5th Grade Reading & Language Arts — Literature and Composition — Writing for God's Glory
Students will analyze characters by examining their traits, motivations, actions, and how they change throughout a story.
Character analysis means looking closely at the people in a story to understand who they are and why they do what they do. We examine their character traits — qualities like bravery, kindness, selfishness, or honesty.
We learn about characters in four ways: what the author tells us directly, what the character says, what the character does, and what other characters say about them. These clues help us understand their motivations — the reasons behind their actions.
Some characters change during a story. These are called dynamic characters. For example, Saul of Tarsus changed from persecuting Christians to becoming the apostle Paul. Characters who stay the same are called static characters.
God looks at the heart, not the outward appearance. When we analyze characters, we should look beyond the surface too. Understanding why characters make their choices helps us think about the choices we make in our own lives.
Choose a character from a book you are reading or a Bible character. Create a 'Character Profile' poster with: name, 3 character traits (with evidence), motivations, how they changed, and a quote that reveals their character.