WHAT IS A BOOK TALK?

Reading Workshop is meant to be a nice thing, even a fun thing. It's NOT meant to be a drag, full of requirements and assignments that take the pleasure out of reading. On the other hand, you are also doing it for school, not for your private enjoyment. So I have to strike a balance. As your teacher, and because I'm curious...

I want to know what you're reading.
I want to know how much you're reading.
I want to know what you're thinking about what you've read.

To help me learn these things, I ask you to do to one or more SMART Activities, and to do one "Book Talk" this year. (Also, you'll sometimes write Reading Updates in your journal.)

For your Book Talk, you will get FIVE MINUTES at the beginning of a Reading Workshop lesson this year to stand in front of the class and talk about any aspect of any book you have ever read, or any aspect of reading in general, that you wish.

Doesn't that sound easy? Actually, I know the problem for some people will be that the assignment is too big. So here are some ideas.

You do NOT have to choose a topic from this list! It's just to get you thinking about possibilities for your Book Talk:

• You could tell the class about your favorite book. (This is what I expect most people to do in their Book Talk.)
• You could tell the class about the book you are currently reading, if you have a strong opinion about it already.
• You could tell the class about a book or author they should avoid, if you have experience with that book or author.
• You could give a talk entitled, "Why I Love To Read".
• You could give a talk entitled, "Why I Don't Like To Read."
• You could tell the class what ingredients a good book should have, according to you.
• You could tell what you know about your favorite author(s), if you have one.
• You could read to us a short section from your favorite book or author (something interesting and attention-grabbing, please!).
• You could introduce us to a favorite genre, such as science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, westerns, etc.
• You could introduce the class to a type of reading, like poetry or essays, they might not have tried before.
• You could give a talk entitled, "The Funniest Book I've Ever Read."
• You could give a talk entitled, "A Book That Made Me Cry."
• You could give a talk entitled, "The Quietest Places on Campus To Read A Book."
• You could tell us, if you have tips, the best ways to make a Reading Update journal interesting, instead of boring.
• You could tell the class the best way to make yourself comfortable in Room 1 to read for 40 minutes.

Are you starting to get the idea? Be interesting! Be creative! Entertain us and amuse us or keep us interested for your five minutes, all on the topic of reading!

RULES:

1. You must speak between 4 and 5 minutes. No more than that, and no less than that.

2. You can bring props (for example, at least, a copy of the book if you are discussion one...but also there are many other types of props to bring for creative Book Talk topics). Will props help your grade? Definitely! It's just the kind of thing I like.

3. Speak clearly and loudly enough for the class to hear.

4. You can prepare a paper and use it for your Book Talk, but you can't just read it to us, unless it is a selection from a book you're sharing.

5. You may not use the words "stupid" or "sucks" or any other negative-but-meaningless words. Also, you should avoid words such as "nice" and "good" that also are fairly meaningless. Try to explain more exactly what you mean, using clearer language.

6. Do only your best. You're only doing one Book Talk this year, so make it a good one.

When is my Book Talk going to be?
Click here if you are in Period 2.
Click here if you are in Period 4.

Click here if you are in Period 7.

Click here if you are in Period 9.

Can I do mine with a partner?
If you want someone up there with you to help you, yes. But everyone has to do his or her own Book Talk. Twenty-four talks will take us neatly through the end of the school year.

How will this be graded?
My least favorite question! Your Book Talk gets a grade like all the other Reading Workshop activities (take a look at the RW Grading Page for details): a plus, a check, a minus, or (in extreme cases) a zero. However, I have to count it more than any other of the marks in my grade book. So, it will count TIMES TEN. (That is, it will be as if it is a string of checks, or pluses, or whatever, in my grade book--ten of them.)




Return to the Grade 8 Reading Workshop page.