Understanding Characters and Their Actions in Stories
Understanding Characters and Their Actions in Stories Objective: Students will be able to describe how a character’s actions contribute to the sequence of events in a story, demonstrating comprehension of character motivation and plot development.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the main character in a story.
- Describe actions taken by the character.
- Explain how these actions affect what happens next in the story.
Materials Needed
- Short story appropriate for 6-year-olds (print or digital)
- Paper and pencil or crayons
- Character and event chart worksheet
Key Vocabulary
- Character
- A person, animal, or figure in a story.
- Action
- Something a character does in the story.
- Sequence
- The order in which events happen.
Detailed Activities
Read and Discuss a Short Story
- Read the selected short story aloud with your child, or have them read it independently if able.
- Pause to talk about the main character and what they do in the story.
- Ask your child to describe one action the character takes and what happens because of that action.
Character and Event Chart
- Give your child a worksheet with two columns: one for character actions and one for the events that follow.
- Help your child fill in the chart by listing actions of the character and the resulting events in order.
- Discuss how each action leads to the next event to understand sequence.
Draw and Retell
- Ask your child to draw a picture of the character doing an important action from the story.
- Have your child explain their drawing and tell how the action changed what happened in the story.
- Praise their efforts and gently correct or prompt to improve understanding.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- This lesson focuses on helping your child understand how characters influence the story by their actions.
- You don’t need to be an expert; just read and talk about the story together.
- Encourage your child to think about why the character did something and what happened next.
Assessment Questions
- Who is the main character in the story?
- What is one thing the character does?
- What happens after the character’s action?
- Can you put these events in the order they happened?
Extension Ideas
- Read another story and compare how different characters’ actions change the events.
- Write a short story together where your child decides what the character does next.
- Act out the story to explore character actions and consequences physically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try using pictures or acting out the story to make the actions more concrete. Ask simple questions to guide their thinking.
Choose stories your child enjoys, and use different voices when reading. Encourage your child to ask questions about the characters.
Challenge them by asking why the character acted a certain way or how the story might change if the character did something different.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Children may think characters act randomly without reason.
- They might confuse the order of events or miss cause-and-effect relationships.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Use very short stories with clear, simple actions.
- Draw pictures together to visualize character actions and events.
- Provide more one-on-one support and use prompting questions.
For Advanced Students:
- Have them identify character motivations and predict outcomes.
- Discuss how characters change over time in more complex stories.
- Encourage creative writing that explores different character choices.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend about 15 minutes reading and discussing the story.
- Use 15 minutes for the character and event chart activity.
- Reserve the last 15 minutes for drawing and retelling to reinforce concepts.
Standards
- 6.RL.6 — Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Printable Worksheet
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