The Great Gilly Hopkins: Characterization and prediction

In the final chapters of the novel, Gilly's grandmother learns she has a granddaughter and decides to take Gilly out of foster care. Many of my classroom readers are often dismayed by this unexpected conflict and its outcome. In this lesson, the classroom becomes a courtroom where students predict the outcome of this conflict.

This activity can be used at the end of the novel, but I like to use it after reading chapters 10 and 11 so students can compare the courtroom decision to the end of the novel.

A lesson plan for grades 4–6 English Language Arts

By Emily Vann

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Related topics

• Learn more about The Great Gilly Hopkins, characterization, language arts, literature, mock trials, novels, pre-reading strategies, predictions, role playing, and text interaction.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• characterize the main characters of the novel.
• predict the outcome of the novel based on prior knowledge, evidence from the text, and peers’ opinions.
• compare and contrast their predictions with the outcome of the novel.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2-3 Hours

Materials/resources

Classroom set of novels: The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Patterson

Pre-activities

Students will have read the novel through the end of Chapter 11.

Activities

Introduction

1. Students will have been practicing predictions based on prior knowledge, foreshadowing, and deductive or inductive reasoning throughout the reading of the novel.
2. Discuss the differences between adoptive parents, foster parents, and birth parents.
3. Identify the various methods the author uses to describe and develop the characters. (We usually cover 1-3 prior to or during reading of the first chapters.)

Pre-trial preparation

4. Tell students that they will be preparing a mock trial to determine Gilly’s guardianship. They will need to develop convincing arguments to convince the jury. Divide the class into pairs or groups. Assign groups to research and play the following roles in the trial: Gilly, W.E., Trotter, Nonnie, and Miss Ellis. The teacher may assign other witnesses (Miss Harris, Courtney, Agnes Stokes, former foster parents) in order to allow more students individual parts. (Keep in mind, the more “witnesses” assigned, the longer the trial will be.) Students will describe their characters and write down their character’s position about Gilly’s guardianship in an essay, graphic organizer, character journal, etc.
5. Share the descriptions and position statements in whole class discussion. (This is a great opportunity to introduce or review compare/contrast skills using a Venn Diagram or other tool.)
6. Assign groups to play Nonnie and Trotter’s lawyers. Have these groups develop 5-10 questions they will ask the witnesses.

Trial

7. Set court procedures for the classroom. Most students will expect the trial to proceed like the ones on television or in movies. I suggest setting simple guidelines with the class so the trial will proceed smoothly.
8. Assign 1 student from each group to play the following roles in the trial: Nonnie and Trotter’s lawyers, Gilly, W.E., Trotter, Nonnie, and Miss Ellis. The teacher may assign other witnesses (Miss Harris, Courtney, Agnes Stokes, former foster parents) in order to allow more students individual parts. (Keep in mind, the more “witnesses” assigned, the longer the trial will be.)
9. Any remaining students will be jurors. The teacher usually serves as the judge to insure court procedures are followed.
10. Jurors will vote on Gilly’s guardianship at the conclusion of the trial. The teacher should stress that the jurors make their decisions based on the events of the trial and not their favorite choice or outcome.

Assessment

• Use the group description activity as one way to assess students’ understanding of characterization.
• Students will write a response to the events and outcome of the trial. Ask them to consider the behaviors of the witnesses. Did the character behave as the student expected?
• Students will write a brief prediction of the actual outcome of the book based on the trial events and prior reading. After finishing the novel, discuss similarities and differences between predicitons and actual outcomes. Discuss clues in the novel and strategies the students can use to make more accurate predictions. (This is something we would have been doing throughout the novel.)
• Students will pretend to be Gilly and write a character journal (in first person point of view) reflecting on the events of the trial.

Supplemental information

A Study Guide to The Great Gilly Hopkins by Marcia Tretler

This study guide suggested creating a mock family trial at the end of the novel where students present arguments for and against Gilly’s remaining with Mrs. Trotter.

Comments

Remind students throughout the activity that they should become the characters they are representing. This is a great opportunity for students to “walk in another person’s footsteps.”