
just
telling.
He
also
uses
his
descriptions
throughout
his
book
so
it
shows
the
students
that
although
snapshots
can
be
used
to
start
a
story
they
can
be
used
any
where
in
a
book.
My
favorite
description
is
that
on
page
26
of
Miss.
Trunchbull.
Dahls
word
choice
is
so
vivid.
He
uses
words
like
formidable,
sinewy,
bull-neck,
obstinate,
massive,
eccentric
and
bloodthirsty
that
would
be
great
mentor
words
for
the
students
to
look
at.
The
way
that
Dahl
explores
Trunchbulls
outfit
as
well
as
her
physique
is
just
another
great
example
of
how
students
could
arrange
their
writing.
The
descriptions
on
page
6
and
7
of
Matildas
parents
are
short
and
to
the
point.
This
gives
students
an
example
of
something
that
is
shorter
and
could
be
used
for
more
minor
characters.
Words
like
ratty-looking,
mousy-brown,
and
bulging
are
good
examples
to
show
the
students.
The
other
description
of
Miss
Trunchbull
on
page
20
gives
you
insight
in
how
this
woman
walks
and
sounds.
I
love
the
comparison
to
a
storm-trooper
who
marches
down
the
hall
and
a
tank.
Words
to
point
out
would
include
menace,
radiating,
ploughed
and
tyrannical.
I
think
the
whole
second
sentence
in
that
blurb
is
outstandingly
descriptive.
3. The
Witches
by
Roald
Dahl
Page
58-9
:
That
face
of
hers
was
the
most
frightful
and
frightening
thing
I
have
ever
seen.
Just
looking
at
it
gave
me
the
shakes
all
over.
It
was
so
crumpled
and
wizened,
so
shrunken
and
shriveled,
it
looked
as
thought
it
had
been
pickled
in
vinegar.
It
was
a
fearsome
and
ghastly
sight.
There
was
something
terribly
wrong
with
it,
something
foul
and
putrid
and
decayed.
It
seemed
quite
literally
to
be
rotting
away
at
the
edges,
and
in
the
middle
of
the
face,
around
the
mouth
and
cheeks,
I
could
see
the
skin
all
cankered
and
worm-eaten,
as
though
maggots
were
working
away
in
there
It
rasped.
It
grated.
It
scraped.
It
shrieked.
And
it
growled.
Details:
I
chose
this
mentor
text
also
because
Roald
Dahl
wrote
it.
His
descriptions
in
this
excerpt
are
gruesome
yet
wonderfully
vivid.
This
shows
students
how
an
author
can
use
a
snapshot
just
to
focus
on
one
specific
part
of
a
character.
He
just
describes
the
face
but
he
does
so
in
many
different
ways
that
give
us
a
complete
picture.
Some
words
to
point
out
are
frightful,
shrunken,
ghastly,
putrid,
decayed,
cankered,
mesmerized,
metallic,
grated
and
rasped.
The
part
about
her
face
being
pickled
in
vinegar
is
a
great
description
that
gives
students
something
to
reference.
I
also
like
the
repetition
of
how
the
witchs
voice
sounded
at
the
end
of
the
section.
For
the
5
senses
I
can
see
the
ugliness
of
her
face,
I
can
feel
the
shriveled
texture,
I
can
smell
the
rotten
decay
and
I
can
hear
her
horrible
grating
voice.
Differentiation:
When
the
students
brainstorm,
I
can
let
students
draw
pictures
instead
of
writing
out
their
ideas.
This
would
be
especially
helpful
with
ELL
students.
I
could
also
let
them
describe
their
ideas
orally
if
they
need
to.
Giving
students
a
brainstorming
organizer,
would
help
some
struggling
students
organize
their
thoughts
as
well
as
give
them
structure.
I
use
Think,
Pair,
Share
in
day
one
so
that
students
can
work
collaboratively
and
scaffold
each
other.
For
students
who
may
need
to
see
the
text,
I
can
give
copies
of
the
mentor
text
excerpts
for
them
to
follow
along.
Students
may
also
be
given
more
time
to
complete
the
project,
such
as
time
at
home.
We
are
also
doing
a
lot
of
whole
group
work
so
the
students
can
listen
to
peer
ideas
and
be
helped
out
by
the
students
around
them.
