This lesson plan introduces character development—a crucial aspect of storytelling—as the next exciting step in our filmmaking exploration. Characters form the beating heart of narratives. With SoCreate, we delve into crafting rounded characters that are not only engaging but also realistic and relatable. This plan equips you to inspire your students in mastering the art of character creation.

Objective

By the end of this lesson, students will understand the essential elements of character development and will be able to create well-rounded characters for their short film 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 asking students what they think makes a character interesting or memorable. Take some answers and discuss as a class.

Explain that well-developed characters have clear goals, face obstacles, have distinct appearances, and those appearances often tell us something about who they are as individuals and how they experience the world.

Use examples from popular films or TV shows that students are familiar with to illustrate these points.

Introduction to Character Development with SoCreate (20 minutes):

Re-introduce SoCreate to the class, reminding them that it's a powerful scriptwriting software they'll be using to develop their characters.

On the projector, show students how to create characters in SoCreate. Discuss the importance of writing down details about each character, including their goals, obstacles, and physical descriptions. Teach them how to change the character’s age, type, and look.

Encourage students to think about how a character's appearance can reflect their personality or background.

Consider conducting an interview with an example character to learn more about that character as a class.

Student Work: Developing Characters with SoCreate

60 minutes

In their previously formed groups, have students begin developing characters for their short films. They should use the Notes feature in the character’s first dialogue stream item to write about each character's goals, obstacles, and appearance.  

Each character should have a clear goal that drives their actions and a believable obstacle that prevents them from easily achieving that goal.

Students should also spend time considering each character's appearance. How does the character's look reflect their personality, background, or role in the story?

Wrap-Up: Sharing and Discussion

15 minutes

Invite a few groups to share their characters with the class. They can present their SoCreate character profiles and explain the goals, obstacles, and appearances of their characters.

Discuss as a class how these elements contribute to well-rounded, interesting characters. Ask students how the characters' goals and obstacles contribute to the plot they developed in the previous lesson .

And there we have it: an engaging lesson plan to teach your elementary school students about character development using SoCreate. By teaching students to create complex characters, we're not just helping them make better films — we're empowering them to understand people and perspectives different from their own. It's amazing what stories can do!

Keep fostering creativity!