Character Motivations

This worksheet helps students in Grades 4 and 5 strengthen reading comprehension, character analysis, and critical thinking by examining the motivations behind a character’s actions. Learners read a short passage about Liam returning a lost ten-dollar bill to a friend and analyze what he does, why he makes that choice, and what his decision reveals about his personality and values.

Learning Goals

• Identifying Character Motivation (Grades 4-5)
  Students determine why a character acts a certain way based on textual details.
• Analyzing Actions with Evidence
  Learners support interpretations by citing specific moments and explanations from the passage.
• Understanding Cause and Effect in Narratives
  Students examine how choices lead to outcomes and reveal traits.
• Linking Motivation to Character Traits
  The activity reinforces how inner reasoning connects to outward behavior.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with upper elementary ELA standards for character analysis.
• Clear, Guided Questions
  Step-by-step prompts help students move from identifying actions to interpreting motivation.
• Flexible Classroom Use
  Ideal for guided reading, literacy centers, independent practice, assessment, or homework.
• Encourages Reflective Thinking
  Questions invite students to consider how different choices could change motivations and outcomes.

This printable worksheet helps students develop deeper comprehension by focusing on the reasons behind a character’s actions. By analyzing Liam’s decision and reflecting on cause and effect, learners strengthen inference skills, evidence-based reasoning, and understanding of how motivations shape character. It’s a simple, no-prep resource that works well in both classroom instruction and homeschool learning.

This worksheet is part of our Character Analysis Worksheets collection.