For
an
extension
students
may
write
a
longer
piece
or
use
more
difficult
words.
They
can
also
write
more
than
one
Snapshot.
Another
extension
would
be
to
start
writing
their
story
that
goes
with
their
character
and
adding
more
snapshots
throughout.
Assessment:
For
an
informal
assessment
I
plan
on
using
the
3-2-1
slips
from
day
4.
This
will
help
me
gauge
where
my
students
are
and
if
I
need
to
change
anything
about
my
lesson
for
the
next
few
days.
The
students
are
responsible
for
writing
their
own
Snapshot
on
any
made-up
and
original
character
that
they
like.
I
will
assess
them
based
on
the
rubric
below
and
the
students
will
be
given
the
checklist
below
so
that
they
can
self
assess
their
work
before
they
turn
in
their
writing.
Self-assessment
checklist:
Word
Choice
Sentences
No
character
is
described
in
detail
or
the
character
isnt
original.
There
are
few
to
no
strong
detailed
physical
characteristics
described.
3
At
least
one
original
character
is
described
in
detail.
Strong
physical
characteristics
are
included
that
help
you
picture
the
character.
Vivid
and
superior
words
are
used.
Words
are
varied
throughout
Snapshot.
At
least
10
complete
sentences
are
present.
Teacher
Notes
Grammar
Teacher
Crafted
Writing
Silvia
sank
into
the
warm
embrace
of
the
large
armchair
and
let
out
a
sigh
of
relief.
Her
creaky
old
bones
settled
into
place
as
she
picked
up
her
knitting
needles.
Silvia
Waters
had
stormy
gray
hair.
Delicate
glasses
perched
on
the
end
of
her
crooked
nose,
magnifying
her
bright,
intelligent
blue
eyes.
Laugh
lines
wrinkled
her
face,
showing
the
many
joys
that
she
had
experienced
in
her
long
life.
Silvias
arthritic
and
wrinkled
hands
worked
the
needles
slowly.
Her
gnarled
hands
struggled
and
eventually
she
gave
up
rubbing
her
sore
fingers
gently.
The
musty
smell
of
mothballs
permeated
the
air
around
Silvia.
From
her
pink
robe
she
extracted
a
cough
drop,
which
she
plopped
in
her
mouth.
Silvia
reached
down
by
her
pink
fuzzy
slippers
to
pet
her
little
tabby
cat
as
she
rubbed
against
her
leg.
Her
back
stiffened
and
she
slowly
straightened
back
out.
Just
as
she
was
reaching
for
her
worn
copy
of
Wuthering
Heights,
the
doorbell
rang.
Who
could
that
be,
Silvia
wondered.
No
one
ever
visited
the
petite
elderly
lady.
With
a
deep
breath
she
steeled
herself
to
stand.
Reflection:
I
had
a
hard
time
getting
started.
I
brainstormed
first
and
had
a
few
ideas
but
had
a
hard
time
deciding
what
I
wanted
to
write
about.
I
eventually
found
that
Googling
pictures
of
random
people
helped
get
me
started.
I
was
just
scrolling
through
when
I
found
a
cartoon
picture
of
an
elderly
lady
knitting.
Something
drew
me
to
that
picture
and
so
I
just
started
listing
out
ideas
of
what
the
lady
could
look
like.
Then
I
started
writing.
Once
started,
the
ideas
followed
smoothly.
I
then
went
back
and
changed
some
words
and
rearranged
and
added
sentences.
I
thought
it
was
interesting
that
I
roughly
followed
the
writing
process
without
even
realizing.
References:
Dahl,
Roald,
and
Quentin
Blake.
Matilda.
New
York,
N.Y.:
Viking
Kestrel,
1988.
Print.
Dahl,
Roald,
and
Quentin
Blake.
The
Witches.
New
York:
Farrar,
Straus,
Giroux,
1983.
Print.
Pinnell,
Gay
Su.,
and
Irene
C.
Fountas.
The
Continuum
of
Literacy
Learning,
Grades
3-8:
A
Guide
to
Teaching.
Portsmouth,
NH:
Heinemann,
2007.
Print.
White,
E.
B.,
and
Garth
Williams.
Charlotte's
Web.
Print.