ReadBox Project
Read more about the ReadBox Project in the enclosed flyer.
Flyer ReadBox Project
ReadBox Project First and Second Trimester
Trimesters
Overview of the project.
Download the hyperlink if you work with an iPad and would like to take a look at all of the trimesters...
Readbox Overview
Introduction
ReadBox Project Introduction
Welcome to the ReadBox Project. Over the course of this school year, you are going to read lyrics, newspaper and magazine articles, short stories, poems and books of your own selection. You may select any kind of reading and will be expected to read consistently over the course of the year. If you finish one article or book, you are responsible for selecting another one. So keep on reading and remember to impress yourself. I hope you will have pleasure in reading !
Personal details & Reading Motivation Survey
First I would like to get to know you better. So fill out the personal details and the reading motivation survey (Personal Details - Appendix I and Reading Motivation Survey Appendix II) ; tell me about your reading habits, please.
Importance of Reading
There are loads of people that love reading; its invitation to escape into a different world and to forget the stress in everyday life. Many believe reading to be an essential tool in order to learn what you need to learn; it opens new opportunities and ideas and improves your concentration. Reading is the best way to become educated; it enhances your breadth of knowledge, builds your self-esteem and improves creativity. But if you are the kind of person who does not like reading, you might be missing out on discovering why reading actually matters. And it does really matter. It fills our mind with all kinds
of information and it expands your
view on the world; It gives you a
glimpse into other cultures and
places. Reading every day lets your
brain digest the information that it has
been fed. So the more you read the
more you broaden your horizon. In
fact, it can be life changing in so many
ways. So think about some of the
most important books that you have
read so far. Reading is not a contest.
So what if you read slowly or sometimes skip words here and there? If you are interested in your reading material, you will read to the end, and that is what counts. And remember what they say is true: the more you read, the better you read. If you make an effort to read every day, for example two chapters a day, you will not only improve your reading skills, but you will also learn a lot of new vocabulary. Try it; good reading skills are essential to future success in your career !
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“ If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales.
If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales. ”
― Albert Einstein
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Reading Log
To count lyrics, newspaper/ magazine articles, poems, short stories or books in your reading log, you must read the material front to back. You may abandon reading a book that you don’t like at any time, if you do, please discuss it with your teacher and we will search for another book. But please remember that the abandoned book will not count toward your pages read. (Reading Log - Appendix III)
Reading Challenge
A reading challenge is a great way to challenge yourself, to read more or explore new genres. And maybe you will discover a great book you might never have chosen. It’s a fun incentive to diversify your reading. You may even be surprised by what you find you enjoy ! Check off your articles and books as you go and keep track of what you’ve read. Reading challenges are fun ! (Reading Challenge - Appendix IV)
Reading proces and Requirements
Trimester 1
During trimester one, you should choose two from the following reading materials; a lyric, a poem, a newspaper article, magazine article, blog, review or a short story. The lyrics or poem can only be chosen once. When you have decided upon your reading material, you will then have to decide upon your reading challenge. At the end of this trimester you will have to hand in your reading materials and the appropriate reading challenges.
Trimester 2
During trimester two, you should choose one the following reading materials: a newspaper article, magazine article, blog, review or a short story plus the appropriate reading challenge. When you have finished these, find a book you are going to read. You can choose any type of book that you enjoy reading, though you will be advised to choose books that will improve your reading ability. It is important that you check your book with your teacher before you actually start reading your book to be absolutely certain that the book is suitable for the ReadBox Project. For, example if your book has large font or a small number of words per page, you need contact your teacher. At the end of this trimester you will have to hand in your reading materials and the appropriate reading challenges.
Trimester 3
At the beginning of this trimester you will have finished reading your book. Now it is time to start working on your final reading challenge. Please be prepared that you will have to present this last reading challenge.
Every time you select a new reading material, you must go through the following steps:
1 Select your reading material from the Reading Challenge for the trimester.
2 Enter your reading material in your Reading Log. Once you are done, upload the
form to your ReadBox folder in Edmodo.
