CHARACTER TRAITS

WHAT ARE CHARACTER TRAITS? HOW DOES THE READER UNDERSTAND A CHARACTER’S TRAITS?

COMMON CHARACTER TRAITS THESE ARE DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE WHAT A CHARACTER IS LIKE. WHICH QUALITIES DESCRIBE YOU?

Kyle strolled into the classroom ten minutes late. His nonchalant look said it all, as did the roll of his eyes when Mr. Smith snarled, “Kyle, this is the third time this week that you have been tardy. That’s a yellow slip for you.”

“So,” Kyle mumbled as he slouched into his desk, neither embarrassment nor regret on his freckled face. Then he leaned into the aisle. “Dude, got a pencil?” Kyle whispered to Timothy who sat in the adjacent row.

“No, for the millionth time!” Timothy retorted, unsure why Kyle even bothered showing up to class at all. Then he watched Kyle take his regular, not so scholarly position – head on desk, eyes shut, and drool seeping from the side of his mouth.

How would you describe Kyle based on the story and the questions on the left? (Discuss)

• What a character says

• What a character does

• What a character thinks

• What other characters say, do, and think towards that character

HOW DO WE LEARN ABOUT A CHARACTER’S TRAITS WHEN READING?

• What a character says

• What a character does

• What a character thinks

• What other characters say, do, and think towards that character

KYLE IS…

• What a character says

• What a character does

• What a character thinks

• What other characters say, do, and think towards that character

DESCRIBE A CHARACTER FROM YOUR LIBRARY BOOK (SUPPORT YOUR CLAIM WITH TEXT EVIDENCE)

“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”

Journal Response – Write for 7-10 minutes on the following

quote:

“What is right is not always popular; what is popular is not always right.”

“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”

1. Based on the title and the picture from the reading, write a short prediction for this story. (Discuss)

2. As we popcorn read “If the Truth Be Told,” circle all words that are unfamiliar to you.

3. Be prepared to stop and actively discuss each paragraph.

“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”

Which adjective does NOT describe Sojourner Truth?

A.Influential

B.Persistent

C.Brave

D.Irresponsible

E.Heartfelt

Why does that word not describe Sojourner Truth but the other four words do? (Discuss using text examples.)

“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”

With your small group, find text evidence to support each of these character traits and underline or highlight pieces of text evidence. Be prepared to share in ten minutes. Write the trait in the margin next to your underlining.

(topic sentence)

Isabella Baumfree, who renamed herself Sojourner Truth after escaping slavery and as a tribute to her life’s journey, can be described as ____________________, ____________________, and ____________________.

influential

WRITE AN ESSAY THAT SHOWS SOJOURNER TRUTH’S CHARACTER TRAITS. (WHICH CHARACTER TRAITS WOULD YOU USE TO DESCRIBE SOJOURNER TRUTH? PROVIDE TEXT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR CLAIMS.)

brave

persistent

heartfelt

Based on the essay “If the Truth Be Known,” the reader can infer that Sojourner Truth was an ___________ person because ______________ ____________________________________________________________________________________.

Influential

Which of the following statements would best support the trait of influential?

“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”

…through her public speaking, she gained the respect of famous Americans like William Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and Abraham Lincoln.

…she attempted to vote in 1872, even though she was a woman and a black, two groups who did not have the right to vote.

…she impacted the lives of many famous people through her candid speeches. The text stated that she “earned the respect of a nation” through her public speeches about ending slavery, reforming prisons, and ending capital punishment.

In addition to being influential, Ms. Truth was also __________. This is revealed because she ______________________________________________________________ _______________________________ ______________________________.

Another specific action that reveals this trait is that _______________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________.

Choose the best trait for the statements below.

IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD

… attempted to cast a ballot to vote even though it was illegal for women to vote in 1872.

…she fed black soldiers during the Civil War.

… courageously spoke publically about women’s rights and the equal treatment of women.

…she rode a “whites only” streetcar.

Choose two statements that best fit this trait. Order them according to the paragraph.

heartfelt

persistent

brave

In addition to being influential and ________, Sojourner Truth was also ____________. This is shown because _______ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Use the words below to complete the statements. (Not all will be used.)

“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”

heartfelt

Support with these statements. One does not belong.

…she spoke from the heart.

…she was born a slave in 1797 and was sold four times.

For example, she could not read or write, but her own stories encouraged and touched others. Speaking from the heart was “where she could find the truth.”

brave

persistent

Because she impacted many lives, escaped slavery and fought for reforms, and spoke from her heart, Sojourner Truth can be described as ________________, ________________, and _____________________.

The concluding sentence sums up what you have said. Finish the concluding sentence with the traits we have used.

Essay Format Reminders

Topic sentence…tell them what you are going to say

Body…say it with specific text evidence or by summarizing what the text explicitly said.

Conclusion…tell them what you said.

“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”

USING THE NOTES, WRITE A WELL-DEVELOPED PARAGRAPH REVEALING THE CHARACTER TRAITS OF SOJOURNER TRUTH. WATCH PUNCTUATION AND SPELLING, AS THOSE MISTAKES WILL BE COSTLY TO YOUR GRADE!“IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD”