What is a character sketch?
When I assign character sketches to my students, I have them keep a page in their notebook on each character. Then as they read, they add to each character what they’ve learned about them – their physical traits, their personality…anything at all that they learn about these characters. With Calpurnia, you can begin by explaining that she is the black woman who cares for Scout, Jem, and Atticus. She is almost a surrogate mother to the children, and is considered a member of the family by all of them. Include a physical description of Calpurnia, what she’s like around the Finch household, and what she’s like when she takes the children to her own church one Sunday.
