Character Venn Diagrams
As we've learned, this novel is the coming of age of 18 different students. Each student grows and changes over the course of the book, taking off their masks and morphing into their true selves. In this activity, we'll be looking at how two characters are alike and different after you've learned all there is about them.
Choose any two characters from the book and create a Venn diagram. Be sure to think about all aspects of their lives: home, family, appearances, relationships, dreams, conflicts, how others describe them, even the poetry they write.
Try to choose two characters who are seemingly very different, or don't interact as much. Some examples of interesting pairings might include: Wesley and Leslie, Raul and Amy, Lupe and Sterling, or even Tyrone and the new student Mai.
After students finish their diagrams, they would meet in groups of 4 to share their comparisons and ideas. Then the class would come together as a whole to discuss the students' findings. Noticing how each student shares similarities with the others, even the unexpected ones, can lead to a discussion about identity, conformity, fitting in, boxes, stereotypes, etc.
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