Book
Project Ideas
Directions: You will select THREE
projects to complete. They will be due
on Thursday 12/20. If you have any
questions – please make sure to speak with me well in advance. Please note that
certain assignments (due to their degree of difficulty) will be awarded more
credit. Select your THREE projects with
care so that they are evenly matched and grade appropriate. On average – most
assignments are worth 20 points each. You can do a fourth for extra credit!
1.
Create life-sized models of two of
your favorite characters and dress them as they are dressed in the book. Crouch
down behind your character and describe yourself as the character. Tell what
your role is in the book and how you relate to the other character you have
made.
2.
Create a sculpture of a character.
Use any combination of soap, wood, clay, sticks, wire, stones, old toy pieces,
or any other object. An explanation of how this character fits into the book
should accompany the sculpture.
3.
Interview a character from your
book. Write at least ten questions that will give the character the opportunity
to discuss his/her thoughts and feelings about his/her role in the story.
However you choose to present your interview is up to you.
4.
Write a diary that one of the
story's main characters might have kept before, during, or after the book's
events. Remember that the character'sthoughts and feelings are very important
in a diary.
5.
If you are reading the same book as
one or more others are reading, dramatize a scene from the book. Write a script
and have several rehearsals before presenting it to the class.
6.
Prepare an oral report of 5 minutes.
Give a brief summary of the plotand describe the personality of one of the main
characters. Be prepared for questions from the class.
7.
Give a sales talk, pretending the
students in the class are clerks in a bookstore and you want them to push this
book.
8.
Build a miniature stage setting of a
scene in the book. Include a written explanation of the scene.
9.
Make several sketches of some of the
scenes in the book and label them.
10.
Describe the setting of a scene, and
then do it in pantomime.
11.
Construct puppets and present a show
of one or more interesting parts of the book.
12.
Dress as one of the characters and
act out a characterization.
13.
Imagine that you are the author of
the book you have just read. 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
variousroles. YOU MAY ONLY USE BOOKS WHICH HAVE NOT ALREADY BEEN MADE INTO
MOVIES.
14.
Write a book review as it would be
done for a newspaper. ( Be sure you read a few before writing your own.)
15.
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.
16.
Write a feature article (with a
headline) that tells the story of the book as it might be found on the front
page of a newspaper in the town where the story takes place.
17.
Write a letter (10-sentence minimum)
to the main character of your book asking questions, protesting a situation,
and/or making a complaint and/or a suggestion. This must be done in the correct
letter format.
18.
Read the same book as one of your
friends. The two of you make a video or do a live performance of MASTERPIECE
BOOK REVIEW, a program which reviews books and interviews authors. (You can
even have audience participation!)
19.
If the story of your book takes
place in another country, prepare a travel brochure using pictures you have
found or drawn.
20.
Write a FULL (physical, emotional,
relational) description of three of the characters in the book. Draw a portrait
to accompany each description.
21.
After reading a book of history or
historical fiction, make an illustrated timeline showing events of the story
and draw a map showing the location(s) where the story took place.
22.
Read two books on the same subject
and compare and contrast them.
23.
Read a book that has been made into
a movie. (Caution: it must hve been a book FIRST. Books written from
screenplays are not acceptable.) Write an essay comparing the movie version
with the book.
24.
Create a mini-comic book relating a
chapter of the book.
25.
Make three posters about the book
using two or more of the following media: paint, crayons, chalk, paper, ink,
real materials.
26.
Design costumes for dolls and dress
them as characters from the book. Explain who these characters are and how they
fit in the story.
27.
Write and perform an original song
that tells the story of the book.
28.
After reading a book of poetry, do
three of the following: 1) do an oral reading; 2)write an original poem; 3)act
out a poem; 4)display a set of pictures which describe the poem; 5)write
original music for the poem; 6)add original verses to the poem.
29.
Be a TV or radio reporter, and give
a report of a scene from the book as if it is happening "live".
30.
Design a book jacket for the book. I
STRONGLY suggest that you look at an actual book jacket before you attempt
this.
31.
Create a newspaper for your book.
Summarize the plot in one article, cover the weather in another, do a feature
story on one of the more interesting characters in another. Include an
editorial and a collection of ads that would be pertinent to the story.
32.
Do a collage/poster showing pictures
or 3-d items that related to the book, and then write a sentence or two beside
each one to show its significance.
