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E7 M - Analyse a character in a simple story

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E7 M - Analyse a character in a simple story

Einleitung

Mini-Beschreibung: Describe a character with simple evidence from the text. Focus on behaviour, feelings and relationships. Du arbeitest überwiegend auf Englisch. Deutsche Hilfe gibt es nur, wenn Du sie brauchst.

Level: English as a first foreign language, Klasse 7, Baden-Württemberg, M-Niveau.

Learning route: Notice → understand → try → use → communicate → feedback → improve → use again.

Media start – 30 seconds: Look at the picture. What can you really know about the reader? What can you only guess? In a story, a good character analysis needs text evidence, not only guesses.

I can ...

I can identify what a character does, says and feels.
I can find a short text detail as evidence.
I can explain a simple relationship between two characters.
I can write a short character paragraph with because and simple past.
I can react to a partner’s idea and give a reason.

Before you start

Quick check in English:

What is a character in a story?
Which words for feelings do you already know?
How can actions show a character trait?

Help ladder: Try in English first → look at the media or context → use the hint → use the short German help only if needed.

Notice: behaviour, feelings, relationships

Behaviour: what does the character do?

Behaviour means actions and reactions. Look for verbs such as waits, helps, leaves, asks, smiles, argues, shares.

Media task: Name two actions or body-language clues you can describe in English. Then add: This may show that the person is ...

Hint: Do not stop at the action. Connect it to a trait.

Example: Mia stays after school to finish the poster. This shows that she is responsible.

Feelings: what may the character feel?

Feelings are often shown through words, actions and body language.

Media task: Choose three useful feeling words. Say one sentence for each: A character may feel ... when ...

Important: A face or gesture can give you an idea, but in a story you should use the text as evidence.

Useful words: annoyed, worried, relieved, proud, nervous, calm, disappointed, pleased.

German help if needed: annoyed = genervt; relieved = erleichtert; evidence = Textbeleg.

Relationships: how do characters treat each other?

A relationship can be friendly, tense, supportive, distant or changing.

Media task: Think of two fictional characters. Complete: At first, their relationship is ... because ... Later, it becomes ...

Understand: a simple model story

Reading: The poster problem

The characters below are fictional.

The poster problem

On Tuesday, Mia stayed after school to finish a science poster with Leo. They had planned to meet at three o’clock, but Leo arrived fifteen minutes late.

“Sorry,” he said. “My little brother missed his bus, so I had to help him.”

Mia looked at the clock and crossed her arms. “We only have thirty minutes left.”

Leo opened his laptop at once. “I’ll do the photos. Can you finish the title?”

For a few minutes, they worked quietly. Then the printer stopped. Mia sighed. “Great. Another problem.”

Leo smiled. “Wait here. I’ll ask Mr Green.”

He came back with the caretaker, and the printer worked again. Mia did not leave, although she had wanted to catch an earlier bus.

When the poster was finished, Leo said, “Your title looks really good.”

Mia smiled. “And your photos make everything clearer.”

At the door, Leo offered to carry the poster.

“Next time, text me if you’re late,” Mia said.

“Deal,” Leo answered.

The next morning, their teacher praised the poster. Mia sent Leo a message: “Good teamwork yesterday.”

First reading: get the idea

Answer briefly in English:

Why is Mia annoyed at the start?
What does Leo do after he arrives?
What problem do they solve together?
How is their relationship different at the end?

Hint: You do not need full sentences for the first reading.

Second reading: find evidence

Complete the pattern:

Focus	Text evidence	What it may show
Behaviour	Mia stays after school and keeps working.	She is responsible and determined.
Feelings	Mia crosses her arms and says they only have thirty minutes.	She feels annoyed or worried.
Relationship	Mia and Leo praise each other’s work.	Their relationship becomes more positive.

Your turn: Find one more short detail for Mia. Explain it with This shows that ...

Listening and Viewing

Viewing 1: character traits

Watch only the first time for the main idea.

First viewing: What are character traits?

Second viewing: Listen for the idea that what a character does and says can show what the character is like.

Try: Give one example from The poster problem.

Viewing 2: explore traits

Viewing task: Write down two trait words you understand from context. Compare with a partner. If you disagree, explain why.

Three-voice listening

Use the story as a short listening text. Work in a group of three: Narrator, Mia, Leo. Read it once at a moderate, natural pace. The listener keeps the text closed.

Listening questions:

Why is Leo late?
How does Mia react?
What does Leo do when the printer stops?
What shows better teamwork at the end?

Recording is optional. If you record, keep it private or inside the school platform. Do not upload voices or names without permission.

