New
New
Year 3

Developing a character profile for 'Mulan'

I can understand and describe the character of Mulan.

New
New
Year 3

Developing a character profile for 'Mulan'

I can understand and describe the character of Mulan.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The protagonist is a main character or central figure in a story or narrative.
  2. Mulan is the protagonist who drives the actions and whose quest impacts the fate of herself, her family and her country.
  3. Character traits are the special qualities that make a character in a story unique and interesting.
  4. We can identify Mulan’s character traits by exploring her experiences and interactions and making inferences.
  5. Mulan displays a range of character traits such as courage, resilience and determination.

Common misconception

Children may find it difficult to understand the difference between feelings and character traits.

Distinguish between a temporary feeling and a character trait. E.g. Mulan does not always experience worry, this is a result of circumstances. However, the worry is a symptom of her consistent care for others, so we can infer that she is thoughtful.

Keywords

  • Protagonist - a main character or central figure in a story or narrative

  • Character traits - the special qualities that make a character in a story unique and interesting

  • Role on the wall - a character analysis activity which encourages readers to infer

Create a shared role on the wall at the beginning of the lesson or allow children to do the activity in groups to share ideas and build Mulan's character profile, then display these in the classroom. You could compare the character of Mulan to other character's the pupils have studied in English.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2014 Oxford University Press edition of ‘Mulan' written by Michaela Morgan for this lesson.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Who is the main character in the story of 'Mulan'?
the Emperor
Mulan's mother
Correct answer: Mulan
Mulan's brother
Mulan's father
Q2.
True or false? Girls and boys are allowed to be soldiers in Mulan's country.
Correct Answer: false, false
Q3.
What would happen if nobody from Mulan's family joined the army?
They would be rewarded.
Correct answer: They would be punished.
There would be a celebration.
Q4.
Why couldn't Mulan's father and brother go?
Correct answer: Mulan's father was too elderly and unwell.
Mulan's father was too afraid to go.
Mulan's brother was banned from the army.
Correct answer: Mulan's brother was too little and lacked the skills.
Q5.
How did Mulan disguise herself as a boy?
Correct answer: She tied up her hair.
She cut her hair off.
Correct answer: She wore a helmet and armour.
Correct answer: She used a deeper voice when speaking.
Q6.
True or false? Mulan succeeded in her quest to become a soldier and keep her identity as a girl a secret.
Correct Answer: true, true

6 Questions

Q1.
What is a protagonist?
the oldest character in a story
the first character introduced in a story
Correct answer: a main character or central figure in a story
the character who has the most power
Q2.
True or false? Mulan's quest only impacted her own fate.
Correct Answer: false, false
Q3.
What is a character trait?
what a character looks like
Correct answer: the special qualities belonging to a character
a character's name
Q4.
How can we identify a character trait?
Correct answer: through what a character says and does
through what a character wears
Correct answer: through a character's experiences
Q5.
Which character traits can we infer from Mulan's decision to disguise herself as a boy and fight in the war in place of her father or brother?
timid
Correct answer: courageous
unkind
Correct answer: selfless
Correct answer: protective
Q6.
Mulan did not find her quest easy. It was physically and emotionally challenging for her, but she persevered. What character traits can we infer from these actions?
Correct answer: resilient
selfish
Correct answer: determined
Correct answer: loyal
lazy