33.
Do 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.
34.
Construct puppets and present a show
of one or more interesting parts of the book.
35.
Make a book jacket for the book or
story.
36.
Draw a comic strip of your favourite
scene.
37.
Make a model of something in the
story.
38.
Use magazine photos to make a
collage about the story
39.
Make a mobile about the story.
40.
Make a mini-book about the story.
41.
Practice and the read to the class a
favourite part.
42.
Retell the story in your own words
to the class.
43.
Write about what you learned from
the story.
44.
Write a different ending for your
story.
45.
Write a different beginning.
46.
Write a letter to a character in the
book.
47.
Write a letter to the author of the
book.
48.
Make a community journal.
49.
Write Graffiti about the book on a
"brick" wall (your teacher can make a brick-like master and then run
this off on red construction paper.) Cut your words out of construction paper
and glue them on the wall.
50.
Compare and contrast two characters
in the story.
51.
Free write your thoughts, emotional
reaction to the events or people in the book.
52.
Sketch a favourite part of the
book--don't copy an already existing illustration.
53.
Make a time line of all the events
in the book.
54.
Make a flow chart of all the events in
the book.
55.
Show the events as a cycle.
56.
Make a message board.
57.
Make a map of where the events in
the book take place.
58.
Compare and contrast this book to
another.
59.
Do character mapping, showing how
characters reacted to events and changed.
60.
Make a list of character traits each
person has.
61.
Make a graphic representation of an
event or character in the story.
62.
Make a Venn diagram of the people,
events or settings in your story.
63.
Make an action wheel.
64.
Write a diary that one of the
story's main characters might have kept before, during, or after the book's
events. Remember that the character's thoughts and feelings are very important
in a diary.
65.
Build a miniature stage setting of a
scene in the book. Include a written explanation of the scene.
66.
Make a poster advertising your book
so someone else will want to read it.
67.
Keep and open mind journal in three
or four places in your story.
68.
Write a feature article (with a
headline) that tells the story of the book as it might be found on the front
page of a newspaper in the town where the story takes place.
69.
Make a newspaper about the book,
with all a newspaper's parts--comics, ads, weather, letter to the editor,etc.
70.
Interview a character. Write at
least ten questions that will give the character the opportunity to discuss
his/her thoughts and feelings about his/her role in the story. However you
choose to present your interview is up to you.
71.
Make a cutout of one of the
characters and write about them in the parts.
72.
Write a book review as it would be
done for a newspaper. ( Be sure you read a few before writing your own.)
73.
Make a character tree, where one
side is event, symmetrical side is emotion or growth.
74.
Choose a quote from a character.
Write why it would or wouldn't be a good motto by which to live your life
75.
Learn something about the
environment in which the book takes place
76.
Tell 5 things you leaned while
reading the book
77.
Retell part of the story from a
different point of view
78.
Choose one part of the story that
reached a climax. If something different had happened then, how would it have
affected the outcome?
79.
Make a Venn diagram on the ways you
are like and unlike one of the characters in your story.
80.
Write about one of the character's
life twenty years from now.
81.
Write a letter from one of the
characters to a beloved grandparent or friend
82.
Send a postcard from one of the
characters. Draw a picture on one side, write the message on the other.
83.
If you are reading the same book as
one or more others are reading, dramatize a scene from the book. Write a script
and have several rehearsals before presenting it to the class.
84.
Make a Venn diagram comparing your
environment to the setting in the book
85.
Plan a party for one or all of the
characters involved
86.
Choose birthday gifts for one of the
characters involved. Tell why you chose them
87.
Draw a picture of the setting of the
climax. Why did the author choose to have the action take place here?
88.
Make a travel brochure advertising
the setting of the story.
89.
Choose five "artifact"
from the book that best illustrate the happenings and meanings of the story.
Tell why you chose each one.
90.
Stories are made up; on conflicts
and solutions. Choose three conflicts that take place in the story and give the
solutions. Is there one that you wish had been handled differently?
91.
Pretend that you are going to join
the characters in the story. What things will you need to pack? Think
carefully, for you will be there for a week, and there is no going back home to
get something!
92.
Make up questions--have a
competition.
93.
Write a letter (10-sentence minimum)
to the main character of your book asking questions, protesting a situation,
and/or making a complaint and/or a suggestion.
94.
