How to Teach Characterization With Thank You, Ma’am: A Short Story That Makes Character Analysis Click

 

Short stories are one of the most powerful tools we have for teaching literature. They’re compact, rich, and immediately engaging — especially for students who may feel intimidated by longer texts. One of my favorites for teaching characterization is Langston Hughes’s classic short story, Thank You, Ma’am.

This story is only a few pages, but it contains more character development, nuance, and teachable moments than many novels. If you’re looking to help students understand how actions, dialogue, and motivation shape character, this story delivers every ingredient you need.

Why This Story Works for Teaching Characterization

“Thank You, Ma’am” opens with a small act of wrongdoing — an attempted purse snatching — and blossoms into a lesson on empathy, dignity, trust, and second chances. Because the entire narrative unfolds through interactions between only two characters, it becomes incredibly easy for students to track how each one changes (or doesn’t change). It’s a clean narrative structure with deeply human complexity.

What makes it perfect for character study:

• Clear actions that reveal traits (Roger’s attempt to steal, Mrs. Jones’s surprising response)
• Dialogue that sparkles with meaning (“I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son…”)
• Internal and external conflict that pushes both characters to reflect
• A quick, powerful transformation arc students can easily map
• Ambiguous ending that invites inference (Did Roger change? Will he keep the shoes clean?)

Because the text is short, students can reread, revisit evidence, and talk — rather than spending their energy simply getting through the story.

3 Smart Moves for Teaching Characterization With This Story

1. Start With the Two Lenses: General Traits vs. Moment-Based Traits

Students often think a character is only one thing: kind, mean, shy, brave. However, Thank You, Ma’am gives us characters who are:

• tough and tender
• vulnerable and hopeful
• flawed and capable of change

Ask students to track:

• General traits (stable, overall personality patterns)
• Scene-based traits (how a character behaves in one moment of pressure)

This simple distinction unlocks much deeper thinking.

2. Use Dialogue as Evidence — It Carries the Story

Hughes builds these characters almost entirely through conversation.
Try an activity where students highlight:

• Mrs. Jones’s strongest lines
• Roger’s shortest but most revealing answers
• Moments of silence or hesitation

Then ask: “What does this line show about what the character cares about, fears, or hopes?” This pushes students past adjectives and into analysis.

3. Compare Beginning and Ending Actions

Instead of asking “How does the character change?” try:  “What does the character do at the beginning vs. the end?”

This helps students see:

• Roger begins by taking what he wants.
• He ends by wanting to be worthy of trust.
• Mrs. Jones begins by controlling the situation.
• She ends by offering dignity and choice.

That is characterization at work.

Exploring characters like Mrs. Jones and Roger gives students a chance to see how actions, dialogue, and choices reveal personality in ways that adjectives alone cannot. Short stories like Thank You, Ma’am are ideal for this kind of deep thinking because the text is concise but layered with meaning

Final Thoughts: A Short Story That Does Big Work

Take This Lesson Further With Tools That Build Stronger Character Analysis

After you’ve explored Mrs. Jones’s and Roger’s traits as a class, you can extend the lesson with activities that require students to support their reasoning with evidence — not guesses. My Trait Detective: Thank You, Ma’am set gives you:

• Vocabulary development activity
• Two full character case files (one for each character)
• Writing Extension

Other Resource You Might Enjoy
Thank You, Ma’am Escape Room
Trait Detective Tool Kit
Thank You, Ma’am Trait Detective + Student Toolkit

Teaching Theme with The Bad Seed: A Story About Second Chances

If you're looking for a picture book that perfectly illustrates the concept of character growth and change, look no further than Jory John's The Bad Seed. I reviewed the book in a previous post, but I want to focus on one specific way to use it in the classroom or in a home school environment.

This witty, relatable story has become a classroom favorite—and for good reason. It tackles big themes in ways that elementary students can understand and connect with personally.

Why The Bad Seed Works So Well in the Classroom

The Bad Seed tells the story of a sunflower seed who has embraced being "bad." He cuts in line, never puts things back, shows up late, and doesn't wash his hands (much to the horror of hygiene-conscious students!). But as we learn more about his story, we discover why he became this way—and more importantly, we watch him decide to change.

What Makes This Book Perfect for Teaching?

