Character maps are a helpful tool for students to use as they're reading, although they can also be used after completing a book. In this activity, students will create a character map of the characters in Long Way Down, paying close attention to the physical attributes and the traits of both major and minor characters. Students can also provide detailed information regarding the challenges the character faces, the challenges the character imposes, and the importance of the character to the plot of the story. Teachers may also ask students to pay attention to the lessons each character teaches Will on his elevator ride to the lobby.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a character map for the characters in Long Way Down.
Student Instructions:
Help the students analyze the story in detail and discuss the characters present in the narrative. Teachers can read the story in class with the help of students and then discuss major events to help students recall and retain the details. Ask the students to list the main and secondary characters present in the story and select 2 or more characters for comparison.
Some important elements that students can look at while conducting this comparison are analyzing the character traits and motivations of their selected characters. For instance, in Long Way Down, Will (the main character) who is a young boy displays extraordinary courage but mourns the loss of all family members who have been a victim of the shootings and wants to take revenge on their behalf.
Talk about the character development that occurs for each of the main characters. What useful insights do they gain? How do they change and evolve, and do they interrupt or maintain the violent cycle that the book explores? This development is different for different characters and is inspired by various events throughout the story that students can analyze.
Examine the book's ideas and the ways in which each character advances them. Talk about issues like loss, retaliation, and the consequences of decisions. Ask students to consider how various characters represent these concepts.
Ask the students to perform their character comparison on a chart paper and display it at the end for the entire class. Students can organize all the information they have collected so far and put it on the chart paper with the help of graphic organizers and decorate the chart with the help of visuals, colors, and symbols.
Uncle Mark, who offers advice, Shawn, Will's brother, Dani, Will’s childhood friend, and other characters that show up throughout Will's elevator ride are significant supporting characters who each make a distinct contribution to the story.
Will experiences profound psychological and emotional transformations as he examines the effects of gun violence and the cycle of retaliation. The rules guiding his behavior are not what he believes them to be. He realizes what holds more significance in his life and develops a new perspective of looking at things.