Character Trading Cards

Using popular culture texts in the classroom offers students an alternative way to demonstrate their literacy knowledge and skills and to engage in meaningful literary practices. The Character Trading Cards tool allows students to create their own character cards, which they can then print off, illustrate, and trade or keep. It can be used with characters in a book students are reading or as a prewriting exercise for students who are writing narrative stories. Specific prompts ask students to describe the character, look at his or her thoughts and feelings, explore how he or she develops, identify important thoughts and actions, and make personal connections to the character. The accompanying planning sheet allows students to draft and revise their work before going online to use the interactive.

For ideas of how to use this tool outside the classroom, see Character Trading Cards in the Parent & Afterschool Resources section.