Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject:
Central Focus: Character Traits focusing on Feelings and Emotions
Fourth Grade/ Reading
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective: R.L.4.3
Describe I ndpth a character, setting or event in a story or drama,
Date submitted:
Date taught:
drawing on specific details in the text (e.g. a characters thoughts,
words or actions
Daily Lesson Objective:
Students will determine the difference between character traits and emotions with their independent reading
book and demonstrate this knowledge by correctly identify given traits on an anchor chart. Mastery is getting
both sticky notes placed in the correct spot.
21st Century Skills:
Academic Language Demand (Language Function and Vocabulary):
Creative Thinking, Information Literacy Critically Think
Prior Knowledge: Student will need to have a previous knowledge of how to determine the character in a story
and how to recognize what the character is feeling using context clues.
Activity
1. Focus and Review
2. Statement of
Objective
for Student
3. Teacher Input

Description of Activities and Setting

Today we are going to learn about character emotions and traits! Raise
your hand and show me who has heard of emotions and character traits?
Very good! You all are so smart!
Today, you will be able to decide what your characters emotions and
traits are in the book you are ready. You will also learn what an emotion
and trait is.
(Flip down Anchor chart!) Open your readers workbook to copy down
this chart with me as we discuss it. There are going to be 2 key
questions that help us to determine character emotion and trait, be on
the look out for them! Make sure you write Character up at the top!
PAUSE Now then, a characters emotion describes how a character
feels at a certain time in the story. We can also think of our characters
emotion as their response to action. Ill give everyone a chance to write
down Character Emotion. Remember we are only looking at this side of
the anchor chart, we will get to the other side in a minute! Some
example words could be scared, surprised, angry, excited and safe.
Ready for our first key questions? To help us find our character emotion
we need to ask the question, How does the character feel right now?
Can somebody raise their hand and tell me another word that could
describe our characters emotion? (a few words, make sure they are not
traits!).
Now lets move on to Character Trait! Our Characters Trait
describes the characters personality. We can also think of our

Time

characters trait as their feelings over time! Our characters trait can be
seen through action in the book. Ill give everyone a chance to write
down Character trait. Some example words could be kind, bossy,
outgoing, reckless. Ready for our second key question?? To help us find
our characters trait we need to ask the question. How does the
character usually behave? Can everyone think of an example word
that could describe a characters trait? Raise your hand to tell me!
Perfect, those are all great examples!

Now our anchor chart is complete! We know the difference between our
characters emotion and traits.
Can someone tell me why this is important? (we can use this in our
writing to strengthen our story)
Why should we know the difference? (It helps us understand the
character better, it helps us become better writers be understanding how
to express our character to the reader)
Very good! Can someone tell me a main difference they see between
Character Trait and emotion?
I am going to show you an example of how I find my characters
emotion and trait. I will be reading from Thunder Cake by Patricia
Polacco

4. Guided Practice

Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco, I am going to read the first three

pages then stop and talk about our charters emotion and traits. (Read
first 3 pages). Ok, so now I want to figure out Patricias emoton and I
remember from the chart the key question, so I ask myself How does
my character, Patrica, feel right now? I know she is feeling scared
because of the storm and she hid under the bed. So her emotion is
scared. Now what about her trait? My key question is How does the
character usually behave? Do I think Patricia Polacco always acts
scared and frightened? NO, that was just for the storm! I noticed that
grandma is trying to make Patricia feel better about the storm and since
Patricia agreed to help grandma make the cake I can say Patricias trait

is brave. Even though she was scared of the storm, she helps out
grandma anyways. So I will write scared under emotions and brave
under trait for our examples. Now everyone try! I am going to read a
few more pages in the book and I will stop and ask question about our
characters emotions and traits. Be listening for key word! (read the
pages denoted by a sticky note, stop after every page and ask
questions about Patricia and grandmas emotion/trait)
Everyone did such a good job finding characters emotion and feelings!
Now, we are to work independently with our own books spotting our
characters emotion and traits.
5. Independent Practice
Any questions?

6. Assessment Methods
of
all objectives/skills:

7. Closure

8. Assessment Results of
all objectives/skills:

Before you go back to your seat I have some extra directions. I am going to give
everyone a chance to display their findings for the whole. When you are reading
today, I want you to take sticky notes, write your name at the top and one sticky
note write down your characters emotion and on the other sticky note write your
characters trait. You can have more than one sticky for emotion but there should
only be one for trait because our characters trait is the same over time! Once you
have your stickies written, I will have an anchor chart up with the headings Emotion
and Traits, just stick your note under the right heading. Can one person tell me what
I just asked everyone to do? (Go back to your seat, use multiple sticky notes for
emotion, one for trait, find our characters emotion and trait, put the sticky notes on
the chart under the right heading.) Perfect that is exactly what I want you to do!
Also at your set there will be a sheet of paper that looks like this (hold up example).
One side list Character Emotion words and the other list Characters Trait words so
you shouldnt have any trouble thinking of words to describe your character!

If you ever get confused about your characters trait or emotions

remember you can always look back in your readers journal. Simply
remember the 2 key questions! Which one ask How does the character
feel right now? (Characters Emotion!) Perfect! Which one asks How
does the character usually behave? (Character Trait) Perfect! Good Job
with the lesson everyone!

Targeted Students
Modifications/Accommodations:

Student/Small Group Modifications/Accommodations:

Materials/Technology:
(Include any instructional materials (e.g., worksheets, assessments PowerPoint/Smart Board slides, etc.) needed
to implement the lesson at the end of the lesson plan.)
Anchor Chart Paper, book for practice, independent book for student to read
References:
Reflection on lesson: