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Mr. A's Writing Tools
writingtools.org
Writing Assignment
Jack and the Beanstalk
Standard: Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
What to Do
Let's read Jack and the Beanstalk! Then you'll describe what Jack and the Beanstalk
1
Jack and his mother were very poor. They had no food and no money. All they had was one old cow. "Take the cow to market and sell her," Jack's mother said sadly.
2
On the way to market, Jack met a strange old man. "I will trade you these magic beans for your cow," the man said. Jack was curious and excited. He traded the cow for the beans without thinking. When his mother saw the beans instead of money, she was very upset. She threw the beans out the window.
3
The next morning, Jack woke up to see a giant beanstalk growing all the way up to the clouds! Jack was brave and curious, so he climbed up. At the top, he found a giant's castle. Inside, he found a bag of gold coins. Jack grabbed the gold and climbed back down.
4
Jack climbed the beanstalk two more times. He took a hen that laid golden eggs and a magic harp. But the giant woke up and chased Jack down the beanstalk! Jack thought quickly. He grabbed an axe and chopped down the beanstalk. The giant fell, and Jack and his mother were safe. They were never poor again because of the golden hen. Word Bank
Writing Steps
1
Meet the Characters!
Tell us about the characters in this story:
- Who are the main characters? - What do you notice about them? You can use short sentences or bullet points. There is no wrong way to answer this! Try starting with: - "The main characters are..." - "In this story, there is..." The characters are the people or animals in the story. Let us meet them!
Scoring Guidance — Step 1
Look for:
Main Idea Detail / Evidence 1 Detail / Evidence 2 Detail / Evidence 3
2
What Are the Characters Like?
Describe the characters using character traits:
1. Character name: Write the name of one character. 2. What are they like? Write 1-2 trait words. 3. How you know: What does the character do or say that shows this trait? Try starting with: - "[Character name] is _____ because..." - "I can tell [character name] is _____ because in the story..." Now let us think about what the characters are LIKE inside. We call these character traits - words like kind, brave, or clever.
What kind of person is Jack, and how do his choices lead to what happens in the story? 📘 What is a character trait?: A character trait is a word that describes what kind of person (or animal) someone is. For example:
- Kind - they help others - Brave - they do things even when they are scared - Lazy - they do not want to work hard - Clever - they are smart and think of good ideas More trait words: mean, hardworking, honest, tricky.
Scoring Guidance — Step 2
Look for:
Sentence Starters
In the text, the author shows that ___.
The author writes, "___," which shows ___.
This is important because ___.
Overall, the text shows that ___.
3
What Do the Characters Do?
Tell us about the important things the characters do:
1. Action 1: Write one important thing a character does in the story. 2. Action 2: Write another important thing a character does. 3. Why they did it: Why do you think the character did this? Try starting with: - "[Character name] does... because..." - "I think they did this because they felt..." Great job! Now let us look at what the characters do. Their actions make things happen in the story!
Scoring Guidance — Step 3
Look for:
Sentence Starters
In the text, the author shows that ___.
The author writes, "___," which shows ___.
This is important because ___.
Overall, the text shows that ___.
4
How Do Actions Change the Story?
Explain how a character's actions change what happens in the story:
1. The action: What does the character do? 2. What happens because of it: What happens next in the story BECAUSE of this action? Try starting with: - "Because [character] does..., then..." - "When [character] ..., it causes..." You are doing an amazing job! When characters DO things, those actions make other things happen in the story. For example: "Because the pig built a strong brick house, the wolf could not blow it down."
Scoring Guidance — Step 4
Look for:
Sentence Starters
In the text, the author shows that ___.
The author writes, "___," which shows ___.
This is important because ___.
Overall, the text shows that ___.
5
Put It All Together
Write your complete answer in 3-5 sentences. Your answer should:
1. Describe what the characters are like (their traits) 2. Tell what the characters do (their actions) 3. Explain how their actions change what happens in the story Try starting with: - "In this story, [character] is..." - "[Character] is _____ because..." Make sure your sentences connect to each other! Amazing work! Now let us put everything together to answer our question:
What kind of person is Jack, and how do his choices lead to what happens in the story?
Scoring Guidance — Step 5
Look for:
Sentence Starters
In the text, the author shows that ___.
The author writes, "___," which shows ___.
This is important because ___.
Overall, the text shows that ___.
How Did I Do?Circle one box for each step. 2What Are the Characters Like?
3What Do the Characters Do?
4How Do Actions Change the Story?
5Put It All Together
Before You Turn InI did every step
I checked my spelling
I am proud of this work
ReflectionWhat was hard? What are you proud of?
For the Teacher
Teacher Guide — Jack and the BeanstalkRL.3.3 — Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events. · Grade 3 · ~25 min
The student pages use short directions and a How Did I Do? star self-check instead of a printed rubric — most readers at this grade can't parse rubric language yet. Walk through the stars together after the last step. Score finished work against the full rubric below. Scoring Rubric
Step-by-Step Coaching Notes
Step 1 — Meet the Characters!
Step 2 — What Are the Characters Like?
Step 3 — What Do the Characters Do?
Step 4 — How Do Actions Change the Story?
Step 5 — Put It All Together
Students on devices? Coach this assignment live.
Scan the code — or visit the link — for the AI-coached version: step-by-step feedback on every draft, auto-scored on the rubric, no answer key to grade. Free for teachers.
writingtools.org/free/character3_jack_beanstalk_v1
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