The setting of a story is the location and time frame, or the where and when of the story. Settings often play a crucial role in the story as they influence the characters, their motivations and their actions. The setting can include the environment, weather as well as the social and political factors within the time period both locally and globally. In the case of Echo, the setting informs each character's experience, as well as the path the harmonica took throughout time and space. In this activity, students will create a setting chart to identify time and place in Echo. Teachers may ask students to illustrate the setting of one of the stories, or create a comprehensive storyboard that includes the setting for each story.
| Story | Time | Place |
|---|---|---|
| Friedrich's Story | Friedrich's story takes place in 1933 during Hitler's rise to power. The reader witnesses the introduction of intimidation tactics and many laws that discriminated against and harmed Jews and any one who Hitler deemed to be not of "pure German ancestry". Anyone who opposed Hitler and the Nazi party risked being arrested, brutalized, killed, and sent to a concentration camp such as Dachau. | Friedrich's story is set in Trossingham, Germany in the south of the country near the Black Forest. In the story, Friedrich, his father and Uncle Gunter work in a Harmonica factory. In reality, Trossingham is where the famous Hohner Harmonica company was founded. |
| Mike’s Story | Mike's story is set in 1935. At the time, harmonica music and particularly the Blues is popular. During the Great Depression in the United States, many people were poor and out of work. There were many orphans in the home where Mike and his brother lived and the corrupt head mistress used them to make money for herself. | Mike's story is set in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mike and his brother, Frankie, live in an orphanage called Bishop's in a rural area. Later they go to live with Mrs. Sturbridge in her mansion in the city. |
| Ivy’s Story | Ivy's story takes place in 1942 during WWII, after the U.S. declared war on Japan. Ivy's brother, Fernando, Kenny Yamamoto, and the Ward brothers have enlisted to fight. At the same time, Japanese Americans like the Yamamoto family have been stripped of their civil liberties and forcibly sent away to concentration camps throughout the country. | Ivy's story is set in Southern California. The family moves from Fresno County to Orange Country. Ivy is shocked when she is not allowed to attend the main school as it is segregated and children of Mexican descent are forced to attend a dilapidated school farther away. |
| Ivy’s Story | Otto's story is said to be "50 years before the war to end all wars." This means it is 50 years before World War I, or around 1864. The story of Eins, Zwei, and Drei is set many years before that and as it is a fairy tale, it is not specified but rather, 'Once upon a time', or in this case "long before enchantment was eclipsed by doubt." | Otto's story takes place in the countryside near Trossingham in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, which is by the Black Forest and near the Swiss Alps. Otto hides in the Black Forest and it is there that he encounters Eins, Zwei, and Drei. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard identifying the setting in the book.
Student Instructions: