Favourite character or personality

Do you have a favourite character from a book, a TV show, or a movie? Do you have a favourite superhero? Why are they your favourite? What is it about them that you like?

Think about why you like your character or media personality (someone on T.V., internet, podcast, or radio). What are some of their personality traits?

Character creation

Look at the words and/or phrases you used to describe your favourite character.

Words: adjectives, nouns, adverbs, verbs

Did you use a noun? A noun can be a person, place, or thing.

Did you use an adjective? An adjective tells us more about a person, place, or thing.

Did you use a verb? A verb is an action word.

Did you use an adverb? An adverb tell us more about a verb.

Access the videos “Homework Zone: Nouns” and “Homework Zone: Adjectives” to learn about adjectives and nouns.

Nouns

Adjectives

A noun is a person, place, or thing. Adjectives are describing words that are used in a sentence to describe a noun.

For example, in the photo, there are many boots. The word boots is a noun because it is a thing.

In the photo, some boots are bigger and some boots are smaller. We use words bigger and smaller to describe the sizes of the boots. Bigger and smaller are adjectives.

Access the videos “Homework Zone: Verbs” and “Homework Zone: Adverbs” to learn about verbs and adverbs.

Action Words or Verbs

Adverbs

A verb is an action word we use in a sentence.
An adverb describes the verb that we use in a sentence.

For example, in the picture, we see a tortoise walks slowly and a cheetah runs quickly. The words walks and runs are verbs because they are action words we use.

The tortoise walks slowly. The word slowly is an adverb. It describes how the tortoise walks. We use an adverb in a sentence to describe the verb.

The cheetah runs quickly. The word quickly is an adverb. It describes how the cheetah runs. We use an adverb in a sentence to describe the verb.

We understand what are adjectives, adverbs, verbs, and nouns.

Let's go back to our favourite character. We will focus on how you described your favourite character. We can use the table to help us group the words that were used.

Check your work to make sure you have:

• adjectives
• adverbs
• verbs
• nouns

Use the Adjectives, Nouns, Adverbs, and Verbs Fill-in Table in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document to help guide you and to check over your work.

Your tables might have words or phrases that are similar to these examples below:

Examples

Sort these examples and add them to your tables.

In your table, you now have a list of words to describe your favourite character.

Your next step is to brainstorm ideas to create your very own character. Today, you will have a chance to be an author and write all about it.

Mind map/graphic organizer

We’re going to start using some or maybe even all of the 5Ws 1H (who, what, where, why, when, how), starting with WHO. Who is your character?

Choose one graphic organizer, or you can use a blank sheet of paper to create your own mind map, to brainstorm along with the guiding questions below to help you. Use the Gingerbread Graphic Organizer 1 or Gingerbread Graphic Organizer 2 in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document help guide you and to check over your work.

Use the following questions to guide you in creating your character. You can pick and choose which questions to start with. Try working with 1 question from each THINK ABOUT section. There are 7 sections.

If you’re making a mind map, use whatever idea you have for your character. It can be a word or a phrase. Write the word or phrase in the center of a blank paper or mind map template. As you go through the question, link the new ideas as you add onto your mind map. Use the Mind Map Template in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document help guide you and to check over your work.

Think About

THINK ABOUT who your character IS.

• Is your character human or an animal?
• Is your character an object with a personality?

THINK ABOUT what your character DOES.

• What does your character say?
• Come up with a regular saying your character says. We call that a catch-phrase.
• How does your character talk?
• What does your character like to talk about?
• Does your character even talk?
• Does your character speak more than 1 language?
• What are their hobbies, activities, sports, music, dance, reading, crafts, knitting, gardening, exploring, researching, studying, games?
• Does your character follow rules or sometimes get into trouble? Why?

THINK ABOUT how your character FEELS.

• What makes your character happy, sad, unsure, angry, excited, optimistic?
• What are their greatest fears?
• What motivates your character?
• Does your character feel free to do what they want and like?
• Does your character show their feelings?
• Does your character hide their feelings?
• How do others feel when they are around your character?
• Does your character have secrets?
• Who does your character trust or confide in?

THINK ABOUT what your character LIKES.

• What do they like about their home life?
• What do they like about their school?
• What’s their favourite subject(s)?
• What are their sports or hobbies? What music do they listen to?
• Does your character have any special skill(s)? Maybe your character feels ordinary and wishes they had something special. Maybe your character doesn’t know what their special skill is yet.
• What are their favourite foods, time of day, day of the week, sports, books, T.V. shows, games, places?
• Who do they look up to? Who do they want to be like?
• Do they like noise and busy places, or do they prefer quiet, alone time?
• Do they like to have a lot of people’s attention?

THINK ABOUT what your character DISLIKES.

• Any foods? Subjects? Chores? Time of day like bedtime, morning?
• People? Relatives? Neighbours?
• Behaviours?
• Do they like to talk in front of their class?