Try: vocabulary in context

Character words

Word	Context clue	Your sentence
responsible	Mia stays to finish the job.	Mia is responsible because ...
impatient	She looks at the clock and wants to finish quickly.	Mia seems impatient when ...
helpful	Leo gets help for the printer.	Leo is helpful because ...
cooperative	Both students keep working together.	They are cooperative when ...
fair	Mia also praises Leo’s work.	Mia is fair because ...

Mini-rule: A trait word is stronger when you add evidence.

Pronunciation

Say the words slowly, then in a sentence.

BE-haviour – stress the second part clearly.

EV-i-dence – stress the first syllable.

re-LA-tion-ship – stress the second syllable.

co-OP-er-a-tive – keep a steady rhythm.

Goal: Verständlichkeit vor Akzentfreiheit. Clear speech is more important than sounding like one specific accent.

Use: build a simple analysis

The evidence chain

Use this pattern:

Point → Evidence → Explanation

Mia is responsible. She stays after school to finish the poster. This shows that she takes the task seriously.

Try one chain about:

Mia’s feelings.
Mia and Leo’s relationship.

Hint 1: Start with Mia is ...

Hint 2: Add We can see this when ...

German help if needed: Behauptung → Textbeleg → kurze Erklärung.

Functional grammar

You mainly need grammar you already know.

Simple past for evidence: Mia stayed after school. Leo arrived late. They worked together.

because for reasons: Mia felt annoyed because Leo was late.

was/were + adjective: Mia was worried. They were cooperative.

Controlled E-level outlook only: You may notice a past perfect form such as Leo had promised to help. You do not need it for this M-level analysis.

Do not add difficult passive or reported-speech structures just to sound advanced.

Communicate: speaking

Pair talk

Partner A: Describe Mia in 30–45 seconds.

Partner B: React with one of these starters:

I agree because ...
I’m not sure because ...
I found another example: ...
At first ..., but later ...

Then change roles.

Challenge: Give two different traits and one relationship change.

Short presentation

Prepare a one-minute mini-presentation:

Mia is ... One example is ... This shows ... She also feels ... Her relationship with Leo ...

You may use five key words. Do not read a full script.

Writing: a short character paragraph

Model

Mia is responsible but sometimes impatient. We can see this when she stays after school and checks the time. She feels annoyed when Leo is late because they have little time. However, she keeps working and also praises Leo’s photos. This shows that she is fair and cooperative. At the end, her relationship with Leo is more positive because they solve the problem together.

Your paragraph

Write 5–7 sentences about Mia.

Include:

one trait,
one feeling,
one relationship point,
at least two short pieces of text evidence,
one sentence with because.

Do not copy the model. Use it as a structure.

Direct feedback

Check your paragraph immediately:

If your sentence says ...	Improve it like this ...
Mia is nice.	Name a clearer trait and add evidence.
Mia is angry.	Add what she says or does that supports the feeling.
Mia and Leo are friends.	Explain how they treat each other and whether the relationship changes.
The story shows a lot.	Name one exact action, word or reaction.

Improve one sentence now. Then read your paragraph again.

Mediation: optional mini-task

A German-speaking classmate asks: What is Mia like? Explain the main idea in 2–3 short German sentences. Do not translate the whole story. Keep the important character information only.

Mini-transfer

Imagine a new scene one week later: Mia and Leo must work together again.

Write or say:

one action that shows Mia has learned something,
one feeling,
one sentence about the relationship,
one reason with because.

Transfer goal: Use the same analysis tools in a new situation.

Safe and smart media use

All people in the learning story and profiles are fictional. Do not use private social-media profiles for character analysis.

If you create audio or video, recording is voluntary and should stay private unless everyone has agreed to sharing.

No external AI tool is required. If a school-approved AI gives feedback, check whether the language fits E7 M and whether the feedback matches the text evidence. AI feedback may help you revise, but it should not replace your own paragraph. Do not upload personal data or private recordings to external AI services.

Self-check: Can do

Tick what you can do now:

I can ...	Yes	Almost	Not yet
find a character’s behaviour in a story	☐	☐	☐
name a feeling and support it with evidence	☐	☐	☐
describe a simple relationship	☐	☐	☐
explain a trait with Point → Evidence → Explanation	☐	☐	☐
speak for about one minute with key words	☐	☐	☐
write a 5–7 sentence character paragraph	☐	☐	☐

If you marked “Almost” or “Not yet”: Go back to one model, improve one sentence and use the skill again.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

What is the strongest evidence that Mia is responsible? (She stays after school to finish the poster.) (!She likes the poster colour.) (!She has a brother.) (!She goes home by bus.)

Why does Mia seem annoyed at the start? (Leo arrives late and they have little time.) (!The teacher gives extra homework.) (!The poster is already finished.) (!Leo refuses to work.)

Which action shows that Leo is helpful? (He asks Mr Green for help with the printer.) (!He closes his laptop.) (!He leaves the school.) (!He hides the poster.)

