LA 7 Miller

Book Talk Assignment and Rubric Grade 7

Your Book Talk assignment involves delivering a 3-minute book talk to the class about the novel you have read for independent reading. This book will be one that you choose at the beginning of the school year from the school library. It must be a chapter book, and approved by your teacher. The object of a book talk is to convince the listener to read the book you are recommending. This book talk is essentially a persuasive speech to convince the listener that they should read a specific book. A book talk is very similar to a trailer for a film, which shows you just enough information to convince you that you should watch the movie

Your presentation must include a visual aid, such as a drawing, collage, map, original book cover, etc to present to the audience. You may use notes to make your presentation. The book talk will cover some elements of the novel, but you should focus much of your time on the plot and conflict of the novel.

Introduction: Find an interesting, exciting, or mysterious quote to start off your presentation. This quote will get the reader’s attention. Don’t just pick any old quote… choose carefully and deliberately to try to capture the attention of the audience Also explain why you chose the quote. Clearly introduce your book by giving the name and author of the book.

Middle: The middle of the presentation will cover the setting, characters, and plot of the book without giving too much away of the story. Tell, a little, where the book is set, what kind of action or conflict is involved in the book, and what it is about in general. See if you can mention the theme of the novel. Under no circumstances should you give away the ending of the novel. Do not just list the characters and the setting and don’t give a drawn out summary of the book.

Resolution: Without giving away the ending, convince the reader that you loved this book (even if you didn’t) and that this is the book they want to read next. Make some predictions which students in the class would enjoy the book.

Schedule: This is an independent assignment, however time will be given in class for reading. Please sign-up for one of the following months in which you will be doing your book talk. If you are a fast reader go sooner, if you are a bit slower pick a later date. However, everyone is required to do one before April 30th, 2017.

November (6 students) February (6 students)

December (4 students) March (6 students)

January (6 students) April (4 students) LA 7 Miller Rubric for Book Talk

Criteria Excellent Above Average Average Below Average 4 3 2 1 Introduction Exceptional Creative Not a very Not a very good attracts audience creative beginning beginning with a creative or beginning with no with an excellent good quote interesting quote quote beginning with a quote Maintains eye Always maintains Almost always Sometimes Never maintains contact eye contact and maintains eye maintains eye eye contact engages audience contact contact Discusses the plot, Thorough and Somewhat Average summary Does not setting, and interesting thorough and of the elements summarize these characters summary of these interesting elements or is elements. summary of these missing a elements component. Discusses the Correctly Correctly Discusses theme Does not discuss theme discusses theme discusses theme but is incorrect or theme or makes a and makes an but fails to not very thorough very general educated elaborate on the in their statement about argument for the importance elaboration of the theme. theme of the novel theme Conclusion makes Very enticing Somewhat Concluded but did Very boring us want to read conclusion – interesting not draw the conclusion or no the book (or not draws the listener conclusion- listener to read the conclusion at all. read the book) to read the book listener might book want to read the book Demonstrates Very enthusiastic Somewhat Shows average Not enthusiastic at enthusiasm for the and enthusiastic and enthusiasm and all book knowledgeable knowledgeable understanding Audible Voice is clear, Voice is mostly Sometimes hard to Spoken word is words are clear and audible, understand or too soft, mumble, pronounced Pronunciation is hear the student. speaking much too correctly and mostly correct. Mispronounces fast or slow. tempo is good. common words. Visual aid Visual aid is well Visual aid is Visual aid is Visual aid is not done, colorful, and colorful, and completed and done or very very helpful to the helpful to the might be helpful poorly done presentation presentation to the presentation Stays within time Within time limit Too short or too limit 3 minutes long

Comments:

Total score: /36