Relatable Character Struggles
Every student has felt left out, angry, or wanted to give up being "good." The seed's emotional journey from loss to bitterness to hope mirrors real experiences kids face.

Clear Character Development
The seed doesn't change overnight. He acknowledges that change is hard and that he'll keep trying, even when he messes up. This realistic portrayal of growth is powerful for young readers.

Engaging Humor
The book's deadpan humor keeps students engaged while addressing serious themes. Lines like "I cut in line. Every time" get laughs while also providing perfect evidence for analysis.

Universal Theme
The message—that it's never too late to change, even when it's difficult—resonates across age groups and backgrounds. It's both hopeful and honest.

The Challenge: Moving from Story to Theme

Here's where many teachers (myself included!) have struggled: Students LOVE The Bad Seed, they understand what happens in the story, but when asked about the theme? Blank stares.

They might say:
"It's about a seed who's bad."
"Don't cut in line."
"Wash your hands."

While these responses show comprehension, they miss the deeper lesson about change, growth, and second chances.

The problem? Students often confuse:  

• Story details (what happens) with theme (what we learn)
• Topics (being bad, changing) with complete thematic statements (It's never too late to change and become better)
• Literal lessons (wash your hands) with life lessons (personal growth takes effort)

A Resource to Bridge the Gap

That's exactly why I created Now, Prove It: The Bad Seed Edition—to give teachers a concrete, step-by-step way to move students from "I liked the story" to "I can identify and explain the theme with evidence."

How It Works
The resource uses a two-part approach:
Part 1: Now, Prove It (Evidence Matching)
Students match specific quotes from the story to four key ideas.

This builds their understanding of how specific details support bigger ideas. They practice distinguishing relevant evidence from distractors (quotes that are from the story but don't prove any key idea).

Part 2: Now, Explain It (Theme Analysis)
Students examine four possible themes and must choose the one that best fits the story. Options are provided.

Using guided questions and sentence starters, students explain their choice with evidence from the text.

What's Included

• Everything you need to teach this lesson successfully:
• Clear definitions of theme, key ideas, and supporting details
• Step-by-step student worksheets
• Multiple versions for differentiation (compact and extended)
• Sentence starters for struggling writers
• Answer keys
• Discussion questions
• Model responses

The Four Questions That Unlock Theme
The resource centers on four essential questions that guide students to theme:

• What is the main character's problem?
• What does the character do about the problem?
• What does the character learn?
• What can WE learn from this story?

These questions build naturally from concrete story events to abstract life lessons—exactly the progression elementary students need.

Why This Approach Works

It's Scaffolded
Students start with specific quotes (concrete), connect them to key ideas (bridge), and finally identify the theme (abstract). This gradual release makes theme accessible.

It Teaches Critical Thinking
By analyzing distractor themes, students learn to evaluate which theme BEST fits the story—not just which one is mentioned.

It Includes Built-In Differentiation
Sentence starters, multiple worksheet versions, and discussion supports mean all learners can access the content.

It's Reusable
Once students understand this framework, they can apply it to any story. The structure transfers beautifully to other texts.

Bringing It All Together

The Bad Seed is more than just a funny book about a grumpy seed. It's a story about resilience, growth, and the courage it takes to change. It shows students that we all struggle, we all make mistakes, and—most importantly—we can all choose to try again.

When we give students the tools to analyze this story deeply, we're not just teaching them about theme. We're helping them see themselves in literature and understand that stories can teach us about life.

Ready to teach theme with The Bad Seed?

Click on the Link: Now, Prove It Picture Book Edition The Bad Seed

This resource has been carefully designed to take the guesswork out of teaching theme while engaging students with a story they love. Whether you're introducing theme for the first time or reinforcing it with students who still struggle, this complete teaching system will transform your instruction.

Have you used The Bad Seed in your classroom? What other picture books do you love for teaching theme? Share your favorites in the comments below!

The Wave (by Tyler Charlton)

Title:  The Wave

Author:  Tyler Charlton

Illustrator:  Tyler Charlton

Target Ages: 5 and up

Genre: Fiction Picture Book

Summary:  A young boy describes his experience with a wave of sadness that he must learn to navigate to get back to shore.

First Lines:  

“The last time it happened I was building a fort.  

Sometimes…

I lose my joy and I don’t know why…

…and the wave takes me away.”

Memorable Moment: 

“And even though the wave still has me…I can get to my feet.”

