- Create life-sized models of two of your favorite characters and
dress them as they are dressed in the book. Crouch down behind your
character and describe yourself as the character. Tell what your
role is in the book and how you relate to the other character you
have made.
- Create a sculpture of a character. Use any combination of soap,
wood, clay, sticks, wire, stones, old toy pieces, or any other
object. An explanation of how this character fits into the book
should accompany the sculpture.
- Interview a character from your book. Write at least ten
questions that will give the character the opportunity to discuss
his/her thoughts and feelings about his/her role in the story.
However you choose to present your interview is up to you.
- Write a diary that one of the story's main characters might have
kept before, during, or after the book's events. Remember that the
character's thoughts and feelings are very important in a diary.
- If you are reading the same book as one or more others are
reading, dramatize a scene from the book. Write a script and have
several rehearsals before presenting it to the class.
- Prepare an oral report of 5 minutes. Give a brief summary of the
plot and describe the personality of one of the main characters. Be
prepared for questions from the class.
- Give a sales talk, pretending the students in the class are
clerks in a bookstore and you want them to push this book.
- Build a miniature stage setting of a scene in the book. Include
a written explanation of the scene.
- Make several sketches of some of the scenes in the book and
label them.
- Describe the setting of a scene, and then do it in pantomime.
- Construct puppets and present a show of one or more interesting
parts of the book.
- Dress as one of the characters and act out a characterization.
- Imagine that you are the author of the book you have just read.
Suddenly the book becomes a best seller. Write a letter to a movie
producer trying to get that person interested in making your book
into a movie. Explain why the story, characters, conflicts, etc.,
would make a good film. Suggest a filming location and the actors to
play the variousroles. YOU MAY ONLY USE BOOKS WHICH HAVE NOT ALREADY
BEEN MADE INTO MOVIES.
- Write a book review as it would be done for a newspaper. ( Be
sure you read a few before writing your own.)
- Construct a diorama (three-dimensional scene which includes
models of people, buildings, plants, and animals) of one of the main
events of the book. Include a written description of the scene.
- Write a feature article (with a headline) that tells the story
of the book as it might be found on the front page of a newspaper in
the town where the story takes place.
- Write a letter (10-sentence minimum) to the main character of
your book asking questions, protesting a situation, and/or making a
complaint and/or a suggestion. This must be done in the correct
letter format.
- Read the same book as one of your friends. The two of you make a
video or do a live performance of MASTERPIECE BOOK REVIEW, a program
which reviews books and interviews authors. (You can even have
audience participation!)
- If the story of your book takes place in another country,
prepare a travel brochure using pictures you have found or drawn.
- Write a FULL (physical, emotional, relational) description of
three of the characters in the book. Draw a portrait to accompany
each description.
- After reading a book of history or historical fiction, make an
illustrated timeline showing events of the story and draw a map
showing the location(s) where the story took place.
- Read two books on the same subject and compare and contrast
them.
- Read a book that has been made into a movie. (Caution: it must
have been a book FIRST. Books written from screenplays are not
acceptable.) Write an essay comparing the movie version with the
book.
- Create a mini-comic book relating a chapter of the book.
- Make three posters about the book using two or more of the
following media: paint, crayons, chalk, paper, ink, real materials.
- Design costumes for dolls and dress them as characters from the
book. Explain who these characters are and how they fit in the
story.
- Write and perform an original song that tells the story of the
book.
- After reading a book of poetry, do three of the following: 1) do
an oral reading; 2)write an original poem; 3)act out a poem;
4)display a set of pictures which describe the poem; 5)write
original music for the poem; 6)add original verses to the poem.
- Be a TV or radio reporter, and give a report of a scene from the
book as if it is happening "live".
- Design a book jacket for the book. I STRONGLY suggest that you
look at an actual book jacket before you attempt this.
- Create a newspaper for your book. Summarize the plot in one
article, cover the weather in another, do a feature story on one of
the more interesting characters in another. Include an editorial and
a collection of ads that would be pertinent to the story.
- Do a collage/poster showing pictures or 3-d items that related
to the book, and then write a sentence or two beside each one to
show its significance.
- Do a book talk. Talk to the class about your book by saying a
little about the author, explain who the characters are and explain
enough about the beginning of the story so that everyone will
understand what they are about to read. Finally, read an exciting,
interesting, or amusing passage from your book. Stop reading at a
moment that leaves the audience hanging and add "If you want to know
more you'll have to read the book." If the book talk is well done
almost all the students want to read the book.