3 Select the appropriate assignment for your reading material.
4 After you have finished reading the lyrics, newspaper/ magazine article, short
story or book, do the appropriate assignment of your choice (see ReadBox folder
on Edmodo). Don’t forget to use the Vocabulary Notebook (see next page)
5 Discuss your reading process with your teacher so that (s)he can check off your
assignment.
6. Select your new reading material and repeat the above steps.
Vocabulary Notebook
As you read, identify unknown words. For each chapter (or lyrics/ poem/ newspaper or magazine article/ short story etc.), you should come up with at least four words. If you cannot find four unknown words, try to find higher level words in the text. Copy each word, write down the page number, part of speech, the Dutch translation, and the dictionary definition and an example sentence in your personal vocabulary notebook and learn them by heart. Don’t forget: Learning new vocabulary helps to improve the word choice in your writing ! So build your vocabulary ! (Vocabulary Notebook - Appendix V)
Notes
Use this form to keep track of important ideas, thoughts, questions, and vocabulary while you read your magazine articles/books etc. It helps you to maximise your learning. (Notes - Appendix VI)
Keep all of these items mentioned above both in your ReadBox folder on Edmodo and on your computer at home. You will need to hand them in at the end of each trimester as part of your test grades.
Conferencing
I will be discussing your selection of articles and books and your ReadBox
process at various times throughout the trimester. Please be prepared to
discuss your reading materials and assignments and to answer questions. Remember that all ReadBox challenges should demonstrate that you put a lot of time and effort into this project. All details should be refined and show careful planning and contemplation. This should look like it took not hours but days to complete your project. The ReadBox challenges should demonstrate understanding of the reading material from beginning to end.
So start your reading engines and get started on your ultimate ReadBox challenge !
How to find your reading material
During this ReadBox Project you are going to read various authentic texts such as lyrics, newspaper/ magazine articles and books etc. In order to read for pleasure you should look for articles and books that match your interests and sparkle your enthusiasm for reading. How are you going to find the reading material you are looking for ?
Here are some tips:
Decide what you're in the mood for
First of all you have to decide what mood your in for. What book genre suits you best? Are you into action and adventure, science fiction, romance, drama, satire, mystery, history, poetry, comics/ graphic novels, autobiographies, journals etc ? Perhaps you enjoyed a recent film or TV miniseries; chances are it was based on a book you would enjoy also.
Ask around or get recommendations from social media
Ask someone in your circle of friends or in your family, or a teacher for any book which are must-reads. They will probably even lend you a book.
Check out the (school) library
Make time to visit the (school) library and check out the English section. Are there any books of your interest? Spend some time looking at the cover, and reading a chapter of two, before checking it out to ensure it fits your interests. It won't cost you anything. Librarians do tend to be literature fans, so talk to them for their recommendation.
Browse in a bookshop
Just look around and find the English section and see if there are any books that interest you. Don't judge a book only by looking at its cover; what you see on the cover is not necessarily what you get. Read the short reviews printed inside a dust jacket, or skim the first few chapter to find out what a book is really about. If the book is not for you, put it aside and try another, until you find your book.
Browse the net
If you are looking for a particular kind of book, you can do google searches to find appropriate titles. You can consult book and author-related blogs where teenagers
get together to discuss books and have a list of books other people have enjoyed on
the net. You could have a look at Library websites; they also provide suggested reading lists. Or search for community websites, such as Goodreads or Shelfari, which allow you to connect with literature fans around the world. You can find good books within minutes. You can also consult the next pages.
Useful websites
Here you can find some useful websites, that you could use during the ReadBox Project
ReadBox Project Songbird
Listening to music is a favourite pastime for many people and is a part of popular culture around the world. Pop song lyrics are both meaningful and motivating authentic material, so why not use them for our ReadBox project ?! By listening to music and reading the lyrics, you will be getting used to the English language’s flow, intonation and rhythm and you will be learning and practicing your thinking skills all the same time.
