Donya Long

Midland Valley High School

English I or II

Standards Addressed:

E1-2.4 Create responses to informational texts through a variety of methods such as

drawings, written works, oral presentations, and media productions.

E1-2.2 Compare/contrast information within and across texts to draw conclusions and
make inferences.

Instructions:

This assignment was posted on Moodle as a Web Page. Students were instructed to copy
and paste the assignment into a word document. Once students completed the
assignment, they had to upload the document to Moodle.

Assignment:

Cold Sassy Tree Characterization Chart

Read the following information, fill out the charts based on the characters in Cold
Sassy Tree, and print them.

Literary Elements: Characterization

The characters in literature are part of what makes literature fascinating to readers. A
writer makes a character come alive through characterization, the methods used to
present the personality of a character. The following chart presents the methods of
characterization.

METHODS OF CHARACTERIZATION

1. Giving a physical description of the character.

2. Showing the character’s actions and letting the character speak

3. Revealing the character’s thoughts

4. Revealing what other characters think of the character

5. Commenting directly on the character

*Items one through four are methods of indirect characterization. By using these
methods, a writer shows or dramatizes the character and allows you, the reader, to draw
your own conclusions about the character. Item five is a method of direct
characterization. By using this method, the writer tells you directly what a character is
like.

Fill in the charts below using what you know so far about the following characters:

CHARACTERIZATION: Grandpa Blakeslee

Method: Example:

Physical Description

Character’s Thoughts and Fears

What Others Think of the Character

Direct Comments on the Character

CHARACTERIZATION: Will Tweedy

Method: Example:

Physical Description

Character’s Thoughts and Fears

What Others Think of the Character

Direct Comments on the Character

CHARACTERIZATION: Mary Willis

Method: Example:

Physical Description

Character’s Thoughts and Fears

What Others Think of the Character

Direct Comments on the Character

CHARACTERIZATION: Aunt Loma

Method: Example:

Physical Description

Character’s Thoughts and Fears

What Others Think of the Character

Direct Comments on the Character

CHARACTERIZATION: Love Simpson

Method: Example:
Physical Description

Character’s Thoughts and Fears

What Others Think of the Character

Direct Comments on the Character

CHARACTERIZATION: Mattie Lou

Method: Example:

Physical Description

Character’s Thoughts and Fears

What Others Think of the Character

Direct Comments on the Character