Character development and understanding a character’s feelings can be challenging topics of discussion for any student. Barb, a Title One Teacher in Texas, shared with us how she helps her students grasp these concepts. It all begins with a pumpkin and some magic markers.
Reading: Use Pumpkins to Identify Characters’ Feelings
“Sometimes it can be tricky for students to identify each character’s feelings within the context of a story scene. To help students develop and strengthen this ability, I created an activity I call ‘Pumpkin Personalities on Parade,'” explained Barb.
“I begin by assigning each student an advanced feeling word (e.g., frustrated, annoyed, shocked, mischievous, etc.). I then have students use pumpkin-shaped templates to trace pumpkin shapes on orange paper.
After cutting out the shapes, students use markers to draw facial features depicting the particular feeling they were each assigned. I have some simple face drawing books on hand for children to consult if they seem stumped. I also ask them each to use a dialog balloon to record something each of their pumpkins might say while feeling the feeling depicted on their faces.
I encourage students to use a thesaurus so they may access synonyms and antonyms for their feelings words, but they are not allowed to name the actual feeling itself it the balloon. For example, the words in a frustrated pumpkin’s balloon may read, “Everybody is standing in my way! Grrrr!” or “I hate when things don’t go smoothly for me.”
I display the pumpkins and their balloons together on a bulletin board resembling a pumpkin patch. This activity is a challenging, yet effective and fun activity for students. It offers practice in identifying feelings, artistic interpretation, synonyms, antonyms, and vocabulary development. It’s one of my students’ favorites during the year!”