It turns out that a lot of these songs actually have stories behind them. A lot of these great songs come from interesting personal experiences and are stories from the artists who write them. So the songs you listen to are really just stories or poems and you could say that songwriters are authors. We would like you to dig up those lyrics that you can identify with; do they relate to your own experiences and values ?! Songs that work best are almost normally those that produce some sort of response to the music. So choose a song with a good story line or a song which requires you to actually work out what it is about.
ReadBox Project Songbird
ReadBox Project Daily Poetry
Chances are you have probably read a poem or two in school. Perhaps you even had to memorise a poem at some point or even had to write a poem yourself.
But what exactly is poetry ? Poetry refers to literary works written in verse. A poet pays attention to structure, tone, form and choice of words. All of these things together create the effect the poet is trying to achieve.
Poetry serves many purposes. It can be entertaining and moving; it can communicate; it can produce an emotional response in the reader and create an experience. If a poet follows a specific structure of writing a poem – with rhymes and meters (the poem’s rhythm structure), it is considered to be a great poem. The beauty of these literary works is that they may have different meanings, depending on the readers’ understanding. Poetry should make contact with every part of you. You should think of poetry as a creative form of expression. A poet, like an artist, has many tools for crafting a poem - each having a different effect on how the poem sounds, feels, looks and is read.
ReadBox Project Daily Poetry
ReadBox Project Short Story
A short story is a short work of fiction. Fiction is prose writing about imaginary characters and events.
ReadBox Project Short Story
ReadBox Project What's the news ?
A newspaper is a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets. It contains current news, editorials, feature articles, opinions and usually advertising. The most important or interesting news will be displayed on the front page of the newspaper.
The purpose of newspaper is, to inform or educate, persuade and entertain the readers. Newspaper articles are written in the third person and should be and balanced; facts are provided supporting both sides of the issue.
There are two main types of newspapers; quality, also called, broadsheet newspapers and the tabloid newspapers. A broadsheet is usually printed on large sheets of paper. They contain more serious news than tabloid papers, which are smaller, although many broadsheets are nowadays printed in compact size.
ReadBox Project - What's the news ?
ReadBox Project Magazines
A magazine is a selection of (usually non-fiction) articles covering a wide range of topics of interest. Magazines are a valuable source of authentic materials and can be very motivational for students. So why not use them during our ReadBox project ? We would like to stimulate interest in British or American culture. Grab your chance to get to grips with handling a whole publication in English. Skim through the various English and American magazines and select the magazine article which appeals to you most. Magazines are periodicals along with newspaper; this means that they are published on a regular basis. They may be published weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly or several times/ once a year. Most commonly, magazines are published weekly or monthly.
ReadBox Project Magazines
ReadBox Project Appendices
Personal Details
Personal Details
Motivation for Reading Survey
ReadBox Project Motivation for Reading Survey Appendix II
Reading Log
Reading Log
ReadBox Reading Challenge
ReadBox Project Reading Challenge Appendix IV
Vocabulary Notebook
ReadBox Project Vocabulary Notebook Appendix V
Notes
Notes
Third Trimester (Reading a book)
ReadBox Third Trimester Book Form
ReadBox Project Graphic novel/ Comic
Graphic Novel/ Comic
The focus of this Readbox Project is on creating a graphic novel or comic, based on a novel that you have read independently. In doing so, you will explore the power of images and how they can enhance a story. You will also be challenged to break down the original story (your book) into its most important events and focus on details and mood, strengthening your storytelling skills. This project will show you that stories are not only told with words - images can also be used to relate serious stories as well as funny ones. An art form like the comic, which we know best for humour and superheroes, is an effective method for all types of stories. During this project you will learn how to work with a storyboard in order to create a digital story with pictures that flow together smoothly. You will also learn how to include details that explain the action - all vital skills for written storytelling, as well. Students who know how to tell stories know how to organise and communicate their ideas in any medium. Apps like Comic Life are great for adding speech bubbles and dialogue to photos or art work. The online comic editors like ToonDoo offer a range of backgrounds, characters and props to help you tell your story.
