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Character Motivation

Grade 6 · English Language Arts · Reading Literature · Northwest Territories, Canada

Lesson Summary

Character motivation is the reason a character acts the way they do. Understanding motivation helps you understand the whole story.

Explanation

Every character has reasons for their actions, and those reasons are called motivations. A character might be motivated by fear, love, curiosity, jealousy, or a desire to prove themselves. You can figure out a character's motivation by reading what they say, what they do, what they think, and how other characters react to them. Understanding motivation helps you predict what a character might do next and makes the story feel more real and meaningful.

Practice Questions

Q1: A character studies all night for a math test. What might motivate this behavior?
Answer: The character might want to get a good grade, make their parents proud, or prove to themselves that they can succeed.
Q2: How can you figure out a character's motivation if the author does not state it directly?
Answer: Look at the character's actions, words, thoughts, and how they respond to events in the story.
Q3: A villain in a story wants to steal a treasure. Is their motivation always just greed?
Answer: Not always. Their motivation could also be revenge, desperation, a need to help someone, or a desire for power. You need to read carefully to understand why.
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People Also Ask

What is Character Motivation in Grade 6 English Language Arts?+

Character Motivation is a lesson in the Reading Literature chapter of Grade 6 English Language Arts. It is part of the Northwest Territories, Canada school curriculum and covers key concepts that students need to understand at this level.

What grade level covers Character Motivation?+

Character Motivation is taught in Grade 6 as part of the English Language Arts curriculum in Northwest Territories, Canada.

How can I help my child with Reading Literature in English Language Arts?+

Start with the lesson summary and explanation on this page. Practice the questions provided, then use TutorTom for personalized, step-by-step help with Reading Literature topics.

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