Creating Character Scenes: A Five Nights of Freddy's Writing & Drawing Adventure

Materials Needed

• Paper (blank or lined)
• Pencils and erasers
• Crayons, colored pencils, or markers
• Optional: Reference images of Five Nights at Freddy's characters (or simplified character outlines)
• Success Criteria Checklist (provided below)

Lesson Duration

45 - 60 minutes (Easily repeatable for five sessions/days, focusing on a new character each time.)

I. Introduction (10 minutes)

Hook: What Makes a Picture Tell a Story?

Educator Talk Track: "Imagine your favorite scene from Five Nights at Freddy's. Maybe it’s a dark hallway, or maybe it’s Freddy standing right on stage. When you close your eyes, what colors do you see? What details stand out? Today, we are going to become storytellers using both pictures and words! You will draw an awesome scene, and then write one super-strong sentence that brings your drawing to life."

Learning Objectives (Tell Them What We'll Teach)

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

1. Design and draw a scene featuring a character from a favorite story (FNAF).
2. Write one complete and descriptive sentence that explains your drawing (focusing on descriptive language).
3. Ensure your drawing and sentence match perfectly.

Success Criteria (What Success Looks Like)

Your work is successful if:

• Your drawing is clear and shows a character in a setting.
• Your sentence is complete (it has a capital letter and punctuation).
• Your sentence includes at least one describing word (adjective, e.g., rusty, bright, shadowy).

II. Body: Content & Practice (35 minutes)

A. I Do: Modeling Description (10 minutes)

Content Focus: Choosing a subject and writing a strong descriptive sentence.

Step 1: Choose and Sketch (Modeling)

• "I am going to choose Bonnie the Bunny. I want to draw him standing next to the glowing arcade machine. I will quickly sketch out the shape of Bonnie and the machine." (Draw a simple sketch on your paper, verbalizing your choices.)

Step 2: Brainstorm Describing Words

• "Now, I need to think of words that describe my drawing. How does Bonnie look? Maybe he looks old, purple, or eerie. How does the arcade look? It looks blurry, loud, and bright." (Write these descriptive words down.)

Step 3: Build the Sentence

• "My goal is one sentence. I need to use one of my descriptive words. I will write: The purple Bonnie stood by the glowing arcade machine." (Write the sentence clearly, checking for capitalization and punctuation.)

B. We Do: Guided Scene Planning (10 minutes)

Activity: Think-Pair-Plan

Step 1: Character Choice & Setting

• Educator/Learner Discussion: "Which character will you draw today (Chica, Foxy, Freddy, Puppet, etc.)? Where are they?" (Guide the student to commit to one character and one specific setting—e.g., Foxy in Pirate Cove, Chica in the kitchen.)

Step 2: Collaborative Word Brainstorm

• "Let’s brainstorm words just for your scene. If you chose Pirate Cove, what descriptive words fit? (Dark, wooden, tattered, scary). If you chose Chica, what words fit? (Yellow, hungry, plastic, broken)." (Write 3-4 descriptive words together.)

Step 3: Sentence Drafting Practice (Written Expression Focus)

• Guide the student to assemble their single sentence verbally first.
  Example Structure: [The/A] + [Descriptive Word] + [Character] + [Action Word] + [Where].
  Draft example: The tattered Foxy peered out of Pirate Cove.
• Ask: "Does your sentence have a capital? Does it have a punctuation mark? Did we use a describing word?"

C. You Do: Independent Creation (15 minutes)

Activity: Draw and Write

Step 1: Drawing Time

• "Now, use your planning. Draw your character and their setting. Use your colors and make the details match the descriptive words we brainstormed." (Provide quiet time for the student to draw and color.)

Step 2: Final Sentence Writing

• "Once your drawing is finished, carefully write your final, descriptive sentence under the picture."

III. Conclusion (10 minutes)

A. Closure and Sharing (Recap)

Activity: Gallery Walk & Read Aloud

• Have the student display their drawing.
• Ask them to read their single sentence aloud to you.
• Educator asks: "How did your descriptive word (adjective) make the picture more interesting? Does the sentence perfectly match the picture?"

B. Formative Assessment and Feedback

Use the Success Criteria Checklist to provide immediate, specific feedback.

• "I see your sentence starts with a capital letter – great job meeting that goal!" (Clarity of Instruction Check)
• "You used the word 'shady' to describe the hallway. That's a strong descriptive word that really helps me see the darkness in your picture!" (Written Expression Goal Check)

C. Transition/Next Steps

• "Tomorrow (or next session), we will choose a brand new character and a new setting. We will try to use an even more exciting descriptive word in our single sentence!"

Differentiation and Adaptability

Scaffolding (For Struggling Learners or Focus on Writing)

• Sentence Starter Bank: Provide index cards with common sentence starters and simple descriptive words (e.g., The *scary* robot...).
• Tracing/Outlining: Provide a light outline of the chosen character to reduce drawing difficulty, allowing the student to focus mainly on coloring and writing.
• Verbal Check-in: Require the student to say the completed sentence aloud before writing it down, ensuring fluency and structure are correct.

Extension (For Advanced Learners or Deeper Focus)

• Sensory Description: Challenge the student to include a word that appeals to a sense other than sight (e.g., sound or smell: "The loud static crackled," "The room smelled oily and burnt.").
• Compound Sentence (Optional Goal): If the student successfully meets the single-sentence goal, challenge them to combine two simple, related sentences using the word "and" or "but" (e.g., "Chica held a cupcake, but her eyes glowed red.").
• Background Detail Challenge: Require the drawing to include at least three background objects relevant to the setting (e.g., arcade carpet, hanging balloons, security monitor).