Secondary Level Slideshow

SECONDARY LEVEL

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LESSON 1�Understanding & Describing �QUEST Characters

UNIT 2

Unit 2: Creating Characters �& Settings

Let’s Discuss…Characters

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• Who is your favorite character from a book, movie or TV show? Describe them.�

“My favorite character is… and they are…”

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• Who are some characters we’ve met so far in QUEST? Describe them.
• What things do you consider when you’re creating a new character?

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Unit 2, Lesson 1

CHARACTER 1 VIDEO

Unit 2, Lesson 1

Let’s Recap…

• What is this character’s name?

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• Does this character have any accessories, clothing, or special physical details that tell us something about their personality?

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• What does this character like?

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• What is a strength this character has?

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• What is a weakness this character has?

Unit 2, Lesson 1

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Use the character’s physical pose, facial expression and clothing as clues to help you make decisions about the character’s personality!

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Unit 2, Lesson 1

CHARACTER 1 IMAGE

Let’s Discuss…

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• Can anyone explain the difference between the main character in a story and the secondary (or side) characters?

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“Main characters are…”

“Secondary characters are…”

Unit 2, Lesson 1

Let’s Discuss…

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Main character: the most important character in a story, we meet them at the beginning, and we stay with them until the end of the story

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Secondary character: less important than the main character, they can appear and disappear at different points in the story

Unit 2, Lesson 1

Secondary Characters

• When it comes to creating secondary (or side/supporting) characters, writers and creators make bigger and bolder choices with the characters’ physical and personality traits.
• Secondary characters usually serve a specific purpose within a narrative. For example, a secondary character might be funny, tell jokes, and generally provide comic relief in a story.
• Alternatively, a secondary character might be scary, mysterious or threatening, adding a sense of spookiness or danger to a story.
• In other words, the secondary characters are essential to establishing the mood of a story.

Unit 2, Lesson 1

Secondary Characters

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• Can you think of some secondary characters from books or movies? Describe them!�(E.g. Harry Potter, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Finding Nemo, Toy Story, The Incredibles)

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“One secondary character I know is… He/she is…”

Unit 2, Lesson 1

Let’s Discuss…

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Learning about fictional (invented) characters helps us think about what kind of person we want (or don’t want) to become.

• Can you think of any fictional characters from books or movies that are good role models?
• Can you think of any fictional characters that you would not want to be like?

Unit 2, Lesson 1

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LESSON 2�Creating Original

Characters

UNIT 2

Let’s Discuss…

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Who can describe what a character is?

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“A character is…”

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Unit 2, Lesson 2

WHAT MAKES A GOOD CHARACTER? VIDEO

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Unit 2, Lesson 2

Let’s Recap…

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• What kind of things can be characters ?
• What are some elements that every character needs?
• Why should a character have more positive traits?
• Why should a character have weaknesses, or negative traits?
• What is a character goal? What are some examples of possible character goals?

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Unit 2, Lesson 2

Let’s Discuss…

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• Who knows what Manga art is?

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• Can you describe what makes �Manga art different or special?

�“Manga is a style of art that…”

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Unit 2, Lesson 3

DRAWING A MANGA CHARACTER TUTORIAL VIDEO

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Unit 2, Lesson 2

Let’s Discuss…

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• Are you familiar with any other style of character art? �(Bonus: can you describe the difference between the character art in a Pixar movie and the character art in a comic book?)
• Why might it be valuable to study art from a variety of cultures? �“I think learning styles of art from different cultures is valuable because…”
• Why do you think different styles of art might be popular in different �parts of the world?

Unit 2, Lesson 2

COMIC�BOOK

Team Monster Character

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In your teams, design a monster character.

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• This creature can be scary, funny, gross, or all three, but it should look slightly different to any human being or �animal you’ve ever seen.
• Each team’s monster must have a name �and at least two strengths and one weakness.

Unit 2, Lesson 2

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LESSON 3�Settings & Mood

UNIT 2

Let’s Discuss…

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• Who can describe what a setting is?

“A setting is…”

Unit 2, Lesson 3

Let’s Discuss…

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When we talk about the mood of a story, we’re referring to the feeling that the story gives you. Another way to describe mood is atmosphere.

