• Teacher Guide (including How to Begin)
• Student Activity, Step-by-Step:

• Investigate the character from a novel by assuming their identity
• Correspond via email demonstrating an awareness of how audience dictates language choices
• Reflect upon their own learning and understanding

Outcomes:

• Interacts effectively in groups and pairs, adopting a range of roles, uses a variety of media and uses various listening strategies for different situations
• Communicates effectively for a range of purposes and with a variety of audiences to express well-developed, well-organised ideas dealing with more challenging topics
• Critically analyses techniques used by writers to create certain effects, to use language creatively, to position the reader in various ways and to construct different interpretations of experience

1.  Select a novel that the class is familiar with. This may be a book you have been reading to the class or a text may be assigned as a reading task. Compile a list of the characters from the story in a mind map including the relationship of the characters in relation to each other. 

2.  Ask students to select a character from the brainstormed mind map. As the student is going to be asked to assume the role of their chosen character, we need to ensure that a clear understanding of the character and their actions and motives is understood.  Print out and distribute Activity Sheet 1 and ask students to complete a character profile grid for their chosen character. 

3.  Time to consolidate and apply the knowledge. Using the information recorded in Activity Sheet 1, ask students to compose a character summary. You may like to model how to compile point form information into a passage of text.  

4.  Now that the students have analysed their character, they’re ready to step into the role of their character. Explain to the students that they will assume the persona of their character and that they are email another ‘character’ from the story. Discuss how the language used in an email will be dictated by who the intended audience is. If you were sending an email to a character who is a principal you would be more likely to use formal language structures as opposed to the language used between two friends.

5.   Assign each student another character to email. Demonstrate how to set up an account and send and receive emails. Allow the students a time period in which to explore their characters. Conclude the activity by discussing what the children learnt by participating in the activity.

1.  Books bring to life characters, events and scenarios. Imagine if you were one of these characters come to life! Brainstorm with your class all the characters from a novel you have all read. Which one of these characters would you like to be?

2.  Before you pretend to be a character, you better make sure you have all the information about this person first. Complete the worksheet about your character. If you aren’t sure of one of the answers go back and check the book.

3.  Now that you have thought about the personality traits, motives and actions of your character, write a description of your character including what their personality is like, what role they played in the story and how they interact with other characters from the novel.

4.  You’ve considered all angles of your character so now its time to jump into role. Your teacher will give you another student to send correspond with and will show you how to send and receive emails. Remember, when you are sending an email to your partner, you will have to think about what type of language you are going to use. If your partner is pretending to be a school principal you will probably be more formal in the way you write to them than if the character is a friend.

5.  What did you learn from participating in this activity? Talk about this with your teacher and classmates.