The Catcher in the Rye

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Holden's New York City Map”

In this activity, students draw a map of New York City, focusing on the areas Holden visited and his experiences there.

Create a map that details Holden's movements throughout New York City. Your map does not have to be completely realistic nor to scale, but instead must portray New York City as Holden presents it. Be sure to include the relevant places Holden visits, and a brief description of the significance of those locations to Holden's character development. Avoid merely summarizing the plot.

• Review the text of The Catcher in the Rye to make a list of the places Holden visited. Consider his actions and thoughts in these locations, and how his experiences contribute to his coming-of-age.
• Using pen and paper or an online design tool, draw a map of Holden's New York City. The map should highlight the most important places Holden visits and include a symbol for or drawing of each location.
• Write a short analysis under each location that explains how his experiences at that location contribute to his development, especially his understanding of Lack of Authenticity in Adult Society and Coming of Age as Losing Innocence.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity allows students to synthesize information across the text and create a memorable, visual representation of one of the text's main themes: Coming of Age as Losing Innocence. Some students may need reminders of where to find evidence in the text, but the recall and intellectual struggle involved with generating evidence is the most productive part of this exercise. It might also help to ask students to create symbols to represent each part of the map to visually record and remember details from the text.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students may complete this with a partner or in a small group, which will make the assignment more manageable for students who struggle with larger tasks. For these or other students, you might also consider giving students roles or jobs. For example, one student may focus on generating evidence in the beginning, while another may consider evidence from the middle of the text, etc. Also, this activity can be chunked into segments in which students focus on one bullet point at a time.