ReadBox Project Graphic Novel/ Comic
ReadBox Project Newspaper front page
Newspaper front page
During this Readbox Project you are going to become a real newspaper writer. For this project, you will create a newspaper front page that is entirely devoted to the book you read and that captures your book’s characters, plot, setting(s) and conflict(s). The front page should look as much like a real newspaper page as possible. You are going to make a poster size (A3/ 2XA4) newspaper. Write your own headlines, lay out the newspaper (including photos or graphics, as appropriate) and produce your very own newspaper front page.
ReadBox Project Newspaper front page
ReadBox Project Book Trailer
Book Trailer
Have you just found a great English book to read? There is no need to write a standard book report or do a test on your book afterwards. I’m not a fan of book reports; since you can copy them straight from the internet. There are other effective ways for a student to demonstrate understanding of a book they have just read. My main goal is that students enjoy and appreciate reading. I think there are alternative assignments that allow you to show understanding of a book and that might be a lot more enjoyable than writing a book report: Let’s start using technology !
ReadBox Project Book Trailer
ReadBox Project Prezi
Prezi Presentation
Select a young adult novel of your choice. The book must be at your reading level. After you have received your teacher’s approval, you may start reading. After reading your book, you are going to create an interactive Prezi Presentation as an alternative to a written book report. You will be using www.prezi.com. Your goal is to create a sort of interactive advertisement that will persuade others to read your book. It is a great way to get readers engaged with the material you are reading in a modern and creative way. First you choose and read a novel of your choice. This assignment allows you to produce something for an audience, not just for the teacher as a class assignment, never to be revisited. Let’s utilise technology to inspire reading, and learning beyond the walls of the classroom !
ReadBox Project Prezi Presentation
ReadBox Project Poster
Book Poster
After reading your book, you will construct a poster that advertises your book. Your goal is to create a sort of ’poster advertisement’ that will persuade others to read your book. It is a great way to get readers engaged with the material you are reading in a modern and creative way. First you choose and read a novel of your choice. This assignment allows you to produce something for an audience, not just for the teacher as a class assignment, never to be revisited. Let’s utilise technology to inspire reading, and learning beyond the walls of the classroom ! The book must be at your reading level. After you have received your teacher’s approval, you may start reading. My aim is that your finished project will encourage others to read your book. The Poster Project will be displayed online and at school. You may also want to use the back of the poster or use a second page.
ReadBox Project Book Poster
Rubrics
Rubrics
Rubrics First and Second Trimester
ReadBox Project Short Story Rubric
ReadBox Project Diary Entry Rubric
ReadBox Project Lyrics Video Rubrics
ReadBox Project Song Parody
ReadBox Project Writing Prompt
ReadBox Project Poetry Rubric
ReadBox Project Mind Map Rubric
ReadBox Project Kahoot! Quiz
Rubrics Third Trimester
ReadBox Project Graphic Novel/ Comic Rubric
ReadBox Project Newspaper front page Rubric
ReadBox Project Book Trailer Rubric
ReadBox Project Prezi Rubric
ReadBox Project Book Poster Rubric
Reflection
You may have noticed that this ReadBox Project required you to work within a project-based learning environment. To engage this in class you had to take charge of your ReadBox project, make a lot of choices and self-direct your very own personal learning process. Your teacher was your coach during this project. Now you have reached the end of this project and I would like you to reflect on your own learning process. Having finished the last processing task in the project, please fill out this self-reflection form in English (or in Dutch if you do not know how to express yourself in English). Self-reflection is important in order to develop a deeper level of understanding about yourself. Think about what you did during the course of this project, and how well the project went.
ReadBox Project End-of-term Reflection
