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What is a Reading Project?
Reading projects are designed so you can
- Think insightfully and creatively about a text
- Advertise the books you read to others
- Complete a high quality finished product
What will I be doing for each project?
- Well, reading a book, for starters!
- As you read or after you finish, you'll fill out a book info sheet to tell your teacher all about the book. You can get a copy of the info sheet in class or download one above.
- After that is the fun part. You'll choose a project from the list below. The goal of these projects is to give you a creative and interesting way to tell others about your book.
- You will present your project to the class on the due date.
What kinds of books can I read?
- The book needs to fit the required genre, if there is one. If not, you may choose (but you can't repeat genres). The point of this is to have you explore new genres.
- It needs to be a book that you have not read before.
- The book should be roughly on your reading level.
- The book needs to be read mostly at home.
How will it be graded?
These projects will count as major assignments and be graded on a rubric out of 30 points. (See below for the rubric.) The project due in January will only require submitting an info sheet and will be graded only on the first section of the rubric.
What else do I need to know?
- There's a specific schedule of project due dates, including required book types, below. The SCALES sheet will be due 1 week before the project due date.
- Plan on reading the book and filling out the SCALES sheet at home. You can fill out the SCALES sheet as you read or after you finish.
- You will be given time in class to work on your project.
- Three weeks before the project is due, teachers will record what book you have chosen for your project and what project option you plan on doing.
- You may do each project choice only once. Hey, there are lots; don't worry!
- These projects should be the your own work, although your family or friends may certainly help with editing, technology use, and similar issues.
- Pictures may be taken from the Internet if the sources are cited, but plagiarism (copying) of text will result in a score of zero.
- Since they are major assignments, late reading projects will be given a 15% penalty for the first day late, 30% penalty on the second day late, 50% penalty on the third day, and not accepted after that.
Reading Project Due Dates
MonthSeptember
October November December January February March April May |
GenreSummer reading
Choice Choice (not same genre as before) Historical Fiction or Fact: Civil Rights era Biography Historical Fiction or Fact: WWII Era Choice (not same genre as before) Choice (not same genre as before) Choice (not same genre as before) |
Due: SCALES; Project9/20; 9/27
10/14; 10/21 11/12; 11/18 12/9; 12/16 1/10/2014 (Info sheet only; no project) 2/3; 2/10 3/3; 3/10 4/7; 4/14 5/19; 5/27 |
Reading Project Options
Remember, NO SPOILERS! Your goal is to make people want to read the book, so don't give away the cool parts! Just hint at 'em!
1. 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. You may present your interview as you choose.
2. 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.
3. Write a book review as it would be done for a newspaper or website. (Read a few first!) Don’t give away the ending in your review, but explain who you think would enjoy the book and why.
4. 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 and why it is significant.
5. Read a book that has been made into a movie. Watch the movie. In your opinion, which was better? Write an essay or make a poster explaining your opinion. (Please note: novelizations, when someone writes a book based on a movie, don't count for this project!)
6. Create a comic book or graphic novel relating a chapter of the book.
7. Write and perform an original song that gets people to want to read the book. You may also write new words to existing music.
8. Design a book jacket for the book, including an original blurb, author’s history, made-up recommendations, illustration, etc.
9. Create the front page of a newspaper for your book. Pick an important day sometime during the rising action. Include important information in news stories, cover the weather, etc.
10. Make a collage or poster showing 5 – 6 pictures that relate to the book, or put 5 – 6 physical items related to the book in a decorated box. Then write a sentence or two for each one to show its significance.
11. Choose a quote from a character. Write an essay about why it would or wouldn't be a good motto by which to live your life. Include a paragraph summary of your book.
12. Retell part of the story from a different point of view. For example, you could tell the story of Little Red Riding Hood from the perspective of the wolf.
13. Make a PowerPoint on the book. Include slides comparing the main character with yourself, information about the author, pictures that relate to the story, and a review of the book.
14. Write the first chapter of a sequel to this book.
15. Make a book trailer for this book. In a book trailer, you make a short movie that gets people excited to read the book, just like a movie trailer gets people excited to watch a new movie.
16. Dress up as one of the characters from your book and explain to the class why they should read your story.
17. Make a poster or electronic presentation about the author of your book. Include his/her background and important influences.
