Roping In Your Summer Reading A WebQuest for Seventh Grade Language Arts Designed by Joan Rauscher jrauscher@milforded.org

Introduction

You are to be the creator, illustrator and critic for one of the books that you have read for your summer reading requirement. You will become an expert on the author and the piece of literature you have chosen, and you will introduce your class and teacher to your choice. You will decide what information from the author's life, and what information about the book, will be interesting to teach to your fellow classmates and your teacher. Once you have finished your research you will present your literature choice by using your creative abilities to design a book cover, display your research techniques by writing a biography and finally demonstrating your writing skills by writing a book review. 
 
 
 

Your task is to illustrate the front of the book cover with a visual representation of the story. You may use pictures that you have cut from a magazine, your own free hand drawings, or clip art from the computer. On the inside of the jacket cover, both front and back , you will write a brief biography of the author, which you will present to the class. Your next task will be to become a literature critic. You will write a brief book review of the same book for which you have just created the cover. Finally, you will present your author and book to the class. 
 

1. First you will choose the author and piece of literature, from your summer reading,  that you will present to the class.  Milford Public Schools Summer Reading 2001.

1. Once you have decided on your summer reading choice you are to design a book cover that represents the story.

1. You may design the cover by using pictures you have cut out from magazines, or you may draw your own cover, or you may use clip art. 

         Some questions you might consider:   Explain why you choose the front cover?
                                                                                How does the cover represent the story?

 
ON-LINE SOURCES

http://free-clipart.net/
http://hammer.prohosting.com/~freeclip/
 

1. On the inside flap of the jacket you are to write a brief biography of the author, you must fill both front and back flaps. 
2. Must have authors birth date, place of birth, education, awards received for literature.

 

 
 
 
 
 

ON-LINE SOURCES

http://www.shylibrarian.com/authors.htm
http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/Literature/Authors/Young_Adult/
www.frontstreetbooks.com/index.htm
teacher.scholastic.com/authorsandbooks/authors/bio.htm
 

PRINTED SOURCES

Biography Today Author Series by Jacob Lawrence
Lives and Works: Young Adults Authors by Ron Koertge
Writers For Young Adults by Ted Hipple
Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults by Laurie Collier

If you were interviewing this author what would you ask?

3. Would you recommend that we read this book?
4. Is this book based on the author's life or life experiences? 
5. Could the author have changed an element of the story to make it better?

 

• Your literature review must be typed in normal font, size twelve.
• Would you recommend this piece of literature? Why or why not?
• Is this piece of literature based on the author's life or life experiences?
• If the author changed one of the elements would the story be better?
• Did the author leave you with unanswered questions?
• Would you read more literature written by this author?
• These questions are suggestions, you may also answer questions that you think of yourself.

You will have four parts to your grade: cover, biography, book review and presentation.
 
 

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
BOOK COVER	Drawing or picture that represents story of book	Artwork that represents story title of book	Artwork that represents story title of book author of book neatness students name	Artwork that represents story neatness unique design author of book title of book students name on inside cover no spelling errors	25
BIOGRAPHY	One page no spelling errors	Two pages no spelling errors accurate information	Two pages no spelling errors minimal grammar errors accurate information punctuation correct	Two pages  no spelling errors correct grammar proper punctuation Accurate information Interesting Facts	25
BOOK REVIEW	Typed 12 font Arial  minimal spelling errors recommendation for readers	Typed 12 font Arial  no spelling errors your opinion of literature your recommendation for readers	Typed 12 font Arial  no spelling errors minimal punctuation errors  minimal grammar errors your opinion of literature your recommendation for readers	Typed 12 font Arial  no spelling errors no punctuation errors  minimal grammar errors your opinion of literature your recommendation for readers	25
PRESENTATION	Stand in front of class and read biography	Stand in front of class and read biography Explain how the cover represents the literature	Stand in front of class and read biography Explain how the cover represents the literature Make eye contact with the audience	Stand in front of class and tell audience about biography without reading from book cover Explain how the cover represents the literature Make eye contact with the audience	25

You have now become an expert wrangler on your choice of author and piece of literature from the summer reading brochure. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and opinion with your class and teacher. 

http://www.clipartconnection.com/img/6/WB/zed_non_com/clipconxn/animations/cartoons/0301.gif
http://www.coe.ilstu.edu/mbgraham/c&i210/bokrev.html
WebQuest Summer Symposium, Milford Board of Education
http://www.memphis-schools.k12.tn.us/admin/tlapages/wq-write.htm