The Importance of Projects
In my tenth grade English class, our teacher at the time, Mrs. Zaphiratos made our class come up with a project around one of William Shakespeare's most famous script, Othello. To this day, I still remember our group coming up with a different version for each act in the play. We did one high school version, a pirate version, an original version, a rap version, and a soap opera version. I still remember all the work our group put towards the play while also having a wonderful time putting it all together. As such, projects, if done well, can be a site of convergence for reading and the joy of learning.
For younger students, this would mean starting with smaller scaler projects as a way to build confidence, and then building towards larger projects that require a bit more skill. These projects can be useful to activate other parts of the language arts. For example, when I was teaching second grade in India, one of the books we read happened to be from the Captain Underpants series, which young readers particularly enjoy. Our projects included making a book cover and/or jacket and for writing a new ending to the story. Students came up with all sorts of wonderful covers and endings, and, it is for this reason, that I truly recommend thinking about projects as a form of assessment and evaluation.
For younger students, this would mean starting with smaller scaler projects as a way to build confidence, and then building towards larger projects that require a bit more skill. These projects can be useful to activate other parts of the language arts. For example, when I was teaching second grade in India, one of the books we read happened to be from the Captain Underpants series, which young readers particularly enjoy. Our projects included making a book cover and/or jacket and for writing a new ending to the story. Students came up with all sorts of wonderful covers and endings, and, it is for this reason, that I truly recommend thinking about projects as a form of assessment and evaluation.
Projects Used in the Reader's Workshop
Book Jacket: Give the students time in class (or even as homework) to make a new book jacket for the book. |
Book Report: There are a few variations on how to do this, but for the most part most book reports ask for the title of the book, the author's name, a list of the characters, the main event, the setting, and about the student's favourite part. Use one of these book report worksheets by Squarehead Teachers or Super Teacher Worksheets. |
Book Summary: Okay, I know a book summary sounds so boring. Wait! Is it really? A book summary is a smart way for students to practice writing and for the teacher to check for understanding. You can also make them write about their favourite part in the book or provide a new ending to the story, as a way to explore creative writing. |
Book Talk: Have you ever read a book that you are dying to share with others? That happened to be when I read The Book Thief. Why not allow our students to share a book they have read with the rest of the class? A book talk is a space for a student to come up and convince the classmates to read it as well. You can use it as a morning meeting or fit it in whenever there are five or so minutes to spare. |
Character Analysis: Do you have a favourite character from a book? My students almost always fall in love Simba from The Lion King. My personal favourite is Grandpa Joe from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Get the students to fill out a character analysis on the character and even add in their own drawing of the character. I prefer to not use the worksheet linked in the previous sentence. I rather the students write a paragraph (or even an essay when they are ready) to link in my writing lessons to reading. |
Talk Show: Add a bit of speaking and listening into the equation. Group students into teams of two to three. Then make one host and the character(s) from the book. You would have to model how the flow of a talk show interview works with students, but it can be loads of fun once the students get the hang of it. Maybe try it as a week long speaking and listening lesson and then move it towards a connection to a book. |
Technology Projects for Reading
Blog: As an ongoing digital hub project, students can maintain a blog about the reading that happens in class with guiding questions, as a way to reflect about the literature. |
Makerspace: The inquiry-based approach is an excellent way to link learning to literature. In fact, "making" and "makerspaces" can become places to tell a story, using different materials and objects. Check out the Makerspace for more information on how to start it off in a classroom. |
Podcast: Instead of a writing project, switch things up and have students record a podcast about a specific children's book or novel. The podcast could also be a useful way to conduct an interview with students role playing as the author and the reader, interviewing family members about their thoughts around a central topic related to the book, or to do a book review with a peer. |
Short Film: Although this is suited as a wider project with more time allotment, a short film can be an empowering for students to learn new skills while also focusing literacy elements and strategies. For example, students can create a short film to highlight the main idea of the text along with a script to display their writing. |