Lesson Idea | Character Feelings

Subject: Language Arts
Grades: K-2

Introduction

Students will learn describe a variety of character feelings in this lesson plan. Students will brainstorm a list of
words to describe character feelings, then practice describing how Miles felt in the book When Miles Got Mad by
Sam Kurtzman-Counter and Abbie Schiller.

Learning Objectives

- (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4) Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to
the senses.
- (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3) Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

Materials Needed

- Paper and pencil
- When Miles Got Mad by Sam Kurtzman-Counter and Abbie Schiller
- Garfield comic strip

Procedure

Activity 1: Character Feelings
1. Gather students together and tell them that today they will be learning about character traits. Then, ask
students what they think that means.
2. Next, discuss that character traits are the words that describe how a character is feeling or the way they are
acting. Tell students that knowing character feelings will help them to better understand the story they are
reading.
3. Together as a class, brainstorm words that could describe how a person feels (happy, sad, mad, etc.). Write each
of these words on the board.

Activity 2: Miles Got Mad
1. Read the story, When Miles Got Mad by Sam Kurtzman-Counter and Abbie Schiller.
2. On the board, write “Miles got mad when___.” Then ask students to fill in the blank.
3. Write a few more prompts from the story and have students describe how Miles felt.

Activity 3: Independent Practice
1. Mirror the Garfield comic strip on your Smartboard and read it together as a class.
2. Then write the following prompts on the board and ask students to write down their answers. As students are
writing, circulate around the classroom.
• How did Garfield feel in the beginning of the comic strip?
• How did Garfield feel in the end of the comic strip?

3. Ask students to think of a time they felt like Garfield. Then ask students to use words from the list you
brainstormed earlier to help them answer the question.

Evaluation

Assess students’ knowledge through their independent practice activity.