Introducing Characterization with The Hunger Games

Although I didn’t always know I wanted to become a literature teacher, I have always loved to read.  When I think about the books that drew me in as a child, I remember the characters whose lives they followed – a girl who loved animals, a family who worked together to solve mysteries, a boy who just wanted to do the right thing.  I loved the stories because I resonated with each character in some way.

And although there are many aspects of literature that can attract a reader, I think developing powerful characters is one of the most effective.  Unfortunately, many of my high school students often lack the basic skill of understanding characterization by making inferences, reading between the lines, and analyzing character development.  For this reason, I developed a series of fun lesson plans to help students understand, analyze, and synthesize their knowledge of characterization with an engaging activity!  Check out the first in this series, an introduction to characterization!