
1. Do a costumed presentation of your book.
Dress either as the author or one of the characters.
2. Write a letter
from one character to another character.
3.Write the first
paragraph (or two) for a sequel. Outline what would happen in the rest of book.
4. Write a new
conclusion.
5.Write a new
beginning.
6.If a journey was
involved, draw a map with explanatory notes of significant places.
7.Make a diorama and
explain what it shows.
8.Make a diorama
showing the setting or a main event from the book.
9.Make a new jacket
with an original blurb.
10.Use e-mail to
tell a reading pen pal about the book.
11.Participate with
three or four classmates in a television talk show about the book.
12.With another
student, do a pretend interview with the author or with one of the characters.
13.Cut out magazine
pictures to make a collage or a poster illustrating the idea of the book.
14.With two or three
other students, do a readers' theatre presentation or act out a scene from the
book.
15.Keep a reading
journal and record your thoughts at the end of each period of reading.
16.Write a book
review for a class publication.
17.Find a song or a
poem that relates to the theme of your book. Explain the similarities.
18.Exaggerate either
characteristics or events and write a tabloid-style news story related to your
book.
19..Draw a
comic-book page complete with bubble-style conversations showing an incident
in your book.
20.Use a
journalistic style and write a news story about something that happened to one
of the characters.
21.Write a paragraph
telling about the title. Is it appropriate? Why or Why not?
22.Decide on an
alternate title for the book. Why is it appropriate? Is it better than the one
the book has now? Why or Why not?
23.Make a travel
brochure inviting tourists to visit the setting of the book. What types of
activities would there be for them to attend?
24.Write a letter to
the main character of the book.
25.Write a letter to
the main character of the book. Write the letter he or she sends back.
26.Make three or
more puppets of the characters in the book. Prepare a short puppet show to
tell the story to the class.
27.Write a
description of one of the main characters. Draw or cut out a picture to
accompany the description.
28.Make an ID card
which belongs to one of the characters. Be sure to make the card look like the
cards for that particular state. Include a picture and all information found
on and ID card.
29.Prepare a list of 15 to 20 questions for use
in determining if other people have read the book carefully.
30.Must include some
"thought" questions. "How?" "Why"
31.Dress up as one
of the characters and tell the story from a first person point of view.
32.Rewrite the story
as a picture book. Use simple vocabulary so that it may be enjoyed by younger
students.
33.Write a diary as
the main character would write it to explain the events of the story. Must
have at least 5 entries.
34.Make a map
showing where the story took place.
35.Describe the
problem or conflict existing for the main character in the book. Tell how the
conflict was or was not resolved.
36.Make a mobile
showing pictures or symbols of happenings in the book.
37.Make a collage
representing some event or part of your book.
38.Make a crossword
puzzle using ideas from a book. Need at least 25 entries.
39.Choose any topic
from your book and write a 1-2 page research report on it. Include a one
paragraph explanation as to how it applies to your book(not in the paper
itself--on your "title page.")
40.Write a song for
your story.
41.Pretend you are a
teacher, preparing to teach your novel to the entire class. Create 5 journal
prompts.
42.Make a comic
strip of your story.
43.Make a display of
the time period of your book.
44.Make a banner of
cloth or paper about your book.
45.Write out the script and tape record it as it
would be presented. Don't forget background music!
46.Make a "wanted"
poster for one of the characters or objects in your book. Include the
following: (a) a drawing or cut out picture of the character or object, (b) a
physical description of the character or object, (c) the character's or
object's misdeeds (or deeds?), (d) other information about the character or
object which is important, (e) the reward offered for the capture of the
character or object.
47..Research and
write a 1 page report on the geographical setting of your story. Include an
explanation as to why this setting was important to the effect of the story.|
48.Design an
advertising campaign to promote the sale of the book you read. Include each of
the following: a poster, a radio or TV commercial, a magazine or newspaper ad,
a bumper sticker, and a button.
49.Find the top 10
web sites a character in your book would most frequently visit. Include 2-3
sentences for each on why your character likes each of the sites.
50.Write a scene
that could have happened in the book you read but didn't. After you have
written the scene, explain how it would have changed the outcome of the book.
51.Create a board
game based on events and characters in the book you read. By playing your
game, members of the class should learn what happened in the book. Your game
must include the following: a game board, a rule sheet and clear directions,
events and characters from the story.
52.Make models of
three objects which were important in the book you read. On a card attached to
each model, tell why that object was important in the book.
53.Design a movie
poster for the book you read. Cast the major character in the book with real
actors and actresses. Include a scene or dialogue from the book in the layout
of the poster. Remember, it should be PERSUASIVE; you want people to come see
the movie.
54.If the book you
read involves a number of locations within a country or geographical area,
plot the events of the story on a map. Make sure the map is large enough for
us to read the main events clearly. Attach a legend to your map. Write a
paragraph that explains the importance of each event indicated on the your map.
55.Complete a series
of five drawings that show five of the major events in the plot of the book
you read. Write captions for each drawing so that the illustrations can be
understood by someone who did not read the book.
56.Make a test for
the book you read. Include 10 true-false, 10 multiple choice, and 10 short
essay questions. After writing the test, provide the answers for your
questions.
57.Select one
character from the book you read who has the qualities of a heroine or hero.
List these qualities and tell why you think they are heroic.
