Curriculum › Grade 2 › English Language Arts

How Characters Act

  • Grade 2
  • English Language Arts
  • RL.2.3
  • Reading: Literature
  • Free lesson

Aligned to RL.2.3 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

What this lesson teaches

Characters face problems and big events in a story. Notice how they feel and what they do about them.

Worked examples

Example 1

When Mia's kite got stuck in a tree, she felt sad. Then she got a long stick and worked until she pulled it free.

Example 2

When Omar's model broke the night before the fair, he did not quit — he stayed up and rebuilt it with tape and cardboard.

Example 3

Watch what a character does, not just what they say. Someone who says they are not scared and then hides is telling you two different things.

Practice questions

  1. Name a problem a character faces in a story.
  2. Tell how the character feels when the problem happens.
  3. Explain what the character does to solve the problem and how it works out.

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

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En español

Cómo actúan los personajes

Los personajes enfrentan problemas y sucesos importantes en un cuento. Fíjate en cómo se sienten y qué hacen.

Ejemplo 1: Cuando el papalote de Mía se atoró en un árbol, se sintió triste. Luego tomó un palo largo y trabajó hasta soltarlo.

Ejemplo 2: Cuando la maqueta de Omar se rompió la noche antes de la feria, no se rindió — se quedó despierto y la rehízo con cinta y cartón.

Ejemplo 3: Fíjate en lo que hace un personaje, no solo en lo que dice. Alguien que dice que no tiene miedo y luego se esconde te está diciendo dos cosas distintas.

More Reading: Literature lessons

Story Structure: Beginning, Middle, EndRL.2.5Story QuestionsRL.2.1The Lesson in a StoryRL.2.2Words That SingRL.2.4Who Is Talking?RL.2.6Pictures Help You ReadRL.2.7

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