Courseversity

Characterisation

Primary EducationGrade 5English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G05-ELA-U07-L0345–60 min

You will learn

  • Show appearance.
  • Show actions.
  • Show speech.
  • Show thoughts and feelings.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Choose traits.
  2. Show them with actions.
  3. Add speech.
  4. Add thoughts.

Words to know

characterisation
how a writer shows a character
show, do not tell
showing traits through actions instead of naming them
trait
a quality of a character
motive
the reason a character acts

1. Discover: Telling and showing

Telling: Kunle was generous. Showing: Kunle split his bread in two and pressed the larger half into his friend’s hands. “I am not very hungry,” he lied.

The showing version reveals the trait (generous), the motive (caring about his friend) and a detail of speech.

Think: What does the second version show that the first does not?

2. Understand: Bringing characters to life

Idea 1: Show, do not tell

Rather than naming a trait, show it through actions, speech and thoughts.

Idea 2: Five ways

Characterisation uses appearance, actions, speech, thoughts and how others react.

Idea 3: Motive

Give a character a motive, a reason for acting, so readers understand them.

Remember: Show character traits through actions, speech, thoughts and appearance rather than just naming them.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Trait

What trait is shown?

  1. Generous.

Answer: generous

Example 2 (We do it together): Action

Which action shows it?

  1. Bread.

Answer: splitting his bread and giving the larger half

Example 3 (You try): Motive

What is the motive?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Care.

Answer: he cares about his friend

Did you know?

Memorable characters often have a small habit or detail that readers recall.

Why this matters

Strong characters make readers care about the story.

4. Explore: Show it

Rewrite telling as showing.

  1. Write a telling sentence.
  2. Add an action.
  3. Add speech.
  4. Add a thought.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can show character.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • She ___ to show she was ___.
  • “___,” he said, ___.
  • He thought ___.
  • Her motive was ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. How a writer shows a character is ___.

characterisation

Question 2. A quality of a character is a ___.

trait

Question 3. The reason a character acts is the ___.

motive

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. How a writer shows a character is ___.
  2. A quality of a character is a ___.
  3. The reason a character acts is the ___.
  4. Showing traits through actions is show, do not ___.
  5. Kunle split his ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Who got the larger half?
  2. What did Kunle say?
  3. Was it true?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Can actions show traits?
  2. Should writers only tell?
  3. Does motive explain actions?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Show a brave, shy or kind character in four sentences without naming the trait.

Show a sample answer

four sentences

Another one. Describe a person you know using only actions and speech, not trait words.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can show appearance.
  • I can show actions.
  • I can show speech.
  • I can show thoughts and feelings.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. Characterisation is how a writer ___ a character.

2. A trait is a ___ of a character.

3. A motive is a ___ for acting.

4. Show, do not ___.

5. Which shows generosity?

6. Which tells rather than shows?

7. What trait does Her hands trembled show?

8. What reveals thought?

9. What reveals speech?

10. What does motive explain?

11. What makes a character memorable?

12. Why show character?

Challenge 1. Which shows she is brave?

Challenge 2. Which reveals a motive?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Choose traits.
  • Show them with actions.
  • Add speech.
  • Add thoughts.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Dialogue. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. What is characterisation? [1 mark]
  2. Name three ways to show character. [3 marks]
  3. Change She was angry into a showing sentence. [1 mark]
  4. What is a motive? [1 mark]
  5. Explain show, do not tell. [3 marks]

Total: 9 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. how a writer shows a character [1]
  2. actions [1]; speech [1]; thoughts or appearance [1]
  3. a sentence showing anger through action or speech [1]
  4. the reason a character acts [1]
  5. telling names the trait [1]; showing uses actions, speech and thoughts [1]; showing lets readers infer the trait [1]

Score guide: 8 to 9 = secure. 6 to 7 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. How a writer shows a character is ___.
  2. A quality of a character is a ___.
  3. The reason a character acts is the ___.
  4. Showing traits through actions is show, do not ___.
  5. Kunle split his ___.
  6. Who got the larger half?
  7. What did Kunle say?
  8. Was it true?
  9. Can actions show traits?
  10. Should writers only tell?

Homework

Describe a person you know using only actions and speech, not trait words.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. How a writer shows a character is ___. characterisation 1
2. A quality of a character is a ___. trait 1
3. The reason a character acts is the ___. motive 1
4. Showing traits through actions is show, do not ___. tell 1
5. Kunle split his ___. bread 1
6. Who got the larger half? his friend 1
7. What did Kunle say? I am not very hungry 1
8. Was it true? no 1
9. Can actions show traits? yes 1
10. Should writers only tell? no 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 characterisation; 2 trait; 3 motive; 4 tell; 5 bread. Level 2: 1 his friend; 2 I am not very hungry; 3 no. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 no; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Show appearance Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Show actions Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Show speech Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Show thoughts and feelings Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: show appearance; show actions; show speech; show thoughts and feelings.

Prerequisite knowledge. Plot development.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 9-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 5 » Writing; Grade 5 » Language. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core W.5.3b (use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations); Cambridge Primary English Stage 5 (character). These sources informed the lesson.

Keep learning

Same topic in other grades

Scroll to Top