1. Brandy Shelton’s DS Lesson Plan for EDU 727
Summer 2010
(Used With Permission From LessonPlansPage.com)
Lesson Plan Title: Book Trailers
Concept / Topic To Teach: Students will be able to practice their summarizing skills.
Standards Addressed: 3rd
Grade, Reading Comprehension 2.6, 2.7; Literary Response 2.2;
Speaking Applications 2.1
General Goal(s): Students will practice their summarizing skills by creating a digital story
of a book trailer from a book that they have recently read.
Specific Objectives: After reading a chapter book at their reading level, students will
create a book trailer using a digital story method that will hook another reader into
wanting to read the book as well. Students will need to include the title, author,
characters, and problem in their book trailer in order to practice summarizing. They
should not give away important parts of the story, or tell what happens at the end so that
the presentation is closer to a movie trailer format.
Required Materials:
• Chapter book the student has already read.
• Storyboard with script.
• Images either hand-drawn, from the internet, or digital pictures.
• Computer workstation and Photostory 3 software.
• Microphone.
• Music.
Anticipatory Set (Lead-In): Brainstorm a list of different (chapter) books that students
have read recently on the board. Choose one or two and have different students come up
to the board to list the author, the characters in the story, the setting, and the problem.
Brainstorm ways that students could convince their peers that they should read a book.
What types of things would make them want to read a book?
Step-By-Step Procedures:
1. Introduce students to the concept of a movie trailer- a short video that introduces
a movie and makes the audience want to see it. Show a few examples of different
movie trailers that might be in theatres at the time of your lesson.
2. Brainstorm with students what they liked about the trailers they watched. Was it
the action? Was it the music? What about the way it started or ended? Make a
list of the different characteristics for later reference.
3. Handout a rubric and list of summarizing attributes that students will need to
include in their book trailers. Display the list on the board as well. Your list
should include: title, author, characters, setting, and problem. Using the book The

2. Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan, walk students through each step of creating a
storyboard. After completing the storyboard as a class, show students the example
of the finished product.
Plan For Independent Practice: Hand out storyboards to students and have them begin
creating their book trailers. Make sure to give students deadlines and checkpoints to keep
them on track. Also, give ample time for students to complete their book trailers, keeping
in mind that they will need time to upload photos, record narration, and input music.
Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set): Spend a day previewing everyone’s book trailers by
turning the lights down low and popping some popcorn.
Assessment Based On Objectives: Grade students’ book trailers based on each
summarization feature that students were to include.
Adaptations (For Students With Learning Disabilities): Allow students to use a Photostory
format that has already mapped out a page for students to plug-in title and author,
characters, setting and problem.
Extensions (For Gifted Students): Challenge students to give their pictures moving
transitions and apply text as well.
Possible Connections To Other Subjects: See if you can use a digital map to pin down
where each book’s setting takes place. How many countries or continents was the class
able to pin down?