For this project, students will create a notable introduction of someone, but this’ll be much more than your name, age, and favorite color. That person can be a famous person, a historical figure, a character from fiction, or someone they made up themselves (this project fits well with the Character Journey project). Or you may choose for the students to simply introduce themselves instead. This project could be a written assignment or an oral one (although written notes is probably a good idea). The introduction can be made in the first-person or the third-person, but it should be consistent across the class (in other words, you the teacher should decide for this for everyone).
Once each student has selected their character or someone that they know well or would like to know better (though not necessarily personally), they should proceed to writing a script or at least notes for the following sections:
Grand Entrance
When and where does this character usually appear? How do they arrive? What’s their reason for being there? What is their demeanor as they make their entrance?
First Impression
What do others first notice about this person? In what ways does this person stand out? What are some key physical features? What’s their resting facial expression, and how do they tend to carry themselves? How do other people react to this character’s presence?
Value
If this person is a part of a group, what do they bring to the table? What skills do they have, and what role do they play? Why might someone want them as an ally?
The Unexpected
What’s something interesting about this person that most people wouldn’t guess?
Background
Where did this person come from? What were they like growing up (generally speaking)? What change occurred in their life that was crucial in making them the person they are today? (You don’t need to go into the whole story here; just a few sentences is fine.) What great accomplishment are the known for or are proud of?
Purpose
What vocation do they hold now, and why do they do it? What drives them? What difficulties must they overcome? What are their dreams and their goals? How does their current circumstance tie into their future goals?
In the Meantime
How do they spend most of their days now? Who do they spend it with? Why might others seek their company? What do they enjoy doing the most?
In Closing
The final sentence should be something that intrigues the listeners, enticing them to get to know this character better.
Students don’t need to answers every question listed here, but should choose the ones that shed the most interesting light on their characters. The length should be about 1.5 – 2 minutes when spoken aloud (if you’d like to do this project at a lower level, feel free to drop the standard to 1 minute).
If you make this an oral project, students can simply jot notes in response to the above prompts. Alternately, you can make this a writing assignment, in which case everything should be written in complete sentences and organized into paragraphs.
