As students read, a storyboard can serve as a helpful character reference log. This log (also called a character map) allows students to recall relevant information about important characters. When reading a novel, small attributes and details frequently become important as the plot progresses. With character mapping, students will record this information, helping them follow along and catch the subtleties which make reading more enjoyable!
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Student Instructions
Create a character map for the major characters.
Encourage students to share their character maps in small groups or as a class. This helps them see different perspectives and deepen their understanding of each character’s role.
Assign each student a character from their map to speak for during the discussion. This fosters engagement and ensures everyone participates by sharing insights from their character’s viewpoint.
Create questions like “How might your character react to a new event?” or “What motivates your character’s choices?” These prompts help students use their character maps to think critically and make connections.
Prompt students to reference specific traits or moments from their character maps when answering questions. This reinforces text-based reasoning and supports their arguments with details.
Ask students to update their character maps based on ideas or perspectives they heard. This step encourages ongoing learning and helps them synthesize new information.
A character map in The Wednesday Wars is a visual tool that helps students keep track of important characters, their traits, and their relationships as the story unfolds, making it easier to understand and remember key details.
To create a character map for The Wednesday Wars, list major characters, choose images or avatars for each, select fitting backgrounds, and fill in details like character traits, their interactions with the main character, and the narrator's attitude toward them.
Character mapping helps students follow complex plots, notice small but important details, and understand character development, which makes reading novels like The Wednesday Wars more engaging and insightful.
Character traits you might include are: kind, determined, humorous, shy, loyal, or ambitious. These traits help describe each character's personality in The Wednesday Wars.
Middle school students should map major characters such as Holling Hoodhood, Mrs. Baker, Meryl Lee, Danny Hupfer, Doug Swieteck, Mai Thi, Heather Hoodhood, and Mr. Hoodhood to get a full picture of the story.