Serving advanced learners (and their teachers) since 2012.

Alabama ELA Standard: 3.LF.22.a

Describe in detail the characters’ behavior, emotions, and traits and explain how their actions influence events in the story.

Too Much or Too Little of a Character Trait

Too Much or Too Little of a Character Trait

The trait that makes a hero heroic is the same trait that makes a villain villainous. There’s just too much of it, or too little.

Analyze Character Change

Analyze Character Change

A character can act one way at the beginning of a story and surprise you by the end. Students gather the clues and name the change.

A Character’s Challenges and Changes

A Character’s Challenges and Changes

Your 1st and 2nd graders will analyze how a character responded to a challenge.

Hero or Not A Hero?

Hero or Not A Hero?

Students will determine what makes a hero a hero.

Characters’ Faults Can Also Be Strengths

Characters’ Faults Can Also Be Strengths

Strength and weakness are often two sides of the same coin. Students will explore how a character’s flaw can be a benefit.

Comparing Characters’ Bedrooms

Comparing Characters’ Bedrooms

What item’s in a character’s bedroom would reflect their deepest desires? And what if they toured a similar character’s room?

Emoji Stories 👁️

Emoji Stories 👁️

Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?

A Character’s Playlist

A Character’s Playlist

What playlist of songs best goes with a character’s change over time?

Analyze Characters Using Philosophy

Analyze Characters Using Philosophy

What is the Brick Pig’s philosophy? How would he apply it to the characters in Harry Potter?

Writing Sample: A Christmas Carol (Cold)

Writing Sample: A Christmas Carol (Cold)

A passage from White Fang to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.

Think Like A Philosopher

Think Like A Philosopher

What would Socrates have thought if he watched Frozen?

Virtue or Vice?

Virtue or Vice?

Aristotle noted that positive traits and negative traits are often the same thing, but just in different amounts. The right amount is a virtue, but too much or too little and it’s a vice.

The Personalities of Rocks

The Personalities of Rocks

What would an igneous rock be like? Would it get along with a sedimentary rock? Could they handle the hot personality of a metamorphic rock?

More Specific than “Smart”

More Specific than “Smart”

When students are told that they’re “smart”, what does this word actually mean to them? (Psst. It isn’t what we intended.)

Showing A Character’s Trait

Showing A Character’s Trait

We tell students to ‘show, not tell’ — but that advice is useless until they experience the difference. This lesson makes it click.

Introduce Symbolism with Pixel Art

Introduce Symbolism with Pixel Art

Create a pixelated icon that represents the essence of a character!

Motivation and Moral Development

Motivation and Moral Development

Can someone do the right thing, but for the wrong reason?

Better Stories Part 5: Plot Structure

Better Stories Part 5: Plot Structure

Ever read a student’s story that was just event after event after event and then a very sudden ending? They lack an understanding of a plot’s structure. With the help of Finding Nemo, I break down how to set up a well-structured plot.

Better Stories Part 4: Character Archetypes

Better Stories Part 4: Character Archetypes

Are students’ characters a bit flat? Archetypes give them a strong foundation on which to build their own characters as well as a tool to analyze existing stories.