18. Give a book talk to the class about your book. In a book talk, you explain what is cool about the book and recommend it to others.
19. Has your book ever been on a banned book list? If so, research to find out why. Write a position statement, stating why you think the book should or should not be banned.
20. 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.
21. Construct puppets and present a show of one or more interesting parts of the book.
22. Design costumes for dolls and dress them as characters from the book. Explain who these characters are and how they fit in the story.
23. Be a TV or radio reporter, and give a report of a scene from the book as if it is happening "live".
24. Design a Facebook page for the main character. Include important background information and some posts from friends that relate to the exposition and rising action.
25. 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.
1. 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. You may present your interview as you choose.
2. 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.
3. Write a book review as it would be done for a newspaper or website. (Read a few first!) Don’t give away the ending in your review, but explain who you think would enjoy the book and why.
4. 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 and why it is significant.
5. Read a book that has been made into a movie. Watch the movie. In your opinion, which was better? Write an essay or make a poster explaining your opinion. (Please note: novelizations, when someone writes a book based on a movie, don't count for this project!)
6. Create a comic book or graphic novel relating a chapter of the book.
7. Write and perform an original song that gets people to want to read the book. You may also write new words to existing music.
8. Design a book jacket for the book, including an original blurb, author’s history, made-up recommendations, illustration, etc.
9. Create the front page of a newspaper for your book. Pick an important day sometime during the rising action. Include important information in news stories, cover the weather, etc.
10. Make a collage or poster showing 5 – 6 pictures that relate to the book, or put 5 – 6 physical items related to the book in a decorated box. Then write a sentence or two for each one to show its significance.
11. Choose a quote from a character. Write an essay about why it would or wouldn't be a good motto by which to live your life. Include a paragraph summary of your book.
12. Retell part of the story from a different point of view. For example, you could tell the story of Little Red Riding Hood from the perspective of the wolf.
13. Make a PowerPoint on the book. Include slides comparing the main character with yourself, information about the author, pictures that relate to the story, and a review of the book.
14. Write the first chapter of a sequel to this book.
15. Make a book trailer for this book. In a book trailer, you make a short movie that gets people excited to read the book, just like a movie trailer gets people excited to watch a new movie.
16. Dress up as one of the characters from your book and explain to the class why they should read your story.
17. Make a poster or electronic presentation about the author of your book. Include his/her background and important influences.
18. Give a book talk to the class about your book. In a book talk, you explain what is cool about the book and recommend it to others.
19. Has your book ever been on a banned book list? If so, research to find out why. Write a position statement, stating why you think the book should or should not be banned.
20. 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.
21. Construct puppets and present a show of one or more interesting parts of the book.
22. Design costumes for dolls and dress them as characters from the book. Explain who these characters are and how they fit in the story.
23. Be a TV or radio reporter, and give a report of a scene from the book as if it is happening "live".
24. Design a Facebook page for the main character. Include important background information and some posts from friends that relate to the exposition and rising action.
25. 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.
Reading Project Grading Rubric (each section will be graded on a 1 - 10 scale)
DescriptionComprehension of Book, based on SCALES sheet
Thoughtful Insight into Text, based on SCALES and project presentation Quality of End Product, based on project presentation and project
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10Info sheet (SCALES) demonstrates excellent comprehension of text using many rich details from the text and providing strong examples of setting, events, characters, and literary elements.
SCALES and project demonstrate rich, well-explained thinking that goes beyond the text through interpretation, connections, and/or synthesis.
Project does an excellent job adhering to directions and is highly appealing. You can tell the author took great pride in it.
If used:
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5Info sheet (SCALES) demonstrates fair comprehension of text; includes a few details; may have some gaps
SCALES and project include one or two examples of interpretation, connections, and/or synthesis, but do not explain thinking.
Project does a fair job of adhering to directions. It looks like parts of it might have been done in a hurry.
If used:
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1Info sheet (SCALES) demonstrates poor comprehension of text or does not show that the entire text was read
SCALES and project do not go beyond literal comprehension of the text.
Project does a poor job of adhering to directions and lacks appeal. It looks like the student just wanted to get it done.
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