Character feelings lessons begin in kindergarten and end in . . . well, we still talk about our feelings as adults, right? Teachers are pros at experiencing a wide range of feelings, LOL. 😬
As students are developing their vocabulary banks, it's easy for them to just use words within their comfort zone: happy, mad, sad, and scared. Our jobs are to help them grow their vocabulary and use precise language. What better way to scaffold the process than with some organized lists!
First, have the students select the word that best matches the character's feeling. Then ask them, "Was the character really happy or was he a little happy? How intense was the character's feeling? Let's move to the left if he's a little happy, less intense, and move to the right if he's really happy, more intense." Teachers can review the nuanced meaning of each word and discuss which one best applies to the character using text and picture evidence.
For students who have experience coming up with character feelings and need a more extensive list, there's also an alphabetized list for each feeling category.
Students can then write about their character feelings using complete sentences using these graphic organizers. Sample responses for each graphic organizer are included in this product based on the text, The Story of Diva and Flea by one of my favorite authors, Mo Willems.
The five different graphic organizers to support students in writing about character feelings (AKA, reading response sheets):
- My character feels _____ because ____, plus illustration.
- Write about two characters' feelings.
- Compare two characters' feelings.
- Dynamic character feelings: how did my character's feelings change?
- Analyzing character feelings: Do you agree or disagree with the character?
Maybe you want to create a list with your class. This is a great opportunity to have a meaningful discussion about where each word belongs on the shades of meaning continuum. There are blank options as a PDF format and as a Google Slides (TM).
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