The students have
been preparing just over a month to be able to complete this particular
book report. They learned about sequence words (first, next, then,
after, finally, second, third, fourth, last, etc.) and completed a
writing project giving detailed instructions about something they were
already experts on. The informational book report takes things to the
next level, by having the students read about something they aren't familiar with and create an information cube. Below is a brief overview of the instructions, as well as a photo of a sample book report.
1.
Students choose an appropriate informational book on their reading
level related to history/social studies, science, or the arts. They
should not choose topics they're already familiar with or that are too
complex for a third grader to clearly outline in four steps.
2. The topic they
choose should include some type of process or sequence they can explain
to others. Here are a few simple examples:
History –
"Ruby Bridges goes to the William Frantz Public School" or "The First
Flight of the Wright Brothers" or "Man Lands on the Moon"
Science – "The Life Cycle of a Butterfly" or "How a Tornado Forms" or "Mining for Copper"
The Arts
– "The Beginning Positions of Ballet" or "What to Prepare When You
Audition for a Play" or "How to Draw Charlie Brown Cartoons like Charles
Schulz"
3.
Students then complete the cube according to the rubric in their
homework folder and prepare to present it to the class. Students are
encouraged to practice their keyboarding skills by typing the sequence
or process on the computer and gluing it onto the cube, as shown
below:
 |
| Part of a sample cube book report before the cube has been folded. |
Welcome
back! I hope your long holiday weekend was as wonderful as mine. It
was great to hear about blessings, time spent with family, cousin
sleepovers, exciting travels to grandma's house and of course munching,
munching, and even more munching! So we are back to work this week. We
are busy with multiplication, science, writing, reading, and fine
tuning our information cube book reports. Cubes are due this Thursday, Nov. 29. Rubric and cube template are found inside homework folders. Good luck- I can hardly wait to see our amazing work!
