Week 3: Who is the antagonist in your story?
This week in our reading challenge, we are using common core language to discuss characters and character traits. The language I use in this video is incredibly common in public schools, and your students will have heard all of these terms. I realize that the vocabulary might seem to be at a high level, but the concepts are very simple.
To begin with the story elements they are familiar with are: theme, plot, setting, characters, conflict, point of view, tone and style.
This week we are focused on characters and their characterizations. The most important thing to note when you “characterize” either a character in a book, or a person in your life - those characterization statements must be backed up with examples and an explanation. Watch the video below to see what I mean :)
Activity:
Interview your family and ask "If you are the protagonist in your life story, who is the antagonist in your story, right now?" (see helpful chart below!)
Bonus! Try to consider the point of view of the antagonist in this life story with your family. This might be funny if your mom says her boss ;)
Extensions:
Students in 2nd grade and beyond, need to be thinking about characters at a high level. This means we can no longer simply say, “that character is bad.” Below, is an exercise I use in book club to get kids to make helpful characterization statements:
This character is INSERT TRAIT because they did INSERT ACTIONS BACKING UP THE TRAIT, and they probably are that way because INSERT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO THEM EARLIER TO TRIGGER THIS TRAIT.
In the second part of the video, I talk about point of view. Having kids think about the re-telling of a story from the points of view of the characters who do not have voices in the story - is powerful work for thinking - and for life. Have you ever peeled back a sibling conflict by asking "ok… now tell me your brother's version of what happened?" ... book thinking is human thinking. You cannot get kids thinking about books at the level required in middle school and beyond without relating the books to their real life.
