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Book Float and Popcorn Bag Book Report

published on: 2/28/2003

Contributing Teacher(s): Helen McDaniel

Subject Area: Communication Arts/English grammar/usage, Communication Arts/Reading/literature

Grade Range: Upper Elementary (4-5)

Materials Needed: See each of the Performance Activities (2) for a list of materials.

Objective: The following activities will put fun into the making of book reports by allowing the students to use their own creativity.

Instructional Strategy: Prior Knowledge & Connections

Process Standards:

• Goal 1.5 comprehend and evaluate written, visual and oral presentations and works
• Goal 2.1 plan and make written, oral and visual presentations for a variety of purposes and audiences

Content Standards:

• Communication Arts 1 - Speaking and writing standard English (including grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling, ...)
• Communication Arts 2. Reading and evaluating fiction, poetry and drama
• Communication Arts 3. Reading and evaluating nonfiction works and material (such as biographies, newspap...)

  G.L.E.:
  

  • CA - Wr - 3 - E - 04
    (Writing, Write effectively in various forms and types of writing, Audience and purpose, Grade 4.)

  Time Allowance: varies

  Description: Two performance activities that will put fun into making book reports by allowing students to use their own creativity.

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  Classroom Component:

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  Performance Activity One ("Book Float"):

  Students will design a "book float" based on a recent book that they have completed. They will decorate the shoe box to go with the book and it will be like a float in a parade. They will use proper capitalization and punctuation. Main idea and summary will be two of the skills used in this activity.

  Materials needed by each student:
  
  empty shoe box
  construction paper or gift wrap paper
  scissors
  crayons
  pencil
  paper
  miscellaneous natural materials (rocks, sand, evergreen clippings, etc., as needed)
  other miscellaneous materials (craft sticks, etc., as needed)
  
  Procedure:

  Each student is asked to choose a recent book they've read and decorate an upside down shoe box to correspond with a scene from the book or the book's general theme (planets, pioneers, biography, horses, etc.) The students need to visualize this as a "float" in a parade—a book parade. Each project will be graded according to the following instructions and requirements:

  1. All advertisement on the shoe box should be covered.
     
     
  2. The title of the book should be neatly displayed on one side of the "float". This title should be written in correct form with the proper words capitalized and the whole title underlined (for example:  Little House on the Prairie). The author's name should also be written after the title.
     
     
  3. A neat and brief summary of the book should be on the other side of the "float".
     
     
  4. The student's name should be written neatly on the back of the "float".
     
     
  5. Natural materials or student-made decorations should be used to build the scene on the shoe box, not purchased materials like little cars, Indians, etc.
     
     
  6. The book about which this float is made should be at least 40 pages long and on an appropriate reading level.
  
  

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  Scoring Guide
  
  Book Float Rubric

  
  

  	Not Attempted	Mostly Completed	As Expected
  ____1.  Box Is Covered	0	1-5	6-10
  	None	Title is There	Neatly Done
  ____2.  Title on Side Neatly	0	1-8	9-15
  	None	Needs Improvement	As Expected
  ____3.  Neat/Brief Summary	0	1-10	11-20
  	Half or Less	Mostly	All Natural or Made
  ____4.  Natural/Made              Materials	0-5	6-15	16-20
  	30-35 pages	36-40 pages	41 or more pages
  ____5.  Acceptable No. of              Pages	0-5	6-10	11-15
  	Late (2 or more days)	Late (1 day)	Completed when due
  ____6.  Due Date Met	0-4	5-9	10
  	Much parent help	Some parent help	Child's own work
  ____7.  Child's Work	1-4	5-9	10

  
  
  ___________ Total Points              ____________________Parent Signature
  
  ___________ Language Grade
  
  

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  Performance Activity Two (Popcorn Bag Book Report):

  Each student will be asked to make a book report on a biography that they have recently read. They will do this by writing a summary of their book on one side of a paper bag and illustrate the other side of it.

  Materials needed by each student:
  
  small, white paper lunch bag
  crayons or colored pencils
  
  Procedure:

  Students will be asked to read a biography of a person of their choice. When finished, each student will be given a small, white lunch bag. On the front side of the bag the student will be asked to use colored pencils or crayons to draw a picture of the famous person, put the title of the book correctly, and the author. Students will need to write a summary of the person's life on the back of the paper bag and put their name. After all of the students have completed their project, students will sit in a circle on the floor. The teacher fills each bag with popcorn. Students may eat the popcorn while each student reads their summary about the biography that they read.

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  Scoring Guide

  	Possible	Earned
  Front of Bag: Title Given (underlined & correctly capitalized)	10	_______
  Author Given (correct capitalized)	10	_______
  Picture of Person (drawn & colored)	5	_______
  Back of Bag: Summary Given	20	_______
  Capitalization & Punctuation Rules Followed	3	_______
  Correct Spelling	2	_______
  Total	50	_______

  
  
  

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  For additional information contact :
  Helen McDaniel
  Washington-Franklin Elem.
  Farmington R-VII
  (573) 701-1350