Book club options term 3
Your task this term is to present your overview of a book you are reading to your book club members in an engaging way so they can choose whether they are interested in reading your book. In short, sell them on reading your book!
IDEAS FOR SHARING YOUR BOOK
MEETING 1 - Dramatic Book Reading
1. Preface your reading by telling them who the main characters are, the setting, the main problem and any other information they need to understand your clip.
2. READ A PORTION OF THE BOOK: Find a short section of the book that for some reason excites you or engages the listeners. Read it dramatically. Then ask them for:
-their reaction to the clip
-their connections to other novels, life stories or films
-their predictions
-have them ask you questions about the novel
MEETING 2
IDEAGRAM
What is an ideagram?
- A poster
What is the purpose of an ideagram?
An “ideagram” is a display that represents a theme
What do you need to do first?
- Decide on a theme that can be found in your novel
What are examples of themes?
- courage - loneliness - determination
- friendship - persecution - fear
- family conflict - death - love
- loyalty - survival - greed
- discrimination - hope …and many, many more!
What can you put on an ideagram?
- Quotes from the novel
o explain why they are important
- Pictures/photos from the real world
o the pictures should show the theme you’ve chosen
- Illustrations/drawings
o the drawings should also show the theme you’ve chosen
- Written descriptions
o these will help to explain the theme you’ve chosen
- Poems
o write your own, or find one that shows the theme you’ve chosen
- Song lyrics
o do you know a song that talks about the theme you’ve chosen?
- Newspaper articles
o can you find an article that talks about the theme from your novel?
Share your ideagram sections with your group and invite questions, connections and responses.
IDEAS FOR SHARING YOUR BOOK
MEETING 1 - Dramatic Book Reading
1. Preface your reading by telling them who the main characters are, the setting, the main problem and any other information they need to understand your clip.
2. READ A PORTION OF THE BOOK: Find a short section of the book that for some reason excites you or engages the listeners. Read it dramatically. Then ask them for:
-their reaction to the clip
-their connections to other novels, life stories or films
-their predictions
-have them ask you questions about the novel
MEETING 2
IDEAGRAM
What is an ideagram?
- A poster
What is the purpose of an ideagram?
An “ideagram” is a display that represents a theme
What do you need to do first?
- Decide on a theme that can be found in your novel
What are examples of themes?
- courage - loneliness - determination
- friendship - persecution - fear
- family conflict - death - love
- loyalty - survival - greed
- discrimination - hope …and many, many more!
What can you put on an ideagram?
- Quotes from the novel
o explain why they are important
- Pictures/photos from the real world
o the pictures should show the theme you’ve chosen
- Illustrations/drawings
o the drawings should also show the theme you’ve chosen
- Written descriptions
o these will help to explain the theme you’ve chosen
- Poems
o write your own, or find one that shows the theme you’ve chosen
- Song lyrics
o do you know a song that talks about the theme you’ve chosen?
- Newspaper articles
o can you find an article that talks about the theme from your novel?
Share your ideagram sections with your group and invite questions, connections and responses.
MEETING 3
STORY LINE: Give them an overview of the plot without giving away the ending. Introduce the main problem, but don't tell them the solution. How?
1. Book Trailer - use PhotoStory to create your trailer which explains character, setting and conflict in about one minute.
2. Powerpoint - introduce the main characters, setting and conflict using pictures you find on Google or Bing.
3. Poster - Create a "board game" style poster with pictures and text that highlights the main events in the novel.
MEETING 4
THE ELLEN SHOW
STORY LINE: Give them an overview of the plot without giving away the ending. Introduce the main problem, but don't tell them the solution. How?
1. Book Trailer - use PhotoStory to create your trailer which explains character, setting and conflict in about one minute.
2. Powerpoint - introduce the main characters, setting and conflict using pictures you find on Google or Bing.
3. Poster - Create a "board game" style poster with pictures and text that highlights the main events in the novel.
MEETING 4
THE ELLEN SHOW
- Choose one person from your group to be "Ellen". You will be one character from the novel.
- Start the presentation with Ellen reading a summary of the novel that you prepare which does not give away the ending of the novel. Make sure you include all important sections of the book that are important for the questions you prepare.
- Next, Ellen will interview you using 6 questions that you prepare for her.
- Questions must be deep thinking, perhaps controversial, related to the content and issues in the book, and must NOT be able to be answered with one word or one phrase answers (especially not "YES" or "NO".)
- You must stay “in character” throughout the entire show (even if your character is deceased), responding to questions as you believe the character would answer. Some of the questions will be factual (What happened…?) and some will require insight on your part (Why did you….? Or, how did you feel when…?).
- Bring an item/or a representation of an item that is of importance to your character. Be prepared to explain why this item is important.
- In the group discussion, Ellen should invite questions from the "audience members" as well.
- PREPARATION:
- 1. Questions - 6 deep thinking questions
- 2. 6 deep thinking answers
- 3. An item important to your character.