The trickiest part of The Westing Game is its long list of characters. Students may struggle with the many names and identities. Providing activities to reinforce character understanding will be helpful. 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.
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Student Instructions
Create a character map for the major characters.
Engage students by having them guess characters based on clues you read aloud. This helps reinforce character traits and relationships in a fun, interactive way.
Write brief clues about each character on index cards, focusing on personality, physical description, and Westing's clues. Avoid using names to make guessing more challenging.
Assign students to teams of 2–4 to encourage collaboration and discussion as they work together to identify characters.
Read a clue card aloud and let each team discuss and write down their guess. Reveal the answer after all teams respond to keep the energy up.
Keep score to add a competitive element. Celebrate correct answers and encourage students to explain their reasoning to deepen understanding.
A character map in The Westing Game is a visual tool that helps students track and organize information about each major character, including their traits, relationships, and clues connected to Sam Westing’s will.
Use engaging activities like storyboards or character maps so students can log details, traits, and connections for each character as they read. This approach supports memory and comprehension.
The main heirs in The Westing Game include Turtle Wexler, Jake Wexler, Grace Wexler, Angela Wexler, Doug Hoo, Sun Lin Hoo, James Shin Hoo, Sandy McSouthers, Judge J.J. Ford, Theo Theodorakis, Chris Theodorakis, Sydelle Pulaski, Otis Amber, Berthe Erica Crow, Flora Baumbach, and Dr. Denton Deere.
A student’s character map should include the character’s name, age, physical description, personality traits, clues provided by Westing, and how each is connected to Sam Westing.
Effective activities include creating character maps, group discussions, and using storyboards to visualize relationships and clues, making it easier for students in grades 6–8 to keep track of The Westing Game’s complex cast.