Bringing the Novel to Life - Creating a Historical Book Club

Teach 8th grade American History at South Valley Jr. High in Liberty,

Missouri

Adjunct faculty at Park University teaching graduate course

“Technology for the Classroom”

Currently working on my doctorate at Walden University in

Teacher Leadership

All notes and links from this presentation can be found online at:

www.speakingofhistory.com/novel

Please share with others

First 20 minutes of the day – Monday thru Thursday

SSRSilent Sustained Reading

EVERYONE in the building reads for enjoyment

Most powerful initiative I have ever seen in education

The History Geeks will read 5 historical novels this year in the book club and 1 in class

Guns for General Washington by Seymour Reit

George Washington, Spymaster by Thomas B. Allen

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Chainsby Laurie Halse Anderson

Counting on Graceby Elizabeth Winthrop

Guerrilla Season by Pat Hughes

Guerrilla Season describes life in Missouri at the start of the Civil War

Fits curriculum perfectly and engaging book

Finding the right book for your needs

•Fits Curriculum•Engaging•Reading Level

NCSS Annual Notable Trade Books for Young People

School Library Journal

Monthly lists reviews of books

Getting your books:

Check existing collections

Barnes and Noble – 20% discount

Amazon – also used books

Book clubs are appealing idea for grant applications

•Replicate •communityInvolvement•curriculum ties

Set up a schedule for your book club

Create a pacing guide

Helps everyone stay on the “same page”

Invite people other than students to read join the book club

Other teachers, parents, principals, community leaders

Spark interest in your book club by reading a section out loud in class as a teaser

Bring a coffee maker into the classroom and have hot chocolate for the participants

Contact the author if possible to see if they would like to communicate with students

•E-mail•Phone Call•Video Skype

Interview an author

Resource for finding authors who are willing to conduct a video chat with your students

Find resources to support your book

•Videos•Related books•Images•Maps•Book on CD

Create a place to discuss the novel online

One option is to utilize existing message boards – like BlackBoard or Moodle

A more public option is a site like Wallwisher

Extend the novel using a variety of final projects students can create

Give students a variety of options, make it fun

Write an alternate ending to the novel

Create a movie poster for the novel

Great online tool from a site at FlickrToys

Conduct an interview with one of the characters

Write transcript and record if possible

Create a comic strip of one scene in the novel

Design a new book cover for the novel

Write a poem or song about the novel

If you have an online site post the final projects from the students

Guerrilla Season by Hanna

The night is dark and still,But you know they are there,

Maybe they aren’t there to get you, but they’re after someone.

After lying still for hours he hears it, the sounds that no fifteen year old should have to wake up to in the night.

He grabs his gun and runs outside, he is the man of the house and he has to defend his love ones, whether he

wants to or not.

It’s too late, the flames are in the clouds,The scream pierces his ears as he runs towards the only

light in the cold dark night,He stops as hears the gun shots and even more screams,

After running toward the flames he now can’t move,He knows what had just happened.

Now, so close to the house he sees the monsters that have done this,

Knowing they are proud with sinful smiles on their faces he turns around knowing there is nothing he can do for this

family.

All notes and links from this presentation can be found online at:

www.speakingofhistory.com/novel

Please share with others

Eric Langhorst8th Grade American HistorySouth Valley Jr. High School

Liberty, Missouri

speakingofhistory@gmail.comwww.speakingofhistory.com

Twitter : elanghorstSkype : elanghorst