Character Creation: Just Make a Mark and See Where It Takes You!​

Description

Inspired by the book The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, students will learn how to create their own characters and settings for a story. We can develop characters for stories simply by just making a mark on our paper and using our imagination.

First we will make a dot on our paper and then create a character from this dot. What can this dot be? Who can this dot be? A fly that buzzes around your room late at night while you try to sleep? Is it the tip of a flagpole on the top of a castle where a dragon lives? OR is it a dot on a polka dot shirt of a bear that lives in the woods? The list goes on. A dot can be anything. We are surrounded by dots everywhere we look. Simply look around, what are the kinds of dots that you see? What are they a part of?

Materials

• Paper.
• Pencil.
• Markers.

Activity Notes

• This activity will help students dare to be imaginative. Sometimes we have a hard time being brave enough to use our imaginations and feel like we just can’t do it! This lesson will show students they can by making a mark on their paper. The creative process starts with one step and we can go from there.
• After students create their character they will think about who this character is and what type of personality they have. For example, is this character brave, empathetic, kind, resilient, or someone you can trust or respect? What would this character do in their daily life? What would their challenges be? How would they overcome their challenges by being brave?

Artist Notes

• Just make a mark and see where it takes you!
• The character students create should have one of the following character traits: Respect, Integrity, Responsibility, Resilience, Empathy, Trustworthiness, Perseverance or Kindness.

Book Recommendation

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds