End Date: Week 1: Students pair up and choose a novel to read together. Students begin reading and discussing novel. Week 2: Students continue reading and discussing novel. Students watch movie trailers as examples. Students create movie trailer for favorite movie. Week 3: Students finish reading novel. Students begin writing script for book trailer in 3rd person omniscient. Week 4: Students continue revising and editing script. Students rehearse script. Students record voice over and add images/music if desired. Week 5: Students finish editing book trailer. Students present book trailers to class for feedback. Students upload book trailers to e-blogger. Week

1. PROJECT OVERVIEW
Name of Project: Book-eBlog Duration: 2 weeks
Subject/Course: English Language Arts Teacher(s): Juan Ramirez Grade Level: 7th and 8th
Other subject areas to None other than technology education
be included, if any:
Project Idea The issue at Virgil Middle School is that 50% of students are not reading novels. The question then arises: How can we spark
Summary of the issue, students to read more? How do we allow students to share information and opinions about books that teenagers might like? If
challenge, investigation, students like a particular book, then they are more likely read that particular book to take an Accelerated Reader test and thus
scenario, or problem: increase reader participation. This would also increase curiosity and interest in reading what students might like. This project also
holds students accountable and provides a sense of
Driving Question How can we build a website to share opinions about novels that teenagers might like?
How can you get your peers excited about reading books?
Content and Skills Summarizing, Defining Elements of Plot, Critiquing and Evaluating works of literature. In essence, narrative standards relating to
Standards to be narrative will be assessed via the
addressed:
T+A E T+A E
21st Century Skills Collaboration A Other:
to be explicitly taught and
assessed (T+A) or that Presentation
will be encouraged (E) by
T/A
project work, but not
Critical Thinking: T
taught or assessed:
Presentation Audience:
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 1

2. Group: A pair of students read a book together and they present a video book review x
Culminating critiquing and evaluating the relevance of its work with peers. Students work Class:
Products and collaboratively by pre-writing a script that addresses the elements of the book that
Performances focus primarily on character analysis, plot development and resolution and climax.
School:
Community:
Student must read novel individually to critique and evaluate the novel with their Experts:
Individual: partner. Students will work on advice of the teacher and technology coordinator .
Web: x
Other: Students post reviews on
www.virgilms.net eblogger and a
digital portfolio on Google Docs.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Entry event to
launch inquiry, Show book trailers for most popular books. This provides examples and immediately hooks the readers.
engage students:
Assessments Quizzes/Tests Practice Presentations
Formative
Assessments Journal/Learning Log x Notes x
(During
Project) Preliminary Plans/Outlines/Prototypes x Checklists x
Rough Drafts x Concept Maps/ Thinking Map x
Online Tests/Exams x Other:
Written Product(s), with rubric: x Other Product(s) or Performance(s), with rubric:
Summative Book Review __________________________________________________
Assessments
(End of Project) Oral Presentation, with rubric x Peer Evaluation x
Multiple Choice/Short Answer Test Self-Evaluation x
Essay Test Other:
.
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 2

3. Resources On-site people, facilities: Mr. Herrero head computer technician and advisor
Needed
Equipment: Laptops , Hp or iMac
Materials: Book, Partner, Google Docs, “How to Write a Book Trailer”
Community resources: Non-applicable
Reflection Journal/Learning Log x Focus Group
Methods (Individual,
Group, and/or Whole-Class Discussion x Fishbowl Discussion
Whole Class)
Survey x Other:
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 3

4. PROJECT TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE
Project: Book Trailer Course/Semester: Fall/ Narrative
Knowledge and Skills Needed By Students Scaffolding / Materials/ Lessons To Be Provided
to successfully complete culminating products and by the project teacher, other teachers, experts,
performances, and do well on summative assessments mentors, or community members
Students must be able to read and comprehend the plot Students pair up in two or threes to read and complete a
of a novel to successfully begin the process of creating a novel together. Reading time will be assigned in class for
book trailer  two weeks. Independent reading is highly suggested.
Students must be a able to summarize and paraphrase a Students will watch movie trailers to help and guide in the
novel’s plot. Plot development and summary is important development of creating their own book trailers. However,
in order to create a book trailer.  students will create a movie trailer of their favorite movie.
This will be done in class. Students will present whole
class.
Students have to write in 3rd Person Omniscient to Students will write out a script for the screen or create a
present the plot of the movie. short written book trailer. Once students write, review,
 and edit script. They will rehearse or write script
numerous times.
Students will have to know how to upload video and Teacher will dedicate an entire day to teaching students
written documents online to e-blogger. Video and internet how to upload video and scripts to e-blogger using their
skills are a must  google docs user sign in name (student e-mail).

© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 4

5. PROJECT CALENDAR
Project: Start Date:
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Project Week One
Students pair up Students learn
And go to the the elements of
library to choose plot to
a book of their understand the
liking. structure of the
novel
Project Week Two
Project Week Three
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 5

6. Project Week Four
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 6

7. © 2008 Buck Institute for Education 7