Lesson 5: use a text and understanding of character to create an impression

In this lesson you will

• Think about how others react to Auggie
• Think about how Auggie reacts to others

Read from The Deal to Lamb to the Slaughter. You can listen here.

Let's think about the different aspect of Auggie's character. Make some notes:

• What sort of a person is he?
• How does he react in different situations, such as when he is at home, on his visit to Beecher Prep and on his first day at school? 
• Does he respond differently depending on where he is and who he is with?
• What do we know about him as a person?
• What do we know about his appearance? Where have we got this information from? 

Draw a small circle in the middle of a piece of paper and write Auggie in the middle of it.

Now draw a larger circle around your first. Finally, draw a third circle around the second, like this:

Inside the first ring after Auggie's name, write down different internal character traits for Auggie. In the next ring, write external character traits - an internal character trait is what he is like on the inside and an external trait is how he is perceived by others (for example, someone might have an internal character trait of being afraid but may be showing an external character trait of confidence).

Finally, in the space outside the rings, write down how other people react to Auggie (think about Mom and Dad, Via, strangers, Mr Tushman, close friends, people at school). You might find that when you add these reactions, you can include more information on the internal or external character traits for Auggie.

When you have finished, you will have a really detailed character analysis of Auggie.

Are you remembering to keep a note of sayings within each chapter which are interesting or useful?

In preparation for the next lesson, you need to find the words (lyrics) to a song that you like, or a song that means a lot to you. If you don't have a favourite song, you could choose to find a favourite section of a book or poem. Have this with you ready for the next lesson.