To Teach Close Reading: Characterization [S1 E22]
For today’s episode, we’re taking a deep dive into a very important teaching strategy in the English classroom: close reading. Let’s go through the episode show notes here as we explore the power and potential of close reading lessons!
CLOSE READING: The Strategy Overview
There’s an author’s craft skill that you want to teach
There’s a thematic concept that you want to teach
Close reading teacher steps:
Isolate a small chunk of text that demonstrates that skill or concept clearly
Design a handout with the text on the page and specific instructions for reading an annotating that lead students toward that skill
TODAY’S SKILL: Characterization
Characterization is the study of how authors develop and create the characters in their stories. At the high school level, this conversation starts to take on a more sophisticated approach concerning author’s craft. Conversations about characterization are moving away from the “identify” stage into the “analyze” stage in our student’s skills. At the upper secondary level, teachers should be most concerned with complexity of characterization and how characters are transformed across the arc of a text. A great way to zero in on these moments is through close reading.
CLOSE READ FOR SYNTAX: Fahrenheit 451
Close Read Goal:
Students will be able to explain how figurative language amplifies the changing, complex characterization of Montag.
Why this passage?
It’s transformational for the character and accessible for students. The details would definitely been missed in a first read.
What do I notice?
The personification of his hand - the way Montag blames his hand “with a brain of it’s own”. Suggesting that his body insists on changing even if his mind isn’t fully there.
Repeated echo of the fire motif “blazed in his mind” “fiery steel” Also, the house is on fire
Irony of the moment
The imagery of death and the woman standing there “among the bodies”
The Passage: Montag steals a book from a burning home
Books bombarded his shoulders, his arms, his upturned face A book alighted, almost obediently, like a white pigeon, in his hands, wings fluttering. In the dim, wavering light, a page hung open and it was like a snowy feather, the words delicately painted thereon. In all the rush and fervor, Montag had only an instant to read a line, but it blazed in his mind for the next minute as if stamped there with fiery steel. "Time has fallen asleep in the afternoon sunshine." He dropped the book. Immediately, another fell into his arms.
"Montag, up here! " Montag's hand closed like a mouth, crushed the book with wild devotion, with an insanity of mindlessness to his chest. The men above were hurling shovelfuls of magazines into the dusty air. They fell like slaughtered birds and the woman stood below, like a small girl, among the bodies.
Montag had done nothing. His hand had done it all, his hand, with a brain of its own, with a conscience and a curiosity in each trembling finger, had turned thief.. Now, it plunged the book back under his arm, pressed it tight to sweating armpit, rushed out empty, with a magician's flourish! Look here! Innocent! Look!
Check out Amanda’s Fahrenheit and Close Reading resources on Teachers Pay Teachers!
Loose Lesson Plan:
Bell Work
Mini Lesson: What is characterization?
Model:
Read Passage aloud
Think aloud: what do I notice?
Student Practice:
Think-Pair-Share
Pair/Small group with timer
Closing
CLOSE READ FOR CHARACTERIZATION: The Grace Year
Close Read Goal:
Students will be able to identify driving traits in the main character, Tierney, through the author’s use of dialogue in juxtaposition with the character’s inner thoughts.
Why this passage?
First and foremost, I chose this passage because of the personal connections students can make to the relationship and the conversation. This is a scene between a parent and a child, and it illuminates so many things our students experience on a regular basis - power dynamics with an authority figure, understanding rules that seem arbitrary, and feeling conflict with someone you love. This comes during the first chapter, when we are still getting to know the characters and being introduced to the world of the story. In a very short amount of text, we are able to see and feel so much about who she is at her core.
What do I notice?
Gives context
This character calls things out and questions things in a society where NOBODY ELSE does, at least, not out loud
Values - family & cultural
Loving relationship, in spite of situation
conflict
How does the author, Kim Liggett, use this brief dialogue to develop our main character, Tierney?
The Passage: Tierney prepares for “veiling day,” the day before she leaves for her grace year
All the women in Gerner County have to wear their hair the same way, pulled back from the face, plaited down the back. In doing so, the men believe, the women won’t be able to hide anything from them - a snide expression, a wandering eye, or a flash of magic. White ribbons for the young girls, red for the grace year girls, and black for the wives.
Innocence. Blood. Death.
“Perfect,” my mother says as she puts the final touches on the bow.
Even though I can’t see the red strand, I feel the weight of is, and everything it implies, like an anchor holding me to this world.
“Can I go now?” I ask as I pull away from her fidgeting hands.
“Without an escort?”
“I don’t need an escort,” I say as I cram my sturdy feet into the fine black leather slippers. “I can handle myself.”
“And what of the fur trappers from the territory, can you handle them as well?”
“That was one girl and it was ages ago.” I let out a sigh.
“I remember it like it was yesterday. Anna Berglund,” my mother says, her eyes glazing over. “It was our veiling day. She was walking through town and he just snatched her up, flung her over his horse, and took off into the wilderness, never to be seen from again.”
It’s odd, what I remember most about that story is that even though she was seen screaming and crying all through town, the men declared she didn’t fight hard enough and punished her younger sister in her stead by casting to the outskirts, for a life of prostitution. That’s the part of the story no one ever speaks of.
Loose Lesson Plan:
Bell Work - dialogue
Mini Lesson: methods of characterization
Model
Read Passage aloud
Think aloud: what do I notice? (w/ annotation modeling)
Student Practice:
Pairs - find another passage and go through the same process
Does this passage reinforce or refute your prior analysis of the character? How?
Closing - share new analyses, etc.