This lesson plan delves into the evolution our characters undergo within our narratives—character arcs. Whether it's the humble 'everyman,' the 'hero,' the 'anti-hero,' or the 'catalyst,' our characters evolve and grow through their experiences.

Using SoCreate, we'll explore character arcs, a vital concept for creating dynamic, engaging characters, and guiding students to gain a deeper understanding of its importance in storytelling.

Objective

By the end of this lesson, students will understand the concept of character arcs and the various types, and will be able to craft dynamic character transformations in their scripts using SoCreate.

Materials

A computer with internet access for each student/group, SoCreate accounts for each student/group, projector for teacher demonstrations.

Duration

1-2 class periods

Warm-Up

15 minutes

Start the lesson by explaining the concept of a character arc and its significance in a story. Discuss different types of character arcs such as positive change arcs, flat arcs, and negative change arcs .

Invite students to share examples of character transformations they've observed in their favorite movies or shows, and identify the types of arcs in these examples.

Use examples from familiar films or TV shows to further illustrate these points, showcasing how characters change from beginning to end and the impact of these transformations on the storyline.

Introduction to Character Arcs with SoCreate

20 minutes

Open up SoCreate, highlighting how it can help to structure and track a character's journey throughout a script by using the Notes feature to add notes within Dialogue stream items about where a character is changing.

Demonstrate using the projector how SoCreate's scriptwriting features can be used to write a character arc, illustrating changes in a character's actions, dialogue, and reactions over time.

Discuss the role of character arcs in driving conflict and story progression, and in creating compelling, relatable characters.

Student Work: Creating Character Arcs with SoCreate

60 minutes

Task students, in their existing groups, with creating character arcs for their main characters. Using SoCreate, they should plan and write scenes that introduce the character, show the character's evolution over time, and conclude with the character's transformation.

Encourage students to ensure their character's transformation is believable, impactful, and a direct result of the story's events and conflicts.

Prompt them to remember that not all characters will have dramatic arcs. Some characters may undergo subtle changes, while others might remain constant.

Remind students that editing is encouraged. It is okay to go back through your story or script to make changes to improve a character’s arc.

Wrap-Up: Sharing and Discussion

15 minutes

Ask a few groups to share their character arcs, presenting their SoCreate scripts.

Facilitate a class discussion about how these character arcs influence the narrative and make the characters more engaging. Discuss the type of arc each character follows and how effectively it is conveyed.