Reading Promotion Activity     

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Be A Book B.R.A.T.

Borrow it, Read it, Analyze it, Tell someone about it.  

Rational:         Since middle and high students are much more peer-focused, this project allows them to inspire each other to read books.  The activity is student driven and empowers them to choose books for each other by filling out bookmarks with recommendations on it to be displayed for other students to take from the display.  The media specialist is still an integral part of the process by encouraging students to complete bookmarks and copying well done bookmarks for multiple distribution.  Media specialists also keep track of the number of completed bookmarks and handing out incentives.

 

Audience:       Middle school students

 

Objectives:     The students will read a book for pleasure and then complete a bookmark recommending it to their peers.

The students will increase the number of books they read for pleasure.

The students will participate in the program by using recommendations by other students.

 

Description of Plans:

The students will read a book and then complete a bookmark recommending it to their peers.  The students will rate the book on a scale similar to the VOYA rating scale.  They will then write a short summary of why they liked the book.  They will then place their bookmark in the correct pocket on the display area for its genre.  The display, as shown in the tabletop model, will have one side that has pockets labeled by genre to hold the bookmarks.  The other side will have a laminate or magic board in which students can write their requests for good books in which other students can respond to.  Students will receive incentives for completing the bookmarks.  The media specialist will keep track of the number of bookmarks completed by each student.  The media specialist can also make copies of good bookmarks to place in the pockets.

 

Cooperative efforts with outside sources:

Classroom teacher – The English/Reading teacher can make this activity a class activity, homework activity or an extra credit activity.

Business – For every five books completed, students will receive a gift certificate, like a free ice cream from Mc Donalds.  This would be cumulative throughout their career at the school.

 

Multimedia:    Board display with pockets for bookmarks by category.  Message board for student requests.  Tabletop displays for media tables.  Bookmarks for students to complete.

 

 

Evaluative assessment:

Number of bookmarks completed.

Number of successful recommendations.

Number of gift certificates given out to students.

 

Bibliography:

This is a summary of how I developed this idea.  First I was thinking about what we talked about in class about how young adults are more focused on opinions by other students and how well VOYA completed their rating system and use young adults to rate the books as well as adults.  Then I was thinking about how students in my class love to write each other notes and how in my last class I learned about instant messaging.  This gave me the idea of making mailboxes for each student and how they could check the mailboxes for book recommendations, but this is an unrealistic idea for middle and high students due to the number of students in the building.  I might use this idea for elementary students.  I changed the idea a little to have a general mailbox display with bookmarks in them created by the students.  Students could pick up a recommendation and use the bookmark as they read the book.  I did not have any formal references that I read to research this project, so instead gave you my train of thought for the project.

 

(Note, the attached page is a layout of the bulletin board on an easel.  If you print it out and fold it down the middle you can see the layout.  It can also be easily adapted to a flat, wall bulletin board.)