Mrs. Wilson's 11th Grade Book Reports 11-12

BOOK REPORTS FOR THE FIRST NINE WEEKS ARE DUE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011.

BOOK REPORTS FOR THE SECOND NINE WEEKS ARE DUE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011.

BOOK REPORTS FOR THE THIRD NINE WEEKS ARE DUE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012. 

BOOK REPORTS FOR THE FOURTH NINE WEEKS ARE DUE TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012.  

ALL BOOKS SHOULD BE OF APPROPRIATE DIFFICULTY FOR YOUR GRADE LEVEL (dot color in the library does not necessarily indicate difficulty; likewise, lexile level does not necessarily indicate appropriateness).  DO NOT EXPECT AN A FOR BOOKS THAT ARE BELOW YOUR ABILITY!

THIS ASSIGNMENT IS WORTH 100 POINTS EACH NINE WEEKS AND IS RECORDED AS A TEST GRADE.

NOTE:

A. YOU MAY CHOOSE AN OPTION ONLY ONCE, SO YOU MAY NOT REPEAT THE OPTION YOU CHOSE FOR AN EARLIER NINE WEEKS.

B.  YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CHOOSE THE ACCELERATED READER OPTION ONCE.  YOU MAY NOT USE A BOOK YOU USED FOR AR POINTS TO DO ANOTHER TYPE OF REPORT IN A DIFFERENT 9-WEEKS. YOU MAY NOT USE A BOOK YOU’VE PREVIOUSLY READ (IN ANY OTHER YEAR OR USED FOR ANY OTHER TYPE OF REPORT FOR AR POINTS.)

C.  YOU ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO CHOOSE EITHER BOX REPORT, ORAL REPORT, OR POWERPOINT ONCE. 

D.  DON’T USE A BOOK YOU’VE USED IN ANOTHER YEAR FOR YOUR REPORT!

E.  THE ORDER IN WHICH YOU CHOOSE TO USE THE OPTIONS IS UP TO YOU. 

OPTIONS:  CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS EACH NINE WEEKS TO COMPLETE YOUR REPORT.

OPTION 1:  MOBILE BOOK REPORT  Grading Form

Show your understanding of important people, events, and objects in your book by making a mobile.  You will demonstrate your knowledge of the book by identifying the importance of the objects on your mobile and relating them to your book. 

Contents:

A.     Mobile structure on which objects can be hung.  Title and Author of book must be displayed clearly. Your name must be on the mobile.

B.     At least 8 objects that represent important people, events, or objects in the book.

C.     On a card attached above or below each object, tell the importance of the object as it relates to the book.

D.     Write a plot summary and your opinion of the book – no less than 1 page to be handed in as well.  This should be typed double-spaced. 

OPTION 2:  CROSSWORD PUZZLE BOOK REPORT  Grading Form

Create a crossword puzzle containing at least 28 characters, settings, or events from the novel.  Clues should tell about the characters and plot of the story.  Include both an empty grid and an answer grid. (I am going to be pickier about the clues given being directly related to the story than I have been previously. Clues should clearly indicate familiarity with what the book is about and what happens in the book.) (puzzle-maker.com and puzzlemaker.com are sites you can use to help with your puzzle, but you don’t have to use them. They do make neatness easier though.) The title of the book should be on the sheet you hand in, but not as an answer to a clue.  The author can be a clue answer, but if not, the author of the story should be indicated in your heading for the puzzle.  Also, be sure your name is on the puzzle.

Note:  puzzle-maker.com now charges to print from their site.  You can work around this by copying and pasting.  See me if you need help.

OPTION 3:  CREATE A MOVIE  Grading Form

Pretend that your book is going to be made into a movie. Don’t use an actual movie that has been done to do this report.  If your book has already been made into a movie, be sure you choose different actor/actresses/songs, etc. You need to complete the following:

            1.  Design a movie poster.  Use it as your book report cover.  Be sure to include

                        the name of the book and author as well as who will be starring in your

movie on your poster. You may choose to do this poster size if you want, in which case it will not be the book report cover.

            2.  Describe the main characters.   Then choose an actor/actress (living or dead,

                        it doesn't matter) that you think would be a good choice to play each of

                        those characters.  Tell me why you chose these persons.  Remember these

                        people should be listed on your movie poster.

            3.  Choose a song that would make a good theme song for the movie.  Why did

                        you choose it?  How and why does it fit in?  (Please include the lyrics

                        of the song.)

