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Discover how to describe characters using special words called traits that tell us who they are on the inside.
If you met a superhero, you would see their cape and mask right away. But how would you know if they were actually brave or just showing off?
When we describe people, we can talk about their physical traits or their character traits. Physical traits are things you can see on the outside, like having brown hair or being tall. Character traits are different. They describe a person's personality on the inside. They tell us how a character thinks, feels, and acts. Think of character traits as the 'ingredients' that make a character who they are. While physical traits might change (like getting a haircut), character traits usually stay the same for a long time.
Quick Check
Is 'having curly hair' a character trait or a physical trait?
Answer
It is a physical trait because you can see it on the outside.
There are hundreds of words we can use to describe someone's personality. Here are five common character traits you will see in many stories: 1. Brave: Doing something even when you are scared. 2. Kind: Being nice and helping others. 3. Honest: Always telling the truth. 4. Selfish: Only thinking about yourself and not sharing. 5. Curious: Wanting to learn or know about everything. When you read, look for these 'clue words' to help you understand the people in the story better.
Read this sentence: 'Lily saw a lonely boy on the playground and invited him to play tag with her group.' 1. Look at Lily's action: She invited someone lonely to play. 2. Think: What kind of person does that? 3. Conclusion: Lily is kind.
Quick Check
If a character always tells the truth, even when they might get in trouble, what trait do they have?
Answer
They are honest.
How do we find these traits if the author doesn't tell us directly? We have to be detectives! We look at two main things: Actions and Words. * Actions: What does the character do? If they share their last cookie, they are generous. * Words: What does the character say? If they say 'I can't wait to see what is inside that mysterious box!', they are curious. By watching what a character does and says, you can figure out their 'inside' traits easily.
Read this paragraph: 'Leo looked at the pile of toys on the floor. His mom asked him to clean up an hour ago, but he decided to keep playing his video game instead. He ignored his mom when she called his name again.' 1. Action: Leo is ignoring his mom. 2. Action: He is choosing play over his chores. 3. Trait: Leo is being disobedient or lazy.
Read this paragraph: 'The basement was pitch black and smelled like old socks. Sarah's knees were shaking, and her heart was thumping like a drum. She took a deep breath, gripped her flashlight, and stepped down the first stair to find her brother's lost toy.' 1. Feeling: Sarah is very scared (shaking knees). 2. Action: She goes down anyway to help someone else. 3. Trait: Sarah is brave or courageous.
Which of these is a character trait?
If a character shares their toys with everyone, which trait best describes them?
You can figure out a character's traits by watching what they do in a story.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to name 3 character traits and one action that would show each trait.
Practice Activity
While watching your favorite cartoon today, pick one character and try to find one trait they have based on what they say!