Activity 01
Role Play: The Hot Seat
One student sits in the 'hot seat' as a character from a story like 'The Talkative Barber'. Classmates ask probing questions about their motivations and feelings, forcing the student to respond in character based on text evidence.
How do a character's choices influence the direction of the plot?
Facilitation TipDuring Role Play: The Hot Seat, ensure every student gets a turn at the 'hot seat' so quieter voices are heard and valued in the discussion.
What to look forProvide students with a short passage featuring a character facing a dilemma. Ask them to write down: 1) One character trait revealed by the character's actions or dialogue, and 2) One internal or external conflict the character is experiencing.
ApplyAnalyzeEvaluateSocial AwarenessSelf-Awareness
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Activity 02
Inquiry Circle: Character Autopsy
In small groups, students draw a large outline of a character. Inside the heart, they write feelings; in the head, they write thoughts; and near the feet, they list actions, citing specific page numbers for each.
What techniques does the author use to make us sympathize with a protagonist?
Facilitation TipFor Collaborative Investigation: Character Autopsy, rotate group roles daily so no child is stuck taking notes every time.
What to look forPose the question: 'If you were in [character's name]'s shoes, would you have made the same choice? Why or why not?' Encourage students to support their answers by referencing specific parts of the story that reveal the character's traits or motivations.
AnalyzeEvaluateCreateSelf-ManagementSelf-Awareness
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Activity 03
Think-Pair-Share: Growth Mindset Map
Pairs identify a moment where a character failed and then succeeded. They discuss what trait helped the character change and share their findings with another pair to compare different characters.
How can we distinguish between internal and external character conflicts?
Facilitation TipIn Think-Pair-Share: Growth Mindset Map, use a timer strictly to keep pairs on task and ensure both students contribute equally.
What to look forAs students read a chapter, have them keep a simple chart with two columns: 'Character's Actions/Dialogue' and 'What it Reveals About Them'. This helps them track character development in real-time.
UnderstandApplyAnalyzeSelf-AwarenessRelationship Skills
Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Start by modelling how to infer traits from small details in the text yourself, thinking aloud as you read. Avoid summarising the plot before discussing traits, as this makes students focus on events rather than personalities. Research shows that when students discuss moral dilemmas in characters, their own moral reasoning improves, so give space for disagreement and reasoning.
Students will explain a character's traits not from the author's words but from actions, dialogue, and growth over time. They will support their ideas with specific examples from the text and connect traits to the character's journey in meaningful ways.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During Role Play: The Hot Seat, watch for students who simplify characters as only 'good' or 'bad'.
Use the hot seat debrief to ask, 'Did the character’s actions change when they were tired or scared? How does that show complexity?' Make students justify their answers with specific moments from the role play.
During Collaborative Investigation: Character Autopsy, watch for students who list only what the author directly writes about the character.
Require groups to find three pieces of evidence from dialogue or actions that reveal the trait, not just the author’s description. Ask them to explain what each piece shows about the character’s personality.
Methods used in this brief