Lets face it, nobody likes doing book reports. For many the simple act of doing book reports kills the love of reading. Who is going to be motivated to read a book when the reward for doing so is writing a boring essay to prove you read the book? To help support students’ love of reading, be courageous and forget all you know about boring book reports, and embrace some fun alternatives.
Cereal Box Book Reports
One of the funnest ways to get rid of the boring book report is to make use of cereal box book reports. Cereal box book reports have students create and design a box of cereal based on the book that they just read. This is a great way for students to not only be creative but to also show their mastery over a text. With cereal box book reports students are asked to do the following:
- Design the front of a cereal based on their book.
- On the back design activities such as picture searches, mazes or matching games.
- On each side instead of the usual ingredients or recipes students are asked to create a summary of the plot, setting and main characters.
- Bonus points can also be given out for students who include a prize in their box of cereal!
Shoe Box Dioramas
This one may seem a little dated but the fact that it has been around for a long time proves just how great it is! With a shoe box diorama students are tasked with recreating a scene from the book they read inside of a shoebox. Shoe box dioramas help students to visualize their interpretations of:
- Setting
- Characters
- Plot events
One thing that is also great about dioramas is the fact that students can be as imaginative as they want to! Students can create all of the elements that they want to in their diorama. For some students, they will want to create all of the elements in their diorama by themselves using construction paper, clay, rocks and other art materials. For some students they will want to use things that they have on hand such as action figures, legos and any other items they may have lying around.
Comics
Yet another fun project to do after reading is to create a comic strip or a comic book based on the story. With this project students are given the task of recreating a scene or summarizing the book in a comic format. This allows for students to show mastery over the following elements of literature:
- Plot
- Setting
- Characters
- Dialogue
- Character Growth
At the same time, it also allows students to show their mastery over the art of summary and retelling. Students can make up a new scene that would fit into the story, or re-tell part of the story in a summarized comic strip.
The Conclusion
Book reports are often seen as boring but they don’t have to be. There are countless ways to test students and their knowledge of the books that they read without resorting to the classic book reports. You can help ignite the spark of the love of reading for your students by creating exciting new projects for them. The next time a book report is on deck, why not find a fun and creative way to switch things up? Students will thank you and be excited to try something new.
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