Lesson 2 — Why a Character Made That Choice

Summary

Learners listen to a short, gentle story and practice giving one reason why a character made a good choice and one reason why a character made a hurtful choice. Reasons help us understand people; they do not make a hurtful choice okay.

Objectives

• Give one reason why a character in a story made a good or a hurtful choice. (D09.S1.01.02)

Connection

When a friend acts in a way you do not understand, you sometimes ask, “Why did they do that?” Looking for a reason helps you understand the person — maybe they were scared, or tired, or trying to help. Understanding is not the same as saying a hurt is fine. It is the beginning of caring about people. All over the world, people tell stories to wonder why others do what they do.

Materials

• A short story about a character making a choice
• Two puppets or soft toys

Preparation

• Choose or prepare a short, gentle story with one clear good choice and one clear hurtful choice (see the example below).
• Set up a small space for retelling with puppets or soft toys.

Facilitator note

Written to the learner (“you”). Keep the story small and everyday — no frightening or heavy content at this age. A sample story: Amara and the water queue. Amara waits in a long line to fill her family’s water pot. Ahead of her, a smaller child drops her cup. Amara leaves her spot to help the child pick it up (a good choice). Later, tired and hot, Amara pushes past the person in front of her to the tap (a hurtful choice). Wonder together: why did she help? (she cared; the child was smaller and sad.) Why did she push? (she was tired and hot and wanted to be first.) Notice that the reason for the hurtful choice — being tired — helps us understand Amara, but it does not make pushing okay. Name the act, never the child; Amara is not “bad,” she made a hurtful choice and can choose again. A learner who does not speak aloud gives a reason by pointing to a picture of the reason (a tired face, a caring heart) or by signing; a learner who is deaf or hard of hearing follows the story through sign, the drawn story strip, a picture book, or by watching the puppets, and gives the reason by signing or pointing; a learner who is blind or low-vision hears the story told clearly and gives the reason aloud; a learner with a motor difference can direct a partner to move the puppets. A learner may always pass.

Procedure

1. Gather (5 min). Think of a time you wondered, “Why did they do that?” Every choice has a reason — something behind it.
2. Hear the story (10 min). Listen to the story — or follow it by sign, the drawn strip, a picture book, or by watching the puppets. Find the moment the character made a good choice, and the moment they made a hurtful choice.
3. Wonder why (15 min). For each choice, finish the sentence: “I think they did it because…” Give one reason. Maybe they were scared, or tired, or trying to help, or wanted to be first. Wonder together — there can be more than one reason.
4. Act it out (10 min). With the puppets, show one choice and its reason. A learner who does not move the puppets can point to the reason or direct a partner.
5. Close (5 min). Reasons help us understand people. Understanding a hurtful choice does not make it okay — but it is the first step to caring.

Differentiation

• Support: Focus on one choice at a time; offer two picture reasons to choose from (a tired face, a caring heart). A non-speaking learner points to the picture reason.
• Extension: Invite learners to invent a small reason for a choice of their own and share it, or to find a second reason for the same choice.

Assessment

• Formative (observation): Can the learner give one reason for a character’s good or hurtful choice?
• Performance: The acted-out choice and its reason, shared with the group.

Home connection

At home, tell the story to someone and ask them, “Why do you think the character did that?” Listen to their reason and share yours.