Natural Object Characterization printable pdf download

Maggie M izell

Athens H igh S chool

NATURAL O BJECT C HARACTERIZATION

What a re w e g oing t o d o?

Create a c haracter f rom a n atural o bject.

Why?

To d emonstrate a b elievable c haracter.

To u tilize t he s enses i n c reating c haracter.

To d evelop a nd a lternate m ethod o f c reating a c haracter.

To e nhance a c haracter i n a p lay, d uet a cting s cene, R eaders T heatre, e tc.

TEACHER I NSTRUCTION:

1. H ave t he s tudents d raw a p icture o f t heir o bject. W hy? B ecause w hen t hey f inish t he

assignment, t he o bject m ay n ot l ook t he s ame. T he d rawing d oes n ot h ave t o b e p erfect. A s

long a s t he s tudent c an t ell w hat t he o bject l ooked l ike, t he d rawing i s p erfect.

2. W orking w ith t he s tudents, h ave t hem a pply t he s enses t o t he o bject. T he f ollowing o rder

seems t o w ork b est: S IGHT, S MELL,TOUCH, S OUND. W e d o n ot t aste b ecause w e d o n ot w ant

dead s tudents. T his t ends t o d isrupt t he l esson.

Students t end t o h ave p roblems w ith t he s mell/sound s egments o f t he l esson. T ry t he

following:

Tear o r b reak o ff a p ortion o f t he o bject a nd s niff i t o r s cratch t he s urface o f t he o bject

and s niff i t.

Sometimes a p hrase w ill d escribe t he s mell b etter t han a w ord. ( s mells l ike “ cut g rass”,

banana, e tc.)

For s ound, h ave t he s tudents t ry t he f ollowing:

Tear t he o bject s lowly w hile h olding i t c lose t o t he e ar.

Drop t he o bject o n t he d esk/table

Wave t he o bject c lose t o y our e ar

Crush t he o bject i n y our h and w hile h olding i t c lose t o y our e ar.

Phrases s eem t o w ork w ell i n t his a rea, t oo. ( s ounds l ike….. “ popcorn p opping, w aves a t t he

beach, t he w ind”, e tc.).

3. O nce t he a djective l ist i s c omplete, t ell t he s tudents t o f orget a ll a bout t he n atural o bject

and p retend t hat t he w ords a pply t o a c haracter. T he s tudents s hould w rite a s hort d escription

of t he c haracter a nd u se a s m any o f t he a djectives a s p ossible.

4. H ave t he s tudents c omplete t he C HARACTER H ISTORY C HART. T he p ersonal e xperiences

should b e i mportant i n t hat c haracter’s l ife. T hey s hould i ndicate a t urning p oint i n t hat

character’s l ife.

HUMOROUS E VENT: M ost e mbarrassing m oment, a c hild d id s omething f unny, e tc.

Natural Object Characterization