Better Book Report Projects

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High School English Teachers Chatboard

Better Book Report Projects

by Madi

Aug 15, 2012

I want 11th grade Language Arts students to turn in book reports which demonstrate an understanding of theme, characterization, author choices with regard to setting and narration etc. In the past, I've had students turn in Art projects using various media, but I found that my writing component was lacking in rigor. What do you have your juniors turn in for you when they must report on their independent reading novels?

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Mark Welch I struggled with this, as it was difficult to offer a "fair" variety of choices (in my view) without also being very specific about each assignment option, and without creating a rubric for each. I created a very, very detailed rubric for certain assignments (for example, for a "book review" it was important not to reveal any "spoilers").

...See More

Aug 16, 2012

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Me I guess I would start with the standards you are teaching first. If it doesn't correlate to the standards, whatever it is won't work.

Always start with the standards

Aug 26, 2012

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marjoryt Have you considered doing a structured book review? There are many excellent websites (many connected to universities) that explain the components of the book review. Looking at the 11-12th grade Common Core standards for Reading, I see many of the criteria can fit into either a book report or book review.

Before you start the students, b...See MoreHave you considered doing a structured book review? There are many excellent websites (many connected to universities) that explain the components of the book review. Looking at the 11-12th grade Common Core standards for Reading, I see many of the criteria can fit into either a book report or book review.

Before you start the students, be sure to give them examples! Luckily, there are many examples of book reviews online and in EBSCO. Happy teaching!

Key Ideas and Details

RL.11-12.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. RL.11-12.2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.11-12.3. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).

Craft and Structure

RL.11-12.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.) RL.11-12.5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. RL.11-12.6. Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

RL.11-12.7. Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.) RL.11-12.8. (Not applicable to literature) RL.11-12.9. Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.

Aug 30, 2012

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