“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
Making a character map is a helpful activity for any story. In this activity, students can create a reference guide to the characters in the story and record each character’s physical appearance, traits, motivations, and relationships. This is a great activity for students to update each time they meet a new character or learn more about characters.
Here is an example:
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a character map for the major characters.
Grade Level 4-5
Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)
Type of Assignment Individual or Partner
Type of Activity: Character Map
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 33 Points | Emerging 25 Points | Beginning 17 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Character Picture & Scene | The characters and scenes are both appropriate for the book's characters. | Many of the characters and scenes match the book's characters. | More than half of the characters and scenes do not match the characters in the book. |
| Accuracy of Notes | Most of the information of the notes is correct. | Many of the notes have correct information, but some are incorrect or missing. | Less than half of the information of the notes is correct and relevant. |
| Effort | Work is complete, thorough, and neat. | Most of the sections of the character map were at least attempted and work is presentable. | Character map is unfinished and/or disorganized. |
Making a character map is a helpful activity for any story. In this activity, students can create a reference guide to the characters in the story and record each character’s physical appearance, traits, motivations, and relationships. This is a great activity for students to update each time they meet a new character or learn more about characters.
Here is an example:
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a character map for the major characters.
Grade Level 4-5
Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)
Type of Assignment Individual or Partner
Type of Activity: Character Map
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 33 Points | Emerging 25 Points | Beginning 17 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Character Picture & Scene | The characters and scenes are both appropriate for the book's characters. | Many of the characters and scenes match the book's characters. | More than half of the characters and scenes do not match the characters in the book. |
| Accuracy of Notes | Most of the information of the notes is correct. | Many of the notes have correct information, but some are incorrect or missing. | Less than half of the information of the notes is correct and relevant. |
| Effort | Work is complete, thorough, and neat. | Most of the sections of the character map were at least attempted and work is presentable. | Character map is unfinished and/or disorganized. |
Facilitate a class discussion by displaying completed character maps and inviting students to share their insights. This approach helps students build confidence in their analysis and learn from peers.
Ask students to compare a character’s traits or motivations to their own experiences. This deepens understanding and personalizes the activity.
Prompt students to cite specific passages or dialogue that support their character map entries. This strengthens close reading skills and justifies their choices.
Invite students to add drawings, symbols, or quotes that represent each character. This encourages creativity and reinforces comprehension.
A character map activity for Frindle is an exercise where students identify and describe the main characters from the book by noting their physical appearance, traits, motivations, and relationships. This helps students understand character development and story structure.
To create a character map for Frindle, have students list major characters, choose visual representations for each, select fitting colors and poses, set appropriate backgrounds, and fill in details about each character's appearance, traits, motivation, and relationships.
Making a character map helps students track character development, deepen comprehension, and visualize relationships between characters, making it easier to follow story events and understand motives in Frindle.
Essential elements for a Frindle character map include each character's name, physical appearance, personality traits, motivation, and relationships with other characters, along with visuals and relevant backgrounds.
Yes, character map activities can be completed individually or with a partner, allowing for flexible collaboration and discussion among students when exploring Frindle.
“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
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“Students get to be creative with Storyboard That and there's so many visuals for them to pick from... It makes it really accessible for all students in the class.”–Third Grade Teacher