Reading Projects
READING PROJECTS! YAY!
Reading Project
During the last 9 weeks, you will be responsible for turning in 1 reading project. The project is due on May 6th. You must pick a project from one genre below. Make sure you don’t wait until the last minute to complete your project. This should be a fun way to get a good reading grade at the end of the year. Points will be given for turning in the assignment on time, neatness, punctuation/spelling, and presentation. It must be evident that you actually read the book that you are presenting on.
Fiction:
1. Character Suitcase: You will create and pack a suitcase of things that the main character from your book would take on a trip. You must have an explanation of why you chose this item and an example from the book that would support your decision.
2. Theme in a Bottle: For this project, your character has decided to send a message in a bottle to shore to express what he or she has learned from their experiences to help others understand important life lessons. You will create a bottle decorated with symbols that relate to the main character’s message. You will then write a letter from the main character’s point of view expressing his or her feelings about the life lesson he or she has learned throughout the course of the book.
3. Character Scrapbook: You will create a scrapbook displaying the character’s personality and style. You will also visualize what your character and other characters in the book would look like. You will add captions to the pictures that tell how they relate to the character.
4. Alternate Ending: You will re write the ending of the book on how you think it should end. You will also illustrate your ending.
5. Setting Map: Make a map to show where the action takes place in the novel. Put labels on the map to show what happened at each place.
6. News Reporter: Pretend you are a reporter, and write a newspaper article based on a climactic event in your novel. Include answers to the questions who, what, where, when, why and how.
Non-Fiction:
1. Reader’s Theater: Using the topic of your book, and facts found in your book, and extra research (if necessary), write a reader’s theater to inform your peers about your topic. Find some friends to perform your piece (making costumes are extra credit). (you must include at least 10 facts from your book in your piece)
2. Fact Poster: Use pictures and at least 10 facts from your book to inform your peers about what you learned. You will present this to the class and may bring in props to help. Also include a paragraph about why you were interested in this particular topic.
3. Technology Choice: Power Point/Podcast: Create a podcast using audacity to tell students your age about your topic. This could be done in newscast format. Write a summary of your book as if you were putting it on the evening news (no longer than 2 minutes). Introduce yourself as the newscaster, give the topic of your report, and deliver the summary. Your power point could be 10 facts and pictures to explain your topic, or it could be pictures that go along with a news cast and you could do the newscast as an oral presentation.
4. Brochure/ Pamphlet: Fold your paper into thirds. Use the front third to write a catchy title and create a colorful illustration. Open it up, on the left section list 5-10 exciting or interesting facts you learned. In the middle section list at least 5 places to find more info on this subject. On the right section list your name, a number where you can be reached (it can be pretend), times when you would be available to talk more about your subject, and an explanation of why you are an expert on this subject. On the back use one panel to write a summary of the book and another panel to write a paragraph about who should read this book.
5. Pop-Up Display/ Diorama: You need a shoe box or strong construction paper. Make pop-up pieces related to your book and write a paragraph explaining about your topic. Use 5-10 facts to help you explain.
Biography:
1. Book Jacket: You need a large sheet of white paper. You should fold your paper in half and then fold in a piece on each edge to make flaps. On the front you should design a new cover that tells something about your person, including their name, a title and the author’s name. On the inside front flap write a summary of the book. On the inside back flap write a short biography of the author and on the back cover write a review of the book, giving it a rating of 1-5 stars.
2. Feelings Accordion Book: Using the main character of your biography as your subject, you will tell about some feelings they experienced and relate to those experiences. Get a piece of construction paper and fold it in half hot dog ways. Then cut it along that line. Tape the two long pieces together to make an even longer piece. Fold the paper into six even sections. Find ten sentences from your story that express the feelings of your subject. Write each feeling on a lines sheet of paper. On the first section of the accordion book, write the title and author of your biography and add an illustration related to your book. On the remaining pages, write the sentences in a logical order and make an illustration to go with each. When you run out of room, turn the paper over. On the last remaining section of your book write one of the feelings that you have also experienced, and tell about your experience and how it was similar or different from the subjects.