Character Quest: Design a Hero for Milo's Journey
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Character Quest: Design a Hero for Milo's Journey

Grade 5English3 days
★★★★★
5.0 (1 rating)
In the 'Character Quest: Design a Hero for Milo's Journey' project, 5th-grade students delve into English language arts by creating a new character who helps the protagonist, Milo, from 'The Phantom Tollbooth' escape the town of Abandon. Through immersive experiences like VR visits and character auctions, students employ wordplay and character development skills to construct compelling narratives. They write and integrate character traits, motivations, and backstories to showcase creativity, while also focusing on themes of overcoming challenges. The project emphasizes critical thinking and narrative coherence, culminating in a reflective essay evaluating the character's impact.
Character DevelopmentWordplayNarrative WritingProblem-SolvingCreativityThematic Coherence
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we use our understanding of wordplay and character traits to design a compelling character that helps Milo escape the town of Abandon and teaches both him and the readers a valuable lesson about overcoming challenges?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • How can we understand and use wordplay effectively in our writing?
  • What characteristics make a character compelling and believable?
  • How do traits and personalities affect the way a character interacts in a story?
  • What lessons can characters teach us through their actions and decisions in the story?
  • In what ways can our fictional characters mirror real-life situations and challenges?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Students will be able to create a well-developed character that can interact with Milo and other story elements effectively.
  • Students will understand and apply various forms of wordplay in their writing, in keeping with the themes of 'The Phantom Tollbooth'.
  • Students will analyze and describe how character traits influence behavior and decision making in stories.
  • Students will craft a cohesive narrative that integrates their character and elaborates on their role in teaching a lesson to Milo.
  • Students will evaluate the effectiveness of their character in conveying the story's theme and lesson.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3
Primary
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.Reason: This standard directly relates to the student's task of creating a narrative involving a new character helping Milo. The project requires students to use clear event sequences which align with narrative writing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2
Primary
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges; summarize the text.Reason: Understanding how characters respond to challenges and identifying themes are crucial to designing a character for Milo's journey. This standard helps guide the lesson each character will teach.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1
Secondary
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.Reason: Students will need to justify their character's role and traits in quick writes, reinforcing argument skills through their written pieces.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.4
Supporting
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.Reason: This standard supports the overall goal of crafting a well-organized narrative that has clarity and cohesion, which is necessary for the character’s development and the story’s direction.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

Virtual Reality Visit to Abandon

Kick off the project with a VR experience that transports students into the town of Abandon. Here, they witness Milo in puzzling scenarios needing help. Students are tasked to use their knowledge of wordplay from 'The Phantom Tollbooth' to brainstorm and design characters with unique traits to guide Milo. This immersive experience aims to spark curiosity and critical thinking about narrative creation and problem-solving.

Character Auction Event

Host a classroom auction where students bid on character traits and quirks detached from 'The Phantom Tollbooth,' challenging them to piece together unfamiliar combinations to aid Milo. This bidding process triggers creativity and strategic thinking about character roles, motivating students to explore how these traits could meaningfully contribute to preventing Milo's permanent stay in the town of Abandon.
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

Character Profile Creator

Students will develop a detailed profile for their character, including backstory, traits, and lessons they can teach Milo. This builds on the brainstorming activity and helps solidify their character's identity and role in the story.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Select the top traits and quirks from your brainstorm to focus on.
2. Create a basic outline of your character's background and motivations.
3. Draft a paragraph detailing how your character will help Milo using their traits.
4. Write a lesson that your character will teach Milo, incorporating wordplay learned from 'The Phantom Tollbooth.'

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA comprehensive character profile that includes the character's traits, backstory, role in the story, and the lesson they will teach.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsSupports CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1 by requiring justification of the character’s traits and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2 through theme development.
Activity 2

Narrative Development Workshop

In this collaborative workshop, students will draft a narrative arc for their character's interaction with Milo, focusing on clear and cohesive writing. They'll work on integrating their character seamlessly into Milo’s journey in a way that teaches a lesson to both him and the reader.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Outline the story arc focusing on the introduction, climax, and resolution of your character's involvement with Milo.
2. Write a draft of the key scenes where your character aids Milo.
3. Peer review the drafts with classmates, giving and receiving feedback.
4. Revise your draft to improve clarity, coherence, and integration of wordplay.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA well-organized draft narrative featuring enriched scenes where the character aids Milo, demonstrating effective writing and thematic coherence.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsCovers CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3 by developing narrative events effectively and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.4 by producing clear, coherent writing.
Activity 3

Wordplay Integration Task

Students will focus on incorporating wordplay into their narratives, enhancing both their creative writing and philosophical depth. This activity emphasizes creativity, humor, and narrative flow, where students explore language effectiveness.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Research different types of wordplay (puns, idioms, etc.) used in 'The Phantom Tollbooth.'
2. Select suitable forms of wordplay to be used in key interactions between Milo and the newly created character.
3. Revise the narrative draft to include chosen wordplay, ensuring it supports both the story and the lesson.
4. Present sections of the narrative that heavily feature wordplay to peers for feedback.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA narrative that skillfully includes integrated wordplay, enriching both the story and its thematic lessons.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.4 by ensuring the narrative is engaging and cohesive through creative language use and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3 on effective narrative development.
Activity 4

Character Reflection Essay

Students will reflect on their character's journey and effectiveness in supporting Milo and conveying the story's themes. This culminating task encourages critical thinking and self-assessment.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Reflect on the character creation process and the narrative development.
2. Assess how effectively the character contributed to the storyline and taught Milo a lesson.
3. Write an essay that summarizes the character's journey and the impact it had on the story's theme.
4. Revise the essay based on peer feedback, focusing on argumentative clarity and coherence.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA reflective essay that evaluates the character's role and effectiveness in the narrative.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsCompletes CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1 by supporting claims about the character's influence with reasons and information, and reinforces themes from CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2.
Activity 5

