Nov 19, 2019 teaching novels in the middle school classroom. If you love to read, at some point you will want to share a book you love with others. I have created this list of halloween and october writing prompts and ideas for elementary school teachers and students, but many of these creative. 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. Theres even a free template for cards that fit inside. This template will map out the information you need to include in your book report. Middle school book report forms we couldnt quite find the perfect printable book report form for my middle schooler, so we created our own. Draw a classroom mural depicting a major scenes from the book. Teach students the important skill of book report writing with this lesson plan. When my school had a book character dressup day, i told my dad i was going to be pippy. Take a look at this post containing a great idea for a reading project for language arts.
They are strongly encouraged to dress up as the character and use props during their acting. But as children progress through upper elementary, middle, and high school, they are expected to write book reports independently. Laura hayden was looking for something to liven up book report writing for her students at derby kansas middle school. Since i work in a title i school, i cant make anyone do a project that might be beyond their means. 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 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. So, when the powersthatbe requested that our students write book reports, i just had to jump in or rather, i was volunteered. You may already do this by talking about books with friends. Oct 29, 2015 explore hodgkinsons board character book report, followed by.
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. Pumpkin character project halloween activity october book report editable. If the book is rich in setting, then asking them to illustrate where the story takes place can also be. There are many, many great ways for students to respond to literature. 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. When teaching your learners about character traits it is important to be clear about the. Students will read a text lesson that explains the process, work cooperatively to practice steps, and then write a. Present the book s summary with the analysis of the structure. Students and teachers alike will love this book buffet you need to click through and see the desserts. Journal writing is a fabulous way to reinforce your child. 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. The book report activity is meant to polish up the analyzing and creative senses in students and hence a must done.
And while i have written extensively about the power of picture books and how it can be used to hook. 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. Surely theres a better way to have students relate to the books they read. The absolutely true diary of a parttime indian by sherman alexie. If youre looking for a book you know your teacher will approve, you might want to check the lists of newbery winners and nominee.
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. Dec 08, 2014 middle ages unit study for middle school living book suggestions along with resources and activity ideas. School reading fair projects for elementary school, middle school, and highs. Less creativebut sometimes very goodwere literal depictions o. 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. It can be a challenge to get middle schoolers interested in reading. I have never been a fan of the book report, the traditional listing of characters, settings, and plots. Fun and creative book report ideas for middle school. Middle school junior high book reports page 1 abcteach.
If the book is rich in setting, then asking them to illustrate where the story takes place can also be revealing. Sep, 2016 the book reports i have enjoyed the most over the years are ones that originally reinterpret the book read. 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. Activities to use for any novel study each year i like to do a different novel study with my students.
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. When doing a novel study, you want the novel itself to be the main focus, not the worksheets and tests. It gives you a chance to read a new book and then tell your teacher and friends what you thought about it. Novel study activities kids will love education to the core. One day, while exploring postings to the middleweb listserv, hayden found an idea that filled the bill. This teacher blogger describes the process of creating book reports and using them. The book reports i have enjoyed the most over the years are ones that originally reinterpret the book read.
Fresh ideas for creative book reports education world. Npr news and commentary on education, schools, colleges and universities, and emerging trends in learning. After reading an informational book, make a scrapbook about the topics. Think about all the kinds of mementos you would put in a scrap book if you had one.
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. In the spirit of movie trailers, book trailers allow students to create video advertisements to entice new readers. Spice up those old book reports with some new, creative ideas. Write stronger leads and use livelier language in your evaluations. As a ten year old with red hair, i was totally obsessed by pippy longstocking. Are you looking for creative book report ideas for your middle school or elementary classroom. Develop a news show complete with news, sports, weather, and special features that uses information from the book.
Fiction book report form useful for elementary and middle school students, this blue book report template focuses on plots and characters in fiction books. The 105 report card comments in this list will help you. Jan 28, 2017 10 pieces of advice for middle schoolers. How to choose a good book for a report middle school. 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. If you want a nonfiction book about basketball, you might try searching for a particular players name along with middle readers.
When kids find titles that are engaging, interesting, and thoughtprovoking, theyre hooked. See more ideas about book projects, teaching reading and reading projects. See more ideas about book report projects, teaching reading and reading projects. 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. Over the years, my students have enjoyed spending time in my library. We have hundreds of picture books in our classroom. She learns to rely on her inner strength and the support of her family. Here are 22 creative book report ideas designed to make reading more meaningful.
For this assignment, students create a fictitious instagram account for a book character of their choice. This packet includes editable materials pages and word to create custom book menus for your. This book has three very big main characters that all give a bit of their own personality to the book. 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. When i needed a book character costume, for book character day, i knew immediately which character, from which book to choose. I have my students do their own independent 3d pumpkin book report at home with a. Learn how pumpkin book projects are the perfect way to get kids excited about reading. Fun and creative book report ideas for middle school students. Be a tv or radio reporter, and give a report of a scene from the book as if it is happening live. Id like to share with you a few brief points about the fabulous benefits of journaling.
