Today, focusing on the skill of describing character, first graders shared in the read aloud The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin. This Algonquin Indian Cinderella story, describes the life of the Rough-Face Girl who was made to sit by the fire by her cruel older sisters. The kind-hearted girl is transformed, her outer beauty matching her inner beauty, as she is the only one who can see the Invisible Being, or prince of the story. Students engaged in discussions of treating others kindly, having courage, and being a good person.
Picture books such as The Rough-Face Girl provide students with an avenue to discover both the physical description, or appearance, and the personality of a character, or the way he or she thinks or behaves. Through pictures, students see what the character looks like, see gestures, and see expression of feelings. Understanding character provides students with the foundation needed for making inferences about character’s motives.
Selecting a character from the story, students were asked to focus on both the physical and emotional aspects of character. They drew pictures of what their character looked like, described their character’s feelings, and determined actions that told them something about their character. Finally, students wrote sentences about their favorite and least favorite things about their character.
