Presented by Melissa Pletkovich Hines Primary School Peoria Public Schools, District 150 IRC State Conference March 14, Student-Lead Book Talks

Book talks Not just an oral book report Have been done by teachers and librarians for years Students have done them informally This is a way to teach students to prepare and give their own book talks A way for teachers and students to assess reading ability and document progress Motivates and sets a purpose for reading

What are they? An opportunity for students to write and to talk about books A well-formulated, thought-provoking endorsement of a book that is given orally to a class or group Short—1-2 paragraphs Concise and well written Connects: reader book listener Includes the book and props (visual representations of the books elements)

Great opportunity for students to use higher order thinking skills Goes beyond comprehension Analysis of the entire book Synthesis of information and writing style Evaluation of story, message, literary elements, etc. Include a meaningful quote from the book that encapsulates the “book talkers” message It is an implied endorsement of a book, so no rating or critique is necessary

How are they written? A good book talk takes lots of planning, contemplating, and rewriting Attention grabber Question Quote Metaphor/Simile/Saying Exclamation Joke

The writer should choose one approach, or theme, that should flow through the whole book talk: Character Setting Problem Point of view Popular saying/metaphor/simile Literary essence Genre Topic/author

Word choice is key Because the book talk is concise, every word is important and should convey the main idea or theme of the story and of the feelings of the writer. Tone is central Tone sets the mood for the audience and assists in the endorsement of the book.

How are they given? After careful writing and re-writing, students read them to the class or a small group Can be a culminating activity for a literature circle or novel unit The book cover should be shown during the presentation Students can use props (items) or pictures to enhance the presentation and help bring the book to life Students need lots and lots of practice with the book and the props, so they get the “hang” of it.

How are they evaluated and graded? I usually do not grade the first one, but give lots of feedback. I usually do not grade the second one, either, but give lots of feedback. By the third time, I use a rubric to assess and assign a grade. Two rubrics; one for the writing, one for the presentation One holistic rubric that combines the written with the presented book talk

Rubrics My favorite website for easy, teacher- made rubrics: / /

Props and pictures Used by the presenter to help draw attention to the book or the topic and to motivate to the audience (attention grabber) Should be connected to the book in some way Directly—obvious tie in to the subject matter Indirectly—less subtle way of explaining the subject matter Props are items that can be displayed, held or worn Pictures are drawings, photos, collages, newspaper or magazine cut-outs, etc. These items should not distract from the presentation.

Results Provides a deeper understanding of text Presents a richer understanding of writing Offers better connections to the reading-writing process Supplies an on-going use of higher-order thinking skills Encourages a wide variety of reading Produces high student engagement Holds students accountable for learning