When you walk into a place, it has an atmosphere that makes you feel a certain way. The mood and setting of a story are usually closely linked.

• When you walk into a candy store how do you feel?
• When you walk into a haunted house how do you feel?
• What kind of story feels like walking into a haunted house?

Unit 2, Lesson 3

SETTING 1 VIDEO

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Unit 2, Lesson 3

Let’s Recap…

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• What is this place?
• Is it indoors or outdoors?
• Is it in a town or in nature?
• What sights/visual details were described?
• What sounds were described?
• What smells were described?
• What emotion does this setting make you feel? �(Happy? Scared? Sad? Excited? Calm?)

Unit 2, Lesson 3

Describing Settings

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Sensory Details: Details (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures) that describe a story’s setting. Sensory details can help give a particular feeling or mood to the story. A spooky setting, for example, will make a story scary.

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Unit 2, Lesson 3

Can you think of some settings and sensory details to match these moods?

INSERT SETTING 1 IMAGE

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Setting Image 1

Let’s Discuss…

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• What kind of mood in general do the settings in QUEST have?
• Can you think of a real place that always makes you feel happy just by being there?
• Are there any real places that you associate with a negative emotion?

Unit 2, Lesson 3

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LESSON 4�Creating an Original Setting Part 1

UNIT 2

Biomes

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There are six main biomes on Earth (and in QUEST):

forest, grassland, freshwater, marine, desert, and tundra.

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• Biomes are different geographical areas that have their own specific climate, plants and animals.
• Each team will create an original side quest setting from within one of these six biomes.

Unit 2, Lesson 4

Biomes

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Use a computer/device to research your team’s biome!

Unit 2, Lesson 4

Share what you learned about your biome…

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• Would you choose to live in this biome? Why or why not?

“I would/would not like to live in this biome because…”

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• What adjectives would you use to describe your biome? �(For example, cozy, inviting, colorful, dry, wet, cold, sunny, colorless, desolate, flat, rocky, etc.)

Unit 2, Lesson 4

WHAT MAKES A GOOD SETTING? VIDEO

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Unit 2, Lesson 4

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Choose one specific setting (such as a lake, a building, a mountain, etc.) from within your team’s biome.

Each person on a team should pick a setting and begin to fill out the Creating a Setting (p. 30) page.

You will draw your setting in the next lesson.

Unit 2, Lesson 4

Creating Your Setting

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Let’s Discuss…

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• What is the purpose of using sensory details to describe a setting?

“Sensory details help to make a setting feel…”

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• What are points of interest? List some �examples. “Points of interest can be…”

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• What kind of setting would you choose for an adventure story?

“I would choose… as the setting for an adventure story because…”

Unit 2, Lesson 4

Let’s Recap…

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• Why is the setting an important part of a story?

“The setting is important because…”

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• How do we describe settings in a story? What do we use?

“We can describe a setting using _______ details.”

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• What is the main setting in QUEST? Describe it. Which biome (or biomes) do you think the main storyline of QUEST takes place in?

Unit 2, Lesson 4

Optional Practice

Setting 2 Video

Unit 2, Lesson 4

Optional Practice: Setting 2�

• What is this place? Is it indoors or outdoors? 
• Is it in a town or in nature? 
• What biome do you think it is located in? 
• What sights/visual details were described? 
• What sounds were described? 
• What smells were described? 
• What emotion does this setting make you feel? �(Happy? Scared? Sad? Excited? Calm?) 
• Which details contribute to creating that mood? 

Unit 2, Lesson 4

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LESSON 5

Creating an Original Setting

Part 2

UNIT 3

Let’s Discuss…

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• What is a setting?
• How many biomes are there? Can you list them?
• What are sensory details, and why do we use them to describe settings?

“Sensory details are… We use sensory details to �describe settings because they…”

Unit 2, Lesson 5

Let’s Discuss…

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• What are some examples of story moods?

“One example of a story mood is…”

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• What mood do you think the story of QUEST has?

“I think QUEST has a … mood because…”

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• Describe a memorable setting from a movie or TV show you watched recently. What made it interesting or cool?

