There are many, many great ways for students to respond to literature. This book is a valuable resource for middle school teachers who want to use significant social issues such as race, class, and poverty to invigorate their teaching of literacy and communication skills. Draw the main character from a book you have recently read. There are also four background main characters that make the story very interesting. Using picture books in the middle school classroom. But in order to save some time for you, we have decided to come up with our own list of questions that should help develop a good book report. Native american teenager arnold spirit leaves the reservation to attend an allwhite school, learning about his own strength and resilience in the process. The poem must be at least 16 lines long, but does not have to. And for more great picks, check out our list of the best book report books for middle schoolers and the best book series for tweens. Id like to share with you a few brief points about the fabulous benefits of journaling. When teaching your learners about character traits it is important to be clear about the. Here are 22 creative book report ideas designed to make reading more meaningful.
Jan 28, 2017 10 pieces of advice for middle schoolers. Present the book s summary with the analysis of the structure. These will work for almost any book and are especially good when students are reading independent book selections. Pumpkin character project halloween activity october book report editable. In 2010 i wrote a blog post, creating a middle school classroom library, mentioning my philosophy behind creating a library that inspires lifelong readers and writers. This teacher blogger describes the process of creating book reports and using them. Students will read a text lesson that explains the process, work cooperatively to practice steps, and then write a. Character traits are the individual characteristics and qualities that make characters from books, stories, movies, plays, and other art forms come to life for readers use the following list of character traits as a guideline when writing book reports and essays about the different characters youve read about. Jesse aarons knows all about hard work, but his new friend leslie. The basics youll want to include a list and brief descriptions of the main characters and some of the supporting characters. This template will map out the information you need to include in your book report.
The absolutely true diary of a parttime indian by sherman alexie. Dec 08, 2014 middle ages unit study for middle school living book suggestions along with resources and activity ideas. Explain the relationship between the authors life and the story. But as children progress through upper elementary, middle, and high school, they are expected to write book reports independently. This year i chose the book, the city of ember because it fit in nicely with my science and social studies units light and sound for science and ancient civilizations for social studies. Work with your teacher to find new and creative ways to express your understanding of the story. If its nonfiction, they can plunge into a subject that fascinates them or learn a lot about something theyve never heard of before. You will receive a grade for this template and for the report see points next to each item. Teaching wholeclass novels, my middle school students achieve these. See more ideas about teaching reading, reading projects and book report projects. Are you looking for creative book report ideas for your middle school or elementary classroom. The book is filled with just the right combination of research and common sense strategies that only a middle school counselor in the trenches could deliver. Book report ideas 20 ways of looking at the book these activities address multiple intelligences and a range of student ability levels. Fresh ideas for creative book reports education world.
Less creativebut sometimes very goodwere literal depictions o. So, when the powersthatbe requested that our students write book reports, i just had to jump in or rather, i was volunteered. Oct 11, 2019 the start of your book report provides an opportunity to make a solid introduction to the material and your own personal assessment of the work. If you love to read, at some point you will want to share a book you love with others. The main character of the story, who the story is mainly about, or the hero.
Spice up those old book reports with some new, creative ideas. When doing a novel study, you want the novel itself to be the main focus, not the worksheets and tests. A quick web search will reveal that there are many ideas out there for creative book reports, but they are not all good ideas. Draw a classroom mural depicting a major scenes from the book. Take a look at this post containing a great idea for a reading project for language arts. It can be a challenge to get middle schoolers interested in reading. Then, have each student take a turn standing in front of the class and. Show them as a baby, middle aged and as an older person. Hayden challenged her students to be creative with the book in a. The expectations for high school students are going to be higher when it comes to book report templates. We have hundreds of picture books in our classroom. How to choose a good book for a report middle school.
Activities to use for any novel study each year i like to do a different novel study with my students. Sep, 2016 the book reports i have enjoyed the most over the years are ones that originally reinterpret the book read. This year, however, i decided that is was time for a library makeover. Ten book report ideas students love robert wards rewarding. Pumpkin character project halloween activity october. If you want a nonfiction book about basketball, you might try searching for a particular players name along with middle readers. I have never been a fan of the book report, the traditional listing of characters, settings, and plots. Writing a book report is a common activity students are required to go through today. Here you will find loads of great ideas for middle school students to write about in their journals. You should try to write a strong introductory paragraph that grabs your readers attention.
