Book Talk Highlights

This lesson will be used not only with my Resource Room (Special Education students), but also with my Team Taught 6th and 8th graders as well. To give a little background information, my Resource Room students find it difficult to read (most read three to four levels below their current grade). My biggest goal for them in the last two years is to enjoy reading and share that enjoyment with others. I now have several students that have found a series of books theat they "devour." Several other students are able to read books at their grade level thanks to technology (using a mini-laptop) and a program called Bookshare. (www.bookshare.org) coupled with Read Out Loud software. They can now experience the success of reading with this technology.

1. To take this love of reading further, my students are always comparing books and arguing which one is "the best." Upon finishing a book, each student will use a variety of ways to persuade other students in class to read the book that they have finished.
2. Using the flip camera's, each student will highlight their reading from the following choices:
A. Creat a story board with pictures depicting the main events, plot, characters, setting and other details without giving away the ending. Record this story on the flip camera and share with the class and download to the classroom wikispace.
B. Have an interview of the reader explaining the setting, characters, main events and a few details without giving away the ending. Interviews will be recorded on the flip camera and presented to the class and downloaded to the classroom wikispace.
C. Create/write a commericial to sell the book. Be sure to include the setting, characters, main events and a few details without giving away the ending. Record this commercial on the Flip camera and present to the class as well as download to the classroom wikispace.
D. Create a video using the Flip Camera in a way that you choose. You must include setting, characters, main events and a few details without giving away the ending! You will then present the project to the class and download it to the classroom wikispace.