What type of activity increases students’ engagement with a text by exploring characters and settings?

A story map is an effective activity that increases students' engagement with a text by allowing them to visually organize and explore the elements of the story, such as characters, settings, conflict, and resolution. It encourages students to identify key details and relationships within the narrative, which deepens their understanding and analysis of the text. By mapping out these components, students can make connections, see how the characters interact with their environments, and recognize the plot's development—all of which fosters a richer comprehension and appreciation of the story.

While other activities do have educational merit, they may not specifically target the exploration of characters and settings in the same comprehensive way that a story map does. For instance, think-aloud sessions focus on verbalizing thoughts during reading, which can enhance comprehension but may not visually represent the elements of a story. A cloze exercise emphasizes vocabulary and contextual understanding by omitting words from a passage for students to fill in, which may not directly engage with the narrative elements as strongly. A picture walk involves previewing illustrations to generate interest, but it doesn't systematically break down the story elements like a story map does.