The setting of a story is the location and time, or the where and when. Settings often play a crucial role especially in the case of historical fiction or when there are multiple places as is the case in the book Walk Two Moons. Students will create a map of Sal's journey in order to identify the different settings in the book. They can trace the route that she and her grandparents traveled throughout the United States. The template provides a blank map of the United States and students are invited to add symbols and scenes to indicate where Sal stopped along the way out west from Bybanks, Kentucky to Idaho. Students may use the postcard side of the template to choose one place on Sal's journey to highlight. They may create a scene, write a description of the place below the picture and then write a postcard from Sal's point of view to someone back in Euclid, OH. She could write to her father, Phoebe, Ben, or another character. Places Sal visited: Chicago, IL, Madison Wisconsin, Wisconsin Dells, Pipestone National Monument, MN, Badlands, SD, Mount Rushmore, SD, Old Faithful, WY, Coeur d'Alene, ID and Lewiston, ID.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard identifying the different settings in the book Walk Two Moons.
Student Instructions:
Expand your lesson by connecting students' setting maps to social studies or geography. Linking literature to other subjects deepens understanding and makes learning more meaningful.
Gather blank maps, colored pencils, and research materials about U.S. geography and culture. Having these ready helps students make richer connections between Sal’s journey and real-world places.
Assign each student or group a stop on Sal’s journey to investigate. Encourage looking up fun facts, historical events, or cultural landmarks to bring each setting to life beyond the book.
Host a brief class discussion or gallery walk where students share what they learned about their assigned locations. This fosters engagement and helps students see the diversity of settings in Sal’s journey.
Prompt students to analyze how each place may have shaped Sal’s experiences or decisions. This reflection helps build deeper literary understanding and critical thinking skills.
The setting map activity for Walk Two Moons involves students tracing Sal's journey across the United States by marking key locations from the story on a blank U.S. map. Students add symbols and scenes for each stop and may also create a postcard highlighting one special place from Sal’s travels.
Students can create a map of Sal’s journey by using a blank United States map template, adding symbols or drawings to represent each place visited, and labeling these locations in a key. This visual helps them identify and remember the novel’s different settings.
Sal visited several places including Bybanks, Kentucky; Chicago, IL; Madison, Wisconsin; Wisconsin Dells; Pipestone National Monument, MN; Badlands, SD; Mount Rushmore, SD; Old Faithful, WY; Coeur d’Alene, ID; and Lewiston, ID.
To write a postcard from Sal’s point of view, choose a place she visited, draw or describe the scene on the postcard, and write a short message as if Sal is sending it to someone back in Euclid, OH—like her dad, Phoebe, or Ben—sharing her thoughts or experiences at that location.
Mapping the setting helps students understand the importance of place in the story, visualize Sal's cross-country journey, and connect events to specific locations. It deepens comprehension by making the narrative more interactive and memorable.