Star Chart Independent Reading Program

1. Star Chart Independent Reading Program • by Emma Berman, Rachel Fealk, Kelsey Kahle, and Ian Hockstrasser • Designed for high school juniors and seniors

2. Objective • By the end of the term, students will have read a variety of different types of books with the hope to make them well rounded and more skilled readers. • In the beginning, students will be able to choose books of a comfortable length that correlate to their reading level. As the year progresses, students will be challenged to push their comfort zones.

3. Star Chart • A chart will be displayed in the room for all students to see. As students complete books, they receive corresponding stars. • If the class reaches a specified goal, the entire class is rewarded. This creates accountability on the part of the student.

4. Pitch to the Teacher • Before beginning a new book, students will be asked to prepare a brief pitch to their teacher about why they chose the reading material they did. This will also serve as a check-in for the teacher to assure that the chosen reading is appropriate. • The student will present to the teacher a prediction for the reading as well as an analysis of what they deem classroom and skill appropriate material. • This meeting will also provide a time for the teacher to discuss with students whether or not they are fulfilling the requirements of the star chart.

5. THE RULES! • There are a few guideline the students will be asked to follow during their independent reading program in order to stay on track and assure they are covering all the materials. • At least 5 students are expected to volunteer for a novel in the first round of reading and will be asked to do a book talk for their first assessment. This gives students ideas for appropriate and interesting books they could read. • Each semester, students will be required to read at least 5 of the reading options from their star chart.

6. MORE RULES! • Students may not repeat a reading option until they have read one from each category. • After finishing each reading, students must complete a culminating project to be assessed. • Once students have read five books and completed a different culminating project for each, they are welcome to repeat one they already did. • Students are required to do at least one book talk as a culminating project per semester.

7. Assessment Options • Book Talk: Throughout each semester, all students will be required to complete one book talk. Book talks are meant to provide reading recommendations by students for their peers. As teachers, we always have books to suggest to students, but they do not always listen to what we have to say. If the suggestions come from other students, however, others will be more apt to listen. During the book talk, students will have 5-7 minutes to persuade the audience why they should read the book. Students should include the title, author, and some interesting aspects of the book. • Collage: • Commercial or Movie Trailer: • Facebook Account: • Other:

8. Assessment Options • Collage: Students have the option of collecting words, images, phrases, photos, drawings, anything that follows a theme or character of their book and creating a collage no smaller than 11x17 in. All of the surface area should be covered; there should be no white background showing through. • In addition to the collage, students will have to type a one page, double spaced rationale for their visual. Why did they include the words or images that they did? The rationale needs to include the title and author of the book. • Commercial or Movie Trailer: • Facebook Account: • Other:

9. Assessment Options • Commercial or Movie Trailer: Using imovie, movie maker, or a similar application, students will create a commercial or movie trailer advertisement for their book. The movie needs to be at least 1 1/2 minutes long and should appeal to the audience, making them want to read the book. The movie needs to include video shots but can have still frames as well. The entire movie should not be a recording of the student talking about why people should read the book. It needs to be jazzed up and eye catching like the commercials and movie trailers out now. Somewhere in the movie, the student will need to include the title and author of the book. • Facebook Account: • Other:

10. Assessment Options • Facebook Account: Students can create a facebook page for one of the characters in their reading. On their page, they will need to include a picture of the character, or what they think the character looks like; a profile page, including filling in the section “write something about yourself,” which needs to be at least 100 words; possible friends, and 5 additional photos that relate to the book. Under networks, students will include the title and author of the book. • Other: Students also have the option of coming up with their own culminating assessment. Just like getting the book cleared by the teacher, however, they will have to get the okay for their project as well.

11. Assessment Options • Future Predictions: Predict what might happen in the next chapter of the book. If you’ve finished the book, predict what might happen in a sequel to the book. Use details like names of characters and places. Be as specific as possible. Explain why your prediction is likely to happen. Please write in complete sentences and paragraphs. • New Beginning or Ending to Story: Didn’t like the beginning or ending of the chapter or book? Write your own! Write as least 3 paragraphs, and make sure to write about why you wanted to change the beginning or ending of the story.

12. Assessment Options • Powerpoint: Create a Powerpoint presentation summary of the story. Graphics and pictures related to the story or book will make your show more interesting. Eight to twelve slides should be sufficient for this assignment. • Comic/Drawing: A comic will allow you to interpret part of the story or book and make a visual representation of the story using few if any words.  Draw at least 5 smaller panels, or one larger panel on a standard piece of paper (8 ½ by 11 in).  Use shading and color to give detail to your drawing.  Turn in any drafts of your drawings with the final product so I can see the progression of your work.

13. Assessment Options • Soundtrack: Use music to express your feelings about the book or story you’ve read. Think about the mood of the story (and how it progresses or changes throughout the book) and pick songs you’d like to hear on a soundtrack of the book. Pick ten or more songs and make sure to list song title as well as artist.  Write a short paragraph for each song-a rationale for why you chose the song, telling us what mood the song establishes, and how the song relates to the book. 

14. Reading Suggestions • Novels: • Holes by Lois Sachar • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin • Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith • Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury • Non-fiction: • Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer • Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen • America’s Prima Ballerina by Maria Tallchief • The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas • My Life by Bill Clinton • Plays: • Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller • The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O’Neill • The Rover by Aphra Behn • Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw • Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmund Rostand

15. Reading Suggestions • Poetry Collections: • 100 Best Loved Poems by Philip Smith • Selected Poems by Langston Hughes • Edgar Allen Poe’s Complete Poetical Works by Edgar Allen Poe • Rose by Li-Young Lee • The Temple on Monday by Tom Crawford • Short Story Collections: • The Best American Short Stories Series • When you are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris • Ford County by John Grisham • Becoming Adolph by Rich Cohen • The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury • Magazines: • ESPN Magazine • Harpers Magazine • The New Yorker Magazine • National Geographic • Time

16. Reading Suggestions • Graphic Novels: • Watchmen by Alan Moore • Sounds of Your Name by Nate Powell • Indian by Choice by Amit Desgupta • Robot Dreams • Jack of the Fables • Book/Movie Combos: • Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton • The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Movie directed by John Ford • All the Pretty Horses by Comac McCarthy • Minority Report • Sophie’s Choice