You want your students to write a book report or do a demonstration on a novel they read. How many times do you think your students actually read the information they have presented to you? Did they just skim the summary and the last chapter? Maybe they got the cliff notes and read the basic information from there.
Here is an option to give them. Tell them they can avoid writing a long paper book report if they can do a live presentation that proves they read the novel and their presentation is interesting. Tell them they need to present the book in 3 minutes or less. They need to give all the normal information such as:
- Time Line
- Main Characters
- Setting
- Ten important points in the novel
- Conflicts or problems
- What your opinion was about this read
- What you thought about the author and the book
Now when the student concludes their three minutes, the teacher starts a clock or stopwatch and the other kids in the classroom and you as a teacher have 3 minutes to grill the student with questions about the book and make them prove they actually read the book. They should ask questions that are more than yes or no. They need to sell you on this book to prove their knowledge of the facts and events that occurred.
If the teacher feels the student is knowledgeable enough they are free from writing the report and are given a grade on the oral book report.
Some students will choose this right away and other students are afraid of public speaking and may state they would rather do the written book report.
Some teachers may make all kids in the class do this as a way to learn to speak in front of an audience.
This book report idea is just another way to change up from the normal boring projects students do everyday.
Get more book report projects and information on how to write a book report
Lesa Bolt is a contributor to http://bookreports.learn-about-it.com
