In this unit, students will learn to consider more complex character traits and apply that to their own books. They'll investigate how setting impacts characters, and they will analyze how characters develop themes in stories and books.
The unit empowers readers to take charge of their reading and develop close reading skills, how to gather text evidence, and weigh and evaluate multiple theories about complex characters. For example, two readers may see the same character differently. This unit helps readers to use text evidence to determine how that character adds to the story.
Expect characters to be complicated and show more than one trait.
Revise their thinking in the face of new evidence.
Look at a character’s less likable sides. Even characters we really like are flawed, as no one is perfect.
Know that some traits matter more than others because they affect the rest of the story.
Consider the pressures exerted on characters.
Reflect on the characters and the story again, after they read the ending. Sometimes this will change what we thought completely.