Book Projects

SEPTEMBER:

Comic Strip - Students are to choose a chapter book of their choice by Friday, September 4th. They will be given a piece of paper that resembles a comic strip. I have explained my expectations in class regarding this project. I also gave examples and ideas to guide them in this process. This assignment is due on Sept. 30th. I will be grading it based on the following criteria.

1) Neatness 2) Effort 3) Organization of ideas regarding book 4) Color and creativity 5) Following Directions

If you have any additional questions about this assignment please don't hesitate to contact me.

OCTOBER:

Cereal Box Project: - Students will design a cereal box to resemble an advertisement for a book. They need to choose a book of their choice. It can be a chapter book or a picture book. It can even be a research book about animals, science, history, etc. Their cereal box should include things on it that grab the viewer's attention and make them want to read the book. They can use phrases like "Two Thumbs Up" or "Award Winning Book." The front of the box will serve as a title page for the page introducing the title and author and maybe one catchy phrase. The sides and back of the box will need games or other information regarding the book. For example, they could have a maze or wordsearch that includes topics, words, or information from the book just like a real cereal box would have. I will explain this assignment in more detail with additional examples to the students. They may begin working on this when they have completed their September project. They will have a limited amount of time to work in class (D.E.A.R time). This is due on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd.

NOVEMBER:

For the month of November you have three choices to choose from. Read all three below and decide which project you are most interested in. You should choose a chapter book at your level. No picture books please. I will ask you the title of your book by Friday, Nov. 6th. More details will be given in class about each project. I will also answer additional questions you might have.

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 on a piece of loose leaf describing the scene. You will be asked to present your diorama to the class upon completion.
Construct puppets and present a show of one or more interesting parts of the book. Please be ready to describe the characters you made and the parts of the story you are going to act out. You may ask another student for help when performing your puppet show.
Make several sketches of some of the scenes in the book and label them. You should have at least 8-10 sketches completed in a neat manner stapled together. Each sketch should be labeled with the name of the character or scene and how it relates to the story.

DECEMBER:

The month of December is a very short month at school. Therefore students will not complete a lengthy project. Instead, they will choose their favorite picture book and read it to the class. The book should be short enough to be read in 10 minutes. On Monday, November 30th students will be asked to sign up for a date to read their book. We have two students read-aloud each day beginning on Tuesday, December 1st. Students should be ready to explain why they chose their book. I suggest that your son or daughter practice reading the book at home before they read it to the class. I look forward to hearing all of them read!

JANUARY:

For the month of January you have three choices. Read all three and decide which project you are most interested in. Please choose an adventure book. I have many books in the classroom to choose from or you may use one from home. I will ask you the title of your book on Friday, Jan. 8th, but I encourage you to start working on this earlier. More details will be given in class about each project.

1. Give 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. The book talk should last about 5-8 minutes. You may use note cards to write down important imformation.

2. Make a mobile about the story. This is something new! I have never given this option before. Use a hanger, string and any other supplies you wish to show part of your book.

3. Make a travel brochure advertising the setting of the story. Use any supplies you want such as magazines, poster paper, paint, markers, drawings, etc. This should not be larger than a cereal box.