In this activity, students can depict the characters in the story, paying close attention to their physical characteristics and actions in the story.
Characters included in the character map are:
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a character map for the major characters.
Introduce students to the concept of positive and negative values. Also, present them with the concept of basic moral values and some qualities of a good person such as honesty, optimism, discipline, etc.
Ask the students to make a list of some good and bad qualities of each character from the novel. While analyzing these qualities, students will be able to relate with the characters as they will find some of these qualities in themselves.
After making this list, teachers can ask the students to highlight some consequences of the actions that were taken by the characters. These consequences will help them realize that people who take good actions and have good qualities will always be successful.
Teachers can encourage a discussion among the students and ask them about what they learned from the following activity. Throughout the discussion, teachers can try to highlight the importance of learning from one’s mistakes and rectifying one’s bad qualities.
Teachers can also try to impart these lessons by giving examples to students. These examples can be from their own personal life or any other example they are aware of.
India Opal Buloni: the 10-year-old protagonist, Winn-Dixie: the stray dog Opal adopts, Opal's father: the Preacher, Miss Franny Block: the town librarian, Gloria Dump: a wise and eccentric woman, Otis: the proprietor of the pet store, and Opal's new friend, Amanda Wilkinson, are the book's main characters.
The interaction between Opal and Winn-Dixie is transformative. She makes friends in her new town and mends her connection with her father with the aid of the dog, who becomes her devoted and loving companion. Opal's life is made happier, more comfortable, and more brave by Winn-Dixie's presence.
Opal is tenacious, sympathetic, and kind. She is also a bold and brave girl who is not scared of anything for the sake of her friends. She shows kindness to everyone around her and has a great deal of compassion for others. Opal has demonstrated her ability to overcome obstacles like moving to a new town and missing her mother.
The village librarian, Miss Franny Block, plays a significant part in the narrative by telling Opal about her personal experiences. Her narrative introduces the subject of loneliness and enables Opal to get insight from the mistakes of others.