Internal/External Character Details

External Character Details External = happens on the outside External character details: Are shown when characters react to things that cannot control. Death Illness Catastrophic Events Events in other character’s lives External events allow the author to show information about a character by detailing their reactions to the event.

Internal Character Details Internal= happens on the inside Internal character details are feelings, traits, or thoughts that characters experience. Characters respond to external events based on their traits, how they feel, and what they think. Authors often share messages and themes about texts through the way characters respond or react to external events.

Internal/External – Cause and Effect Relationship Sometimes, the external events cause characters to feel/think/respond in a certain way. External Event ( Cause) Internal Trait (Effect) For example, the teachers and students in school only speak English (external). This causes Francisco to feel lost and look for outlets, such as art, in school (internal).

Internal/External – Cause and Effect Relationship However, sometimes internal traits cause external events to occur. Internal Trait (Cause) External Event (Effect) For example, Francisco may be observed as a deeply compassionate individual. This drives his decision to give his picture to Curtis (external).

Internal/External and Cause/Effect Self-Assignment Francisco’s teacher speaks English, but Francisco speaks and understands Spanish. At the start of school, Francisco tries to pay attention, but at night had headaches and, he describes, “I heard her voice in my head” (p. 18). INTERNAL Francisco feels a strong need to show respect to his teacher, even though he cannot understand her. He does this because his father told him “it was disrespectful not to pay attention, especially to grown ups” (p. 18). INTERNAL Francisco’s teacher denies his Spanish, shaking her head and shouting, “NO!” when he talks in his native language with Arthur (p. 19). Arthur stops spending time with Francisco, so Francisco spends more time in the classroom watching the caterpillar. EXTERNAL Francisco has a strong desire to learn, so he tries strategies that will help him the classroom. Instead of continuing to speak Spanish, he focuses on the caterpillar and tries to learn as much as he can. Looking at pictures in books, he continues “page by page, studying the pictures” (p. 20).

Growing Theories

Video #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l_tFa4-5OM&noredirect=1 Sample: Finding Nemo Video #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l_tFa4-5OM&noredirect=1

Video #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk3ZxmptZy8 Sample: Finding Nemo Video #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk3ZxmptZy8