Book Projects

Ms. Prose and Ms. Leom are THRILLED to announce the start of Book Projects!! Book Projects are important to fourth grade on SO MANY LEVELS!!! Some of our favorite reasons for students to work on Book Projects ...

Students are:
* reading books
* talking about books
* considering new books
* having the opportunity to talk about books and their ideas with their families
* developing organization and time management skills
* developing their speaking skills
* developing their summarizing skills
* showcasing their own creativity, interests, talents, and gifts
* developing confidence

On Wednesday, Ms. Prose and Ms. Leom's classes gathered together.

We talked about Book Projects. More information is available in the center section of student Homework Folders, after the spelling. The teachers shared previous examples.

a game board project

What is it?
* Students select a book (no books with a movie version or books a teacher has read in class)

book & author list of ideas on-line

 * Students select a 5 point project (or multiple projects that equal five points. The points are listed in the Book Project Idea packets). There are over 100 project choices!
* Students have the projects approved (the teacher makes sure the student is reading a book that meets the criteria and a project with enough points so students are on track for success)
* Students read their book (usually recommend reading the book within the first two weeks of the month)
* Students work on their project (usually recommend working on during week three of the month)
* Students practice presenting their project and summarizing their book (usually recommend working on during week four of the month)
* Students arrive on the first school day of the new month, ready to present their project (with so many students, and some enthusiastic about their projects, it can sometimes take more than one day to present)

The presentation:
* My name is ...
* My book is ... by ...
* My project is ...
* Let me tell you about my book!
   - Characters
   - Setting
   - Problem
   - Events
   - Solution
* Let me tell you about my project(s)!

We want students to be successful! We want Book Projects to be FUN! We want our students to READ! We need our students to develop their speaking skills!

Some suggestions:
* plan ahead (leaving to the last minute is stressful, rushed, and lacks fun for everyone involved)
* use the Milaca Public Library, school book check out, Mr. Greninger or Ms. Leom's classroom libraries, share books with friends, or your own books for tools
* if you need materials, ask Ms. Leom. We are happy to provide paper for projects.
* be creative, tap into your hobbies and interests
* notebook paper, pencils ... are not helpful to a presentation to students in the back of the room
* practice in front of the family or a mirror
* a "poster" and a "summary" are not book projects in themselves

The students at Milaca Elementary are incredibly creative and smart! In this age of testing in the areas of Math and Reading, we often miss the opportunity to showcase the multiple intelligences of our students. We are thrilled to see our students shine!