FREE 10+ Character Mindmap Samples in Word | Google Docs | Google Slides | Keynote | PPT | Pages | PDF

A character concept map is a visual organizer that assists students to understand a character and how the location can impact other characters, and the storyline affects the characters. It is employed both during and after the reading of the material. Students’ understanding is aided by this method, which provides a framework for finding and arranging character elements.

Character mapping is beneficial for students since characters are important in virtually every tale and are vital to the plot. A character map’s most significant function is to help pupils arrange their personalities, attributes, and motives. Students lose track of the story when they misread characters, and they frequently make important reading errors.

Usually, it’s best to begin with a large, central idea. Smaller data points can then be added around (and connected to) this idea, ensuring the larger point of your map remains clear. Your central idea might be a character, with their traits and history added around, or an event, with consequences arrayed and connected around it.

For your data points, circles on a page are the norm, but consider using sticky notes or cutting up index cards and either gluing them to poster board or keeping them movable on a bulletin board. I say to cut up your index cards because they should be small enough that you’re using brief keywords rather than full sentences.

If you’re using your mind map to explore rather than illustrate, consider branching out from your central idea with questions. About a character, you might ask ‘what do they want,’ ‘who do they love,’ ‘what is their biggest flaw,’ etc. Branching from these questions will be known answers and possible answers.

Remember that color is its own type of information. Start black and white (or in pencil) and then add color as common themes or ideas become clear. If you’re visual, draw pictures or copy-paste stock pictures in strategic places to give the map an aesthetic feel and cement concepts through visual representation.

Add extra lines as you go, drawing connections and making one-word notes along the connecting lines. Double back and loop around, adding smaller and larger circles depending on degree of importance. Basically, break the rules (or don’t start off with any!) to make this your mind map, not something you’d like to post on Instagram. Hey, if it ends up looking good, go for it; but don’t make that an end goal.

You can work chronologically – creating more of a timeline effect – or thematically, creating a slightly chaotic effect. In fact, the only rule about structure is that it should work for you. Both limited and unlimited mind maps can be useful. An unlimited mind map is a total brain dump, whereas limited mind maps put a single character or motif under the microscope.

Finally, remember to create a key if necessary. This is vital if you color-code information or use other visual cues; they’re clear now, but you need to make sure you’ll still understand your map months later.

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