Refugee weaves together three poignant and gripping stories. In this activity, students can capture the narrative arc of novel in a storyboard. For each cell, have students create a scene that follows the story in sequence using: Title, Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. Because there are three stories, teachers may choose for students to do a plot diagram for all three stories or for just one, like the example in this activity.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a visual plot diagram for one of the stories in Refugee, either Josef's, Isabel's, or Mahmoud's.
Student Instructions:
Guide students in connecting their plot diagrams to deeper themes and character motivations by organizing a focused class discussion. Encourage thoughtful sharing and active listening to help students build empathy and understanding about each character's journey.
Create open-ended questions that prompt students to consider why characters made certain decisions. This helps students think critically about motivation and consequences in the story.
Establish ground rules to ensure every student feels safe to contribute. Model active listening and reinforce that all perspectives are valued.
Encourage students to display their work and explain their choices. Highlight differences and similarities to foster a richer understanding of story structure and interpretation.
Lead a discussion about parallels between the novel's events and current or historical refugee stories. This builds empathy and makes learning more relevant and meaningful for students.
A visual plot diagram activity for the novel Refugee asks students to break down one of the book's three stories into key plot elements: Title, Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. Students illustrate each part and write short descriptions to show their understanding of the narrative arc.
Teachers can have students create storyboards for each main character's story in Refugee. This visual approach helps students organize events, understand character development, and connect themes by illustrating key moments from the novel.
To make a plot diagram for a character in Refugee, students should: 1) Identify the Title, 2) Describe the Exposition, 3) Illustrate the Rising Action, 4) Highlight the Climax, 5) Show the Falling Action, and 6) Summarize the Resolution, using both images and brief descriptions.
Creating visual summaries helps students better understand complex narratives, track multiple storylines, and remember key plot points. Visuals can make abstract concepts more concrete and support diverse learning styles in the classroom.
The Refugee plot diagram activity is designed for grades 6–8. It's suitable for middle school students who are developing skills in reading comprehension, literary analysis, and creative expression.