Introduction RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g.

, their traits, motivations, or feelings) and

explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.

Lesson 6
Describing Characters
Understanding what characters are like, and why
Learning Target they act the way they do, can help you see how they
drive what happens in a story.

Read Characters are the people or animals in a story. When you

read a story, think about what the characters say and do and why
they act in certain ways.
Just like real people, characters have feelings. They have traits, or
special qualities, such as courage, pride, or honesty. They also have
motivations, or reasons for doing what they do. A character’s
actions contribute, or add, to the sequence of events in a story.
The sequence of events is everything that happens, in the order it
happens. Each action changes the story and what happens next.
Read this cartoon and look for clues about what the giant
is like.

Hi! Let me I’ll be here when

help you over you want to go
the mountain. home.
Hi! Let me I’ll be here when
help you over you want to go
the mountain. home.
Hi! Let me I’ll be here when
help you over you want to go
the mountain. home.

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 Theme: Curious Characters Lesson 6

Think Look at the cartoon and then complete the chart below.
Write one or two words that describe the giant’s traits, motivations,
feelings, and actions.

Traits Motivations
(What the Giant Is Like) (What the Giant Wants)

to help
kind

Character
The Giant

Feelings Actions
(How the Giant Feels) (What the Giant Does)
good
help

Talk Think about what happens in the cartoon. How do the giant’s
actions contribute to the sequence of events? What would have
happened if the giant had not helped the climbers?

Academic Talk
Use these words and phrase to talk about the text.
• characters • traits • sequence of events
• contribute • motivations

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 Modeled and Guided Instruction
Genre: Historical Fiction
Read

Voting for
Her Rights
by Winnie Lujack

1 Susan B. Anthony was about to do something dangerous.

She stood before a group of women listening to her speak.
“We must vote,” she told them. “We must all vote!”
2 The crowded room filled with noise as some women
cheered and others began to argue. “We could be arrested!”
one woman cried. It was true, because in 1872, only men had the
right to vote.
3 Susan said, “We likely will be arrested and put on trial. But don’t you
see, we have to do it! How else will we show how much we want our
voting rights?”
4 Susan marched off the stage and led the women outside. Together
they went to a polling place, where men were voting for president.
5 An election worker stopped Susan. “Madam,” he said, “I can’t
let you vote.”
6 “But you must,” Susan replied. “The law says that all persons born in
this country are citizens. And citizens are allowed to vote.”
7 The worker looked at the group of determined women and sighed.
“Very well,” he said. Susan’s friends let out a cheer. Susan entered the
voting booth and cast her vote. So did fifteen other women, including
three of Susan’s sisters.
8 Two weeks later, Susan and the others were all
arrested for voting. But Susan wasn’t about to
give up her fight for women’s rights. Close Reader Habits
Underline sentences
that tell why Susan
thought fighting for
rights was important.

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 Describing Characters Lesson 6

Explore
How do Susan’s traits, motivations, and feelings lead her
to vote even though she knows she will be arrested?

Think Sometimes you have

to infer, or figure out,
1 Complete the chart to tell what you know about Susan from the story.
traits and feelings
from what a character
says or does.

Traits Motivations

what does this say

Character
Susan B. Anthony

Feelings Actions
helpful
brave
good kind

Talk
2 Using the details from the chart, discuss the way Susan’s actions
contribute to the sequence of events. If Susan had not led the other
women, how would the story be different?

Write
3 Short Response Explain why Susan B. Anthony casts a vote even HINT Remember to
though she expects to be arrested. Use details from the text in your look at what Susan
answer. Use the space provided on page 98 to write your answer. says as well as what
she does.

