“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
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 Full Cicada Moon, 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.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a character map for the major characters in Full Cicada Moon.
Student Instructions:
Grade Level 6-8
Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)
Type of Assignment Individual
Type of Activity: Character Map
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| 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. |
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 Full Cicada Moon, 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.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a character map for the major characters in Full Cicada Moon.
Student Instructions:
Grade Level 6-8
Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)
Type of Assignment Individual
Type of Activity: Character Map
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| 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. |
Guide your students in a thoughtful conversation about each character’s actions, motivations, and relationships. Use open-ended questions to encourage critical thinking and connect character traits to real-life situations.
Divide your class into small groups and assign each group a different character. Ask them to present insights about their character’s growth and challenges to the class, fostering collaborative learning.
Give students sentence frames such as: “I know this character is brave because…” to help them cite textual evidence and support their claims confidently.
Have students write a diary entry from their assigned character’s point of view. This activity helps students explore internal conflicts and personal growth.
Display all character maps around the room and let students participate in a gallery walk. Ask them to leave feedback or questions on sticky notes to boost engagement and peer learning.
A character map is a graphic organizer that helps students track character traits, physical attributes, and development throughout a story. For Full Cicada Moon, use a character map to note details about major and minor characters, their challenges, and their role in the plot.
Guide students to look for descriptions, actions, and dialogue in the text. Encourage them to use evidence from Full Cicada Moon to fill in the character map, focusing on both physical and personality traits.
The main character in Full Cicada Moon faces cultural identity struggles, fitting in at a new school, and overcoming stereotypes. Use these challenges as key points in the character map activity.
Make the lesson interactive by using visual tools like Storyboard That, assigning students individual roles, and encouraging them to use colors and poses that reflect each character’s personality from Full Cicada Moon.
Tracking character change helps students understand character development and the story’s themes. It encourages deeper comprehension and empathy by seeing how challenges shape each character over time.
“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
“I'm doing a Napoleon timeline and I'm having [students] determine whether or not Napoleon was a good guy or a bad guy or somewhere in between.”–History and Special Ed Teacher
“Students get to be creative with Storyboard That and there's so many visuals for them to pick from... It makes it really accessible for all students in the class.”–Third Grade Teacher