Character Sketch

See How It's Done
Close our eyes. Think about someone in your family. What do you see? Is this person tall or short? How is the person dressed? Now think about the kind of person your family member is. Does he or she laugh and joke a lot? Is he or she a good listener?

Listen to the first paragraph of one student's description of a family member. Then continue reading on your own. AS you read, answer questions and discuss the model with your teach or one of your classmates.


Do it Yourself
For this assignment you will write a character sketch. A character sketch is a real description of a person. A good character sketch makes the person seem real by telling how he/she look, acts, thinks, and feels.


1) Prewriting.............................................................................................................................
Look for a person to write about
Here is one way to get started. Make a list of all the people that you know or admire.
It will be easier to write about someone you know will, but you don't have to.

Look over the people you listed
Which a person to write about. Tell your teacher your choice.

Collect information about the person
What makes the person special? First, write down details, or pieces of information, that tell how he or she looks. Then, add details to show how you and other people feel about the person. Next to each deatil, try to give an example.

2) Drafting..................................................................................................................................
Organize the information you collected
1. Write an opening sentence that introduces the person to your readers. Notice how Rashmi use a quotation to introduce her grandmother in line 1.

2. Add descriptive details that tell what the person looks like and how he or she acts. For example Rashmi describes Aaji's wrinkled finger and her thick Indian accent.

3. In the next part, write sentences that show what kind of person your subject is. Then, think of events or dialogue to support your description. Notice how Rashmi does this when she describes her grandmother's cooking.

4. End with a few sentences that tell how you feel about the person.

Begin writing your character sketch.
These hints can help you as you as you write:
1. Try to use words that clearly desceibe the person.
2. Try to use examples of the person's own words and actions.


Revising.......................................................................................................................................
Read over what you have written.
Then ask a friend to read it too.

Editing and Proofreading.......................................................................................................................................
Change your writing until you are happy with it.Proofread your paper in the way your teacher directs you.

Sharing and Reflecting.......................................................................................................................................
Think about what you have learned from this writing
What did you like best about writing a character sketch? What will you do differently the next time you write a character sketch?