Stage 5 reading - Analysing characters
Learning intention
Students will learn to identify how a character is portrayed in a narrative. Students will learn to infer reasons for actions and behaviours of characters.
Syllabus outcome
- EN5-2A: effectively uses and critically assesses a wide range of processes, skills, strategies and knowledge for responding to and composing a wide range of texts in different media and technologies
- EN5-7D: understands and evaluates the diverse ways texts can represent personal and public worlds.
- EN5-8D: questions, challenges and evaluates cultural assumptions in texts and their effects on meaning
National Literacy Learning Progression
Understanding texts
nT9: draws inferences, synthesising clues and evidence across a text (comprehension); distils information from a number of texts according to task and purpose (e.g. uses graphic organisers) (comprehension); uses processes such as predicting, confirming predictions, monitoring, and connecting relevant elements of the text to build or repair meaning (process); selects reading/viewing strategies appropriate to reading purpose (e.g. scans text for evidence) (process)
- UnT10: reads and views complex or some highly complex texts (see Text complexity) (comprehension); draws inferences using evidence from the text and discounting possible inferences that are not supported by the text (comprehension); analyses the techniques authors use to position readers (comprehension); integrates automatically a range of processes such as predicting, confirming predictions, monitoring and connecting relevant elements of the text to build meaning (process); identifies language used to create tone or atmosphere (vocabulary)
- UnT11: interprets symbolism in text, providing evidence to justify interpretation (comprehension); analyses the cumulative impact of use of language features and vocabulary across texts (comprehension)
NAPLAN item descriptors
The relevant NAPLAN item descriptors are included in the resource, available for download on this page.
Task outline
Full task descriptions are included in the resource, available for download on this page.
Creative characterisation
Students articulate predicted thoughts and ideas for characters.
Voice
Students identify voice, and the techniques authors use to distinguish voice, in texts.
Identify and infer character traits
Students identify and infer character traits from text excerpts.
Interpreting a character’s feelings through motif
Students analyse texts to determine feelings or emotions of characters.
Elements of characterisation
Students identify how characters can be presented explicitly and implicitly.
Inferring from implicit characterisation
Students infer meaning from subtext - the thoughts, motives and beliefs of a character that are unspoken.