Explaining Motivations

This worksheet helps students in Grades 5 and 6 strengthen reading comprehension, inferential thinking, and written expression by examining a character’s internal conflict and motivation. Learners read a passage about Maria preparing for a public speaking contest despite her fear and analyze how her emotions, goals, and challenges influence her choices, using text evidence to support their conclusions.

Learning Goals

• Understanding Internal Conflict & Motivation (Grades 5-6)
  Students identify what a character wants, what holds them back, and what drives them to act.
• Citing Evidence for Character Interpretation
  Learners support conclusions about motivation with specific details from the passage.
• Analyzing Emotional Influences
  Students examine how fear, determination, and personal goals shape behavior.
• Clear Written Explanation
  The activity encourages students to describe motivations in their own words with clarity and precision.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with upper elementary ELA standards for character analysis and inference.
• Focus on Emotional Depth
  Helps students understand how internal feelings influence decisions and growth.
• Flexible Classroom Use
  Ideal for guided reading, literacy centers, independent practice, assessment, or homework.
• Builds Analytical Confidence
  Supports students in explaining complex ideas clearly using evidence.

This printable worksheet helps students deepen their understanding of character development by exploring how emotions and internal conflict shape motivation. By analyzing Maria’s experience and supporting ideas with text evidence, learners strengthen inference skills, critical thinking, and confidence in written expression. It’s a meaningful, no-prep resource that works well in both classroom instruction and homeschool learning.

This worksheet is part of our Character Analysis Worksheets collection.