Erica Barror
1. Grades: 7th
Subject: English/Language Arts
Content Focus: Character Analysis
Grade-Level Common Core Standards (CCSS):
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its
development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view
of different characters or narrators in a text.
2. Purpose/Relevancy Statement:
Students will learn the importance of major characters and their function within novels.
Students will benefit from this because they will improve their skills in analyzing characters
and making thematic connections. Students will want to learn this because they will engage in
movement, paired work, and group discussions.
3. Accommodations:
The following accommodations/modifications may be employed:
 Teacher’s notes may be provided – employing a modified CLOZE Procedure,
 A peer-review partner may be provided,
 Increased time and/or alternate location for assessments may be provided.
4. Resources:
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Classroom setup, character list, and prop list (see attachment)
Student journals
Copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Worksheet for student responses (see attachment)
5. Performance Objective – Audience/Behavior/Conditions/Degree (ABCD) Format:
The students (A) will be able to summarize the assigned chapters and analyze the characters’
actions within the chapters (B) through the use of a performance activity, paired work, and
group discussion (C) with 90%+ proficiency (D).
6. Content Literacy Strategy:
Journal Writing: Students will begin and end the lesson by writing in their journals
regarding the presented quote and the character to which it applies.
Stop and Jot: Students will record their immediate reactions to events throughout the
reading.
Think-Pair-Share: Students will reflect on the actions of their assigned character in
writing. They will then discuss this in pairs and share their conclusions with the class as a
whole.
7. Bell Work:
Upon entering the room, a document shown on the document camera will inform students to
take out their journals and respond to the prompt in writing (see attached document). Students
will have five minutes to reflect on what the quote means and which character the quote may
be referring to within the novel. The teacher then asks for student volunteers to share their
responses.
8. Opening:
Teacher says, “Good morning/afternoon class! We will continue our discussion and study
of Tom Sawyer today. We will come back to the quotation at the end of the hour after we
have performed chapter 29. Before we begin to act out the scene where Huck saves the
Widow Douglas, let us review what Tom is doing in the meantime.” The teacher then
reviews the chapter being sure to ask the following questions: “Who is occupying room #2?;
Who discovers Injun Joe in the room, and what is Injun Joe doing?; How do Tom and
Huck plan to recover the treasure?; What distracts Tom’s attention from the treasure?;
What are Tom and Becky’s plans for after the picnic?”
“Alright, now that we know what Tom has been up to in this chapter, let’s turn our
attention to Huck.” Using the attached map, the teacher explains how the classroom has been
set up and assigns parts. As parts are assigned, the teacher passes out props. The teacher acts
as the narrator. (See attached sheet for classroom setup, parts, and props)
9. Instructional Method:
A. The teacher says, “During the performance, half of you will be responsible for analyzing
Huck Finn and the other half Injun Joe. On the provided worksheet, you should note the
characters’ actions and frame of mind throughout the scene. Specific lines that provide
insight into the characters’ minds should be marked. We will also be completing two stop
and jot exercises throughout the performance. You will simply jot down your reactions to
the prompts given on your worksheet.” The teacher will then assign each student a character
(i.e. Injun Joe or Huck Finn) and explain the worksheet in depth.
B. The assigned students perform the scene until the point in which Injun Joe reveals he will
notch the Widow’s ears on page 186. At this point, the teacher will ask students to stop and
quickly jot their feelings towards Injun Joe and his actions on the provided worksheet. The
teacher will ask for a few volunteers to share their responses and for a thumbs up if students
have understood the events that have been performed thus far. The performance will then
continue.
C. At the end of the chapter, the teacher will stop students and ask them to jot down their
reaction to Huck’s actions and whether they would have responded to the situation in the same
way on the provided worksheet. The teacher will once again check for comprehension using
thumbs up or down and ask for a few student responses.
10. Guided Practice:
A. After the scene is performed, students will engage in a Think, Pair, Share activity.
Students will quickly pair with the student sitting next to them. Students will discuss their
findings about either Injun Joe or Huck Finn in partners. Students who performed will join
preexisting pairs.
B. Students will then share their findings to the class in a short discussion in which the
students become character experts.
11. Lesson Closure:
On the provided worksheet (see attachment), students will respond to the prompt provided at
the beginning of the hour once again. Students should indicate which character the quote
applies to in this scene and why. Students must note whether their answer changed or
remained the same after the performance. The teacher will assign homework before the end
of the hour. Teacher says, “You are responsible for reading chapter 30 for tomorrow’s
class. Chapter 30 is titled, ‘Tom and Becky in the Cave.’ We will follow up on Huck’s scary
experience as the town discovers that Tom and Becky are missing.”
12. Formative Assessments:
a. Thumbs up-Thumbs down: The teacher will quickly check that students understand the
events of the scene as they are performed.
b. Exit Slip: To be used as an exit slip, the teacher will ask students to complete the given
worksheet and respond to the bell work prompt again and note if their answers have changed.
This will be collected as students exit the classroom.
c. Quiz: Students will take a quiz over chapters 27 through 30 the next day.
13. Re-Teaching, Independent Practice, Extension Activity:
a. Re-Teaching Plan: The teacher will collect the worksheets (see attachment) from the
lesson closure before students leave the class and evaluate these to see if he/she needs to reteach certain aspects of the lesson to strengthen the students’ knowledge. If the exit slips
show that it is necessary to reteach this lesson, the teacher will provide students with more
opportunities to practice deriving themes and analyzing characters from novels in subsequent
chapters.
b. Independent Practice: Students will read chapter 30 from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
and continue to note the development of Huck throughout the novel.
c. Extension Activity: Students will research quotations that represent characters within the
novel. Students will then complete a character analysis essay that includes a quote
representing the student’s chosen character.
14. Summative Assessments:
Students will complete a character analysis essay which draws on prominent themes
throughout the novel, complimented by a cumulative end of the unit test.
15. Reflection Notes:
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Please take out your journals and respond to the
quotation. Be sure to label your entry with the
date and chapter number (29).
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—
not absence of fear.”
Which character may the quote be referring to
within the novel?
How does it apply to this character?
Throughout the performance, you are to reflect on your assigned character. Circle the character
you were assigned below.
Injun Joe
Huck Finn
Make notes of your character’s actions and frame of mind throughout the scene. Record any
specific lines that provide insight into the character’s mind. Become a character expert!
Stop and jot:
1.) Reflect on how you currently feel about Injun Joe and his actions at this point in the scene.
2.) Reflect on how you currently feel about Huck and his actions at this point in the scene. Also,
note if you would have responded to the situation in the same way.
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.”
Let’s return to the quote and reflect on the following questions based on the performance.
Which character may the quote be referring to within the novel? How does it apply to this
character? Did your answer change after seeing the performance and in what way?
Classroom Setup
Back
Bookcase = Welshman’s
Door =
Tavern
Audience
Chairs = Stile at
Widow Douglas’
Podium = Rock
Front
Character and Prop List
Huck = hat
Injun Joe dressed as the deaf and dumb Spaniard = cape, sombrero, wig, goggles
Injun Joe’s companion = old sheet, box
Welshman and sons = fake guns
Owl = sound effect
Twig = sound effect