“Lamb to the Slaughter”

Characterization throughout a text – Can characters change?

Objective: SWBAT describe how Mary’s thoughts and actions characterize her in the beginning of the story.

Pre-Reading/Warm-UpDirections: Complete the questions below. We will check them as a class after three

minutes.

What does the phrase “lamb to the slaughter” make you think of? Brainstorm a quick list of thoughts, feelings, pictures, movies, etc. that you associate with the words “lamb” and “slaughter,” and then write your thoughts on what the idiom “lamb to the slaughter” might mean.

Lamb:

__________________________________________________________________Slaughter:

_______________________________________________________________Lamb to the slaughter:

___________________________________________________________________

Objective: SWBAT describe how Mary’s thoughts and actions characterize her in the beginning of the story.

• Key Point #1: A character is a person (or animal) in a story, poem, or play. Every character has his or her own personality, which an author uses to assist in forming the plot of a story. The process of revealing the personality of a character in a story is called characterization. The author shows what a character is like through:– External details, such as dress or looks– A character’s thoughts, actions, and dialogue (speech)– What other characters say or think about that character

• Key Point #2: We have to use our own judgment to decide what a character is like based on the evidence in the text. For example:– If a character continuously lies to other characters in a text, we can infer that she is dishonest

based on her words/dialogue.– If a character volunteers her time to helping the homeless, we can infer that she is

compassionate and generous from this action.

• Key Point #3: When characters interact with one another, it often creates conflict. There are several types of conflict, but today we’ll focus on conflict as the struggle or clash between opposing characters. Conflict can directly affect character development.

S-T-E-A-L Graphic OrganizersS-T-E-A-L What are we searching for in the text? What does this say about the

characterization?

Looks

Acts

Says

Thinks

Check for Understanding S-T-E-A-L

Blog Post:Directions: Answer the following question, in your

own words, & based on our notes on our class Blog!

What are the 5 components we look for in characterization & how to they characterize a character?

S-T-E-A-L : Characterize MaryDirections: Read Aloud (1-11): Follow along as your teacher reads paragraphs 1-11

aloud. As you follow along you should be tracking the text and underlining any words or actions that help you characterize Mary

• Examine the underlined segments of the text we just read aloud.

• Identify which part of S-T-E-A-L these segments are

• Use these segments as evidence to support your characterization of Mary – on the next slide

S-T-E-A-L Characterize MaryDirections: Use the underline segments of the text to help you fill-in the

graphic organizer below characterizing Mary

S-T-E-A-L : Characterize MaryPartner Reading (12-32): Take turns reading aloud with your partner, alternating turns

between each paragraph. As you read both of you should be underlining words or actions that help you characterize Mary.

Initial Characterization of MaryPost-ReadingDirections: Fill-in the blanks below to complete your exit

ticket for the day. Then post your response to the class BLOG!!

In opening of Roald Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter,” Dahl characterizes Mary as ________________________________. He does this through her ______________________(thoughts, actions, speech, looks) in the following quote from ____ paragraph in the text: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Objective: SWBAT describe how Mary’s thoughts and actions characterize her in the end of the story

Directions: Read Aloud (33-46): Follow along as your teacher reads paragraphs 33-46 aloud. As you follow along you should be tracking the text and underlining any words

or actions that help you characterize Mary. .

• Examine the underlined segments of the text we just read aloud.

• Identify which part of S-T-E-A-L these segments are

• Use these segments as evidence to support your characterization of Mary – on the next slide

S-T-E-A-L Characterize Mary Directions: After the read aloud, fill-in the graphic organizer below.

• Refer back to the previous slide – Examine the highlighted segments of the text.

• What causes Mary’s actions/thoughts/looks/speech?

• What key point does this prove?

Objective: Analyze a Mary’s progression throughout the text.What caused Mary to change and what new character traits did she

develop?