“One setting I can remember from a movie/TV show is… �It was interesting because…”

Unit 2, Lesson 5

DRAWING A PLACE VIDEO

Unit 2, Lesson 5

Settings & Story Moods

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Your side quest storyline branches off from the main QUEST storyline, like a hidden level in a video game.

Your side quest will begin with your team’s main character discovering or being transported to your team’s setting, then having an encounter with your secondary character and, finally, discovering a challenge they have to solve/win.

The setting your team chooses today will establish the mood of your side quest. Here are some examples of story moods:

Spooky, Chaotic/Random, Mysterious, Funny, Silly, Joyful, Hopeful

Unit 2, Lesson 5

Side Quest Development

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After you choose ONE setting in your team, fill out the bottom half of your Side Quest Development (p. 31) sheet, filling in all the parts that relate to your episode’s main setting.

Unit 2, Lesson 5

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LESSON 6�Challenge, Reflection & Journaling

UNIT 2

Team Challenge: Setting Details

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Match the setting details with the correct story mood!

Unit 2, Lesson 6

Main Characters

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Your main character will be a stand-in or avatar for your player, �just as the student characters in QUEST represent the real students playing the game.

To choose your team’s main character, look back at each of the Character Sheets you completed so far, either individually or together.

Keep in mind whether your favorite character might be better as a main character or a secondary character. You’ll choose your team’s secondary character later on when you write your encounter!

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Unit 2, Lesson 6

Main Characters

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Things to consider:

• Does this character have strengths or traits that represent �many people on the team?
• Will this character be appealing and memorable for your audience/end users?
• Will we be able to easily draw this character again for our �3D cut-out?
• Does this character have a strong goal that we could use �to drive our storyline?

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Unit 2, Lesson 6

Collective Decision-Making

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• Decision by authority: The team holds open discussions, but the final decision is made by one person.
• Decision by majority: The team holds a vote following a of discussion. �The majority wins.
• Decision by unanimity: All team members must agree that the decision is the best one.
• Decision by consensus: The decision is discussed and negotiated until everyone affected by it understands and agrees with what will be done. Consensus in decision-making means that all members genuinely agree that the decision is acceptable.

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Unit 2, Lesson 6

Let’s Discuss…

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Did you know…research studies show that creative writing and drawing can increase self-esteem (confidence).

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• Why do you think that might be?
• Do you enjoy creating?
• What do you think people mean when they say that creating (through drawing or writing) gives you power?
• Do you think you have increased your creativity since beginning your QUEST Creators journey?

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Unit 2, Lesson 6

Journaling

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Unit 2, Lesson 6

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“How does your environment change the way you act? For example, do you behave differently when you’re at home with your family compared to at school? Is there a place where you feel most like yourself? Describe it.”

Bonus Team Challenge (Optional)

Setting Detectives

• Setting Description 1: Fourteen children are buckled in tight, excited to be on the way to the Aquarium. Their teacher sits in the front seat. All the seats are squeaky and shiny with little cracks in them. Outside, the rain pours down, but inside it’s warm and dry and the air is filled with the smell of packed lunches.
• Setting Description 2: When Jonathan woke up, he opened the curtains and saw that it was sunny outside. The smell of bacon wafted up from downstairs and he could hear his mother calling him for breakfast. He yawned and stretched.
• Setting Description 3: Elise ran toward the salty water. The sounds of children laughing and screaming of gulls squawking overhead filled the air. “Don’t forget sunscreen!” her dad called.
• Setting Description 4: Angel followed the spicy and comforting scent of pozole (stew). The room looked exactly as it always did: a stovetop filled with pots and pans almost overflowing with flavorsome stews and sauces cooking, a table set for five people, and the back door swinging open to let the steam and spices seep out into the night air.

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Unit 2, Lesson 6

Optional Argumentative Essay

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What can we learn from reading fiction – if anything?

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Unit 2, Lesson 6

1. Write an introduction that includes a thesis statement
2. Give two or three reasons and support your reasons with evidence (you may need to do some research)
3. Write a conclusion that summarizes your argument and includes a personal connection to the topic.