Character Mash-up

Looking for a quick idea that can be used with ANY novel and pretty much ANY grade level? Character Mash-ups are where it's at!! Character Mash-ups are one of the BEST ways to get kids thinking creatively and working on understanding characterization. It also starts to get them thinking about archetypes (if you're looking for an extension activity)

The full lesson can be found here: Character Mash-Up

Essentially, they pick a character from the novel or text and "mash" them with another person/character from fiction or reality. The kids get really creative with this, and I learn all about their interests, too. We then start to learn about archetypes and discover that so many characters fit into the same mold. I hang these up around my room to show off the kids creative skills, and I think next year I'll have them start trying to "categorize" the characters into groups (trickster, hero, wise mentor, etc.) before we start our notes on archetypal patterns.

-Ms. K