Write a poem about the book, one character in it, or some other aspect of the book. Check out these ideas you can try in a middle school classroom. Ten great creative book report ideas minds in bloom. Biography report geared towards elementary or middle school. There are so many super creative, openended projects you can use mint tins for. Ranging from board books, yes, books meant to be handled by babies, to beautifully illustrated picture book versions of classic stories. Pumpkin book projects are an engaging halloween activity that. Just because youre writing a book project for your middle school class doesnt mean you have to stick to the standard report. Dec 27, 20 analyze a character and show an understanding of that character s motivations. Here are some of the things you need to include in your book report. These will work for almost any book and are especially good when students are reading independent book selections. Then, have each student take a turn standing in front of the class and. The kids are easy to engage with seasonal activities which results i.
Pumpkin book projects are an engaging halloween activity that teaches. 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. When writing your summary of a book, you should keep in mind that it has to follow the authors order. Using picture books in the middle school classroom pernille. Somewhere in your first paragraph, you should also state the book s title and the authors name. Work with your teacher to find new and creative ways to express your understanding of the story. Main character vacation suitcase book report project. 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.
The top 100 books that ehs students should read before they leave middle school. If its fiction, students can dissect plot, theme, and characters. 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. Analyze a character and show an understanding of that characters motivations. Do your students grumble every time you mention the words book reports. Book report ideas 20 ways of looking at the book these activities address multiple intelligences and a range of student ability levels. This year, however, i decided that is was time for a library makeover. 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. My students, for example, did projects like painting a picture of the book. Writing a book report is a common activity students are required to go through today.
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. This book jacket report can be completely done by hand on one sheet. How to write a book report guide with examples time4writing. During october, have your students create pumpkin book report projects. The expectations for high school students are going to be higher when it comes to book report templates. What are some creative book report ideas for middle school. 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.
Here you will find loads of great ideas for middle school students to write about in their journals. See more ideas about teaching reading, reading projects and book report projects. Write a one sentence summary of each chapter and illustrate the sentence. Apr 20, 2020 a far cry from boring book reports, here are book projects that students can do to share what theyve read. Students could design a tattoo for a character and then write an essay explaining or justifying their choices. 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. A quick web search will reveal that there are many ideas out there for creative book reports, but they are not all good ideas. 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. 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.
Hayden challenged her students to be creative with the book in a. The basics youll want to include a list and brief descriptions of the main characters and some of the supporting characters. Come up with 5 areas of his or her personality to grade based on how the character behaved in the story. Digging into characters or settings or themes from the books they read can really help. Jul 22, 2019 when attention spans are short, these do the trick. 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. 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. But, the secret is to keep it fun for the students. Explain the relationship between the authors life and the story. The classic book report isnt the only way to think about books.
Teaching wholeclass novels, my middle school students achieve these. Greek mythology character cubes illustrate greek myths with this 3d display. 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. Assigning the projects after assigning a genre for the month, give students due dates for the following three tasks. Show them as a baby, middle aged and as an older person. Spoiled princess esperanza moves from her familys ranch in mexico to a migrant camp during the great depression. Design a poster or new book cover depicting the climax of the story. 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. Draw the main character from a book you have recently read. Mark a bookmark for the book, drawing a character on the front, giving a brief summary of the book. Fun writing prompts for middle schoolers middle school writing skills are essential to building a solid educational foundation in children.
Jesse aarons knows all about hard work, but his new friend leslie. You will receive a grade for this template and for the report see points next to each item. You should try to write a strong introductory paragraph that grabs your readers attention. If its nonfiction, they can plunge into a subject that fascinates them or learn a lot about something theyve never heard of before. 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. Pumpkin character project halloween activity october. 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. Native american teenager arnold spirit leaves the reservation to attend an allwhite school, learning about his own strength and resilience in the process. Also, if you are wondering where i will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page. To help reinforce the habit of regular writing, it is essential to show kids that writing in school can be fun. Slavery and civil war unit study a literature and projectbased unit study. Education world presents 25 ideas for you to use or adapt.
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. The poem must be at least 16 lines long, but does not have to. Book report templates are going to vary from high school to middle school. Printables and resources for book reports hip homeschool. 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. Using picture books in the middle school classroom. Weve got our heads stuck in a good book rundes room. As you read the book, fill in the sections for this template. Mar 29, 20 about 3 or 4 times a year, we showcase our love of reading with a project. Its not until he starts running for the middle school track team that he begins to see what running can do for him. 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. Oct 16, 2011 for my october book report, i usually do a commercial, which is when students make a short reenactment of the story. Ten book report ideas students love robert wards rewarding. Reading is one thing but the ability to summarize and analyze information is totally different.
Activities to use for any novel study create dream explore. Completing your book project for middle school doesnt have to be a chore, make it interesting and fun. Students could design a tattoo for a character and then write an essay explaining or. This creative halloween activity gets kids excited about. Include the key ideas that develop the authors argument.
1556 409 932 861 160 1423 1100 1425 1314 56 550 1150 495 902 132 836 1129 342 159 539 859 1456 833 488 399 1445 77 1453 120