Mapping Beowulf Characters | Create a Character Map

Activity Overview

As students read, a storyboard can serve as a helpful character reference log. This log (also called a character map) allows students to recall relevant information about important characters. A story like Beowulf has many characters to keep track of and a character log can help keep them straight.

Clicking "Use This Assignment" will copy both the example above as well as a blank template for you to customize as desired. You may want students to start from scratch, or provide them with the questions and characters! Additionally, feel free to add your own questions for students to keep track of.

Important Characters and Creatures

Beowulf - Brave warrior and future king of Geatland
King Hrothgar - King of the Dane's who is threatened by the monster Grendel
Grendel - A abominable monster who threatens the Danes
Grendel’s mother - A swamp hag
Beow - Former King of the Geats
Unferth - Antagonist who challenges Beowulf on his word
Wiglaf - A young warrior who follows Beowulf to his death

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Template and Class Instructions

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Student Instructions

Create a character map for the major characters.

Identify the major characters in Beowulf and type their names into the different title boxes.
Choose a character from the "Medieval" or "Monsters and Myths" tabs to represent each of the literary characters.

Select colors and a pose appropriate to story and character traits.

Choose a scene or background that makes sense for the character.
Fill in the text boxes for Traits, Role in Epic, and Effect on Protagonist.

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Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 9-10

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual or Partner

Type of Activity: Character Map

Common Core Standards

[ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/3] Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme
[ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/6] Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature
[ELA-Literacy/W/9-10/6] Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically

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Rubric

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Character Map Template

Create a character map of the characters in the story. Put the character's name in the title boxes and choose a character and scene to represent each one. As you read, take notes on the characters by answering the questions.

	Proficient 33 Points	Emerging 25 Points	Beginning 17 Points
Character Picture & Scene	The characters and scenes are both appropriate for the book's characters.	Many of the characters and scenes match the book's characters.	More than half of the characters and scenes do not match the characters in the book.
Accuracy of Notes	Most of the information of the notes is correct.	Many of the notes have correct information, but some are incorrect or missing.	Less than half of the information of the notes is correct and relevant.
Effort	Work is complete, thorough, and neat.	Most of the sections of the character map were at least attempted and work is presentable.	Character map is unfinished and/or disorganized.