Retell the story as a whole class,
writing down the parts as they are told. Each child illustrates a part. Put on
the wall.
95.
Each child rewrites the story, and
divides into 8 parts. Make this into a little book of 3 folded pages, stapled
in the middle (Outside paper is for title of book.) Older children can put it
on the computer filling the unused part with a square for later illustrations.
96.
Outline the story, then use the
outline to expand into paragraphs.
97.
Teacher chooses part of the text and
deletes some of the words. Students fill in the blanks.
98.
Make a chart of interesting words as
a whole class activity. Categorize by parts of speech, colourful language, etc.
99.
After reading a book of history or
historical fiction, make an illustrated time line showing events of the story
and draw a map showing the location(s) where the story took place.
100. Make game boards (Shoots and Ladders is a good pattern) by
groups, using problems from the book as ways to get ahead or to be put back.
Groups exchange boards, then play.
101. Create life-sized models of two of your favourite characters
and dress them as they are dressed in the book. Crouch down behind your
character and describe yourself as the character. Tell what your role is in the
book and how you relate to the other character you have made.
102. Create a sculpture of a character. Use any combination of
soap, wood, clay, sticks, wire, stones, old toy pieces, or any other object. An
explanation of how this character fits into the book should accompany the
sculpture.
103. Make several sketches of some of the scenes in the book and
label them.
104. Describe the setting of a scene, and then do it in
pantomime.
105. Dress as one of the characters and act out a
characterization.
106. Imagine that you are the author of the book you have just
read.
107. 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.
108. 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.
109. Read the same book as one of your friends. The two of you
make a video or do a live performance of MASTERPIECE BOOK REVIEW, a program
which reviews books and interviews authors. (You can even have audience
participation!)
110. If the story of your book takes place in another country,
prepare a travel brochure using pictures you have found or drawn.
111. Write a FULL (physical, emotional, relational) description
of three of the characters in the book. Draw a portrait to accompany each
description.
112. Read two books on the same subject and compare and contrast
them.
113. Read a book that has been made into a movie. (Caution: it
must have been a book FIRST. Books written from screenplays are not
acceptable.) Write an essay comparing the movie version with the book.
114. Make three posters about the book using two or more of the
following media: paint, crayons, chalk, paper, ink, real materials.
115. Design costumes for dolls and dress them as characters from
the book. Explain who these characters are and how they fit in the story.
116. Write and perform an original song that tells the story of
the book.
117. After reading a book of poetry, do three of the following:
1) do an oral reading; 2)write an original poem; 3)act out a poem; 4)display a
set of pictures which describe the poem; 5)write original music for the poem;
6)add original verses to the poem.
118. Be a TV or radio reporter, and give a report of a scene from
the book as if it is happening "live".
119. Write a one sentence summary of each chapter and illustrate
the sentence.
120. Mark 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.
121. Write a multiple choice quiz of the book with at least ten
questions.
122. Make a life-sized stand-up character of one of the people in
the book. On the back list the characteristics of the person.
123. Pretend you are making a movie of your book and are casting
it. Choose the actors and actresses from people in the classroom.
124. Tell what you think the main character in the book would
like for a Christmas present and tell why.
125. Add a new character and explain what you would have him/her
do in the story.
126. Do some research on a topic brought up; in your book.
127. Write an obituary for one of the characters. Be sure to
include life-time accomplishments.
128. Choose a job for one of the characters in the book and write
letter of application.
129. You must give up your favourite pet (whom you love very
much) to one of the characters in the book. Which character would you choose?
Why?
130. Invite one of the characters to dinner, and plan an
imaginary conversation with the person who will fix the meal. What will you
serve, and why?
131. Write an ad for a dating service for one of the characters.
132. Nominate one of the characters for an office in local, state
or national government. Which office should they run for? What are the
qualities that would make them be good for that office?
133. Pretend that you can spend a day with one of the characters.
Which character would you choose? Why? What would you do?
134. Write a scene that has been lost from the book.
135. Write the plot for a sequel to this book.
136. Add another character to the book. Why would he be put
there? What part would he serve?
137. Rewrite the story for younger children in picture book form.
138. Write the plot of the story as if it were a story on the
evening news
139. Make a gravestone for one of the characters.
140. What other story could have taken place at this same time
and setting? Write the plot and about 4 or 5 characters in this new book.
