Class: Senior Secondary School 1 (SS1, SS 1, SSS1, SSS 1)
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 4
Age: 15 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: Literature-in-English
Curriculum Theme: Literature-in-English
Previous Lesson: Character Analysis.
Topic: Character Analysis II
Subject Matter: Identification of minor characters in “Lonely Days”, roles and significance of minor characters, relationships between characters

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain:

Define minor character and explain how minor characters differ from major characters.
Identify minor characters in “Lonely Days” from given extracts and chapters.
State the roles and significance of minor characters in the novel.
Explain relationships between characters and how relationships affect events.

Affective Domain:

Show respect when discussing characters’ actions and community values.
Demonstrate empathy when analysing characters affected by social pressure and hardship.
Accept differing interpretations when supported with evidence from the text.

Psychomotor Domain:

Complete a relationship map showing connections between characters.
Underline statements in an extract that reveal a relationship or role of a minor character.

Work in groups to identify minor characters and present their roles with evidence.
Participate in class discussion by listening, responding, and supporting points with examples.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
State Unified Scheme of Work
“Lonely Days” by Bayo Adebowale (recommended class text)
Literature-in-English textbook for SSS 1 (Prose: Character, Characterisation, and Relationships)
Encyclopaedia Britannica: Character
Encyclopaedia Britannica: Characterisation
BBC Bitesize: Characters and Characterisation

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

Text excerpts and copies of key chapters from “Lonely Days”
Relationship map chart (Character A, Character B, Type of Relationship, Evidence, Effect on Plot)
Cardboard/chart paper for diagrams
Marker board and markers

Rationale for the Lesson

Minor characters and relationships help pupils understand how a story is built and why events happen. This lesson helps pupils give detailed answers in literature by linking roles and relationships to themes and plot using evidence from the text.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify major characters and describe their basic roles in the novel.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Character Analysis II: Minor Characters and Relationships in “Lonely Days” by Bayo Adebowale

Meaning of Minor Character

A minor character is a supporting character who appears less often than the main character but helps develop the plot, reveal themes, or expose community values.

Differences Between Major and Minor Characters

Frequency of appearance: major characters appear more; minor characters appear less.
Importance to plot: major characters drive the central conflict; minor characters support, influence, or complicate events.
Depth of development: major characters are more fully developed; minor characters may be briefly presented.

Minor / Supporting Characters in Lonely Days (text-accurate list for classroom use)

Use these as common minor/supporting characters (depending on chapter focus and what the class has read):

Yaremi’s children (supporting family characters)

Segi, Wura, Alani – Yaremi’s children; their absence/presence and family ties help reveal Yaremi’s loneliness and responsibilities.

The suitors (pressure/conflict characters)

Ayanwale (village drummer), Olonade (wood carver), Lanwa (wealthy farmer) – propose to Yaremi and help reveal social pressure, patriarchy, and Yaremi’s resistance.

Other widows (community comparison characters)

Dedewe, Fayoyin, Radeke – fellow widows whose experiences and conversations help reveal the shared plight of widows and the workings of tradition/community judgement.

Teacher note: Some teachers treat the “other widows” as major supporting characters. For Week 4, you can still classify them as “minor/supporting” if the lesson focus is relationships and community voices, not full character development.

Roles and Significance of Minor Characters in Lonely Days

Minor/supporting characters help the novel by:

Reinforcing themes
- Their actions/words highlight widowhood suffering, loneliness, cultural pressure, and gender expectations.
Representing community voice and social judgement
- They show how tradition and public opinion shape decisions and treatment of widows.
Creating/Increasing conflict
- Suitors and community expectations intensify pressure on Yaremi and deepen the central conflict.
Revealing the protagonist’s traits
- Yaremi’s firmness, dignity, and independence become clearer through how she responds to others (suitors, widows, family ties).