THINK ABOUT your character’s LIFE.

• Who is in their family?
• Any siblings? Pets?
• Who do they live with?
• When do they spend time with their caregiver(s)/guardian(s)?
• Who are their friends? Does the character have a lot of friends, a few friends, 1 friend?
• Do they have imaginary friends?
• Who are their classmates, teachers, coaches?
• What do they do after school?
• How do they go to school? Are they homeschooled?
• What are they allowed to do at home? What are they not allowed to do at home?

THINK ABOUT how your character LOOKS and DRESSES.

• Make something unique about how your character dresses. It could be footwear, a jacket, a shirt or t-shirt, hat, or colour, or logo or pattern.
• How does your character wear their hair?
• Are they always carrying something or wearing something: necklace, wristband…?

Masks

When you make a character for your story, there is a lot to think about. Making a mask is like writing about a character. If the mask is a person or an animal, how will you design it? When you explore a mask, you learn more about the character behind it.

Access the video “The Mystery Behind the Mask” to learn more about past and present cultures around the world that celebrate with masks and costumes.

A mask is like the outside of a character. It is how we understand the character behind the mask. What if we were to learn more about what is behind the mask? Perhaps we can learn more about the feelings, dreams, or their adventures.

Time to finish your character brainstorm. Now we want to learn more about your character's life.

• Where does your character live and who do they live with?
• Where does your character go to school or do they work?
• What types of friends do they have?
• Do they enjoy any activities?

Use the organizer to help record your ideas.

If you brainstormed using a mind map, you can start organizing and moving your ideas on your mind map to the gingerbread person template.

Inside a new gingerbread, we can write about your character.

What do you know about the character's friends, school, activities? Write the details on the outside of the gingerbread drawing.

This time we will write inside of the gingerbread. Describe what is your character like?

If possible, ask your teacher for help if you want to use a shape that is not a gingerbread.

Conflict

A conflict is a disagreement. For example, there can be two people who think different. The conflict is when they both think they are right. Another example of conflict can be when two people have to share a room. One person is noisy and the other person wants it to be quiet.

Think about a conflict. You may have heard the conflict, possibly even seen it or been in a conflict yourself. What come to mind?

Think of a problem or challenge your character experiences. How is it that the character has this conflict or challenge? You can also add another conflict if you want.

Is the problem a conflict with another?

• best friend starts playing with others more
• family member too busy to spend time
• being bullied by a classmate
• doesn’t like their teacher
• new neighbours are noisy at night

Is the problem one that has to do with their surroundings?

• have to move and your character doesn’t want to
• disaster happening (storm, tornado, water leakage, flood)
• play at school and your character can’t remember their part

Is the problem an inner problem?

• your character keeps trying to get good at something but keeps making mistakes
• your character feels lonely
• your character wishes they were more like someone else
• your character daydreams at school and can’t help it
• your character keeps getting in trouble but doesn’t know until they’re in trouble
• your character is supposed to believe something they don’t really believe

Voice

Now, try your best to write as if YOU are your character! Use words like

I, me, us, we

This is called writing in first person narrative.

It’s just like you are pretending to be your character. So, you must write as your character, and not as yourself!

Choose a SETTING for your character. A setting is a time and a place. You can make the setting anywhere because you’re the writer! YOU DECIDE! Just try to make sure that the setting makes sense to your character and their problem/conflict/challenge/big change. Try to make the reader interested in your writing.

Exercise: Is this interesting?

My character’s conflict is that they are so afraid of the dark that they freeze like a statue, and I put my character on a swing set in a playground in the morning.

Is that interesting so far? Yes or No?

Right now, it doesn’t sound too interesting.

More needs to be added, or maybe the setting needs to be changed. Maybe if we change the setting to the longest and darkest night of the year, maybe that will be a bit more interesting for the reader because the character is really afraid of the dark, and it’s the longest (darkest) night of the year! Maybe it’s the new or dark or black moon that occurs every 28 days. What does my character do once a month whenever it’s a new moon?

As a reader, we’re wondering what this character will do!

Explore Raven’s Quest Game!

It’s time to play a game! You will now access Raven’s Quest Game.

While you have fun playing Raven’s Quest Game, examine at least two animal characters before helping them in the game. Examine the words each animal character says that give them their unique voice. How are the words for Turtle’s voice different than Skunk’s? Are there words in common? Complete a table similar to the one shown. For a challenge, examine and compare 2 other animal characters using a Venn Diagram, and remember to have fun learning!

Final draft reflection

Rewrite your final draft and include all the revisions to content, spelling, verb tenses, and punctuation.

• What helped inspire your character?
• What helps build your imagination?
• How does being a reader help your writing?

Reflection

How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity?  Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

Press ‘Discover More’ to extend your skills.

Discover More