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 a bildungsroman book like Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan, despite there being four separate stories, the characters are still bound by one thing: a harmonica. In this activity, students will create a character map of the characters in Echo, paying close attention to the physical attributes, and the traits of both major and minor characters. They 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 keep track of how the harmonica positively impacted their lives, and how it passed from one character to the next.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a character map for the characters in Echo.
Student Instructions:
Encourage students to work in small groups to create a character map on large chart paper or digitally. Collaboration sparks discussion and deeper analysis of each character's traits and relationships.
Designate specific roles such as researcher, illustrator, writer, and presenter to each group member. This ensures everyone participates and contributes their strengths to the project.
Demonstrate how to use evidence from the book to map out relationships and plot how the harmonica connects the characters. Show examples by referencing key scenes to help students understand what details to include.
Prompt students to discuss questions like, "How did the harmonica change this character?" or "What challenge did this character overcome?" Guiding questions drive deeper understanding and help students think critically.
Have each group share their character map and reasoning with the class. Comparing different perspectives fosters discussion and highlights the diversity of interpretations among students.
A character map for Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan is a visual organizer that helps students track the main and supporting characters, their traits, relationships, challenges, and the role of the harmonica in their stories across the novel's four parts.
To create a character map for Echo, have students list main and minor characters, choose images or avatars for each, and fill in character traits, relationships, challenges faced, and the significance of the harmonica, using a template or storyboard tool.
The harmonica is a unifying symbol in Echo, connecting the lives of all main characters by providing hope, resilience, and a sense of purpose as it passes from one person to another throughout the story.
For teaching character analysis with Echo, encourage students to note physical traits, motivations, character interactions, and transformations. Use graphic organizers and discuss how each character's journey is shaped by external and internal challenges.
An Echo character map for grades 6-8 should include Otto, Friedrich Schmidt, Elisabeth Schmidt, Mike and Frankie Flannery, Ivy Lopez, and other key figures like Uncle Gunter and Eunice Sturbridge to capture all storylines.