- Construct puppets and present a show of one or more interesting
parts of the book.
- Make a book jacket for the book or story.
- Draw a comic strip of your favorite scene.
- Make a model of something in the story.
- Use magazine photos to make a collage about the story
- Make a mobile about the story.
- Make a mini-book about the story.
- Practice and the read to the class a favorite part.
- Retell the story in your own words to the class.
- Write about what you learned from the story.
- Write a different ending for your story.
- Write a different beginning.
- Write a letter to a character in the book.
- Write a letter to the author of the book.
- Make a community journal.
- Write Graffiti about the book on a "brick" wall (your teacher
can make a brick-like master and then run this off on red
construction paper.) Cut your words out of construction paper and
glue them on the wall.
- Compare and contrast two characters in the story.
- Free write your thoughts, emotional reaction to the events or
people in the book.
- Sketch a favorite part of the book--don't copy an already
existing illustration.
- Make a time line of all the events in the book.
- Make a flow chart of all the events in the book.
- Show the events as a cycle.
- Make a message board.
- Make a map of where the events in the book take place.
- Compare and contrast this book to another.
- Do character mapping, showing how characters reacted to events
and changed.
- Make a list of character traits each person has.
- Make a graphic representation of an event or character in the
story.
- Make a Venn diagram of the people, events or settings in your
story.
- Make an action wheel.
- Write a diary that one of the story's main characters might have
kept before, during, or after the book's events. Remember that the
character's thoughts and feelings are very important in a diary.
- Build a miniature stage setting of a scene in the book. Include
a written explanation of the scene.
- Make a poster advertising your book so someone else will want to
read it.
- Keep and open mind journal in three or four places in your
story.
- Write a feature article (with a headline) that tells the story
of the book as it might be found on the front page of a newspaper in
the town where the story takes place.
- Make a newspaper about the book, with all a newspaper's
parts--comics, ads, weather, letter to the editor,etc.
- Interview a character. Write at least ten questions that will
give the character the opportunity to discuss his/her thoughts and
feelings about his/her role in the story. However you choose to
present your interview is up to you.
- Make a cutout of one of the characters and write about them in
the parts.
- Write a book review as it would be done for a newspaper. ( Be
sure you read a few before writing your own.)
- Make a character tree, where one side is event, symmetrical side
is emotion or growth.
- Choose a quote from a character. Write why it would or wouldn't
be a good motto by which to live your life
- Learn something about the environment in which the book takes
place
- Tell 5 things you leaned while reading the book
- Retell part of the story from a different point of view
- Choose one part of the story that reached a climax. If something
different had happened then, how would it have affected the outcome?
- Make a Venn diagram on the ways you are like and unlike one of
the characters in your story.
- Write about one of the character's life twenty years from now.
- Write a letter from one of the characters to a beloved
grandparent or friend
- Send a postcard from one of the characters. Draw a picture on
one side, write the message on the other.
- If you are reading the same book as one or more others are
reading, dramatize a scene from the book. Write a script and have
several rehearsals before presenting it to the class.
- Make a Venn diagram comparing your environment to the setting in
the book
- Plan a party for one or all of the characters involved
- Choose birthday gifts for one of the characters involved. Tell
why you chose them
- Draw a picture of the setting of the climax. Why did the author
choose to have the action take place here?
- Make a travel brochure advertising the setting of the story.
- Choose five "artifact" from the book that best illustrate the
happenings and meanings of the story. Tell why you chose each one.
- Stories are made up; on conflicts and solutions. Choose three
conflicts that take place in the story and give the solutions. Is
there one that you wish had been handled differently?
- Pretend that you are going to join the characters in the story.
What things will you need to pack? Think carefully, for you will be
there for a week, and there is no going back home to get something!
- Make up questions--have a competition.
- Write a letter (10-sentence minimum) to the main character of
your book asking questions, protesting a situation, and/or making a
complaint and/or a suggestion.
- Retell the story as a whole class, writing down the parts as
they are told. Each child illustrates a part. Put on the wall.
- Each child rewrites the story, and divides into 8 parts. Make
this into a little book of 3 folded pages, stapled in the middle
(Outside paper is for title of book.) Older children can put it on
the computer filling the unused part with a square for later
illustrations.
- Outline the story, then use the outline to expand into
paragraphs.
