Tell All About It (Design a Book Cover)

Students will:

• Be able to discuss a real world problem for their age level.

• Be able to read a book at their reading level.

• Be able to demonstrate comprehension through creativity and design.

• Be able to demonstrate ability to use Google Slides or Powerpoint.

To prepare for this lesson:

• Become familiar with the platform you choose to have students use to create their slide (Google Slides or Powerpoint).
   
• Create an organizer if you are choosing to use one to support students.
   
• Create a rubric of requirements for students to follow.
   
• Compile a small collection of books to use for students to analyze the covers during Step Two of the lesson.
   
• Watch How to Create a PowerPoint Presentation.
   
• Watch Intro to Google Slides for Kids. 
   
• Watch Insert audio to Google Slides. 

Note: Mote is a new popular way to add audio to Google Slides. Here is a video demonstrating how to use Mote and Google Slides. 

See Accommodations Page and Charts on the 21things4students.net site in the Teacher Resources. 

Directions for this activity:

1. Tell students the school librarian has been trying to find ways of getting students more interested in some of the books in the library. The librarian decided that making the book covers more interesting the students would want to read the books. Inform students that they will be helping to interest other students in reading new books.
2. As a class look at covers of different books and discuss whether or not the students would choose to read those books based on the cover alone.
3. Students will then read a book of their choice or choose from several made available by the teacher.
4. The teacher will model the making of a book cover using Google Slides or Powerpoint (teacher’s choice)
5. Students will then create one slide about the book they have read.
6. You may also find it useful for them to complete organizers that show characters, setting, and events in the beginning, middle, and end or even a more elaborate plot diagram.
7. Provide a template of what you would like students to display on their book cover. Items such as:
   • A clear title and author
   • A picture that represents the plot of the story
   • A sentence or two about the book without telling the ending
   • A sentence or two stating the reader's opinion of the book (a quick review)
8. Students will turn in the slide through Google Drive or other form determined by the teacher.
9. Once all of the slides have been collected the teacher will compile them into one presentation that will then be shared with the class.

Optional Activities:

• The teacher may choose to add audio to the assignment by having the students record a short description of their cover and attach it to the slide.
• The teacher may choose to follow up the lesson by having students choose a new story to read based on the slides of their classmates.

Different options for assessing the students:

• Observations
• Check for understanding
• Observation of students using Google Slides.
• You may choose to grade the organizer students use for planning or the final book cover.
• Use a rubric to grade the final slide.