Character Sketch Graphic Organizer and Response

Anyone ever ask their students to write a "Character Sketch" and gotten a drawing handed to them? No? Just me??

This Graphic Organizer helps students understand what a "Character Sketch" is by outlining the connections between Indirect and Direct Characterization and how those elements all contribute to understanding the in's and out's of a character.

This Graphic Organizer is text-dependent, but still simple and fun to use.

My favorite way to use this product:

• I held "story time" with my middle school students and read "The Day the Crayons Quit". They thought it was hysterical. I stood at the front of the classroom and showed them the pictures, just like the days we used to go to the library for story time.
• Then, I drew the Graphic Organizer on the board, and we analyzed one of the Crayon's characters together. Students have to use direct quotes from the text to fill in the 6 "Direct/Indirect Characterization" squares around the center. The center oval is for adjectives to describe the character based on the quote.
• Next, I broke the students into groups and handed out copies of other crayons and had them complete the Graphic Organizer as a group. (I do, we do, you do)
• Last, students had to turn to our class text and complete the Graphic Organizer on their own, and then turn the page over and write the "Character Sketch" using the information from the G.O. Because they already used text evidence while filling out the squares, they have direct quotes ready to use in their writing! EASY!
• NOTE: It was important to point out that you might not get all 6 elements of Direct/Indirect characterization (particularly thoughts), but I usually tell my students I want them to find at least 5. NOTE: It was important to point out that you might not get all 6 elements of Direct/Indirect characterization (particularly thoughts), but I usually tell my students I want them to find at least 5.

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