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 story, 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!
The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street character map helps students remember who were called out as scapegoats, and will visually show them how quickly things escalated. It will also provide a reference for discussion about how each person added to the hysteria.
Leader, calming influence, intelligent, open-minded, tries to control the mob.
He always works late in his basement on a radio.
He eventually gets angry, and stops trying to help.
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Student Instructions
Create a character map for the major characters.
Ask the students to identify the main characters in the story. Students can list down these characters from the most important to the least important or divide them into two different categories. Students can make these segregations based on the involvement of each character in the story and the impact of their decisions.
Once the characters have been identified students make their character illustrations or drawings based on how they are described in the story. Students can also watch the old episode of The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street to get a better perspective of what each character looks like and does their physical appearance plays an important role in the story.
Encourage the students to focus on the personality traits and hobbies of each character. This will help them identify their weak points and the significance of their presence in the story. For instance, Steve Brand became the point of fixation for the Mob because he used to spend a lot of time in his basement focusing on his work and hobbies.
Reflect on how the end goal and motivation of each character help in the development of the narrative. Identifying and analyzing character motivations will help the students understand the story and make connections in a much better way.
Students can reflect on all the information that they have collected so far and organize it in a way that is easy to comprehend and provides critical insights on each character written by the author.
Tommy is a small child who argues that the power loss may have been caused by aliens. His creative thinking leads to Maple Street's increasing paranoia. Tommy becomes a significant part of the narrative after people believe his suspicions and start to feel threatened by each other.
Don Martin makes an effort to maintain composure and reason in the commotion. He attempts to keep his neighbors from making snap judgments and turning against one another.
Due to the fact that Les Goodman's automobile starts when none of the other cars do, he attracts the most suspicion. The neighbors begin to believe he is an extraterrestrial as a result of this and his worried conduct.