Caricature character tour

Students create a caricature of a literary character using magazine cutouts to practice reading for details and characterization.

A lesson plan for grade English Language Arts

By Janice Ianniello

Learn more

Related pages

• Night of the Twisters: Reading strategies are used to introduce a literary work.
• Description as mind control: Using details to help readers visualize your story: Good writers help their readers visualize their stories by including vivid details. Students will listen to passages from Gary Paulsen's novel Hatchet, draw one of the images from the passage, and identify which details Paulsen uses to create these images.
• Analyzing significant events in Jim the Boy: This activity, to be completed after reading Tony Earley's Jim the Boy, helps students identify examples and details and then analyze them effectively. The class will brainstorm examples of life-changing events in Jim's life. The teacher will select one of the events, find the pages in the novel where it is discussed, and show the students how to annotate the text by marking details and commenting on them. Using a "T" chart, the class will then select three of the details to analyze.

Related topics

• Learn more about caricatures, characterization, details, hands-on, language arts, literature, and novels.

Help

Please read our disclaimer for lesson plans.

Legal

Learning outcomes

Student will recognize text details used to create a mental “image” of a character and use those details to create a visual caricature of the character which can be recognized by other readers of the same literature.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 hours

Materials/resources

• Large assortment of magazines and newspapers available for “destruction” (cutting)
• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue

Pre-activities

Read a short story or novel in large or small groups. Reading selections preferably have a variety of colorful, “larger than life,” characters. Reading level should be appropriate (Examples: Black Pearl, Huck Finn, etc.)

Activities

1. Have students pick a character from the reading. They should not tell classmates which character they have chosen.
2. On scratch paper make a list of details which describe the character. These details may not necessarily be “visual” - attitude, talent, and demeanor are important to characterization.
3. Looking through magazine cut out a head (face), body, artifacts (objects), and words which can be associated with the character. A variety of size and perspective in the cut outs will help to create the caricature effect. Usually a large head or face can be matched with a somewhat smaller body, but encourage students to experiment - position and size give hidden meanings, just as the author has given “hidden” clues in his text.
4. On a piece of construction paper, paste the caricature together - beginning with the body and head. Position appropriate artifacts around the caricature. “Frame the caricature with appropriate words or phrases which have been cutout. (Do not name the character!)
5. When caricatures are complete, put them on “tour.” Tack to the bulletin board or pass around the room and let students guess who the characters are.

Assessment

Students are often pleased and amazed at their ability to bring the characters to life. Have students who correctly identify their classmate’s character explain the features and details which “gave it away.” Compare to textual references of the character. Students should begin to appreciate the details and characterization presented by the author.

Supplemental information

Comments

Before using this lesson, I made two caricatures of characters from The Black Pearl to see if my students could identify them. The students were delighted with the pictures and requested a chance to try it themselves! A good example (perhaps from a previously read work) may build enthusiasm and cut down on confusion.