ten teaching ideas

1. Ten Teaching Ideas
for Books and Plays
By Janice Gardner

2. MY DIARY
Students write a
diary entry for a
select character.
This can be done at
the end of a
reading or as a
diary book project,
and it can include
drawings and
artifacts.
http://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/images/curren
t/hawthorne-sophia.jpg

3. IT’S ON FACEBOOK
• Create a Facebook
profile for a character.
Make sure it includes
the character’s
interests, hometown,
hobbies, likes, and list
of friends
• The student writes a
reflection on the
profile.
Mom likes this Just Now

4. Background: http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/science/US-after.jpeg

5. That Ain’t Right
Have the students spot the
differences between book or
play, and the movie.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/tO1oSSV3yyA/TWiq7G30DWI/AAAAAAAA
ENU/ZAtj_f423AA/s1600/BvM.jpg
Be sure the students write a
three or four paged paper on
how the two are different, why
the director made it different,
and how the student feels about
it.

6. As the Author
• The students rewrite a
scene in a style more
appealing to themselves or
more appealing to another
character in the story. The
students write a one-page
reflection explaining why

7. • Students make a poster cover for the book or
play using key objects and symbols from the
story.
• Students can also make a magazine cover
using real magazine clippings or design a set
of three bookmarks for the story.
•
Students write a one-page reflection explaining why they chose the symbols they did and
how they fit it in the project.

8. Define: (n)
• Students research
the meaning behind
character names
and pick new names
for the characters.
• Students then
write a one-page
paper explaining
why they chose
that name and
why they think it
fit the character.

9. • The student acts out
the book in one
minute or less in
front of the class or
in a video. The
students write a
one-page paper on
the chronicles of
why he or she chose
to perform the story
the way he or she
did.

11. Model Me
Students draw out the model of one of the characters, then, using craft
supplies, create a physical model of the character using clay, foam, cloth, etc.
Students write one page why they did it that way and why they chose that
character.
Picture source: http:// cdn.nerdapproved.com/ wpcontent/uploads/2011/03/Craft_Book_Chewie_puppe
t_SM-590x295.jpg