See more ideas about book report projects, teaching reading and reading projects. Fun and creative book report ideas for middle school. Main character vacation suitcase book report project. Its not until he starts running for the middle school track team that he begins to see what running can do for him. Spoiled princess esperanza moves from her familys ranch in mexico to a migrant camp during the great depression. Write an acrostic poem about the book using the letters in the title of the book or the name of a character or author. Have students dress up as the main character of their book. Jul 22, 2019 when attention spans are short, these do the trick. Underneath each picture write what you think they might be doing at that point of their life, and explain why they may be doing so. Somewhere in your first paragraph, you should also state the book s title and the authors name. Then create a scrap book for your character, cutting out pictures from magazines or drawing the mementos he or she would have in a scrap book. Write stronger leads and use livelier language in your evaluations. Slavery and civil war unit study a literature and projectbased unit study.
Novel study activities kids will love education to the core. This creative halloween activity gets kids excited about. Pumpkin book projects are an engaging halloween activity that. To help reinforce the habit of regular writing, it is essential to show kids that writing in school can be fun. Write a one sentence summary of each chapter and illustrate the sentence. I have my students do their own independent 3d pumpkin book report at home with a. The book reports i have enjoyed the most over the years are ones that originally reinterpret the book read.
This book has three very big main characters that all give a bit of their own personality to the book. Npr news and commentary on education, schools, colleges and universities, and emerging trends in learning. My students, for example, did projects like painting a picture of the book. Completing your book project for middle school doesnt have to be a chore, make it interesting and fun. Apr 30, 2018 thats why we created a list of 105 sample report card comments to help you find ideas, inspiration, and insights while writing your own assessments. One day, while exploring postings to the middleweb listserv, hayden found an idea that filled the bill. Middle school book report forms we couldnt quite find the perfect printable book report form for my middle schooler, so we created our own. Oct 29, 2015 explore hodgkinsons board character book report, followed by. Reading is one thing but the ability to summarize and analyze information is totally different.
Think about all the kinds of mementos you would put in a scrap book if you had one. Include the key ideas that develop the authors argument. Learn how pumpkin book projects are the perfect way to get kids excited about reading. May 19, 2015 our favorite picture books for middle school 2015 may 19, 2015 may 29, 2017 pernille ripp i used to think picture books were best placed behind my desk, labeled for teaching use. Middle school matters gives parents of middle school boys and girls an essential guide to walk alongside their children as they go through middle school. A book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Students draw scenes from a selected part of the book perhaps a scene that represents the beginning, middle and end if youre working on understanding chronology. Invite a school librarian to give a book talk that features books in the genre and then add these and other books to a classroom display. Pumpkin book projects are an engaging halloween activity that teaches. There are so many super creative, openended projects you can use mint tins for. Mar 29, 20 about 3 or 4 times a year, we showcase our love of reading with a project. The thought of tackling a thick novel can be overwhelming, especially toward the end of the school year when attention spans and patience for reading are often running short.
Ten great creative book report ideas minds in bloom. Printables and resources for book reports hip homeschool. Students and teachers alike will love this book buffet you need to click through and see the desserts. The classic book report isnt the only way to think about books. What are some creative book report ideas for middle school. Theres even a free template for cards that fit inside. As you read the book, fill in the sections for this template. Dress like a character in the book and read excerpts from the book to portray that character or act out parts of the book as the character.
My kiddos loved the paper bag project we do in class, but i did it last year with my students, and because i have half of them again i teach a split grade, i had. But, the secret is to keep it fun for the students. You may already do this by talking about books with friends. Mark a bookmark for the book, drawing a character on the front, giving a brief summary of the book.
How to write a book report guide with examples time4writing. The overwhelming majority of high school students go on to college these days, and they need to be prepared for the demands of college writing in all of its complexity. Dec 19, 2017 if you are looking for solutions and ideas for how to reengage all of your students consider reading my very first book passionate learners how to engage and empower your students. Book report templates are going to vary from high school to middle school. When writing your summary of a book, you should keep in mind that it has to follow the authors order. If youre looking for a book you know your teacher will approve, you might want to check the lists of newbery winners and nominee. Activities to use for any novel study create dream explore. And while i have written extensively about the power of picture books and how it can be used to hook. Write a poem about the book, one character in it, or some other aspect of the book. When i needed a book character costume, for book character day, i knew immediately which character, from which book to choose. Also, if you are wondering where i will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page. Using picture books in the middle school classroom pernille. Laura hayden was looking for something to liven up book report writing for her students at derby kansas middle school.
