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Lesson Plan - Middle School: Creating a Character

Grade: 8
Content Area: English Creative Writing - Playwriting
Attachment: Character Questionnaire (pdf)

I. Standards of Learning (SOL): The student will develop narrative, expository, and informational writings to inform, explain, analyze, or entertain.
  1. Generate, gather, and organize ideas for writing.
  2. Plan and organize writing to address a specific audience and purpose.
  3. Communicate clearly the purpose of the writing.
  4. Write clear, varied sentences.
  5. Use specific vocabulary and information.
  6. Arrange paragraphs into a logical progression.
  7. Revise writing for clarity.
  8. Proofread and prepare final product for intended audience and purpose.
II. Objective(s): Students will select one of their previous writings to develop into a play and will be able to support their choice

Each student will develop elements of the central character for the play that will be written from the selected story
III. Materials: Student writing folders with at least 3 different writing samples, a copy of the “Character Questionnaire” for each student
IV. Presentation:
  • Gain student attention by using countdown procedure.
  • Review yesterday’s discussion of writing samples in each student’s writing folder.
  • Ask students to state their selection of one writing sample (personal narrative, realistic fiction, or historical) that will be the basis for the play and to tell a partner why they chose the genre.
  • Distribute the “Character Questionnaire" and have each student complete it in class. Have students complete the questionnaire for at least one more character in their play.
V. Assessment: Collect the “Character Questionnaire” sheet for the main character from each student.  Provide feedback as the thoroughness of the responses.
VI. Differentiation Assist individual students in completing the questionnaire.
Ask the special education teacher to focus on Joey helping him to develop his character and complete the questionnaire
VII. Technology Flip chart and overhead projector

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Funding for this website came from the Virginia Department of Education Award #879-SY08 CFG to Dr. Sandi Cohen and Dr. Ruth Ferree at the Curry School of Education. Questions should be sent to Dr. Ferree at TeacherEd@virginia.edu.