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 The Poet X, 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.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a character map for the characters in The Poet X.
Student Instructions:
First, lead a whole class discussion about a character in a specific scene in the book. Narrowing your focus to one scene will help students to better analyze what they are reading.
Guide students to describe the character's physical and personality traits. These specific details will help students to understand who the person truly is.
Another important element of characterization is noting how characters interact with others in the story. Students can learn a lot about who is challenged, who imposes challenges on others, and the lessons these characters learn. The lessons can then be applied to real life situations.
Characterization involves writing down traits of different characters, showing how they relate to other characters in the story, and finding out what makes them tick. If you don't understand who the characters are, it is very difficult to understand what motivates them or why they story unfolds the way it does.
Reading teaches empathy to students, and as they see the actions unfold with the characters, they can see how actions have consequences. Readers can "learn from the mistakes" of characters, rather than having to learn the hard way themselves.
Characters experience challenges throughout a story, and it is these conflicts that move the story along. They also impose challenges on other characters in the book. These challenges are important in understanding the theme of the book.