1. Today you will need: A pencil A book to read
Thursday September 29, 2016
Today you will need:
A pencil
A book to read

2. 10 Minutes
Independent Reading

3. Criteria for Success
At the end of today’s lesson, we will use the S.T.E.A.L. characterization Strategy to analyze characters in the text Maniac Magee.

4. Think-Write-Pair-Share
Think about your favorite character you’ve seen on tv/movies or read in a book.
Write:
In 2-5 sentences, describe who the character is.
Pair-share
With a group member, share your responses.
Example: Flamboyant, colorful, and loud are all words that I can use to describe my favorite character. She is a queen among kings in the Lyon’s den. She doesn’t take crap from anyone no matter what their position. She will cut her enemies down quickly with her quick wit and sharp tongue.

5. How do writers bring characters to life?
Characterization
How do writers bring characters to life?

6. What is characterization?
Characterization is the way writers create and describe a character for the reader.
There are two types of characterization:
Direct characterization
Indirect characterization

7. Direct characterization
When writers use direct characterization in their writing, they tell us what type of character we are reading about:
From “Maniac Magee”:
“A couple of people truly remember, and here’s what they saw: a scraggly little kid jogging toward them, the sole of both sneakers hanging by their hinges and flopping open like dog tongues each time they came up from the pavement.”
As readers, we don’t have to wonder about what Maniac Magee like or what his demeanor is. The writer TOLD us  DIRECTLY.

8. For the character that corresponds to your number, provide a detail of him or her using direct characterization. 1 3 2

9. Indirect characterization
Writers most often use indirect characterization to show (not tell) things that reveal the personality of a character:
The character’s speech,
The character’s thoughts,
The effect the character has on others,
The character’s actions,
The physical “looks” of the character

10. Indirect characterization
It is more like the way we learn about people in real life because we naturally observe people and characters in films, etc. to figure out his/her/its personality.
Remember the word, STEAL…

11. personality of characters
“STEAL”
The letters in the word “STEAL” can help you remember the five different ways writers use indirect characterization to create characters:
“S” stands for SPEECH.
Why it works:
Writers help readers learn about a character by giving the character something to say and a unique way to say it. This brings out the
personality of characters

12. “STEAL” “S” stands for SPEECH. Example:
“Hold it, runt,” snarled Mcnab. “I can’t pitch right when I gotta wizz.”
What do we learn about Mcnab through his speech?

13. personality of characters.
“STEAL”
“T” stands for THOUGHTS.
What can we learn about the character through reading his/her/its private thoughts?
Why it works:
Writers allow readers to learn the private thoughts of characters to learn the
personality of characters.

14. “T” stands for THOUGHTS.
“STEAL”
“T” stands for THOUGHTS.
Example:
“For the life of him, he couldn’t figure why these East Enders called themselves black. He kept looking and looking, and the colors he found were gingersnap and light fudge and dark fudge and acorn and butter rum and cinnamon and burnt orange. But never licorice, which, to him, was real black.”
What do we learn about Magee through his thoughts?

15. “STEAL” “E” stands for EFFECT ON OTHERS Why it works:
What can be learned about the character by reading how other characters feel or act around the him/her/it?
Why it works:
Writers create relationships for characters to help readers learn the personality of characters.

16. “STEAL” “E” stands for EFFECT ON OTHERS Example:
Maniac gave his answer: “I am home.”
The man took a step closer, dropped his arm. “You go on home now, son. Back to your own kind. I seen ya at the block party. Now you get goin’.”
Maniac stepped out of the gusher, the water roared on to the opposite curb. “This is where I live. I live right down there.” He pointed toward Sycamore.
The man didn’t seem to notice. “Never enough, is it. Whitey? Just want more and more. Won’t even leave us our little water in the street. Come on down to see Bojangles. Come on to the zoo. The monkey house.”
What effect does Maniac’s have on the man at the block party?
What do we learn about Maniac based on the actions and thoughts of the man?

17. personality of characters.
“STEAL”
“A” stands for ACTIONS.
What does the character do?
How does the character behave?
Why it works:
Writers create actions for characters
to help readers learn the
personality of characters.

18. “STEAL” “A” stands for ACTIONS. Example:
Before Maniac could go to sleep, however, there was something he had to do. He flipped off the covers and went downstairs. Before the puzzled faces of Mr. and Mrs. Beale, he opened the front door and looked at the three cast-iron digits nailed to the door frame: seven two eight. He kept staring at them smiling. Then he closed the door, said cheerfully, “Goodnight,” and went back to bed.
What do Maniac’s actions tell us about him?

19. personality of characters.
“STEAL”
“L” stands for LOOKS.
What does the character look like?
How does the character dress?
Why it works:
Writers use descriptions of characters’ physical attributes to help readers learn the
personality of characters.

20. “STEAL” “L” stands for LOOKS. Example:
She kept running, then stopped, turned, glared. What kind of kid was this, anyway? All grungy. Ripped shirt. Why didn’t he go back to Bridgeport or the West End, where he belonged?
What did we learn about both Amanda’s and Maniac’s looks from this passage?

21. STEAL Activity Independent Task
Using the character analysis graphic organizer, select on of the following characters and complete the chart.
Jeffrey “Maniac” Magee
Amanda Beale
Hester & Lester
Mcnab
Mars Bars
After completing the chart, write a one-paragraph analysis of your selected character traits. Remember to cite specific evidence from the text to support your analysis of the character.

22. Computer Lab Policies & Guidelines
No talking or playing in the lab
Only go to sites that are permitted
Do not attempt to play a game while there is work to be done.
If you have a question, raise you hand.
You must take notes in the lab and submit them for a grade.

23. User name: hlms.student Password: Eagles#1
Computer Login
User name: hlms.student
Password: Eagles#1

24. 9 Weeks Research Topic Suggestions
Computer Lab Activity
9 Weeks Research Topic Suggestions
You may want to look up the following topics and take notes:
Maniac Magee character analysis and traits
Character descriptions
Text Summaries
Text Plot Outlines/Plot Charts
Definition for identity and what it means to remain true and authentic to oneself.