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 Guided Practice
Genre: Myth
Read

Here Comes Trouble

from a Greek myth

1 Long ago, Pandora and her brother Epi were playing outside when
something strange fell out of the sky and landed at Epi’s feet. It was a
small box that glowed green and purple! Epi eagerly bent down to pick it
up, but Pandora held him back.
2 “Be careful,” she warned. “I had a dream about a box like this one. In
the dream, an old man warned me not to open it.”
3 “Aw, come on, Pandora,” Epi pleaded. “How much danger could there
be in one little box? Besides, I bet there’s treasure inside. I want to find
out!”
4 “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Pandora warned. “Let’s go home
right now—and leave the box behind.”
5 But as soon as Pandora turned to leave, Epi quickly opened the box.
Suddenly, the sky was filled with little stinging creatures. He slammed
the box shut and started swatting at them. Pandora swung around
in horror.
6 “Oh, Epi, what have you done?” she cried out. After a short time,
however, the little creatures flew off in all directions. Only then did Epi
and Pandora hear a little voice coming from the closed box.
7 “Don’t be afraid,” the voice whispered. “I’m here to help you.”
8 Pandora thought carefully for a moment. Then she
slowly opened the box. A tiny green and purple fairy Close Reader Habits
flew out. What can you learn about
9 “I am Hope,” the fairy said. “You let all the troubles Pandora from details in
of the world out of this box, but I was put in the box to the story? Underline
comfort the world. I will be with you always.” words that show her
traits. Circle words that
10 Epi felt sad that he hadn’t listened to his sister. “Don’t
describe her feelings.
worry, Epi,” she said kindly. “At least we have Hope.”

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 Describing Characters Lesson 6

Think
1 At the beginning of the story, why does Epi want to open the box?
A He is curious to find out if the box is filled with treasure. What each character
says and does can
B He believes that the warning in Pandora’s dream is only show how they are
for her. similar and different.
C He doesn’t care if something bad happens when he opens
the box.
D He knows that a green and purple fairy lives in the box.

2 Epi and Pandora each open the box. How do their actions change the
story? Put an X by the two items that tell about the changes.
A “ ‘Let’s go home right now—’ ”
A “ ‘You let all the troubles of the world out of this box . . .’ ”
A “ ‘. . . an old man warned me not to open it.’ ”
A “ ‘I bet there’s treasure inside.’ ”
A “[Hope said,] ‘I will be with you always.’ ”
A “. . . something strange fell out of the sky . . .”

Talk
3 Talk about what Epi did and how his actions affected the events in
the story.

Write
4 Short Response Contrast the characters in the story. Tell what HINT How does
each character act
Pandora and Epi do and say that show how they are different.
when the box first
Use the space provided on page 99 to write your answer. appears?

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 Modeled and Guided Instruction

Write Use the space below to write your answer to the question on page 95.

Voting for
Her Rights
3 Short Response Explain why Susan B. Anthony casts a vote HINT Remember to
look at what Susan
even though she expects to be arrested. Use details from the
says as well as what
text in your answer. she does.

Don’t forget to check

your writing.

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 Guided Practice

Write Use the space below to write your answer to the question on page 97.

Here Comes Trouble

4 Short Response Contrast the characters in the story. Tell HINT How does each
character act when the
what Pandora and Epi do and say that show how they are
box first appears?
different.

Check Your Writing

Did you read the prompt carefully?
Did you put the prompt in your own words?
Did you use the best evidence from the text to support your ideas?
Are your ideas clearly organized?
Did you write in clear and complete sentences?
Did you check your spelling and punctuation?

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 Independent Practice
Genre: Historical Fiction
Read

WORDS TO KNOW Cleopatra

Finds Her Voice
As you read, look
inside, around, and
beyond these words
to figure out what by Vicki Alvear Shecter, Highlights
they mean.
1 Eleven-year-old Princess Cleopatra sailed the Nile River on the royal
• barge
barge. Her father, the king of Egypt, played his flute.
• ceremonies 2 They were sailing from their palace in Alexandria to cities along the
Nile. The king would often lead important ceremonies.
3 Cleopatra watched for slithering crocodiles and yawning hippos.
Sometimes she would catch a glimpse of a Sacred Ibis bird tiptoeing
along the marshy banks.
4 As the royal barge sailed, people crowded the banks, hoping to see
the princess and her father. They sang and chanted and threw flowers.
But it bothered Cleopatra that she could not understand what they said.
5 Her father explained that the people of Egypt spoke Egyptian, while
Cleopatra’s family spoke Greek.

