8th Grade Other (ELA) Independent Work Packet

• My students had so much fun doing this, they didn't want it to end! Four Disney villains are being brought to court with charges and your students will either prosecute or defend them in "court":

• Ursula - The Little Mermaid: Fraud & Exploitation

• Scar - The Lion King: Manslaughter & Environmental Crimes

• Gaston - Beauty & The Beast: Attempted Murder & Inciting a Riot

• Lady Tremaine - Cinderella: Emotional Abuse/Neglect & Exploitation

Assign your students to be prosecutors and defenders with their own custom files. Each team has their own responsibilities and will need to craft their argument well to win the judge & jury.

-Reinforce learning of claim, support, point of view and more!

- Students need to support their claims with facts from the movie. Perfect for an argumentative unit!

*Lesson has been adapted with extensive sentence stems and examples. Teacher made examples are also included. This is a scaled activity that all students can do without too much teacher intervention.

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Analyze protagonists with this 5-page STEAL workbook! Perfect for short stories, this resource helps students unpack Speech, Thoughts, Effect on others, Actions, and Looks.

Why Use This Workbook?

• Save time with this no-prep resource.
• Reuse for any short story.
• Deepens understanding of direct and indirect characterization.
• Encourages independent work, paired discussions, or teacher-led facilitation.
• Versatile for assignments, class activities, or literary analysis.

What’s Inside?

• 2 pages of instructions explaining the STEAL framework and character traits.
• 1 reusable Character Analysis Template/Graphic Organizer for detailed analysis.
• 1 Anchor STEAL Poster for classroom or digital display.
• Engaging prompts adaptable for a variety of texts.

This Workbook Covers:

• STEAL Framework: Speech, Thoughts, Effect on others, Actions, Looks.
• Direct and indirect characterization.
• Tools to analyze how authors develop complex protagonists.
• Prompts that connect characterization to broader themes and narratives.

Who is This Resource For?

Perfect for:

• Classroom teachers needing adaptable, straightforward resources.
• Homeschooling parents seeking structured character analysis activities.
• Substitute or relief teachers needing ready-to-go materials.
• Tutors focusing on character development and study.
• Upper Middle and High school students exploring protagonist characterization.

Flexible Format:

• File Format: Delivered as a zip file with two PDFs: AU spelling and A4-sized PDF & USA spelling and letter-sized PDF
• Prints beautifully in color or grayscale (just select grayscale/BW before printing).
• Note: This is not an interactive digital resource.

Terms of Use:

• Licensed for single-classroom use only.
• Printing and distribution to your students is allowed, but please do not share online or with colleagues.
• Additional licenses are available in the EduHive Learning Resources store.
• Graphics and design elements sourced from RawPixel and Canva under appropriate licenses.

Link to Other Resources:

If you like this resource, check out other character-focused tools in the Character Analysis Series:

1. Character Analysis: Protagonist Roles, Traits, & Mapping Templates – High School
2. Character Arc Analysis: Protagonist Traits & Template Mapping – High School
3. Antagonist – Character Mapping Template & Analysis Table – High School
4. Minor Characters – Character Role & Analysis Table – High School

For the complete collection, check out the Character Analysis Mega Bundle and save 20%!

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KEYWORDS:

protagonist | character analysis | characterization | characterisation | STEAL framework | traits | graphic organizer | short stories | literature | ELA resources | middle school | high school | independent learning | reusable templates | narrative tools | literary analysis | Australian spelling | USA spelling | analyze | analyse