Siena Heights University

Madison Phillips
Directed Teaching
3/22
The Great Gatsby Chp. 2 - Characterization

Lesson Documentation
o Unit: The Great Gatsby
o Basic English 10 (resource room)
o Grade: 10
o Students: 6
CCSS
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1:Cite strong and thorough textual
evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g.,
those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of
a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the
theme.
Goals & Objectives
o Students will practice reading and understanding pieces of American
Literature while practicing how to actively read while identifying literary
devices such as characterization within pieces of literature.
Materials
o The Great Gatsby novel - copy for each student and teacher
o Colored sticky notes/tabs
o Characterization practice
o Elmo/projector
o PPT/video of characterization
Anticipatory Set: Characterization warm up: What is characterization?
o Unless it is explicitly said by a person, what are some other ways we can
learn about a person?
1 minute, brainstorm a list (with a partner or individually)
o Characterization: process by which an author reveals the personality of a
character either directly or indirectly.
Direct characterization: when a personality trait is specifically
stated.
Direct: I am athletic
Make a list of your own personality characteristics (smart,
funny, athletic, outgoing, quiet, etc) (1 minute) - on scrap
paper or whiteboard
Choose one word that you used to characterize yourself and
expand on it using an example of you demonstrating that
characteristic.
Indirect characterization: when a personality trait is
expressed through actions/descriptions
Indirect: I played soccer my whole life and in
college.
Instructional Input
 o Project PPT
o We can learn a lot about a person by the way they
act or by the way someone (like an author)
describes another person (character). The Great
Gatsby is filled with characterization, directly, but
especially indirectly.
o Work w/ students
Example: Miss Baker -Indirect: She was extended full length at
her end of the divan, completely motionless, and with her chin
raised a little, as if she were balancing something on it which was
quite likely to fall. If she saw me out of the corner her eyes she
gave no hint of it (8).
Direct: Miss Baker is stuck-up
o Teacher: Provide indirect examples of
characterization from Chp. 1
Daisys murmur was only to make people lean toward her (9). -
Daisy
Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his
face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively
forward (7). -Tom
o What do these indirect characterizations tell us
about their personalities? Turn this into a direct
characterization.
Daisy is self-centered
Tom is superior and conceited
o Introduce the characterization task for Chp. 2 of
The Great Gatsby
Assign each characters to students to report on
Myrtle - student
Tom - student
Wilson - teacher models tabbing in book
Each pair is responsible for finding 2 indirect characterizations, 1
per character (Tom/Myrtle/Wilson). Anything the author says that
describes/reveals a characters personality.
o Students can also be assigned a specific character,
then later have all reconvene and share findings.

Practice
o Guided
Begin reading chapter 2 of The Great Gatsby
Model by being in charge of another small character (Catherine,
Mr. McKee - pg. 30)
Use tabs to mark my spot
For the first couple examples of characterization on their given
characters, hint in the book to students as you approach them
while reading.
o Independent
Students do the same thing for their characters.
 Students either write them down on their worksheets as we
go along OR to reduce risk of losing their place while
reading, students can use sticky notes or sticky tabs to
mark the indirect characterization examples and go back to
them later to finish the activity.
For the first couple examples of characterization on their
given characters, hint in the book to students as you
approach them while reading.
When the chapter is finished, students can go back to their
indirect examples and turn them into direct characterizations/say
what kind of personality or trait they are showing in this
description.
Answer any other questions that may follow (if time or necessary)
o Formative Assessment
Guided worksheet completion, checking for understanding
Observation/anecdotal notes
Student participation in discussion, checking for understanding
Closure
o Go over the worksheets to see what students came up with for each
character, report to one another, take notes on elmo projector as a model.
o Work through any examples left behind or difficulty understanding
Multiple Intelligences
o Visual-Spatial - guided worksheet, ppt presentation/video
o Bodily-Kinesthetic
o Musical
o Interpersonal - working in partners/sharing with others their findings
o Intrapersonal - brainstorming personal character traits and applying to
characterization
o Linguistic -analyzing choice of words to determine adjectives/character
traits
o Logical-Mathematical
Differentiation/Modification of lesson plan
o Working w/ partners or individually
o Guided worksheet
o Modeling of reading and marking important passages, as well as working
through characterization

o Colored sticky tabs - can do this as a group while progressing through the
novel or allow more individual work
 Characterization
Notes and Practice

Warmup
Brainstorm a list of words that describe YOU.
Example: funny, outgoing, athletic, honest.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Choose ONE trait from the list above and describe a time when you demonstrate this trait.
Example: Athletic- I love to play soccer, I have played since I was young, throughout high school, and
even in college

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

What is characterization?
The process by which the author reveals the personality of a character.

There are two kinds of characterization

1. Direct: When the author tells the reader what the personality of the
character is.
Example:

2. Indirect: When the author shows things that reveal what the personality
of the character is.
Example:
 Character Reporting
Assigned characters: Tom and Myrtle

Your job
Find 1 example of indirect characterization for Tom and Myrtle.
Think about what these examples tell you about this characters
personality.

Indirect characterization for Tom Page #__________

What does this tell you about _______________ personality?

Indirect characterization for Myrtle Page #__________

What does this tell you about _______________ personality?

Indirect
S.T.E.A.L characterization
S - what the character says reminder!
T - what the character thinks
E - what effect the character has on others
A - how the character acts
L - what the character looks like