Which word best describes Mia when she continues working? (Determined) (!Careless) (!Lazy) (!Dishonest)

What happens to Mia and Leo’s relationship? (It becomes more positive through teamwork.) (!They stop speaking to each other.) (!They become complete strangers.) (!They start competing against their teacher.)

What should come after a character trait in a good analysis? (A short piece of text evidence) (!A random guess) (!A long translation) (!A new character name)

Which sentence uses evidence well? (Mia is fair because she also praises Leo’s photos.) (!Mia is fair because I like her.) (!Mia is fair because fair is a good word.) (!Mia is fair because the story has a poster.)

Which structure is most useful for a short analysis? (Point Evidence Explanation) (!Title Colour Ending) (!Question Translation List) (!Name Date Place)

Which grammar is most useful for describing actions in the story? (Simple past) (!Future perfect) (!Advanced passive) (!Reported speech only)

What is a good first step if you do not know a word? (Try the English context and hints first.) (!Translate the whole text immediately.) (!Stop the task.) (!Guess without checking the text.)

Memory

Behaviour	what a character does
Feeling	an emotion in a situation
Evidence	a detail from the text
Trait	a word describing character
Relationship	how characters treat each other
Cooperative	willing to work with others

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Behaviour	actions and reactions
Feelings	emotions shown in context
Evidence	detail from the story
Trait	description of character
Relationship	connection between characters

Kreuzworträtsel

Evidence	What do you call a detail from the text that supports your idea?
Behaviour	What word means the actions and reactions of a character?
Feelings	What word describes emotions such as worried or relieved?
Relationship	What word describes how two characters connect and treat each other?
Cooperative	What adjective describes someone who works well with others?
Annoyed	What feeling may describe Mia when Leo arrives late?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Trait card: Make a small card for Mia with one trait, one feeling and one piece of evidence.
Evidence hunt: Mark three short details in the story and label them behaviour, feelings or relationship.
Thirty-second talk: Describe Mia for 30 seconds using one sentence with because.
Media clue: Choose one Commons image above and write two English sentences about what it can and cannot prove about a person.

Standard

Character paragraph: Write a new 5–7 sentence paragraph about Leo with two pieces of evidence.
Dialogue extension: Write six lines of dialogue for Mia and Leo one week later. Show a change in their relationship.
Private listening: In a group of three, read the story with narrator, Mia and Leo. A fourth learner answers four listening questions.
Mini mediation: Explain Mia’s character to a German-speaking partner in three concise German sentences without translating the whole story.

Schwer

Compare characters: Compare Mia and Leo in 8–10 English sentences. Use at least three pieces of evidence.
Change perspective: Rewrite one short scene from Leo’s point of view and then explain how this changes your view of Mia.
One-minute presentation: Give a one-minute character analysis with key words only. Ask a partner to challenge one point with evidence.
New story transfer: Write a new 120–150 word school story with two fictional characters, then add a short analysis of one character’s behaviour, feelings and relationship.

Lernkontrolle

Evidence choice: Choose two different details from The poster problem and explain why they support two different ideas about Mia.
Change over time: Explain how Mia’s behaviour at the beginning and end shows a small development.
Relationship reasoning: Describe the tension between Mia and Leo at the start and explain which actions improve their teamwork.
Transfer scene: Read a new short story chosen by your teacher. Analyse one character with Point → Evidence → Explanation.
Revision: Improve a weak statement such as The character is nice so that it includes a precise trait and text evidence.
Speaking transfer: React to a partner’s interpretation with I agree because ... or I’m not sure because ... and support your response with the text.

Lernnachweis

Für einen Lernnachweis zu diesem Thema ist wichtig:

Du erkennst behaviour, feelings und relationships in einem einfachen englischen Erzähltext.
Du belegst Aussagen mit kurzen, passenden Textstellen oder Textdetails.
Du unterscheidest zwischen einer Vermutung und einer durch den Text gestützten Aussage.
Du verknüpfst trait, evidence und explanation verständlich.
Du verwendest überwiegend einfache, passende Sprache auf E7-M-Niveau.
Du kannst Deine Analyse kurz mündlich darstellen und auf Rückfragen reagieren.
Du überarbeitest mindestens eine eigene Aussage nach Feedback.
Du überträgst die Methode auf eine neue kurze Geschichte.

OERs zum Thema

Freie Medien im Kurs: Die eingebundenen Bilder stammen aus Wikimedia Commons. Die jeweiligen Lizenzangaben stehen auf den Dateiseiten. Verwendet werden unter anderem CC0-, CC-BY-, CC-BY-SA- bzw. gemeinfreie Dateien. Die YouTube-Videos werden nur eingebettet und nicht neu hochgeladen.

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Character analysis

Folgekurs: E7 M - Write a short character analysis

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