The setting in a story includes where and when the story takes place, and there are usually several settings in a novel. Students should be able to understand when a story takes place and where it takes place, as well as discuss how those are important to the novel. For this activity, students will create a storyboard that highlights the where and when of Lily's Crossing. In historical fiction novels, when the story takes place is extremely important, as it is centered around an important time in the past. This novel takes place during a time of war, which impacts the characters in a variety of different ways.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that describes and illustrates the setting of Lily’s Crossing. You must incorporate where and when in your storyboard.
Student Instructions:
Gather students and talk about how the time and place in Lily’s Crossing affect how characters feel, act, and make choices. This helps students see the impact of setting on character development in an engaging way.
Guide students to think about how Lily or other characters might feel in each setting—such as anxious during the war or happy at the beach. Linking emotions to settings makes the story more relatable and memorable.
Invite students to sketch or act out a scene, focusing on how the setting affects the mood. Expressing feelings through art or drama deepens understanding and engagement.
Create a classroom chart listing key settings and how they shape what happens in the story. This visual tool helps students make connections and refer back during discussion or writing.
The setting of Lily's Crossing is primarily during World War II in the 1940s, taking place in a small town in New York as well as at the seaside. Both the time period and locations are crucial to the novel's plot and character development.
To teach setting with Lily's Crossing, have students identify where and when key events happen, create a storyboard mapping these scenes, and discuss how the historical context impacts the characters.
The time period of World War II shapes the story's conflicts and characters. It affects the characters’ emotions, decisions, and relationships, making historical context essential for understanding the novel.
Creative activities include making storyboards, setting maps, or dioramas; comparing settings across different novels; and writing journal entries from a character’s perspective about their environment and time.
Students should include where (the locations) and when (the time period) in their storyboard, with illustrations and short summaries explaining how each setting influences the story.