As language teachers, we’re always looking for ways to engage students beyond traditional book reports. The “Unpack the Book” project is an innovative, interactive way for students to deeply engage with a Comprehensible (CI) novel while fostering creativity and language proficiency. Here are detailed strategies and concrete tips for implementing this project in your language classroom.
Overview of the “Unpack the Book” Project
“Unpack the Book” challenges students to create a scrapbook that summarizes and explores key elements of the CI novel they’ve read. The final product is both creative and reflective of their comprehension and interpretation of the novel. To support implementation, you can download the template in French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and German.
Preparation Before Reading
Before students begin reading, set the stage with pre-reading activities:
- Introduce Key Vocabulary: Provide a word bank of essential terms from the novel.
- Discuss the Novel’s Context: Talk about the cultural and historical background of the story.
- Make Predictions: Have students hypothesize what they think will happen based on the title and cover.
Encourage students to maintain a document while reading, which should include:
- Characters: Note the main characters in each chapter.
- Short Summaries: Write 2-3 sentence summaries per chapter.
- Hashtags: Create a hashtag that encapsulates the main idea or emotion of each chapter. Example: #LostAndFound for a chapter about a character’s discovery.
download the template in French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and German.
Students Engage with the Content and unpack the book
These are the pages of the scrapbook along with what they should include:
Cover: A picture representing the book, such as a character or cultural symbol.
Vocabulary: A list of 20 new words with translations.
Hashtags: One hashtag per chapter to summarize key themes.
Characters: Brief descriptions of the main characters.
Events: Summaries of three major events.
Quotes: Five impactful quotes from the book, including the speaker’s name.
Culture: 2-3 cultural elements from the book.
download the template in French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and German.
Assembling and Presenting the scrapBook
Students will fold and assemble their scrapbooks, adding a tactile and interactive element to their learning. They can present their work through:
- Classroom Presentations: Students share their books and discuss their findings.
- Gallery Walks: Students display their books and engage with peers’ work.
- Small Group Discussions: Encourage students to reflect on cultural connections.
Assessment and Reflection
Assessing the Project: Evaluate creativity, language accuracy, and depth of engagement.
Student Reflection: Have students answer reflection questions, such as:
- How did creating this mini-book help you connect with the characters and themes of the novel?
Conclusion
The “Unpack the Book” project is a dynamic way to enhance languageproficiency and cultural understanding. Try it in your classroom and share your students’ experiences!
