Character Traits Anchor Charts and Task Cards for 1st Grade

Students can confuse character traits with how a character looks or feels. These character traits anchor charts and task cards help your 1st grade students tell what a character is like apart from how the character looks or feels, then explain how they know: “I know ___ is ___ because ___.”

Student Benefits

• Students sort describing words into how a character feels, how a character looks and the character’s traits.
• They name the trait a character shows and back it up with a detail from the story.
• They build a word bank of 24 character traits to use when they talk and write about characters.
• They practice with a partner or on their own at a reading center.

What’s Included

• Standards cover: RL.1.1, RL.1.3, RL.1.9 and L.1.5a.
• Quick tips for use: how to introduce, practice and review.
• Feels / Looks / Trait sorting labels: sort describing words before you teach traits.
• Character traits anchor chart, in color and black and white: one character, with what he feels, how he looks and his traits.
• Character traits word list anchor chart: 24 trait words, such as kind, brave, honest, helpful, curious, patient and responsible.
• 24 character traits task cards: a short scenario on each card, plus “What character trait does ___ show? How do you know?”
• 24 answer cards: the same task cards with the answer printed on them, for self-checking or a quick teacher reference.
• Answer key.

How to Use It in Your Classroom

Sort first. Begin by sorting a list of describing words using the “feels”, “looks” and “trait” labels. Then post the character traits anchor charts.

Introduce. Read one card together and talk about how to identify the character trait, using “I know ___ is ___ because ___.”

Practice. Students choose a partner. They read a card and talk about it with each other. The cards work at reading centers too.

Review. Use one card at a time as a two-minute review on character traits.

Differentiation

Some traits, like determined or confident, are hard for first graders to come up with on their own. At first, give students two or three traits to choose from. When they’re ready, have them use the word list anchor chart instead. The answer cards let students check their own work at a center.

Standards

• RL.1.1: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
• RL.1.3: Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
• RL.1.9: Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.
• L.1.5a: Sort words into categories (e.g., colors, clothing) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.
• SL.1.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

FAQ

• Is this printable or digital? It’s a printable PDF. Print the anchor charts and cards, and laminate the cards to use them all year.
• Are the answers included? Yes. There’s a full set of answer cards and a one-page answer key.
• Is every trait a positive one? No. Some cards show traits like stubborn, bossy or impatient, so students learn to describe every kind of character.