Teach-Reading-and-Writing-Issue-21

www.teachwire.net | 47 T E ACH I NG T E CHN I QUE S “Pupils engage in character analysis, empathy, and critical thinking” GETTING IT RIGHT l If you’re doing a group Role on the Wall, make sure your paper is big enough, and that your pens are thick enough to read from a distance. l Use interesting and complex characters that the class already have some understanding of. l It’s not recommended that you use any religious leaders, or real people that children in the class know personally. l If you get curious about a character, your pupils will likely get curious, too. l You might want to ask the children questions to inspire them to add their own words and ideas. For example: How does the character feel about themselves? What are their passions? What are their values? What are their weaknesses? How would others describe them? l Reassure the children that people often have different interpretations of a character and that is okay; not everyone has to agree on the interpretation made. l Ask pupils to use as few words as possible when adding their ideas. l Explain to the children that one of the joys of reading is that the author creates a character in their imagination, and the reader gets to flesh out the character further in their own imagination. So, it’s okay for pupils to get creative about their character interpretations while doing Role on the Wall. Discussion and reflection Analysing a character with Role on the Wall enhances analytical skills and helps pupils to understand a character more fully. Exploring a character’s internal experiences fosters empathy, allowing the children to connect on a deeper level and to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. Facilitate a class discussion to delve deeper into the character – explain that it’s okay for people to have different points of view. Ask the children to reflect on how this activity has altered or deepened their understanding of the character. Variation 1. Inside & outside Ask pupils to write the character’s emotions and inner thoughts inside the figure (e.g., for the BFG, this could be kind , insecure , loyal ). Then, around the exterior of the figure, the children write what the character shows to the outside world (e.g., speaks gobblefunk , childlike , friendly ). Sam Marsden has taught drama for fifteen years in a variety of settings. She’s the author of 100 Acting Exercises for 8–18 Year Olds, Acting Games for Improv, Drama Games for Early Years, and Acting Exercises for Creative Writing. @SamMarsdenDrama marsdensam.com Fern Saves Wilbur Takes good care of the pig She prioritises spending time with and taking care of the animals Loyal Ethical Persuasive Determined Compassionate Loving Empathetic Fair Afraid Questions her father to save Wilbur, saying "If I had been very small at birth, would you have killed me?" Persuades her father to keep the pig Variation 2. Annotation & proof Pupils write the character’s traits, strengths, weaknesses, values and emotions inside the outline of the figure (e.g., for Fern from Charlotte’s Web, this could be empathic , loving , determined ). The children then write their proof for each characteristic around the outside of the figure (e.g., Fern rescued the pig ). Variation 3. Footsteps This is a particularly useful variation for creative writing. In particular, when children are developing characters for their own fiction pieces. Inside the character’s figure, pupils write character traits, strengths, weaknesses, values and emotions. Then they draw a path of footsteps, with each footprint containing past experiences that shape the character. For example, if a child has created a character called Scarlett, they might say she is honest, brave, fair, feisty, and too quick to act. Then, in her footsteps, they might say she has two older brothers who she fights with – one of them lies, which makes honesty important to her. She plays tennis, which teaches her to act fast, and once she saved a cat from drowning and learnt bravery saves lives. Variation 4. Action & consequence In this version of the activity, pupils write the actions of a character inside the outline figure (e.g., Fern asked her dad if he’d kill her if she was born too small ). Then, on the outside of the figure, the children write the consequence of each action. For example, Fern’s dad does not kill the pig. Also, Fern takes care of the pig, and the consequence is a happy, celebrated pig! Variation 5. Individual & relationship For this variation, use two character outlines next to each other. Pupils write character traits, strengths, weaknesses, values and emotions inside each character. Then, in the space between the two characters, the children write words that relate to their relationship. For example, if it were Mr Wormwood and Matilda, pupils might write strained, abusive, unfair, not right, conflict, revenge, rage. © Rosalind Hobley