I had to do some type of book report just about every year I was in school and they always seemed the same. We would read a book and then make a poster, write a paper, or do something to show we understood the book. I didn’t have a problem with the assignments because English was my favorite class, but I know many kids dislike book reports. Book reports are just a normal part of English classesand I know I will assign them in my classroom. The key is to find a way to intrigue students and make them enjoy the assignment.

The course I found on iTunes U shows how to liven up book reports and gives students options with their learning. The app and each of its courses come free, which is great because there are so many resources. You must have the iTunes U app to find the course, then you tap on the “For Educators” icon. This takes you to a page with multiple categories to choose from, you need to pick the one that says Inspiring Lesson Ideas. You can now select from different subjects and grade levels. The course I chose says “Middle School Language Arts” on the cover and “ESL Book Reports” below.

The Inspiring Lesson Ideas has 30 courses to choose from. My three favorites are Secondary Language Arts; Of Mice and Men, The Graphic Novel, and Middle School Language Arts; ESL Book Reports.  Of Mice and Men has lesson plans for an in-depth study of the novel, it goes beneath the surface to get kids engaged, and there are activities using social media and iMovie. The Graphic Novel introduces students to this genre, using imagery to help students with understanding and creativity. It also has a lesson where students create their own graphic novel.

ESL Book Reports has 23  creative assignments students can use for their book reports. The three parts of a book report are: summary and personal opinion, character analysis, and the creative assignment. The first two parts are typical for any report and they are the more mundane sections. Part C is where students can begin getting really creative and having fun. Parts A and B are meant to be “traditional” part C is for enthusiasm and it gets the students using apps. The course even has a list of suggested apps to help the students. It also says the assignments don’t have to be digital, but it helps make the reports fun. The end goal is for students to show they read the book, prove they have thought deeply and made a reflection, and finally that they ultimately understood the assignment.

One option for the creative assignment is for students to make a travel leaflet, having tourists visit the setting of the book. They can include different activities for tourists to attend, talk about the people they would meet (the characters in the book), and many other options. I like this idea because it makes students think outside the box. They have to go to a setting and time period in which they have never lived and tell people why they should visit. It makes students come up with creative answers and use their imagination. This idea definitely enhances the quality of the book report. It can also help with a history class because they have to research the time period and find relevant information to help the report.

I really like this course and the information is valuable. I can see myself using this in my future classroom. I learned some useful information that can turn away the negative connotation a book report typically has. I think the students will also enjoy doing something more creative and they will learn more.