Come up with 5 areas of his or her personality to grade based on how the character behaved in the story. The kids are easy to engage with seasonal activities which results i. Teach students the important skill of book report writing with this lesson plan. Journal writing is a fabulous way to reinforce your child. Ranging from board books, yes, books meant to be handled by babies, to beautifully illustrated picture book versions of classic stories. Weve got our heads stuck in a good book rundes room. Education world presents 25 ideas for you to use or adapt. They are strongly encouraged to dress up as the character and use props during their acting. For this assignment, students create a fictitious instagram account for a book character of their choice. Check out these ideas you can try in a middle school classroom. Surely theres a better way to have students relate to the books they read. Biography report geared towards elementary or middle school.
Presents 5 different ideas for a great oral presentation, from dramatic act out a scene or tell the story from a different point of view to scrappy create a believable scrapbook for one character and be prepared to explain it. This book project ideal for middle school is an event is to transform your classroom into a cafe for a day, only whats on the menu isnt food. Develop a news show complete with news, sports, weather, and special features that uses information from the book. When my school had a book character dressup day, i told my dad i was going to be pippy. Since i work in a title i school, i cant make anyone do a project that might be beyond their means. Fun writing prompts for middle schoolers middle school writing skills are essential to building a solid educational foundation in children. Assigning the projects after assigning a genre for the month, give students due dates for the following three tasks. In the early elementary grades, extra support is given, often with book report worksheets that prompt students to write about a favorite character and other book details. When kids find titles that are engaging, interesting, and thoughtprovoking, theyre hooked.
Students could design a tattoo for a character and then write an essay explaining or. If the book is rich in setting, then asking them to illustrate where the story takes place can also be revealing. Middle school junior high book reports page 1 abcteach. Greek mythology character cubes illustrate greek myths with this 3d display. Below, you will find a list of general october writing topics and a list of specific calendar dates for october which contain creative writing ideas related to that particular date in october. I have created this list of halloween and october writing prompts and ideas for elementary school teachers and students, but many of these creative. Digging into characters or settings or themes from the books they read can really help. Students could design a tattoo for a character and then write an essay explaining or justifying their choices. Students draw scenes from a selected part of the bookperhaps a scene that represents the beginning, middle and end if youre working on understanding chronology. Beyond book reports a list of 41 things to do after reading a book instead of the usual report, great for the middle school years.
The book report activity is meant to polish up the analyzing and creative senses in students and hence a must done. Fun and creative book report ideas for middle school students. She learns to rely on her inner strength and the support of her family. Nov 19, 2019 teaching novels in the middle school classroom. Instagram is a popular social media platform that allows users to create magazinelike layouts of images, leave comments, and use hashtags to target key concepts and ideas from posts. School reading fair projects for elementary school, middle school, and highs. One can read a lot of books but still be unable to develop a good book report due to the lack of knowledge of what it should look like. Do your students grumble every time you mention the words book reports. Fiction book report form useful for elementary and middle school students, this blue book report template focuses on plots and characters in fiction books.
Here are some of the things you need to include in your book report. In the spirit of movie trailers, book trailers allow students to create video advertisements to entice new readers. It gives you a chance to read a new book and then tell your teacher and friends what you thought about it. Dec 27, 20 analyze a character and show an understanding of that character s motivations. If its fiction, students can dissect plot, theme, and characters. After reading an informational book, make a scrapbook about the topics. Welcome back for even more middle school writing prompt ideas for kids part 33 its so much fun in this exciting world of journal writing prompts. Just because youre writing a book project for your middle school class doesnt mean you have to stick to the standard report. The top 100 books that ehs students should read before they leave middle school. See more ideas about book projects, teaching reading and reading projects. Be a tv or radio reporter, and give a report of a scene from the book as if it is happening live. This packet includes editable materials pages and word to create custom book menus for your. If the book is rich in setting, then asking them to illustrate where the story takes place can also be. Oct 16, 2011 for my october book report, i usually do a commercial, which is when students make a short reenactment of the story.
Analyze a character and show an understanding of that characters motivations. As a ten year old with red hair, i was totally obsessed by pippy longstocking. The 105 report card comments in this list will help you. Design a poster or new book cover depicting the climax of the story.
Apr 20, 2020 a far cry from boring book reports, here are book projects that students can do to share what theyve read. Check out our list to find a range of stories, from laughoutloud funny to gritty comingofage, to help tweens and teens survive their middle school years. Over the years, my students have enjoyed spending time in my library. But still, there need to be some activities to ensure that students do the close reading necessary to get the most out of the book.
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