Close message Due to maintenance between 17:00 to 19:00 on Thursday 30th May 2024, Scootle website may face disruption in service. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Search results

Listed under:  Language  >  Text types  >  Imaginative texts  >  Narratives  >  Characters (Narratives)
Text

Creating Fictional Characters

In this teaching activity, students will examine character as a significant element of fictional stories. They will learn methods of characterization, identify supporting details, and critique these methods in works of fiction.

Text

Character Building

In this teaching activity, students analyse popular characters and methods of characterization used by writers. They apply these methods to create a profile and illustration of an original character. They will then write a short script.

Text

Character Sketches

What techniques do storytellers use to create characters? In this lesson, students will analyse how a character's personality traits, actions and motives influence the plot of a story. They will use their senses to create character sketches, then dramatize the character for an audience.

Video

Heywire: Keeping the fat cats out of the dairy

Writers construct representations of people and events to suit their purposes. Once we understand this, we can evaluate the validity of those representations and decide whether we agree with them or not. In her Heywire audio story, Chelsey Landford speaks of the hardships facing dairy farmers. Explore her representations ...

Video

Macbeth: Are you a man or a mouse?

Let's get inside the devious mind of Lady Macbeth! Bell Shakespeare's Kate Mulvany and John Bell explore the methods Lady Macbeth uses to manipulate her husband. This delightfully despicable character knows just which buttons to press! Listen in on the conversation with James Evans and see for yourself.

Video

Feathers, Fur and Fins: A song about snakes

Do you know any songs about Australian animals? Listen to this song about snakes performed by Don Spencer. Watch and listen, as the clip shows different types of snakes and even some trained people trying to catch a snake.

Video

Making a Mini-documentary, Ep 2: Scripting and storyboarding a video interview

How do you decide on the questions for a video interview? What about how it's going to be filmed? Catherine Marciniak and Benj Binks from ABC Open provide some great tips on scripting and storyboarding a video interview. This is one of eight clips on making a mini-documentary.

Video

ABC Open: Using descriptive language to evoke mood and feeling

Is there a particular place or time of day that you love? How would you describe this place and time to someone to convey how you feel? What sort of mood would you want to create? The narrator in this video tells us she loves sunrise. How does she communicate this through the language she uses? What is the mood created?

Video

ABC Open: Australian Children's Laureate, Jackie French

Jackie French is the Australian Children's Laureate for 2014-2015, and the author of the famous Wombat series of books. Watch this video to find out how a wombat inspired and conspired against her literary ambitions! What are your inspirations when you write?

Video

Tom Keneally and 1960s Australia

Have you heard of the 1967 Referendum, Vincent Lingiari or the Freedom Ride? The late 1960s was a period of great social upheaval with many young Australians unhappy with the treatement of Indigenous Australians and with Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. How effective is Thomas Keneally's parallel between the ...

Text

Panchatantra: the lion and the rabbit

This is a folk story titled The lion and the rabbit from the Panchatantra, a book that contains a collection of South Asian folk stories dating back at least 2,000 years. The message of the story is that intelligence is power. The story is eight web pages in length and includes text, illustrations, arrows at the top of ...

Interactive

Drop the mic – hip hop and Shakespeare

A fresh and fun approach to Hip Hop theatre exploring, words, rhythm, movement, voice and creative writing. Drop The Mic Hip Hop Theatre class aims to develop voice, rhythm, physicality and character skills.

Video

Storyline Online: Brave Irene by William Steig

Plucky Irene, a dressmaker's daughter, braves a fierce snowstorm to deliver a new gown to the duchess in time for the ball. This series of videos features illustrated stories read aloud by well-known US based actors supported by the illustrations. Each book is supplemented with guides for teachers and parents, aiming to ...

Interactive

Make ‘em laugh

See how effective comedy is in communicating ideas and engaging an audience. Good performances will have moments of humour and seriousness in order to provide variety and interest in the stories being told.

Video

How to be funny

What is the key to being funny? As Tim Ferguson explains, if you can laugh, you can write comedy. Has something funny happened to you lately? Or is there something in particular that you find puzzling or amusing about the world around you? Put your thoughts on paper and experiment with telling your story in different ways. ...

Video

Guulaangga, The Green Tree Frog

Listen to author and artist Aunty Gloria Whalan, as she tells the story of Guulaangga, the Green Tree Frog. Gloria is an elder of the Morwell community, though she grew up in Lithgow, NSW. Her people are the Wiradjuri, from around the Blue Mountains in NSW. This story is inspired by Gloria's experiences growing up on a ...

Interactive

Play School Art Maker - iTunes app

Create collage pictures, short animations and slideshows with toys and craft items from ABC Play School. You can upload your own photos for background and add audio to the videos. Pictures and animations can be saved in app or exported to your device. Free when reviewed 27/5/2015

Video

How to retell a story (for kids)

A short video (1:48) for students explains how to retell a story focusing on characters, setting and major events.

Video

What inspires you to write

If you love to write, have you wondered why? Reflect on some reasons why you (or anyone else) might love writing, then watch Lili Wilkinson describe why she loves to write. How important is curiosity to her? How is that curiosity linked to empathy and why is that important to being a good writer?

Online

Horton Hears a Who

This resource for primary school children examines the Dr Seuss picture book classic and the film based on the book. It examines the theme of sustainability. It contains questions and activities on the book and the film, as well as a teacher guide.