The Namer of Spirits Map Activity

Looking for a fun activity to pair with The Namer of Spirits that can help students visually interact with the story while developing critical reading and active learning skills? Here’s a great map activity that a teacher from Oregon had her 6th graders do (many thanks to the brilliant students of Hood River Middle School for sharing these examples with me).

The Activity:

1. As students read The Namer of Spirits, ask them to notice the main locations where big events in the book take place, and to visually map out how these different places connect with each other.
2. Ask students to share their maps, and to present on how the different locations are connected to and dependent on each other (how these different settings ecosystems interact).
3. See if they can trace Ash’s journey through these different settings.
4. Note: This activity can connect with lessons on cartography, ecosystems, the water cycle, and map reading (such as including a map key).

The Namer of Spirits Map Examples:

Bonus Activity:

After students describe how Ash takes actions to protect her village, have them create their own “Action Maps.” Start by asking them to identify something they care about that they want to protect (for example, a place they love, an endangered animal or species, or a group or cause that is imperiled). Students can then map out steps they could take to help protect what they care about (fundraising to adopt an endangered animal, writing a letter to the city council to protect an area they love, writing a letter to the editor to persuade people to stop using disposable plastic, etc…).

The goal of this assignment is to help students make personal connections with literature, and then to see how developing and using their own voice can help them develop a sense of agency, solve real problems, and create the world they want to live in.

If you come up with other activities to go along with The Namer of Spirits, or other books of mine, please share them with me!