- Teacher chooses part of the text and deletes some of the words.
Students fill in the blanks.
- Make a chart of interesting words as a whole class activity.
Categorize by parts of speech, colourful language, etc.
- After reading a book of history or historical fiction, make an
illustrated time line showing events of the story and draw a map
showing the location(s) where the story took place.
- Make game boards (Shoots and Ladders is a good pattern) by
groups, using problems from the book as ways to get ahead or to be
put back. Groups exchange boards, then play.
- Create life-sized models of two of your favourite characters and
dress them as they are dressed in the book. Crouch down behind your
character and describe yourself as the character. Tell what your
role is in the book and how you relate to the other character you
have made.
- Create a sculpture of a character. Use any combination of soap,
wood, clay, sticks, wire, stones, old toy pieces, or any other
object. An explanation of how this character fits into the book
should accompany the sculpture.
- Make several sketches of some of the scenes in the book and
label them.
- Describe the setting of a scene, and then do it in pantomime.
- Dress as one of the characters and act out a characterization.
- Imagine that you are the author of the book you have just read.
- Suddenly the book becomes a best seller. Write a letter to a
movie producer trying to get that person interested in making your
book into a movie. Explain why the story, characters, conflicts,
etc., would make a good film. Suggest a filming location and the
actors to play the various roles. YOU MAY ONLY USE BOOKS WHICH HAVE
NOT ALREADY BEEN MADE INTO MOVIES.
- Construct a diorama (three-dimensional scene which includes
models of people, buildings, plants, and animals) of one of the main
events of the book. Include a written description of the scene.
- Read the same book as one of your friends. The two of you make a
video or do a live performance of MASTERPIECE BOOK REVIEW, a program
which reviews books and interviews authors. (You can even have
audience participation!)
- If the story of your book takes place in another country,
prepare a travel brochure using pictures you have found or drawn.
- Write a FULL (physical, emotional, relational) description of
three of the characters in the book. Draw a portrait to accompany
each description.
- Read two books on the same subject and compare and contrast
them.
- Read a book that has been made into a movie. (Caution: it must
have been a book FIRST. Books written from screenplays are not
acceptable.) Write an essay comparing the movie version with the
book.
- Make three posters about the book using two or more of the
following media: paint, crayons, chalk, paper, ink, real materials.
- Design costumes for dolls and dress them as characters from the
book. Explain who these characters are and how they fit in the
story.
- Write and perform an original song that tells the story of the
book.
- After reading a book of poetry, do three of the following: 1) do
an oral reading; 2)write an original poem; 3)act out a poem;
4)display a set of pictures which describe the poem; 5)write
original music for the poem; 6)add original verses to the poem.
- Be a TV or radio reporter, and give a report of a scene from the
book as if it is happening "live".
- Write a one sentence summary of each chapter and illustrate the
sentence.
- Mark a bookmark for the book, drawing a character on the front,
giving a brief summary of the book on back after listing the title
and author.
- Write a multiple choice quiz of the book with at least ten
questions.
- Make a life-sized stand-up character of one of the people in the
book. On the back list the characteristics of the person.
- Pretend you are making a movie of your book and are casting it.
Choose the actors and actresses from people in the classroom.
- Tell what you think the main character in the book would like
for a Christmas present and tell why.
- Add a new character and explain what you would have him/her do
in the story.
- Do some research on a topic brought up; in your book.
- Write an obituary for one of the characters. Be sure to include
life-time accomplishments.
- Choose a job for one of the characters in the book and write
letter of application.
- You must give up your favorite pet (whom you love very much) to
one of the characters in the book. Which character would you choose?
Why?
- Invite one of the characters to dinner, and plan an imaginary
conversation with the person who will fix the meal. What will you
serve, and why?
- Write an ad for a dating service for one of the characters.
- Nominate one of the characters for an office in local, state or
national government. Which office should they run for? What are the
qualities that would make them be good for that office?
- Pretend that you can spend a day with one of the characters.
Which character would you choose? Why? What would you do?
- Write a scene that has been lost from the book.
- Write the plot for a sequel to this book.
- Add another character to the book. Why would he be put there?
What part would he serve?
- Rewrite the story for younger children in picture book form.
- Write the plot of the story as if it were a story on the evening
news
- Make a gravestone for one of the characters.
- What other story could have taken place at this same time and
setting? Write the plot and about 4 or 5 characters in this new
book.
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