created by Kay Smith

Grade Level: K-7

Critical Task: Determining whether story characters are "good" or "bad".

Overview: Students are asked to identify good and bad character types. Their task is to label characters as good or bad, and to determine whether a character can have both traits.

Background Knowledge: The students will have to have had experience filling in the fairy-tale chart so as to not devote too much of the lesson to this activity. They will also have to have a concept of "good" and "bad", as this pertains to characters and the actions they do. They will need to have the skills to discuss ideas within a large group.

Criteria for Judgment: The students will make a choice for placing actions in a column of the chart, and will be able to justify this. The worksheet will also be assessed. On the worksheet, it is expected that the students will name the hero and the antagonist, list three characteristics of each, and note whether these characteristics are good or bad.

Thinking Strategies: The students will use T-charts in this activity. T-charts are a way of sorting thought into two categories. To create them, a t-shape is made on a chalkboard, piece of paper, etc., and the heading of each of the two columns thus created is placed above the crossbar of the t-shape, while the points belonging to each heading are placed below.

Habits of Mind: It is hoped that the students will demonstrate an open-mindedness to the idea that characters can have positive and negative characteristics at the same time. It is also hoped that they can brainstorm what some of these positive and negative characteristics can be. It is hoped that students will be able to justify their decisions, such as classification of character actions.

1. Students listen to the story "Stone Soup". At the end of the story, they discuss with the teacher how the stone made the soup.
2. As a class, students fill in the Fairytale Chart.
3. Bring the focus from the chart to the "Good Characters" and the "Bad Characters" columns. What did each do in the story?

1. As a class, the answers are brainstormed. Students should be able to justify their responses.
2. Write these brain-stormed answers on a T-chart on the chalkboard. Write an identical T-chart list on paper. When writing on the paper, use different coloured pen for each column.
3. When finished filling in the columns, cover the chalkboard and cut up the paper into strips, making sure each strip of paper has one action on it.
4. Put a piece of tape behind each apaper strip. Hand out the strips of paper to the class. There should be enough so that there is an even division within the class. Perhaps one piece of paper per partner group, or one peice of paper per individual would be appropriate.
5. A new T-chart which says "Good Actions" and "Bad Actions" is put on the board. Students are asked to tape their piece of paper up in the column they think to be most appropriate. Students must be able to justify their responses.

4. The chart showing what each character did in the story is uncovered and compared to this new chart of character actions. Students are asked if they still think it is correct to label the same characters as "good" and "bad". Why or why not? Can a character have both good and bad traits?
1. Students listen to the story "Mei-Ling and the Dragon" (many other stories could be substituted here). They are asked to determine the hero and the antagonist ("good" and "bad" character), write three traits about each, and then say if those traits are good things or bad things. A worksheet will be provided for this.

The Stone Soup - Belgian Folktale

from: Sierra, J. and R. Kaminski. Multicultural Folktales: Stories to Tell Young Children. Phoenix: Onyx Press, 1991. Pg. 114,114.

Grade K/1, Grade 2/3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7

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