Evaluation: 

I pulled this book for a symbolism activity, but I felt it was worthy of a post on its own. In college, I took a course called Bibliotherapy.  It made me realize the power books can have to help someone deal and heal.  If I were teaching that course, I would use The Wave as an example book for educators to support their students and counselors to help their patients.  

I like this book because it illustrates and discusses depression in a concrete way that children can understand. The wave symbolism aptly captures how someone depressed feels–alone, joyless, overpowered.  The book extends beyond that though.  

The protagonist shares what he does to help him reach the shore (i.e. get through the depression and back to himself).  Even when the wave has him, he can get to his feet and keep moving.  He can protect himself from further hurt–emotional, mental, and physical.  He can look for (and move toward) the shore.  Just as a person caught in a wave will fight to protect himself and to gain his footing again, so should a person caught in a wave of sadness. The narrative shows these positive principles in the text and illustrations.

The story provides hope.  First, as mentioned previously, depressed people can do things to help them survive and eventually get back to themselves. Second, the story reminds readers that a wave eventually ends and makes it to the shore.  Similarly, the pain of depression will end for most.  Finally, the shore is hopeful because there are loved ones there waiting to support the protagonist.  In the same way, the reader has people wanting to help them.  The extended wave metaphor gives readers hope that the sad feeling can subside or end.  

For those experiencing depression, the wave captures what they are going through.  For those who do not experience depression, the wave illustrates what some of the peers and loved ones struggle with.  

The book is geared for children.  However, picture books like this one can be used with all ages–middle schoolers, high schoolers, adults–to help them identify their feelings or to build empathy for others.

Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:

• Bibliotherapy:  Read the book with someone experiencing depression.  Use it as a starting point to discuss how he/she feels and how to cope with the feelings and symptoms. 

• Character Education:  Use this story to discuss how to show empathy for others. 

• Comparison:  Compare on a graphic organizer how a wave acts to how the character is feeling.  

• Figurative Language:  Use this book as a springboard to teach or to discuss symbolism and/or extended metaphors.  The wave is a powerful symbol for depression and its impact on a person.  

• Project Board:  Brainstorm ways to support someone struggling with depression.  Then, use a project board to educate others how to help people with depression.

• Poetry:  Older readers can study Atwood’s poem “Up” which describes in more depth what depression feels like. Use the poem to further the discussion of depression or compare it to the descriptive details in the book.

Looking to dive deeper into literary symbolism with your readers? Check out my Teach Symbolism Through Picture Book Analysis Activity—a flexible, discussion-rich resource that pairs perfectly with this book and many others. It's designed to build critical thinking through accessible texts and guided analysis that can be used with a broad range of school levels including middle, high, and even college. Find it now on TpT!

The Good Egg (Jory John)

Title:  The Good Egg

Author:  Jory John

Illustrator:  Pete Oswald

Target Ages: 4 and up

Genre: Fiction Picture Book

Summary:  The Good Egg is helpful. The Good Egg is kind. The Good Egg is responsible. The Good Egg tries to make everyone else act the right way too.  His do-good mantra is taken to an extreme which has an unwanted outcome.     

First Lines:  

“Oh, hello!

I was just rescuing this cat.

Know why?

Because I’m a good egg.

A verrrrrry good egg.”

Memorable Moment: 

“For once, I found time for me. And guess what! Little by little, the cracks in my shell started to heal.  My head no longer felt scrambled.”

Evaluation: 

A “good egg” is an archaic way of saying someone is a kind person. The term began as a contrast to the slang term “bad egg” to characterize a person who is not nice.  Author Jory John brilliantly builds on these terms to create a story about perfectionism, mental health, and letting go.  

The Good Egg is the second book in his creative and thought-provoking food series. The first is The Bad Seed, which I enjoyed so much that I purchased it. 

The Good Egg isn’t just a kind person. He has taken it to an extreme.  He has become a perfectionist, and with it, he is driven by a need to control. The text says, “I tried to take charge.  I tried to fix their bad behavior.  I tried to keep the peace.  Because I am a good egg.” His desire is noble: He wants everyone to act right and to do good.  Jory’s characterization resonates with many people.  