58.Imagine that you
are about to make a feature-length film of the novel you read. You have been
instructed to select your cast from members of your English class. Cast all
the major characters in your novel from your English classmates and tell why
you selected each person for a given part.
59.Plan a party for
the characters in the book you read. In order to do this, complete each of the
following tasks: (a) Design an invitation to the party which would appeal to
all of the characters. (b) Imagine that you are five of the characters in the
book and tell what each would wear to the party. (c) Tell what food you would
serve and why. (d) Tell what games or entertainment you will provide and why
your choices are appropriate. (e) Tell how three of the characters will act at
the party. (f) What kind of a party is this? (birthday, housewarming,
un-birthday, anniversary, etc.)
60.List five of the
main characters from the book you read. Give three examples of what each
character learned or did not learn in the book.
61.Obtain a job
application from an employer in our area, and fill out the application as one
of the characters in the book you read might do. Before you obtain the
application, be sure that the job is one for which a character in your book is
qualified. If a resume is required, write it.
62.You are a
prosecuting attorney putting one of the characters from the book you read on
trial for a crime or misdeed. Prepare your case on paper, giving all your
arguments.
63.Do the previous
activity, but find a buddy to help you. One of you becomes the prosecuting
attorney; the other is the defense. If you can't find a buddy, you could try
it on your own.
64.Make
a shoe box diorama of a scene from the book you read. Write a paragraph
explaining the scene and its effect in the book on your title page.
65.Pretend
that you are one of the characters in the book you read. Tape a monologue of
that character telling of his or her experiences. Be sure to write out a
script before taping. You could perform this "live" if you so choose.
66.Make a television box show of ten scenes in
the order that they occur in the book you read. Cut a square form the bottom
of a box to serve as a TV screen and make two slits in opposite sides of the
box. Slide a butcher roll on which you have drawn the scenes through the two
side slits. Make a tape to go with your television show. Be sure to write out
a script before taping or performing live.
67.Tape an interview with one of the characters
in the book you read. Pretend that this character is being interviewed by a
magazine or newspaper reporter. You may do this project with a partner, but be
sure to write a script before taping. You may choose to do a "live" version of
this.
68.Write a letter to a friend about the book you
read. Explain why you liked or did not like the book.
69.In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield
describes a good book as one that "when you're done reading it, you wish the
author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up
on the phone whenever you felt like it." Imagine that the author of the book
you read is a terrific friend of yours. Write out an imaginary telephone
conversation between the two of you in which you discuss the book you read and
other things as well.
70.Imagine that you have been given the task of
conducting a tour of the town in which the book you read is set. Make a tape
describing the homes of your characters and the places where important events
in the book took place. You may want to use a musical background for your
tape.
71.Do some research on the hometown of your
book's author. You may be able to find descriptions of his or her home,
school, favorite hangouts, etc. What else is of interest in the town? Imagine
that you are conducting a tour of the town. Make a tape describing the places
you show people on the tour. You may want to use a musical background for your
tape.
72.Make a list of at least ten proverbs or
familiar sayings. Now decide which characters in the book you read should have
followed the suggestions in the familiar sayings and why.
73.Write the copy for a newspaper front page
that is devoted entirely to the book you read. The front page should look as
much like a real newspaper page as possible. The articles on the front page
should be based on events and characters in the book.
79.Make a collage that represents major
characters and events in the book you read. Use pictures and words cut from
magazines in your collage.
74.Make a time line of the major events in the
book you read. Be sure the divisions on the time line reflect the time period
in the plot. Use drawings or magazine cutouts to illustrate events along the
time line. You could present this to the class, taking us through time--event
be event, for more marks
75.Change the setting of the book you read. Tell
how this change of setting would alter events and affect characters.
76.Make a paper doll likeness of one of the
characters in the book you read. Design at least threes costumes for this
character. Next, write a paragraph commenting on each outfit; tell what the
clothing reflects about the character, the historical period and events in the
book.
77.Pick a national issue. Compose a speech to be
given on that topic by one of the major characters in the book you read. Be
sure the contents of the speech reflect the characters personality and
beliefs.
78.Retell the plot of the book you read as it
might appear in a third-grade reading book. Be sure that the vocabulary you
use is appropriate for that age group. Tape your storytelling.
79.Complete each of these eight ideas with
material growing out of the book you read: This book made me wish that. . .,
realize that. . ., decide that. . ., wonder about. . ., see that. . ., believe
that . . ., feel that . . ., and hope that. . . .
80.Look through magazines for words and pictures
that describe your book. Use these to create a collage on a bookmark. Make the
bookmark available for others to use as they read the same book.
81.Write the title of your book. Decide on some
simple word--picture--letter combinations that will spell out the title "rebus
style." Present it to the class to solve (I will make a transparency or copies
for you.) After they have solved the rebus., invite them to ask questions
about the book.
82.Choose an interesting character from your
book. Consider the character's personality, likes and dislikes. Decide on a
gift for him or her. . . something he or she would really like and use. Design
a greeting card to go along with your gift. In the greeting, explain to your
friend from the book why you selected the gift.
83.Read the classifieds. Find something a
character in your book was looking for or would like. Cut out the classified.
Write a short paragraph telling why he or she needs/wants the item. Would the
one advertised be a good buy for him or her? Why or Why not?
84.Gather a large collection of current events
that reflect incidents that closely parallel those in your novel.
85.Write a letter to the author of your novel
and explain how you feel about the book.
86.Prepare and present an oral interpretation to
the class.
87. AR Test