Grade 4 English Language Arts | FL B.E.S.T. Standard: ELA.4.R.1.1
Explain how setting, events, conflict, and character development contribute to the plot in a literary text.
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
| Term | Definition | Student-Friendly Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Character Trait | A consistent quality that describes who a character is | A word that describes what kind of person a character is most of the time (brave, kind, stubborn) |
| Character Feeling | An emotion that a character experiences at a specific moment | How a character feels at one point in the story (nervous, excited, sad) |
| Motivation | The reason behind a character's actions or choices | WHY a character does what they do - what they want or need |
| Character Arc | The change a character undergoes throughout a story | How a character is different at the end compared to the beginning |
| Text Evidence | Direct quotes or specific details from the text | Proof from the story that supports what you say about a character |
Positive Traits:
Traits That Can Be Challenging:
| Day | Focus | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Traits vs. Feelings | Introduce the difference using familiar characters. Use Student Concept Worksheet. |
| 2 | Finding Evidence | Model how to find evidence for traits through actions, dialogue, and thoughts. |
| 3 | Character Motivation | Explore why characters do what they do. Practice with Practice Worksheet passages 1-2. |
| 4 | Character Arc | Track how characters change. Complete Practice Worksheet with partner support. |
| 5 | Assessment | Administer FAST Format Quiz. Review and reteach as needed. |
Teach students to Answer the question, Cite evidence from the text, and Explain how the evidence supports their answer. Example: "Marcus is brave (Answer) because he stood up to the bully even though he was scared (Cite). This shows bravery because he did the right thing despite his fear (Explain)."
Give students a "detective checklist" to find evidence: (1) What does the character DO? (2) What does the character SAY? (3) What does the character THINK? (4) How do OTHER characters react to them? Each piece of evidence is a clue to character traits.
Create a T-chart showing who the character is at the beginning vs. the end. Identify the key event or realization that caused the change. This helps students understand character arc.
Put the character's goal in the center. Brainstorm: What does the character want? Why do they want it? What are they willing to do to get it? What stands in their way? This reveals motivation.
Correction: Traits are consistent (a character is always brave), while feelings change (a character feels scared in one scene, happy in another). Use the test: "Is this true about the character most of the time?" If yes, it's a trait.
Correction: Physical appearance (tall, has brown hair) is not character analysis. Focus on personality traits and how the character thinks, acts, and feels.
Correction: Real characters are complex and have multiple traits. A character can be both brave AND impatient. Encourage students to identify 2-3 traits per character.
Correction: Analysis requires interpretation. Instead of "Maya gave her lunch to Leo," students should say "Maya is generous because she gave her lunch to Leo even though she was hungry."
On the FAST assessment, character analysis questions typically ask students to:
Key Strategy: Teach students to look for character change after a key event or conflict - this often reveals the most important character analysis on the test.