Characters Inside and Out

Traits, motives, thoughts, and feelings, inferred from what characters say and do.

Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.

What children learn in Level 48

Authors don't always tell you what characters are like. You figure it out from what they say, do, and feel. That's called making an inference.
A trait is what a character is like inside: brave, kind, determined, creative. Omar sets up a tablet and sprinkles flour to catch the thief. Omar is determined!
Feelings change during a story. Nia's knees shook on the ladder: nervous. At the end, Nia grinned: proud.
Motives are the reasons characters do things. Why did Nia jump off the low board ten times? To practice!
Always find proof. Point to the sentence in the story that shows the trait or feeling.

Georgia's K-12 English Language Arts Standards:

3.T.T.1.c — Describe characters’ traits, motivations, actions, thoughts, and feelings and explain their connection to the central message, lesson, or moral of the story. (I)
3.P.EICC.3.f — Make, track, and support inferences about different levels of meaning within the text. (I)