1. Character Traits
What are character traits? How does the reader understand a character’s traits?

2. Common Character Traits These are descriptive adjectives that describe what a character is like. Which qualities describe you?
June 22-July 22
Loving
Protective
Sympathetic
emotional
July 23-August 21
Generous
Warm-hearted
Faithful
bossy
August 22-September 23
Shy
Diligent
Intelligent
fussy
September 21-October 23
Charming
Easygoing
Sociable
indecisive
October 24-November 22
Determined
Exciting
passionate
obstinate
November 23-December 22
Optimistic
Honest
Intellectual
Irresponsible
December 23-January 20
ambitious
Patient
Humorous
pessimistic
January 21-February 19
Friendly
Independent
Loyal
Unpredictable
February 20-March20
Imaginative
Sympathetic
Selfless
Easily-led
March 21-April 20
Adventurous
Confident
Courageous
Impatient
April 21-May 21
Reliable
Determined
Patient
jealous
May 22-June 21
lively
witty
Communicative
nervous

3. How do we learn about A character’s traits when reading?
Kyle strolled into the classroom ten minutes late. His nonchalant look said it all, as did the roll of his eyes when Mr. Smith snarled, “Kyle, this is the third time this week that you have been tardy. That’s a yellow slip for you.” “So,” Kyle mumbled as he slouched into his desk, neither embarrassment nor regret on his freckled face. Then he leaned into the aisle. “Dude, got a pencil?” Kyle whispered to Timothy who sat in the adjacent row. “No, for the millionth time!” Timothy retorted, unsure why Kyle even bothered showing up to class at all. Then he watched Kyle take his regular, not so scholarly position – head on desk, eyes shut, and drool seeping from the side of his mouth. How would you describe Kyle based on the story and the questions on the left? (Discuss)
What a character says
What a character does
What a character thinks
What other characters say, do, and think towards that character

4. Kyle is… What a character says What a character does
Irresponsible
Kyle had been late three times in one week, and he didn’t seem to care because his look was “nonchalant.”
Kyle didn’t care about his studies; in fact, he slept in class, “eyes shut, drooling.”.
Unlike most responsible students, Kyle came to class without supplies. This is shown when he asked Timothy for a pencil, and it obviously was not the first time.
What a character says
What a character does
What a character thinks
What other characters say, do, and think towards that character

5. Describe a character from your library book (Support your claim with text evidence)
What a character says
What a character does
What a character thinks
What other characters say, do, and think towards that character
Character Trait
Detail from the story to support your claim
Detail from the story to support your claim.

6. “If the truth be told”
Journal Response – Write for 7-10 minutes on the following quote:
“What is right is not always popular; what is popular is not always right.”

7. “If the truth be told”
1. Based on the title and the picture from the reading, write a short prediction for this story. (Discuss) 2. As we popcorn read “If the Truth Be Told,” circle all words that are unfamiliar to you. 3. Be prepared to stop and actively discuss each paragraph.

8. “If The truth be told”
Which adjective does NOT describe Sojourner Truth?
Influential
Persistent
Brave
Irresponsible
Heartfelt
Why does that word not describe Sojourner Truth but the other four words do? (Discuss using text examples.)

9. “If the truth be told”
Sojourner Truth
Influential (I)
Persistent (P)
Brave (B)
Heartfelt (H)
With your small group, find text evidence to support each of these character traits, underline the examples and mark the margin for text evidence using the letters above. Be prepared to share in ten minutes.

10. (topic sentence) influential
Write an essay that shows sojourner truth’s character traits. (Which character traits would you use to describe sojourner truth? Provide text evidence to support your claims.)
influential
(topic sentence)
Isabella Baumfree, who renamed herself Sojourner Truth after escaping slavery and as a tribute to her life’s journey, can be described as ____________________, ____________________, and ____________________.
brave
persistent
heartfelt

11. “if the truth be told”
Influential
Which of the following statements would best support the trait of influential?
Based on the essay “If the Truth Be Known,” the reader can infer that Sojourner Truth was an ___________ person because ______________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________.
…through her public speaking, she gained the respect of famous Americans like William Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and Abraham Lincoln.
…she attempted to vote in 1872, even though she was a woman and a black, two groups who did not have the right to vote.
…she impacted the lives of many famous people through her candid speeches. The text stated that she “earned the respect of a nation” through her public speeches about ending slavery, reforming prisons, and ending capital punishment.

12. If the truth be told
Choose the best trait for the statements below.
heartfelt
In addition to being influential, Ms. Truth was also __________. This is revealed because she _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ ______________________________. Another specific action that reveals this trait is that _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________.
persistent
brave
Choose two statements that best fit this trait. Order them according to the paragraph.
… attempted to cast a ballot to vote even though it was illegal for women to vote in
…she fed black soldiers during the Civil War.
… courageously spoke publically about women’s rights and the equal treatment of women.
…she rode a “whites only” streetcar.

13. “If the truth be told”
Use the words below to complete the statements. (Not all will be used.)
heartfelt
persistent
In addition to being influential and ________, Sojourner Truth was also ____________. This is shown because _______ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________.
brave
Support with these statements. One does not belong.
…she spoke from the heart.
…she was born a slave in 1797 and was sold four times.
For example, she could not read or write, but her own stories encouraged and touched others. Speaking from the heart was “where she could find the truth.”

14. “if the truth be told”
The concluding sentence sums up what you have said. Finish the concluding sentence with the traits we have used.
Essay Format Reminders
Topic sentence…tell them what you are going to say
Body…say it with specific text evidence or by summarizing what the text explicitly said.
Conclusion…tell them what you said.
Because she impacted many lives, escaped slavery and fought for reforms, and spoke from her heart, Sojourner Truth can be described as ________________, ________________, and _____________________.

15. Using the notes, write a well-developed paragraph revealing the character traits of sojourner truth. Watch punctuation and spelling, as those mistakes will be costly to your grade!
“If the truth be told”