Book reports:Creative ideas for elementary school students

A book report doesn't have to follow the boring mainstays of a written review, nor does it have to be geared towards the artistically inclined. While any book report should include basic information about the book, you can still be creative. Here are ten tips and ideas for creative book reports. This particular list is designed with the artistically challenged student in mind.

* Write a song. Take a melody you like and put new words to it.

* Film a short video. This can take either the form of a review, or a short film with reenactments of key scenes in the book, or a combination of both.

* Create a collage with computer generated photos and text. The computer is a godsend for those of us who are not artistically inclined. With an endless supply of photos and drawings, as well as the ability to create text of any size in any font, the possibilities for this collage are endless.

* Using a digital camera, create a slide show that shows key elements of the book. For this one, you can use a regular digital photo, or a photo of something that you have created. You can integrate text slides with pictures, you can modify slides to illustrate a specific point, and you can add music and narration.

* Create a short play, to be performed by selected members of your class. You can enact scenes from the book, or you can use the play to explore issues brought up in the book.

* Create a Power Point presentation. This can be particularly effective with non-fiction books. You can use the slides to outline the information of the book, as well as outlining information such as applications, your reaction and questions that the book may have raised in you mind.

* Create a pamphlet. There are a variety of approaches to this option. You can use the pamphlet to market some important aspect of the book, to create an informational pamphlet on a topic in the book, or to develop a character by creating a pamphlet that they might have created.

* Write a poem. A poem can be used to explore any and all aspects of a book. It can be descriptive of action or place, it can show responses and reactions, and it can be a format for an almost endless list of other relevant approaches and topics.

* Lead a class discussion on the most important aspects of the book. Get the class to discuss issues such as whether or not they agree with values stated or implied in the book, whether or not they think events in this book could really happen, or whether or not the characters seem realistic. The topics are only limited by your creativity.

* Lead a class debate. Divide the class into two parts, and assign each half to one side of the topic. Be prepared with a list of questions, to help prompt debate. You may want to enlist the help of a friend or two to make sure things get off the ground.

While not all teachers will be receptive to all of these, most teachers appreciate ideas that will keep their students engaged in learning. Be sure to ask for permission before trying any of these out.

Learn more about this author, Frances Simon.
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