Book Report Ideas
Choose ONE for your March book report. Due date: March 26.
Writing/Art Activities:
1.Do a collage/poster showing pictures or 3-D items that are
related to the book, and then write a sentence or two beside each one to show
its significance.
2. Make a book jacket for the book or story. Include a summary for the back of
the jacket.
3. Make a mobile about the story.
4. Compare and contrast two characters in the story. Include colored drawings
of those characters.
5. Sketch a favorite part of the book--don't copy an already existing
illustration. Write a paragraph describing why this was your favorite part.
6. Make a flow chart of all the events in the book.
7. Compare and contrast this book to another.
8. Build a miniature stage setting of a scene in the book. Include a written
explanation of the scene.
9. Make a poster advertising your book so someone else will want to read it.
10. Make a newspaper about the book, with all a newspaper's parts--comics, ads,
weather, letter to the editor, etc.
11. Make a cutout of one of the characters and write about them in the parts.
12. Write a book review as it would be done for a newspaper. (Be sure you read
a few before writing your own.)
13. Make a travel brochure advertising the setting of the story.
14. Rewrite the story, and divide it into 8 parts. Make this into a little book of
3 folded pages, stapled in the middle (Outside paper is for title and author of
the book.)
15. Make a game board using problems from the book as ways to get ahead or to
be put back.
16. Write a FULL (physical, emotional, relational) description of three of the
characters in the book. Draw a portrait to accompany each description.
17. Make a poster about the book using two or more of the following media:
paint, crayons, chalk, paper, ink, real materials.
18. Write a one sentence summary of each chapter and illustrate the sentence.
19. Make 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.
20. Rewrite the story for younger children in picture book form.
22. Make several sketches of some of the scenes in the book and label them.
23. Dress as one of the characters and act out a characterization.
24. 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.
25. 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.
Technology Ideas:
1. Create a cartoon version of the book they have just finished. Use a tool like Creaza http://creaza.com, Piki Kids http://pikikids.com, or Kerpoof http://kerpoof.com to inject a little fun into the book report. You can create a short cartoon or comic strip summarizing the book you just read. Include key characters from the book as well as the problem and solution. If there are no appropriate background templates to fit the book you have just finished, you can tell the story in the form of an interview between two characters or choose a cartoon character to review the book. This alternative to book reports is particularly appealing to boys who are already excited about graphic novels.
2. Create a short video clip about the book. Creaza http://creaza.com, Kerpoof http://kerpoof.com, and Xtra normal text to movie http://xtranormal.com are all great online tools that allow you to create short movie clips. You can create an interview type show where you interview characters in the book, create a short movie trailer for the book, or actually have characters act out portions of the book.
3. Create a virtual poster advertising the book. Think about movie posters: they give just enough information to give you a taste of what the movie will be about. They also contain information such as the title of the movie, the major actors, and a rating. You can use Glogster www.glogster.com to create an online book poster that acts as an advertisement for the book you just read. Be sure to include the title and author of the book, key characters, use pictures that support the story line, and create a tag line that will make others want to read the book.
4. Bookcasting is a recorded audio podcast about a book. A bookcast is a movie trailer-like audio review of a book that you can create and share with one another. Free online tools such as Audacity http://audacity.com, G Cast http://gcast.com, or Pod Bean http://podbean.com make recording audio and sharing simple. Bookcasts let you be creative and provide you with a great sense of audience. It has the added benefit of acting as a book review to excite other students about reading. Before you create your own bookcast, find some radio movie trailers of current kids' movies online for students to listen to as an example.
5. Create a timeline of events in the story you just read in an online timeline. Capzles http://capzles.com is an interactive timeline creator. You can add photos, video, audio and text to your timeline to support telling the story sequentially. Themes, colors, backgrounds, and background music can be added to further personalize the timeline. Timelines have the ability to be shared with other students and teachers.
6. Wikis are an excellent place for students to share book reviews. Wetpaint http://wetpaint.com, PBWorks http://pbworks.com, and Zoho Wiki http://zoho.com/wiki are outstanding online wikis where you can write reviews about books you have read and share them with other students. Create a
classroom book review wiki where all students can logon and add books that they are reading with reviews. The wiki could act like a classroom review column for books. You can both contribute and read book reviews. By the end of the school year you will have a wiki full of great book reviews! Before you contribute to the book review wiki, read some movie reviews from the local newspaper. Point out key elements of a good review.
7. Get excited and motivated to read with Book Wink
http://bookwink.com. This incredible website motivates students in 3rd to 8th grade to read using
fun podcasts and web videos. The video book talks range from 3-4 min. in length and introduce you to a topic or genre and the books that exhibit the topic well. You can watch a video and then search books by grade, subject, author, or title. After you read a book, you can create their own book talk using a web cam or video camera. The student book talks could be shared on websites like Viddler http://viddler.com or Fliggo http://fliggo.com so that other students can watch and comment on the book or topic.
8. Voice Thread http://voicethread.com is an amazing site that allows you to create web 2.0 slide shows that become interactive and collaborative. This is a great place for you to discuss common genres and books online. You can create a slideshow summary of your book with pictures, audio, and text. Other students can leave text, audio, or drawn comments on the book reviews. Voice Thread would be a great place to begin online classroom book clubs.