Frequently, we're asked about Redwall lesson plans, or ideas for classroom work for either the Redwall series by Brian Jacques or just the book itself. While a handful of third-party study guides have been published, many of these were released approximately 20 years ago.
We decided to harness the power of OpenAI's ChatGPT to develop some new ones, below. The Redwall Wiki hopes this helps out some teachers, and we're happy to use ChatGPT even further to improve this guide, create additional teaching aids, or create plans for other Redwall books. Let us know in the comments!
Redwall Differentiated Lesson Plan[]
Objective: Students will be able to analyze the characters and themes in Redwall, and will be able to write a character analysis essay.
Warm-Up: Have students brainstorm a list of character traits on the board. Examples might include courageous, selfish, loyal, dishonest, etc. Then, have students brainstorm a list of ways that an author might reveal a character's traits (through their actions, dialogue, thoughts, etc.).
Materials[]
- Copies of Redwall for each student
- Handouts with writing prompts and a list of character traits
Direct Instruction[]
- Introduce the book Redwall and give a brief summary of the plot.
- Discuss the importance of analyzing characters in literature. Emphasize that understanding a character's traits can help us better understand their actions and motivations in the story.
- Review the list of character traits that the students brainstormed, and have them think about which ones might apply to the characters in Redwall.
- Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a different character from the book. Have the groups work together to create a list of traits that describe their assigned character, using evidence from the text to support their choices.
Guided Practice[]
- Have each group present their list of character traits to the class. Encourage other students to add to the list or offer additional evidence to support the traits that were chosen.
- As a class, create a chart that lists all of the main characters from Redwall and the traits that they exhibit.
Independent Practice[]
- Have students choose one character from the chart to write a character analysis essay about. Provide them with a list of writing prompts to choose from, such as:
- How does this character change over the course of the story?
- What motivates this character?
- How does this character's relationships with other characters affect their actions and motivations?
- How does this character's personality contribute to the overall theme of the story?
Conclusion[]
- Have students share their essays with the class, or have them participate in a whole-class discussion about the themes and character development in Redwall.
- Review the importance of analyzing characters in literature and how it helps us better understand the story as a whole.
Redwall Student Writing Prompts[]
- Choose one character from Redwall and write a character analysis. What are their motivations? How do they change throughout the story? How do they contribute to the themes of the book?
- Write a diary entry from the perspective of one of the characters in Redwall. What are their thoughts and feelings as they experience the events of the story?
- Write a letter from one character to another character in Redwall, discussing a significant event or decision that takes place in the book.
- Write a short story from the perspective of an animal in Redwall who is not a main character. What role do they play in the story? How do they experience the events of the book?
- Choose a theme from Redwall, such as friendship or bravery, and write a persuasive essay arguing why it is an important theme in the book. Use examples from the text to support your argument.
- Write a review of Redwall. What did you like about the book? What were your favorite characters and events? What message or themes did you take away from the story?
- Write a scene from Redwall that takes place in the future. How have the characters and events of the book impacted the world of Redwall? How have the themes of the book played out in the future?
Redwall Lesson Plan: Themes and Characters[]
Objective: Students will be able to identify and analyze the themes and characters in Redwall.
Warm-up:
- Have students brainstorm a list of themes and characters that they can remember from Redwall.
- Write the list on the board, and then have students work in small groups to match the themes and characters to specific events or moments in the book.
Materials[]
- Copies of Redwall for each student
- Handouts with quotes from the book and accompanying questions
- A list of themes and characters from the book
Direct Instruction[]
- Introduce the main themes of Redwall, such as friendship, bravery, and loyalty.
- Have students discuss how these themes are present in the book and provide examples.
- Discuss the different characters in the book and how they contribute to the themes.
Guided Practice[]
- Distribute the handouts with quotes from the book and accompanying questions.
- Have students work in small groups to discuss the quotes and answer the questions.
- Have each group present their findings to the class.
Independent Practice[]
- Have students choose one theme or character from the book and write a short essay explaining how it is important to the story.
Closure[]
- Have students share their essays with the class and discuss how the themes and characters in Redwall relate to their own lives.
Assessment[]
- Observe student participation in class discussions and small group work.
- Collect and grade the short essays.