Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of how their characters might act and think by filling out a character worksheet on their character’s opinions about the world.
Hook: Finish watching Viewpoint video clips from last time as needed. Discuss how they can apply that movement to themselves. Ask them what things they have discovered about their characters if there is anything new.
Step 1: Ask. What does our brain do for us every day? How does our mind affect us?
Have students close their eyes and imagine a busy day in their character’s life. What did they think about? What made them mad that day? Happy? Are they tired? Where did they go? What people did they see?
Have students pull out their journals and write a journal entry as their character. Have them write about this day they just imagined.
Discuss these journal entries and ask about the “belief” part. What did they choose to write?
Ask: How many of your characters are more religious people or have some form of religion that is important in their lives? How many don’t? How does this affect the way your character might think?
Step 2: Ask students opinions on black licorice.
Ask. Have any of you thought about the fact that your background makes up the way that you think? How you are brought up, what you are exposed to and the people you interact with affect what your opinion of things is.
Discuss how they continue to go on to be each other but they have to be completely normal. They had to be themselves playing the part of another person. How are you going to do this to? How will you be yourself in this part but also include the characteristics of your historical figure?
Have your students think of this assignment as a “Freaky Friday” sort of day where you wake up as this person and have to do a day in their shoes.
Step 3: Play the “Agree/Disagree” game. This is where you read statements. Your students have to decide what their character would agree or disagree with based on these statements. They choose to go towards agree, disagree, or neutral. Ask students their reasoning behind this. Why? What made you choose this? How is this going to help you with your further character development?
Agree/Disagree Questions:
– People are never satisfied with what they have; they always want something more or something different.
-People should read only those books that are about real events, real people, and established facts.
-All students should be required to study art and music in secondary school.
-Reading fiction (such as novels and short stories) is more enjoyable than watching movies.
–Only people who earn a lot of money are successful.
-Playing a game is fun only when you win.
– “When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success.”
-People should sometimes do things that they do not enjoy doing.
-Television, newspapers, magazines, and other media pay too much attention to the personal lives of famous people such as public figures and celebrities.
Ask. How might have your own opinions swayed the way you answered these questions?
I don’t know enough about my character, so I answered it in my way
I am thinking about how they might of thought based on our time period and culture’s values
Emphasize that back then some things just weren’t weird for people. Things that might be racist or rude today were not necessarily rude in these people’s days.
Think about the fact that your view of this character’s way of thinking might be skewed because you have seen history unfold. You have a different knowledge and experience with this than they do.
Take Hitler for example, he thought pretty differently than others about the Jews. He got people to truly believe that the Jews were a menace and ruining everything. He got people to hate them.
Assessment: Have students go back to their seats and fill out a character sheet (In My Mind’s Eye) that has something to do with their opinions about things. They need to fill it out to the best of their ability. Afterwards we will do an activity with it. Students will turn this worksheet in at the end of class.
Assessment (If time allows): Hot seating. Have students take turns three at a time come up and sit in the “hot seats.” I want people to be able to ask them questions about their opinions on things and other stuff about their life. They need to act/try to talk like their character would when they answer these questions. Have them wear name tags for this activity. Give lots of students turns and discuss their answers.
