2. Lesson 4-Bringing Characters to Life Begin

3. Bringing Characters to Life Great job! Now that you have selected a story and learned it, it’s time to work on character development. Every story has characters. To be able to tell a story successfully, it is important to be able to identify the main characters and then portray them in your telling of the story. Click on the links below to find out more. What are characters? What are protagonists? What are antagonists? Character Activities

4. What are characters? Characters are any persons, animals, or person-like objects in a story. Usually, there is more than one character in a story and they all have to work together to make the story. Just like people, characters have traits. This can include how they look, how they feel, what they like or dislike, and how they react to situations. Can you identify the characters in one of the stories from the link below?

5. What are protagonists? Protagonists are characters that are the central figures of the story. In most stories, the protagonists are the “good guys” or the characters that we are rooting for. In the story of the Three Little Pigs, the protagonists would be the three little pigs. See if you can determine who the protagonists are in the tale of the The Raven and the Fox. Click on the link below to read the story.

6. What are antagonists? Antagonists are the opposition or “bad guys” in a story. These characters usually have some sort of conflict or trouble with the protagonists or “good guys”. In the story of the Three Little Pigs, the antagonist would be the Big Bad Wolf. See if you can determine who the antagonist is in the tale of the The Raven and the Fox. Now click on the link to create a Story Kite together as a group. You’ll have a chance to make one for your story in class or at home.

7. Character Activities Think about what makes a character memorable. For example, a charade for Jack from Jack in the Beanstalk may be that there is an action of throwing something and then watching as the vine grows and then climbing the vine. Let’s play a game of character charades. Draw a card from the box and act it out. The other participants should try to guess the character. What clues did you use to know which character was being acted out?

8. Let’s Review! When developing characters, remember... A character is any persons, animals, or person-like object in a story. A protagonist is the “good guy” in a story. An antagonist is the “bad guy” in a story. Think about the traits that make the characters memorable.

9. You have completed Lesson 4-Bringing Characters To Life. You can create a Story Kite for your story at home or in class. Remember to practice & tell your story to someone each day!