Character Detectives

Banque de mots décrivant les traits :

Doux Négligent Attentionné Égoïste Patient

1. Enquête sur l’indice d’action Ce que Marcus a fait

Écris une action précise de Marcus qui montre quel genre de personne il est.

2. Enquête sur l’indice de dialogue Ce que Marcus a dit

Recopie les paroles exactes que Marcus a dites au chaton entre les guillemets.

3. Verdict final sur le trait Déduction

Choisis dans la banque un mot décrivant le trait qui correspond le mieux à Marcus. Explique pourquoi en utilisant tes indices.

Marcus est :

parce que...

Agence des détectives de personnages • CM1–CM2 Page 2 sur 2

Reference answers and targeted accommodations for Lesson 1.

Answer Key: Outside Inside Worksheet

Part 1: Evidence Sorting Bin

Outside Appearance:

• Curly brown hair
• Bright red jacket
• Tallest in class
• Green sneakers

Inside Personality Trait:

• Kind and helpful
• Stubborn
• Brave and fearless
• Honest

Part 2: Mini Case Briefs

Case 1A (Tariq):

Clue: Words / Dialogue (and pencil tapping action). Trait: Impatient.

Case 1B (Clara):

Clue: Action (sharing stickers). Trait: Generous.

Part 3: The Mystery on Elm Street (Marcus)

• 1. Action Clue: Marcus stopped his bike in the mud, ignored getting scratched by thorns, or wrapped his warm jacket around the kitten to carry it safely.
• 2. Dialogue Clue: “Hey there, little buddy... You’re safe now. I’m not going to leave you out here alone in the cold.”
• 3. Final Trait Verdict: Caring (or Gentle). Explanation: Marcus prioritized the shivering kitten over his own clean clothes and scraped wrist, showing he puts others' safety ahead of his own comfort.

Scaffolding Support (Tier 2)

• • Provide pre-highlighted dialogue in yellow and actions in green for struggling readers.
• • Narrow the trait word bank to two binary choices (e.g., "Selfish vs. Caring").
• • Allow students to dictate their explanation sentence orally before writing.

Extension & Deepening

• • Have advanced students rewrite Marcus's dialogue to show an opposite trait (e.g., impatient or selfish).
• • Prompt students to identify how Marcus's actions reveal his values without the author explicitly telling us.
• • Challenge students to connect Marcus's traits to a character in their current independent reading book.

2-Minute Closure Discussion

Gather students on the carpet. Ask: "If you had to pick between an author telling you 'Marcus is kind' versus showing him wrapping his coat around the kitten, which makes the story better and why?" Reinforce that "Show, Don't Tell" requires readers to be active detectives!

Character Detective Agency • Teacher Materials Page 2 of 2

What they silently think inside their head

FEELINGS

How they react emotionally to events

Now you hold all 4 master keys! Open your Heart and Mind Worksheet!

Trait Word Bank:

Supportive Self-centered Empathetic Careless

1. Tracking Feelings (The Weather) Emotional Reaction

What temporary feeling did Priya experience at the beginning of the passage? Cite one clue from the text.

2. Tracking Thoughts (The Inner Mind) Silent Thinking

What did Priya think to herself when she saw Leo trembling? How did her thoughts change her focus?

3. Final Character Trait Verdict Deduction & Evidence

Choose the best trait from the word bank for Priya. Complete the detective sentence:

Priya is

because her thoughts and actions prove that...

Character Detective Agency • Grade 3–4 Page 2 of 2

Part 1: Emotion vs. Trait Classifier

Temporary Emotions (Feelings):

• Terrified
• Furious
• Excited

Enduring Personality Traits:

• Persevering
• Thoughtful
• Generous

Part 2: Silent Thought Detective

Case 2A (Lucas):

Thought: “If I make the base two blocks wider...” Overcame: Frustration/annoyance. Trait: Determined (or Persistent).

Case 2B (Jasmine):

Thought: “Tyler loves kickball. Maybe he’s waiting...” Shows concern for: Tyler’s feelings/inclusion. Trait: Considerate (or Empathetic).

Part 3: The Big Audition (Priya)

• 1. Feelings: Nervous, anxious, or frightened. Evidence: "palms felt clammy", "chest tightened", "knot of panic in her own stomach".
• 2. Thoughts: Priya thought: "Leo must feel completely overwhelmed... My fear won't help him, but maybe a friendly voice will." She shifted from worrying about herself to caring for Leo.
• 3. Trait Verdict: Empathetic (or Supportive). Explanation: Priya noticed Leo's trembling hands and consciously set aside her own stage fright to encourage him and remind him of his practice.

Tier 2 Scaffolding Support

• • Have students color-code text: Yellow for feelings, Blue for thoughts in italics.
• • Provide the sentence starter: "At first she felt ______, but her thoughts proved she is ______ because ______."

Advanced Extension

• • Challenge students to write a short paragraph from Leo's perspective describing how Priya's words changed his thoughts.
• • Ask: "Can a character's thoughts contradict their spoken words? Give an example."

Bridge to Lesson 3: The Complete Case File

Inform students that in Lesson 3, they will become Senior Detectives. They will bring together all 4 clue streams (Actions, Words, Thoughts, and Feelings) into an official evidence dossier to prove character traits like real literary investigators!

Character Detective Agency • Teacher Materials Page 2 of 2

Ready to complete your final investigation? Begin your Case Dossier!

Use your evidence quadrants above to write a complete detective analysis paragraph about Mateo:

In the story, Mateo is because when the cardboard collapsed,

His dialogue and thoughts also prove this trait when he

This evidence shows that Mateo is someone who

Character Detective Agency • Grade 3–4 Page 2 of 2

1. “Are you alright, Mr. Henderson?”

2. Knelt down beside the fallen carts

3. It’s not fair that people are laughing...

4. Feeling a sudden flare of indignation

A) Inner Thought

B) Dialogue / Words

C) Emotional Feeling

D) Visible Action

Part 3: Senior Detective Written Analysis (8 Points)

Constructed Response

State one strong personality trait that describes Sofia. Back up your claim using at least two different clue types (Action, Word, or Thought) and explain your reasoning.

Detective Scoring Rubric:

Trait (2 pts) Names accurate inside personality trait.

Evidence (4 pts) Cites 2 accurate, specific clues from text.

Reasoning (2 pts) Logically explains how proof supports claim.

Official Academy Seal Master Character Detective

Character Detective Agency • Certification Exam Page 2 of 2