Character Analysis Graphic Organizers – STEAL Method

Students identify and record textual evidence of a character's speech, thoughts, actions, looks and effect on others, citing page numbers.

Students name three character traits supported by the evidence they gathered.

Students cite at least three pieces of story evidence, with page numbers, for each named trait.

Students draw and justify further inferences about a character's motivation and behaviour.

Assign the STEAL organizer while students are reading a chapter or scene so they can record page numbers as they encounter each detail, rather than after finishing the whole text.

Have students complete page one for a shared class text before asking them to apply page two's trait-and-evidence process independently.

Use the final question — whether students would want to be friends with the character — as a discussion starter to surface differing interpretations of the same evidence.

Textual evidence gathering — students record specific page-cited details of a character's speech, thoughts, actions and looks.

Character trait identification — students name three traits and support each with story evidence.

Inferential reasoning — students go beyond stated facts to infer a character's motivation and judge their behaviour.

Written justification — students explain their reasoning for whether they would befriend the character.