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 Describing Characters Lesson 6

6 But her father was the ruler of Egypt! Why didn’t he and his
family speak the native language?
7 They could thank their ancestors for that, the king said. The royal
family traced its history back 250 years to the time of the Greek
conqueror Alexander the Great. Alexander had conquered Egypt.
When he died, his Greek general, Ptolemy, took over. Ever since, all of
the rulers of Egypt had spoken Greek.
8 Once back at home, Cleopatra insisted on learning the Egyptian
language. She believed that a ruler should know her people. And that
meant knowing their words.
9 Cleopatra studied hard and soon learned to speak
Egyptian. But she didn’t stop there. She also learned
Hebrew, Aramaic, Persian, Latin, and some African dialects.
She loved learning and excelled in math and science, too.
10 Later, when she ruled as queen, one of her first acts
was to visit the city of Memphis for an important religious
ceremony. This time, she spoke to the people in Egyptian.
The people loved her for learning their language. She
showed them respect and honor in many other ways, too.
11 Cleopatra is remembered as a brilliant queen. She was
the only Egyptian ruler in hundreds of years to learn the
language of her people.
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Lesson 6 Describing Characters 101

 Independent Practice

Think Use what you learned from reading the selection to respond to
these questions.

1 This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then answer Part B.

Part A
What does Cleopatra find out about herself after she learns to speak
Egyptian?
A Speaking Egyptian helps her understand her religion better.
B She no longer thinks her father is a good king.
C Her family’s old language no longer sounds right.
D She realizes she has a love for learning.

Part B
Choose two details from the story that support the answer to Part A.
A “She also learned Hebrew, Aramaic, Persian, Latin, and some
African dialects.”
B “They sang and chanted and threw flowers.”
C “But it bothered Cleopatra that she could not understand
what they said.”
D “Ever since, all of the rulers of Egypt had spoken Greek.”
E “She loved learning and excelled in math and science, too.”

2 Why doesn’t Cleopatra’s father speak Egyptian?

A Rulers of Egypt had spoken Greek for 250 years.
B Alexander the Great had banned the teaching of Egyptian.
C The king is more interested in playing the flute than learning
a new language.
D Cleopatra’s father and the Greek general Ptolemy had agreed
not to speak Egyptian.

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 Describing Characters Lesson 6

3 Which sentence best explains why Cleopatra wants to learn to speak

Egyptian?
A She hopes it will help her with her studies of math and
science.
B She sees the love the people show for her father and for her.
C Her father explains the history of her family’s language.
D She believes that as a ruler of Egypt, she should
know Egyptian.

4 This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then answer Part B.

Part A
Which words best describe Cleopatra?
A frightened and weak
B spoiled and happy
C thoughtful and caring
D silly and careless

Part B
Which sentence from the story supports the answer to Part A?
A “As the royal barge sailed, people crowded the banks, hoping
to see the princess and her father.”
B “She believed that a ruler should know her people.”
C “She loved learning and excelled in math and science, too.”
D “Cleopatra is remembered as a brilliant queen.”

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 Independent Practice

5 Read these sentences from paragraph 6 of the story.

But her father was the ruler of Egypt! Why didn’t he and his
family speak the native language?

What does native mean in this context?

A foreign
B difficult
C local
D ancient

6 Complete the chart. Base your answers on details from the story.

Character
Cleopatra

Traits Actions

helpful and kind

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 Describing Characters Lesson 6

Write
7 Short Response The author shows that Cleopatra was a curious
person. Explain how we can tell that Cleopatra was curious. Use two
details from the story to support your response.

Learning Target
Now that you’ve practiced describing characters, write about
how characters’ actions drive what happens in a story.

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