In this activity, students will depict the characters of the story using a character map. Have students pay close attention to the physical and character traits of both major and minor characters. Students will provide detailed information regarding how the characters interact with the main characters, as well as challenges the characters face.
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Student Instructions
Create a character map for the major characters.
Encourage students to support their character observations by citing specific events, dialogue, or descriptions from Shiloh. This helps students develop analytical skills and deepens their understanding of text-to-character connections.
Read a short passage aloud and ask students to point out words or actions that reveal a character trait. Discuss as a class how this evidence supports their ideas, making the process visible for all learners.
Have students draw a two-column chart: one side for the character trait and the other for the text evidence. This visual aid keeps their work organized and encourages close reading.
Provide sentence frames like, ‘I know Marty is caring because in the text it says…’ to help students articulate their thinking and back up their ideas confidently.
Let students display their character maps and evidence trackers around the room. Invite peers to walk around, read each other’s work, and leave positive feedback on sticky notes. This fosters a collaborative learning environment and reinforces the value of using evidence.
To help students analyze characters in Shiloh, have them create a character map focusing on physical and personality traits, changes over time, character challenges, and relationships. Encourage detailed observations and connections to the story's events.
Key character traits to focus on in Shiloh include loyalty, courage, honesty, and compassion. Having students identify and discuss these traits helps deepen understanding of the characters' actions and growth.
An effective introduction is to model creating a character map for one character as a class, then assign students to complete maps for other main or minor characters individually, using clear text boxes for traits, challenges, and changes.
Students should include Marty, Shiloh, Judd, Dad, Mom, Dara Lynn, Becky, David, and Doc Murphy. Focus on major characters, but minor ones can add depth.
The main characters in Shiloh face challenges like moral dilemmas, family conflict, and standing up for what is right. Marty, in particular, struggles with keeping secrets and protecting Shiloh.