Language Arts
“Characters may not tell you who they are. Their choices will show you.” — Lady Flawless
🎯 Your Mission
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Identify a character’s traits.
Determine a character’s motivation.
Analyze how a character changes.
Support your answer with evidence.
🎙️ Lady Flawless Intro
Lady Flawless steps forward:
“Champ, imagine someone tells you, ‘I’m dependable.’”
“That sounds good—but their actions will show whether it is true. Do they arrive when promised? Do they finish what they start?”
She smiles:
“GED stories work the same way. Watch what the character says, thinks, and does.”
⭐ Three Parts of Character Analysis
1. Character Trait
A trait describes what a character is usually like.
Examples:
Determined
Honest
Responsible
Impatient
Generous
Cautious
Selfish
2. Motivation
A character’s motivation is the reason behind an action.
Ask:
“Why did the character make this choice?”
3. Character Change
Characters may change because of a problem, decision, or experience.
Ask:
“How is the character different at the end?”
🧠 The Flawless Character Scan
Study what the character:
Says
Thinks
Does
Chooses
Learns
Then find a detail that proves your answer.
🚦Trait or Feeling?
A trait and a feeling are not always the same.
Feeling
Terrence feels nervous before class.
Nervousness may be temporary.
Trait
Terrence is cautious about unfamiliar situations.
A trait describes a more consistent quality.
📖 Original Literary Passage
A Seat Near the Door
Terrence entered the adult education classroom and selected the chair closest to the door. He kept his jacket on and placed his backpack between his feet.
When the instructor asked everyone to introduce themselves, Terrence said, “I’m just here to see if this is for me.”
Later, the class read a short passage. Terrence noticed an important clue but did not raise his hand. When another student struggled with the question, the instructor asked everyone to look at the final paragraph again.
“The answer is in the last sentence,” Terrence said quietly.
The instructor invited him to explain. Terrence pointed to the sentence and showed how it supported the correct answer. Several students nodded.
At the end of class, Terrence moved his chair away from the door and placed it beside another student’s desk.
“What time does the next class start?” he asked.
🔍 Analyze Terrence
Beginning
Terrence sits near the door and says he is only checking out the class.
This suggests that he is:
Uncertain
Cautious
Not yet comfortable
Middle
Terrence identifies evidence and explains his answer.
This shows that he:
Understands the passage
Is becoming willing to participate
Is gaining confidence
End
Terrence moves away from the door and asks about the next class.
This suggests that he has decided to return.
🎮 Question 1
At the beginning of the passage, how does Terrence most likely feel?
A. Completely comfortable in the classroom
B. Uncertain about whether he belongs in the class
C. Angry that another student answered first
D. Uninterested in learning anything new
✅ Correct Answer: B
Terrence sits close to the door and says he is only there to see if the class is right for him.
🎮Question 2
Which detail best demonstrates that Terrence’s attitude changes?
A. He keeps his jacket on.
B. He places his backpack between his feet.
C. He finds the answer in the last sentence.
D. He moves away from the door and asks about the next class.
✅ Correct Answer: D
His actions show that he is becoming more comfortable and plans to return.
🎮 Question 3
How does Terrence change during the passage?
A. He changes from uncertain to more confident and involved.
B. He changes from friendly to angry.
C. He changes from prepared to careless.
D. He changes from confident to afraid.
✅ Correct Answer: A
Terrence begins near the door, hesitant to participate. By the end, he explains an answer and asks when the class will meet again.
🧠 Character + Evidence
A strong response would say:
Terrence becomes more confident during the class. At the end, he moves away from the door and asks when the next class starts.
Lady Flawless explains:
“Do not just name a trait. Show which words or actions reveal that trait.”
🚫 Watch Out for Unsupported Answers
We cannot conclude that Terrence is lazy, unfriendly, or unable to read.
Nothing in the passage supports those conclusions.
Lady Flawless explains:
“Use what the character does—not assumptions about the character.”
✍️ Your Turn
Read this original passage:
Imani noticed that several totals in her team’s report did not match the original records. The report was scheduled to be sent to an important client that afternoon.
Imani was the newest employee on the team, and she worried that questioning the report might upset her coworkers. Still, she checked the numbers again and brought the records to her supervisor.
Her supervisor corrected the report before it was sent and thanked Imani for speaking up.
Which trait best describes Imani?
A. Careless
B. Responsible
C. Impatient
D. Selfish
✅ Correct Answer: B
🔎 Prove Your Answer
Complete the response:
Imani is ____________.
Her decision to ____________ shows this because ____________.
Possible Answer
Imani is responsible. Her decision to check the numbers and speak to her supervisor prevents an incorrect report from reaching the client.
⭐ Exit Ticket
Which detail usually provides the strongest evidence about a character?
A. An unsupported opinion about the character
B. The reader’s personal experience
C. The character’s words, actions, thoughts, and choices
D. The number of paragraphs in the passage
✅ Correct Answer: C
🎤 Lady Flawless Outro
“Champ, characters reveal themselves through their choices.”
“Study what they say, what they do, why they do it, and how they change. Then prove your answer with evidence from the passage.”