Character Trait Brainstorm

In this activity, students will brainstorm character traits that would be beneficial for aiding Milo in his journey. This foundational step involves engaging with the text of 'The Phantom Tollbooth' to draw inspiration from existing characters and create unique qualities that reflect wordplay and problem-solving skills.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Read selected chapters of 'The Phantom Tollbooth' focusing on character interactions with Milo.
2. Take notes on character traits and wordplay techniques used in the story.
3. Brainstorm a list of potential character traits and quirks that could assist Milo.
4. Use a mind map to organize these traits in relation to the challenges faced by Milo in the town of Abandon.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA mind map of character traits and quirks to guide the creation of a character for Milo's journey.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2 by using text details to understand character responses to challenges.
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Character Quest Growth-Oriented Rubric

Category 1

Character Development

Assessment of creativity and depth in the creation of a new character to aid Milo, focusing on traits, backstory, and narrative role.
Criterion 1

Character Traits and Quirks

Evaluation of the originality and suitability of the character traits selected, ensuring they effectively aid Milo in overcoming challenges.

Exemplary
4 Points

Character has a rich and unique set of traits and quirks that are exceptionally well-suited to aiding Milo and enhancing the narrative.

Proficient
3 Points

Character has well-thought-out traits and quirks that appropriately support Milo's journey and the story's progression.

Developing
2 Points

Character traits and quirks are basic and show some connection to the story, but need further development to effectively aid Milo.

Beginning
1 Points

Character traits and quirks are underdeveloped and fail to adequately support the narrative or Milo's challenges.

Criterion 2

Character Backstory and Motivation

Assessment of the depth and coherence of the character’s backstory and what drives their actions in the story.

Exemplary
4 Points

Backstory and motivations are thoroughly developed and integrated seamlessly into the narrative, offering compelling insights.

Proficient
3 Points

Backstory and motivations are clear and contribute meaningfully to the character's role, though may lack some depth.

Developing
2 Points

Backstory and motivations are present but lack detail and may not fully support the character’s actions.

Beginning
1 Points

Limited backstory and motivations with minimal influence on the narrative, lacking depth and coherence.

Category 2

Narrative Construction

Evaluation of how well the student's narrative effectively integrates the created character with Milo's journey, focusing on story structure and wordplay.
Criterion 1

Story Arc and Structure

Assessment of the clarity and organization of the story's plot, including introduction, climax, and conclusion.

Exemplary
4 Points

Narrative features a compelling and well-structured story arc with clear and effective progression from beginning to end.

Proficient
3 Points

Narrative shows a coherent story arc with a solid structure and logical progression of events.

Developing
2 Points

Narrative arc is present but lacks clear organization, making the progression of events less engaging.

Beginning
1 Points

Narrative lacks a clear arc, with disjointed plot elements and inadequate progression, affecting comprehensibility.

Criterion 2

Integration of Wordplay

Evaluation of the creative and effective use of wordplay in enhancing the narrative and emphasizing character interactions.

Exemplary
4 Points

Wordplay is creatively and seamlessly integrated, significantly enhancing the narrative’s humor and depth.

Proficient
3 Points

Wordplay is effectively used and contributes positively to the narrative, supporting character interactions.

Developing
2 Points

Wordplay is present but inconsistently applied, occasionally disrupting the flow or relevance of the narrative.

Beginning
1 Points

Wordplay is minimal or poorly integrated, detracting from the narrative’s effectiveness and flow.

Criterion 3

Peer Feedback and Revision

Assessment of how feedback is integrated into revisions to improve narrative clarity and content.

Exemplary
4 Points

Incorporates peer feedback comprehensively to make significant and thoughtful revisions, markedly improving the narrative.

Proficient
3 Points

Utilizes feedback effectively to make noticeable improvements, showing openness to constructive criticism.

Developing
2 Points

Attempts to incorporate feedback with some improvements, though revisions may be limited or superficial.

Beginning
1 Points

Shows minimal use of peer feedback, with negligible improvements in revision.

Category 3

Reflective Analysis

Evaluation of the student’s ability to reflect on their character's impact on the narrative and theme.
Criterion 1

Character Impact Evaluation

Assessment of the reflection on how the character influences the story’s theme and Milo’s journey.

Exemplary
4 Points

Insightfully evaluates the character's role and impact on the narrative, demonstrating thorough analytical skills and understanding.

Proficient
3 Points

Provides a clear evaluation of the character's impact, demonstrating good understanding and analysis.

Developing
2 Points

Reflects on character impact but lacks depth or misses key elements of analysis.

Beginning
1 Points

Limited evaluation of character impact, with minimal analysis or insight into thematic elements.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

Reflect on the process of creating your character. What did you find most challenging and most rewarding about designing a character with traits to aid Milo on his journey?

Text
Required
Question 2

How effectively do you think your character taught Milo a lesson?

Scale
Required
Question 3

In what ways did the use of wordplay enhance the narrative and the lesson your character taught? Give specific examples.

Text
Required
Question 4

Choose the character trait you found most impactful in the narrative. Why do you think it influenced the story the most?

Multiple choice
Required
Options
Resilience
Creativity
Empathy
Problem-solving
Humor
Question 5

Reflecting on the entire project, what lesson from your character's journey do you believe is most applicable to real-life challenges, and why?

Text
Required