Getting to Know Nancy & Plum: A Character Study Project
It is no surprise that iLEAD Exploration 2nd grader Emmeline Ku thoroughly enjoyed reading the delightful book Nancy & Plum by Betty MacDonald—the beloved author of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle fame. Emmeline was so captivated by these spunky, unforgettable characters that she decided to complete a character study of the two orphaned sisters, Nancy and Plum, and even constructed dolls in their likeness. The details in the writing, the excellent character development, and her enjoyment of the book overall inspired Emmeline to dive deeper into studying the characters.
First, of course, Emmeline devoured the book. Then she learned about story elements, such as plot, characterization, setting, conflict, and resolution, and discussed these in relation to the story. She was fascinated by the characters and asked to learn more about them. Using a Venn diagram, Emmeline compared and contrasted Nancy and Plum. From there, she wrote a first draft using the information from the diagram. Emmeline worked through the writing process of editing and revising and completed her final draft. To make the dolls, Emmeline used paper doll templates and added the details of each character, such as the hair, eyes, and clothing.
One challenge that came up during the writing process was learning to transition into the next sentences as well as learning how to use conjunctions and clauses effectively. This project gave Emmeline great practice on transitions. Overall, the book and the project were a delight from beginning to end.