Little does the Good Egg realize, but the added pressure to control his surroundings is causing his shell to crack. He is literally cracking up (nice pun).  This situation is more reflective of the experiences of many older children and adults, but there are some young children who are perfectionistic and/or controlling. This story illustrates in a concrete manner where those tendencies lead.

The Good Egg leaves the chaos to take care of himself.  He walks, reads, relaxes, paints, and writes. He gets some spa time in. The text states, “Little by little, the cracks in my shell started to heal. My head no longer felt scrambled. (another good pun) I started to feel like myself again.”  The story illustrates many positive examples on how to deal with stress and mental exhaustion.  Overall, it shows the importance of making good personal choices.  

When the Good Egg returns to his home, he deals with the pressure better.  He doesn’t try to change others and control everything.  His shell heals to reflect how he has healed internally.  This story is a springboard for discussing healthy choices and boundaries.  

Illustrator Pete Oswald helps keep the serious topic lighthearted.  Whether it is the Good Egg walking an old lady piece of bacon across the road or the egg receiving a yolk IV, each watercolor illustration is a delight.  

This story will speak to people of all ages.  It may just be more meaningful for older children and adults than the target ages of a typical picture book.  I highly recommend The Good Egg.

Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:

• Art: Download a free egg template. Students can create their own egg character.

• Character Education: Use this book as a springboard for discussion on healthy boundaries in relationships as well as on self-care.

• Comparison:  Compare how the Good Egg interacts with his fellow eggs in the beginning and at the end of the story.  Or compare The Good Egg to The Bad Seed.  How are these 2 stories similar and different?

• Creative Writing: Teach or review the plot diagram.  Then, have students pick a food item to write a story about in which they must incorporate all the parts of a story–exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. 

• Figurative Language:  Use the story to teach about puns and/or symbolism. 

• Literature: As a class or family, read the whole fruit series by Jory John and  Pete Oswald.

• Math: There are 12 eggs in a dozen. There are 12 egg characters in the story.  Learn or practice how to count by 12’s.  Do some math story problems using the term “dozen.”

• From TPT: Differentiated Book Study Companion Activities.

Looking to dive deeper into literary symbolism with your readers? Check out my Teach Symbolism Through Picture Book Analysis Activity—a flexible, discussion-rich resource that pairs perfectly with this book and many others. It's designed to build critical thinking through accessible texts and guided analysis that can be used with a broad range of school levels including middle, high, and even college. Find it now on TpT!

Beastly Verse (by Joohee Yoon)

Unlike most people who participate in Poetry Friday, I am not a huge poetry fan. I rarely

read poetry except for my handful of favorite poems.  I join this round up periodically

because it challenges me to step out of my comfort zone.  Fortunately, I pick up some new

favorites to add to my collection as I do. Over time, I have gained a greater appreciation of

the genre–in part because of Poetry Friday.

While at the library this week, I found...

Title: Beastly Verse

Illustrator: Joohee Yoon

Target Ages: 5 and up

Genre: Poetry Anthology Picture Book

Summary: This anthology is a beastly menagerie of 16 poems about a variety of creatures like crocodiles, pelicans, hyenas, tigers, centipedes, hummingbirds, and snails. There are selections for both lesser known poets and well-known ones like William Blake, Lewis Carroll, and Christina Rosssetti. 

Favorite Poems: 

“The Crocodile” (by Lewis Carroll)

How doth the little crocodile

Improve his shining tail,

And pour the water of the Nile

On every golden scale!

How cheerful he seems to grin,

How nearly spreads his claws,

And welcomes little fishes in,

With gently smiling jaws!

“Eletelephony” (by Laura E. Richards)

Once there was an elephant,

Who tried to use the telephant–

No! no! I mean an elephone

Who tried to use the telephone–

(Dear me! Am not certain quite

That even now I’ve got it right.)

Howe’er it was, he got his trunk 

Entangled in the telephunk;

The more he tried to get it free,

The louder buzzed the telephee–

(I fear I’d better drop the song

Of elephop and telephong!) 

Evaluation: 

The illustrations draw in a young audience.  The art work is whimsical, colorful, and

textured.  Some of the pages expand to a triple page spread.   

There are some longer, more serious poems which I question if the target audience will be

drawn too. However, the shorter, more fanciful poems will captivate children with their

rhyme, playful language, and humorous twists.  

Beastly Verse is a poetry anthology worth checking out.  

Tangles and Tails