Relationships Between Characters (with novel-based examples)

Family relationships

Yaremi ↔ Ajumobi (wife/husband; his death begins her ordeal)
Yaremi ↔ Segi/Wura/Alani (mother/children; family bonds and distance affect her loneliness)
Yaremi ↔ Woye (grandmother/grandson; companionship and support)

Community / friendship relationships

Yaremi ↔ Dedewe/Fayoyin/Radeke (widows’ companionship; shared suffering; discussion of customs)

Conflict/pressure relationships

Yaremi ↔ Ayanwale/Olonade/Lanwa (suitors vs. Yaremi’s choice; social pressure and patriarchy)

How Relationships Affect Plot and Themes

Relationships influence decisions (e.g., pressure to remarry, resistance to custom).
Relationships reveal support vs rejection (e.g., companionship with Woye; judgement from society).
Relationships expose themes like loneliness, oppression, tradition, resistance.
Relationships create turning points (e.g., proposals, reactions of others, decisions taken).

Using Evidence for Minor Character & Relationship Analysis

Quote/paraphrase a line showing attitude/relationship.
Refer to an action that affects an event.
Describe how the main character reacts to the minor character.
Link the relationship to a theme and state the effect.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Lecture, Demonstration, Question and Answer, Visual Aids

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Set Induction
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents a short extract that contains a brief supporting character and asks pupils to state the character’s relationship with the main character and what the character contributes to the scene.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils mention the relationship and contribution using points from the extract.
Learning Point: Minor characters and relationships can be identified through actions, speech, and influence on events.

Step 2: Meaning of Minor Character and Differences

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher defines minor character and explains differences between major and minor characters, writing key points on the board.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils copy notes and give one example of a minor character they noticed from reading.
Learning Point: Minor characters are supporting figures who help develop plot and themes.

Step 3: Identifying Minor Characters in the Text

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Guided Reading/Questioning
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils through selected excerpts and asks them to name minor characters that appear and state where they appear in the chapter.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify minor characters from the excerpts and point to lines that show their presence and actions.
Learning Point: Minor characters can be identified from scenes where they support, oppose, or influence main characters.

Step 4: Roles and Significance of Minor Characters

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Discussion
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads discussion on roles of minor characters and guides pupils to link each role to a theme or plot event found in the excerpts.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils state roles and explain significance with brief evidence from the text.
Learning Point: Minor characters strengthen themes and help move events in the plot.

Step 5: Relationships Between Characters

Time: 6 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Illustration
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains common relationship types and uses an excerpt to show how a relationship is revealed through dialogue and actions.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify the relationship type in the excerpt and state one effect on the event described.
Learning Point: Relationships explain how characters connect and why events take certain directions.

Step 6: Group Activity (Relationship Map)

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Cooperative Learning
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shares different excerpts to groups and guides each group to draw a relationship map on cardboard showing two or more characters, the relationship type, evidence, and effect on plot/theme.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils complete the relationship map and present one relationship with evidence and effect to the class.
Learning Point: Relationship maps help present character connections clearly with supporting evidence.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

Define minor character.
State three differences between major and minor characters.
List three roles of minor characters in a novel.
Explain two ways relationships between characters can affect plot and themes.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 0 minutes
Teaching Skill: Closure
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarizes the key points and gives an assignment: pupils choose one minor character from the chapters read and write the character’s role, one relationship, and two evidence points from the text.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils note the assignment and submit classwork where required.
Learning Point: Minor characters and relationships can be analysed and supported with clear evidence from the text.

Lesson Keywords

Minor character – a supporting character who appears less often and helps develop the story.
Major character – a main character who drives the central plot.
Role – the function a character performs in the story.
Significance – the importance of a character to plot, themes, or message.
Relationship – the connection between characters shown through actions and dialogue.
Evidence – a line, statement, or event used to support analysis.

Differentiation

Fast learners analyse two minor characters and compare their significance to one theme; average learners complete one relationship map with correct evidence and effect; learners who need support use a guided template with options for relationship type and select evidence from underlined lines in the extract.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Use short excerpts that clearly show a minor character’s contribution and a visible relationship. Insist on evidence-based answers and guide pupils to separate identification, role, relationship, and significance in their responses.