            4.  Plot outline.  Briefly, no less than 1/2 page, tell what happens in your book.

Numbers 2-4 should be written in paragraph form.  Spelling and grammar will count.  Be creative.        

OPTION 4:  ORAL BOOK REPORT  Grading Form

You will need to sign up one week prior to due date to choose this option!  For this option you need to talk at least 5 minutes about your book.  You need to give the author, characters, plot, theme, etc. much as you would do in a traditional written report.  This must be presented in front of the full class and cannot be read.  Also, you will need a poster or some other visual aid to use in your presentation. You might want to dress the part of one of the characters as you make your presentation—but this is not your visual aid. You will need to hand in a minimum 1 page, typed double-spaced summary of what you have said in your oral presentation.  The written component is evaluated along with your oral presentation and visual aid so you will want to pay attention to grammar and sentence structure.  

OPTION 5:  BOX BOOK REPORT  Grading Form

This is an oral book report option. (You need to let me know at least a week in advance of the due date so I can be sure to allot you class time.) You write specific information as described below on each side of the box. Then, you present your book to the class using your box to help you discuss it.  Hand in your box after your oral presentation; both your box and your presentation are then evaluated.  Be sure your name is on the box. 

            Side one --       Title of book and author’s name

                                    List other works by this author (Don’t forget punctuation.)

Side two --      Who are the main characters in the book? Who is your favorite character and why? Who is your least favorite character and why?

            Side three --    Plot – Summarize what happens in the book

            Side four --      Describe the setting.  Was it a good setting choice?  Did it help set

                                    the mood and theme of the story?  Why or why not?

            Side five --      What was the author’s message? Was there a moral to the story?

                                    (Why did he/she write this book?)

            Side six --        What did you like most about the story?  What could be done to

                                    make it an even better story?

OPTION 6:  POWERPOINT PRESENTATION  Grading Form

Create a PowerPoint presentation over your book and present it to the class.  (You must sign up with me a week before the due date so that I am sure to allot you class time!) Presentation must include at least 8 slides covering the following aspects of the book:  (These do not necessarily need to be presented in this order. You are not limited only to these aspects either.) Be sure your name is on your powerpoint.

            Title                                         Basic Plot                                Setting

            Author’s Name                       Characters                               Author’s message

            Other works by author            Favorite character/why           Favorite part/why

                                                            Least favorite character/why

Slides should include key words only, not complete sentences.  Your presentation should incorporate different slide layouts, transitions, pictures, and maybe even moving text.  In addition to signing up a week in advance, you will need to email, put on zweb in the correct folder or get a copy of your presentation to Mrs. Wilson at least one day prior to the presentation.  Be sure to check the spelling and any punctuation necessary on your slides, as they will count.

OPTION 7:  ACCELERATED READER POINTS  Grading Form

Students read appropriately-leveled books from the school library and take Accelerated Reader tests over those books.  To earn points, students hand in the TOPS reports that print after each test.  Hold them and hand them in all at the same time. (Note:  It is best if all books necessary to earn the AR points are read within the same 9 weeks period overall points will be taken.) Additionally, book test points should not include those books already used for a previous book report or that will be used for a later book report. The point values below are minimums for each level and do not necessarily mean that earning that minimum will allow you to earn a 100% for the book report for the 9 weeks. 

            40 points = A              30 points = B              20 points = C              15 points = D

OPTION 8:  BOOK JACKET  Grading Form

Design a new, original book jacket for your book.  Include a plot summary of your book.  (This is not the blurb included on professional book jackets that are designed to get a reader to read the book.)  The summary should be typed and should be detailed enough to demonstrate an understanding on the reader’s part of what happened in the book.  Remember:  this is not a tease—don’t stop with “you’ll have to read the book to find out what happens.”  Be sure to also include author information as that is also always on a book jacket.  This information about the author should be no more than ½ typed page and should be in your own words.

OPTION 9:  TRADITIONAL BOOK REPORT

Write a traditional book report including a summary of the plot and the characters in the book.  Discuss the theme, characters and characterization methods, point of view, setting and any other important elements of novels.  Finally, include your opinion of the book and a recommendation, or not, on whether others should read the book.  This report should be detailed enough to demonstrate you actually read the book and could answer questions on it.  It should be typed, double-spaced, and at least two pages long, using no larger than 12 point type and standard margins.  This must include more specifics than could be found on the internet.  Don’t plagiarize your book report!