Middle School Lesson Plan:
Protagonist/Antagonist

Lesson Overview

After reading the story and/or watching the video, the teacher will introduce or review the concept of protagonist and antagonist. Students will discuss in writing the personality of the identified protagonist of the story.

 

Standards

Reading Applications: Literary Text
1. Identify and explain various types of characters and how their interactions and conflicts affect the plot.
4. Compare and contrast different points of view and explain how voice affects literary text.

 

Materials

• Writing supplies or a computer

• The Story of Erica
  (You can access a Web-streamed version of the story at www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org/trauma/video.htm. Or download the printable PDF version.)

• Protagonist/Antagonist Worksheet

Procedure

1. After the students have read the story and/or watched the video about Erica, lead them in a discussion about the concepts of protagonist and antagonist. Explain how the conflict can be within the person as well as with others.

2. Ask the students to identify the protagonist and the antagonist in Erica’s story using the Protagonist/Antagonist Worksheet.

3. Have the students write a brief description of changes that occur within the protagonist during the course of the story.

Evaluation

Writing Rubric

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Focus on Topic (Content)	There is one clear, well-focused topic. The main idea stands out and is supported by detailed information.	The main idea is clear but the supporting information is general.	The main idea is somewhat clear but there is a need for more supporting information.	The main idea is not clear. There is a seemingly random collection of information.
Grammar and Spelling (Conventions)	Writer makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.	Writer makes one or two errors in grammar or spelling.	Writer makes three or four errors in grammar or spelling.	Writer makes more than four errors in grammar or spelling.
Capitalization and Punctuation (Conventions)	The writer makes no errors in capitalization or punctuation, so the paper is very easy to read.	The writer makes one or two errors in capitalization or punctuation, but the paper is still easy to read.	The writer makes a few errors in capitalization and/or punctuation that catch the reader’s attention and interrupt the flow.	The writer makes several errors in capitalization and/or punctuation that catch the reader’s attention and greatly interrupt the flow.
Adding Personality (Voice)	The writer seems to be writing from knowledge or experience. The author has taken the ideas and made them his or her “own.”	The writer seems to be drawing on knowledge or experience, but there is some lack of ownership of the topic.	The writer relates some of his own knowledge or experience, but it adds nothing to the discussion of the topic.	The writer has not tried to transform the information in a personal way. The ideas and the way they are expressed seem to belong to someone else.
Conclusion (Organization)	The conclusion is strong and enables the reader to understand the writer’s point.	The conclusion is recognizable and ties up almost all the loose ends.	The conclusion is recognizable, but does not tie up several loose ends.	There is no clear conclusion; the paper just ends.