Description

Graphic organizers that use a drawing of an individual, along with queries connected to the individual’s symbolic qualities, are called character maps. They can be used to trigger reflection on fictional or historical people.

Implementation

1. Select a Fictional or Historical Character: You can base this learning experience on a character or historical figure in any resource that you believe will prompt engagement and excitement from your learners. Once you have chosen the character, give learners time to read, watch, or observe.
2. Learners Create Character Map: Learners use evidence from documents, images, video clips, and other resources to respond to the following prompts as they annotate the illustration:
   • Head: How does this person view their society?
   • Mouth: What is this person articulating?
   • Heart: How does this person feel?
   • Hands: What has this person done in their lives, what choices have they made?
   • Feet: What may be some outcomes of this person’s choices?
3. Debrief: After completing their character maps, learners can place them in the classroom and participate in a brief gallery walk to see what their classmates have made and reflect on the similarities, differences, and patterns in their character maps.