Book Report Options

Course Description

ENGLISH EXPLORATION..............................3011 and 3012
Grade 9; one year; prerequisite: recommendation of previous English instructor.

English Exploration is a freshman-level course designed to prepare capable students to analyze and write about literature. The course builds a framework of both cultural and personal awareness through reading, discussing, and writing about ideas presented in short stories, poems, plays and novels. Romeo and Juliet and To Kill a Mockingbird are required reading. Writing assignments will emphasize analysis and organization within the well developed paragraph and the short essay. Also included are exercises in grammar and the use of literary terms, memorization of poetry and oral presentations of original work.

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Book Report Options (download the .pdf description)

All book report papers should be double-spaced in a normal 12 pt. font (preferably Times or Times New Roman), with one-inch margins all around. They should be a minimum of two pages typed.

Logical-Mathematical Options

1. Make a timeline of the events in the book. Include, when possible, the effect that the event had on characters and plots in the book.
2. Make a sociogram (web) of the characters in the book. Show how each character was related or connected to each other character. This would also include how each character interacted with influenced or affected the others.
3. Break down the plot of the book into a number of cause and effect diagrams. What started the motion of the book, what did it cause, and so on. Explore the chain of events and relationships either individually or as one long diagram.
4. Write a set of haikus, limericks, diamantes, concrete poems, or cinquains to tell about the book.
5. They could focus on different characters, events, themes or other pieces of the book.
6. Break down the book into an outline format. Organize it as you wish, but include sufficient detail and show clearly and logically what makes the book.

Spatial Options

1. Choose an idea, theme, or scene from the book and make it the subject of a collage, using artwork, photos, magazines and/or other materials. The shape of the collage should also be significant to the book. Be able to tell me how the collage relates to the book.
2. Create a photo montage that represents your book. This involves choosing one or more photos or other pictures that have ties to your book, then superimposing poems or other short writings that also represent the book in shape and content.
3. Create a 3D representation of the characters and/or the author. It could be a sculpted bust, a doll, a paper mache sculpture, a puppet or paper dollthe possibilities are endless! Be able to tell me about the person/people, their significance to the book, and some things about them.
4. Make a model of something in the book ­ a house, a vehicle, room, or some other significant object. Be able to tell me about its relevance to the book and some things about it.
5. Create and build a puzzle that represents the book in some way. Each piece of the puzzle should have an important key to understanding the book. When completed, the overall picture of the book should be clear.
6. Choose a number of pieces of art that would be good matches for the book. Be able to tell me why the colors, composition, medium, and other elements of the works of art communicate something about the book.

Musical Options

1. Write a song (with or without words) about the book that includes references to the book itself. Be able to tell me how the song was inspired by the book.
2. Create a soundtrack for the book. The songs you choose should reflect the mood, conflict, setting, character, or other elements of the book. Be able to tell me how these songs relate or communicate to the book.
3. Pick a song you think each of the characters could call the song of their life. Bring the songs/lyrics and tell why. You should also turn in a typed summary of what songs you chose for what characters and why.
4. Pick an instrument you think each of the characters would play. Your decisions should be based on the sounds of the instruments verses the character's own "sound." You should also turn in a typed summary of what instruments you chose for what characters and why.
5. Choose a significant moment in the book and describe what the character is hearing at that particular moment ­ really focus on the auditory sense to relate what they hear, down to the smallest sound. You could present this as an audio tape where you recreate the sounds, or a paper where you describe them from his/her perspective or your own objective perspective.

Linguistic Options

1. Write a new ending for the book. It should mimic the author's writing style and remain true to the plot, setting, characters and such. Related option: Write a "missing" chapter from the book. This should be about an event or period implied in the book but never fully shown. Again, this should mimic the author's writing style and remain true to the other elements of the book.
2. Select a metaphor in the book and follow it throughout the book. Explore and explain its significance.
3. Select a theme from the book and write a fictional story, poem, fairy tale, allegory, fable, biography, memoir, limerick, news story or other genre about that same theme. Before your writing, be sure to state the theme and how it was a part of the book.
4. Rewrite the story in a different genre- a Western, soap opera, radio drama, made-for-TV-movie, news broadcast, etc. Extra points for presenting this option to the class.
5. Write a piece from the perspective of an inanimate object in the book or to that object. What would it say or what would you say to it? Why?
6. Write a "found poem" based on things you would see or hear in the book ­ maybe short parts of quotes or signs or overheard conversations or things the characters have read. Put them together to make a poem that relates to your book.
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Bodily-Kinesthetic Options

1. Dramatize an incident from the book and act it out. You should also give a brief introduction about the incident ­ what role it played, how it affected the plot and characters and such.
2. Role play as one of the characters. You could dress up as this person for a day and either present a monologue in that person's voice or be interviewed by a class member
3. Perform an interpretive dance illustrating elements of the book (like the conflict or climax). Note: this could be video-taped if you do not want to perform in front of a live audience.
4. Videotape a shortened movie (or play) version of the book. You should be an actor in the play or movie, and/or you should be directing other actors to accurately portray the plot, characters, and other elements of the book.
5. See "Spatial Options" numbers 3 and 4 for other options.

Intrapersonal Options

1. Select a passage from the book that spoke to you and respond to it. You should explain its significance to the book and to your own view.
2. Select a dilemma that one of the characters faces and write a personal essay about your own experiences with that issue or a similar one. Make the connections clear, by spending time explaining how it affected the character as well as yourself.
3. Write about how the book changed or expanded your views. How are you different as a result of reading the book?
4. Write a piece from the perspective of an inanimate object in the book. What would it say? Give it a personality and a life.
5. Keep track of conversations you have with yourself (or things you think of or your responses) as you read the book. You could keep this in the form of a reader response journal, with quotes or questions from the book on the left side and your responses or answers to them on the right side of the papers in the journal.

Interpersonal Options

1. Write a monologue or stream of consciousness in the voice of one of the characters that reveals something about that character and how they see themselves and the world around them. In other words, get into his/her head and write about what it is like.
2. Write a diary entry from the perspective of one of the characters. It should reflect a significant moment of action, a climactic event. In your diary entry, reflect on action leading up to the event, and include sensory descriptions to show what you are seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling or tasting ­ as appropriate.
3. Pick a book you think each of the characters would enjoy reading. Bring the books and tell why. You should also turn in a typed summary of what books for what characters and why.
4. Find someone else who has read or is reading the book you've chosen and talk to them about their thoughts and feelings about the book. Write a paper focused on the differences and similarities between your experiences and thoughts about the book.
5. Write a fictional conversation between you and the author or one of the characters in the book. What do you think they would say in response? You might also choose to write a letter to the author or a character, and then write one back to yourself, pretending you are one of them.

Note: You are more than welcome to design your own book report option, BUT you need to talk to me about it ahead of time. Don't let me stifle your creativity!

Grading Criteria for Book Reports

• Originality/Creativity (Can I see you through your work?)
• Time spent on your project (Convince me you didn't throw it together at the last minute, including revisions of your paper)
• Understanding of the book (Did you "get" it?)
• 6 traits of writing (if it involves writing)
• Your best work (Is this the best job YOU can do?)
• Meets or exceeds requirements (Did you do what you said you would and what was asked of you, or did you go off on a tangent?)
• Self Evaluation of your work and your book (Did you think critically about your own work, the book and project you chose? Did you provide good feedback to me and yourself?)

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