Lesson Set Five
Interactive Videos + Resources
LS5: Characters
Lesson 1: Characters: The Heart of Your Story
Stories become memorable and moving when audiences connect with a clear and compelling character.
Lesson 2: Names + Numbers
A single character creates connection, and combining that connection with scale can expand its impact.
Lesson 3: Designing for Identification
Stories are most powerful when people do not just observe a character but begin to see the world through their eyes.
Deeper Dive
Lesson 1
Cohen Ben-Arye, R., & Halali, E. (2024). Giving farm animals a name and a face: Eliciting animal advocacy among omnivores using the identifiable victim effect. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 93, 102193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102193
Lesson 2
Västfjäll, D., Slovic, P., Mayorga, M., & Peters, E. (2014). Compassion fade: Affect and charity are greatest for a single child in need. PLOS ONE, 9(6), e100115. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4062481/
Lesson 3
Walker, K. N. (2023). Narrative persuasion. [Excerpt from doctoral dissertation, Fielding Graduate University]. In Educational digital storytelling and narrative persuasion: The Christopher Columbus myth and challenging national identity.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE POWERFUL VISUAL STORYTELLING EXAMPLES –
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We Animals Media
Mission “We advocate for animals through photojournalism. Our global investigations and stories expose our complex relationships with animals, create ethical and cultural shifts in society, and empower human capacity for compassion and change.”
Offers “40,000+ stock photos and videos of animals”
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