Inventing Characters

Active learning works for inventing characters because students need to move from abstract ideas to tangible creations. Drawing, speaking, and writing about characters in different formats helps children connect imagination to language in meaningful ways.

• Year 1
• English
• 4 activities
• 20 min–35 min

Learning Objectives

1. Design a character by selecting and combining specific physical traits and personality characteristics.
2. Explain a character's motivations by identifying their desires or needs.
3. Demonstrate a character's personality through a short dialogue or action, responding to a given problem scenario.
4. Create a visual representation of a character, including key features and a brief written description.

Trading Cards

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Pairs: Character Swap Sketches

Students draw their character's appearance and list three traits in 10 minutes. Partners swap drawings, then describe the new character aloud and suggest a problem they might face. Pairs discuss and revise based on feedback.

Prepare & details

What does your character look like and what kind of person are they?

Facilitation Tip: For Character Swap Sketches, model how to add two specific details to a drawing, like a scarf and a pet robot, to show students how to make characters unique.

Setup: Standard seating for creation, open space for trading

Materials: Blank trading card template, Colored pencils/markers, Reference materials, Trading rules sheet

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Trading Cards

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Small Groups: Motivation Role-Plays

Groups invent a character with a problem, like losing a pet. Each member acts out the character's response using props. Group records motivations on chart paper and shares one key trait with the class.

Prepare & details

What do you think your character would do if they had a problem?

Facilitation Tip: In Motivation Role-Plays, give each group a problem card with three options so students practice linking traits to choices under time pressure.

Setup: Standard seating for creation, open space for trading

Materials: Blank trading card template, Colored pencils/markers, Reference materials, Trading rules sheet

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Trading Cards

⏱ 30 min·Whole Class

Whole Class: Character Parade

Students dress as their characters using simple costumes. Class lines up for a parade; each shares appearance, trait, and problem solution. Teacher facilitates voting on most creative motivation.

Prepare & details

Can you draw and describe your character so that someone else could picture them?

Facilitation Tip: For the Character Parade, provide a simple sentence frame like 'My character is ______ and they ______' to scaffold sharing during the whole-class walkabout.

Setup: Standard seating for creation, open space for trading

Materials: Blank trading card template, Colored pencils/markers, Reference materials, Trading rules sheet

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Trading Cards

⏱ 20 min·Individual

Individual: Character Journals

Students create a journal page with drawing, three traits, and a short 'What if?' scenario. They add speech bubbles for the character's thoughts. Collect for a class display.

Prepare & details

What does your character look like and what kind of person are they?

Facilitation Tip: During Character Journals, encourage students to add a small sketch next to their written descriptions to reinforce the connection between visual and written details.

Setup: Standard seating for creation, open space for trading

Materials: Blank trading card template, Colored pencils/markers, Reference materials, Trading rules sheet

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Teach character invention by starting with concrete details before abstract traits. Use visual prompts to help students see how small specifics create bigger impressions. Avoid overwhelming students with long adjective lists by focusing on one trait at a time through guided questions. Research shows that children learn best when they connect emotions to actions, so emphasize the 'why' behind a character's choices.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently describing their characters with vivid details and clear motivations. Children should be able to explain how their character's traits influence their actions during discussions and writing tasks.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Character Swap Sketches, watch for students drawing only human figures with realistic features.

What to Teach Instead

Provide examples of fantastical characters, like a three-eyed monster or a talking teapot, and ask students to add at least one unusual feature to their sketches before swapping partners.

Common Misconception

During Motivation Role-Plays, watch for students describing traits without showing actions.

What to Teach Instead

Hand out small problem cards and ask students to act out how their character would respond. Stop the role-play after 30 seconds to discuss which actions matched the trait.

Common Misconception

During Character Journals, watch for students writing long lists of adjectives without explaining how those traits appear.

What to Teach Instead

Model how to turn a list like 'kind, brave, silly' into a sentence: 'My character is kind because they always share their lunch.' Provide sentence starters in journals for students to follow.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Character Swap Sketches, collect one feature drawing from each student and ask them to write one word describing that feature. Look for specific details like 'sparkly shoes' rather than vague terms like 'shoes'.

Discussion Prompt

During Motivation Role-Plays, present a problem like 'Your character finds a wallet full of money.' Ask each group to share one action their character would take and explain why. Listen for clear links between traits and choices.

Exit Ticket

After Character Journals, provide the sentence starter 'My character is ______ because ______.' Ask students to fill in the blanks with a trait and its motivation. Collect journals to check if students can connect personality to reasons.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to invent a character that is the opposite of themselves, using the Character Journal to explain three differences.
• Scaffolding: Provide a word bank of traits and actions during Motivation Role-Plays to help students who struggle with making connections.
• Deeper exploration: Ask students to create a short backstory for their character and share it with a partner during the Character Parade.

Key Vocabulary

Trait	A distinguishing quality or characteristic of a person or character, such as being brave or shy.
Appearance	How a character looks, including their physical features like hair color, height, or clothing.
Motivation	The reason behind a character's actions or feelings, what they want or need.
Personality	The combination of characteristics or qualities that form a character's distinctive nature.