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Character Motivation - Duke

Classroom Resource Information

Title:

Character Motivation - Duke

URL:

https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/vtl07.la.rv.text.lpmotiduke/character-motivation-duke/

Content Source:

PBS

Type:

Lesson/Unit Plan

Overview:

Students complete a chart describing Duke Ellington’s motivations for playing the piano and describe how these motivations changed his attitude toward playing the piano.

This resource provides students with an opportunity to analyze character motivation.

Content Standard(s):

English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 4

15. Analyze in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

a. Identify and explain attitudes and influences of multiple characters within a text.

b. Explain how the main character changes throughout the story, using explicit evidence from the text.

c. Make an inference about a character's behavior, the setting, and/or specific events, using explicit details from the story.

Unpacked Content

Teacher Vocabulary:

15.

Analyze
Character
Setting
Event
Story
Drama
Specific details

15a.

Attitude
Influence
Characters

15b.

Main character
Explicit evidence

15c.

Inference
Character
Behavior
Setting
Specific events
Explicit details

Knowledge:

15. Students know:

Characters are any person, animal, or figure that affect the events of the story.
Setting is when and where a story takes place.
Events are situations that are described in the story.
A drama is a story with dialogue that can be read by different people.
Details in the text provide information about the characters, setting, and events.

15a.

Characters are any person, animal, or figure that affect the events of the story.
Characters in text are described as having certain attributes, like attitude.
Characters in text can be influenced by other characters or events in the text.

15b.

The main character is the focus of the plot and often displays changes in attitude or beliefs during the story.
Explicit evidence refers to direct quotations from the text.

15c.

Making an inference requires using observation and background knowledge to reach a logical conclusion.
Inferences can be drawn by using information from the text.

Skills:

15. Students are able to:

Use specific details from the text to explain attributes of the characters, setting, or event in a story or drama.

15a.

Identify attitudes and influences of multiple characters within a text.
Explain the reasoning behind characters' attitudes and influences.

15b.

Identify the main character in a story.
Use explicit evidence from text to explain how the main character changed in the story.

15c.

Use explicit details from a story to support inferences about a character's behavior, the story's setting, and/or specific events.

Understanding:

15. Students understand that:

They can explain details about characters, settings, and events in a story or drama by using evidence from the text.

15a.

There are influences that affect characters' behavior and attitude in a text.

15b.

A story usually focuses on one main character who changes throughout the text.
Their explanations can be supported with direct quotations from the text.

15c.

Making an inference requires them to use information from the text and their background knowledge to draw conclusions about characters, settings, and events in a story.

Tags:

Analyze, Character, Details, Motivation

License Type:

Custom Permission Type
See Terms: https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/help/terms-of-use/#restrictions
For full descriptions of license types and a guide to usage, visit :
https://creativecommons.org/licenses

Accessibility

Text Resources: Content is organized under headings and subheadings

Comments

This resource contains links to supporting materials.

This resource provided by:

Author:

Jessica Byrd

ALEX Classroom Resource

Character Motivation - Duke