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.
Characters included in the character map are:
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Student Instructions
Create a character map for the major characters.
Invite students to work in small groups to share their character maps and compare interpretations. Encourage active listening and respectful dialogue as each student explains their choices. This approach helps students deepen their understanding of characters by hearing diverse perspectives and strengthens their communication skills.
Have students take turns presenting their character maps to the class or in small groups. Assign roles such as speaker, questioner, and note-taker to encourage participation from all group members. This strategy helps build confidence in public speaking and fosters collaborative learning.
Ask students to reference specific passages or events from Where the Mountain Meets the Moon when describing character traits and challenges. Model how to quote or paraphrase the text to support their observations. This practice strengthens critical reading and textual analysis skills.
Encourage students to add a section to their character maps predicting how each character might change by the end of the story. Prompt them to use clues from the plot and character development. This extension activity fosters deeper comprehension and builds inferencing skills.
A character map for 'Where the Mountain Meets the Moon' is a visual organizer that helps students track the traits, relationships, and challenges of key characters in the story. It supports comprehension by making connections between characters and their roles.
To create a character map, have students select major and minor characters from the story, assign each a box, and fill in details like physical traits, personality, relationships with the protagonist, and challenges faced. They can also use colors and backgrounds to reflect character traits.
Include Minli's curiosity and bravery, Ma's practicality and skepticism, and Ba's optimism and kindness. Noting these traits helps students understand character motivations and growth in the story.
Character maps help students visualize relationships, track character development, and deepen their comprehension of the story's themes and conflicts. This is especially useful for complex texts with multiple characters.
Characters like Minli face challenges such as seeking good fortune, overcoming obstacles, and learning empathy. Other characters encounter their own struggles, which can be detailed in the character map for deeper insight.