Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is a true story about a very courageous young girl who became a heroine to the Japanese people. Throughout her treatments, she displays several character traits that students can look up to or identify with. For this activity, students will create a spider map that depicts 3 of Sadako’s character traits. They must also include text evidence for each trait. Teachers may wish to provide students with a list of traits to look for, or have students discover them on their own!
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a 3 cell spider map of Sadako’s character traits in Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.
Student Instructions:
Help students identify the main and interesting characters in the story and pick out any character pairings that interact or have relationships that are crucial to the story for comparison. Sadako and Chizuko, her best friend, and Sadako and her father are a few examples. The comparison will help the students understand the story in a better way.
Create a chart where students may list the characteristics, deeds, emotions, and relationships of each character, with a column for each. For the comparison, this will act as a visual help. Students can also use other graphic organizers and illustrations with the help of teachers or parents to portray this comparison.
Encourage your students to write down particular ideals, strengths, and flaws for each character, as well as their own unique personality qualities. In contrast to Chizuko, who is reassuring and kind, Sadako is tenacious and optimistic. Ensure that students are aware of basic personality traits and the vocabulary required to describe those traits.
Help the students analyze different interactions among characters in the story. Ask the students questions such as how these interactions shape the story and contribute to the character development of characters. Encourage the students to use critical thinking skills for their analysis.
Encourage students to engage in class discussions where they may express their views and perspectives. This enables a more thorough investigation of the characters and their importance to the narrative. Students can also clear any confusion they have with the help of these discussions.
Sadako is renowned for her tenacity, optimism, and warmth. She is also shown to be courageous in the face of difficulty. Many people have been impressed by her story and have dedicated a statue in the Hiroshima Peace Park for her. Sadako is a symbol of hope for many people around the world.
The story's motivation stems from Sadako's ambition to fold 1,000 paper cranes. It represents her tenacity and optimism in the face of a terminal disease. Sadako had big dreams and would do anything to make her dreams come true which became the reason people around her were so impressed by her determination despite the challenges she was facing.