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Book Club

Directions:
1. Choose your Book Club book through a book walk activity. Each student will get to write down
their top three choices of book from the book walk.
2. The teacher will create groups. In your Book Club groups you will divide your book into 6
sections. You will then complete the Pre-Reading Organizer.
3. Read the first section of your book and complete Investigating the Story Elements.
4. Read the second section of your book. Use post-it notes to mark this section of the book. Mark
where you ask questions, make connections, or experience strong feelings.
5. Complete Taking Note.
6. Read the third section of your book. Pay attention to the language that the author uses. Put sticky
notes to mark pages where you don’t know a word.
7. Complete the Word Nerd worksheet.
8. Read the fourth section of your book. Make sure to use sticky notes to mark important parts of
the story. Get started on the Making Connections Worksheet.
9. Read the fifth section of the book and put sticky notes on important parts of the story. Start
working on your Character Diary and Mapping It Out Assignment. You will not be able to
complete these assignments until you have finished the book!
10. Read the sixth and final section of your book. Work on your Dear Diary and Mapping It Out
Assignment.
11. Complete your Key Events assignment.
12. Complete your Book Recommendation.

I understand that these are my responsibilities during Book Club.

Student Signature: ________________________________

Checklist
● Pre-Reading Organizer ● Making Connections Worksheet
● Investigating the Story Elements ● Character Diary
● Taking Note ● Mapping It Out
● Word Nerd ● Key Events
● Book Recommendation

Book Club Meetings

Title of book: __________________________________________________

Number of pages in my book:_______________

As a group you need to divide your book into six sections. The sections do not have to be perfectly equal.
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Example: If your book has 175 pages, then you would find the end of a chapter closet to page 30. You
don’t want to send a weekly reading in the middle of a chapter.
Decide on sections and write them below. Mark your sections in your book with sticky notes.
**Please DO NOT read ahead. This is unfair to your group.

Week 1 START on page_____________and STOP on page______________

Week 2 START on page_____________and STOP on page______________
Week 3 START on page_____________and STOP on page______________
Week 4 START on page_____________and STOP on page______________
Week 5 START on page_____________and STOP on page______________
Week 6 START on page_____________and STOP on page______________

Group meetings will be held every Monday. Each student is expected to attend and have the proper
readings completed. A discussion question will be given every Monday to help lead a group discussion.
Each group member of the group will assess the participation, on-topic discussion and overall
contributions of the group members each week. You will fill out a rubric for each of your group members.
You MUST include specific comments to explain why you gave them the mark that you did. See the
example below.

Week One Member Name Assessment WHY?

Ms. Aubie 1 2 3 4 WOW! She was off task and was fooling
around. She did not share with
the group.

Ms. Merk 1 2 3 4 WOW! She contributes regularly and

listens to other opinions. She is
always prepared.

Additional Comments: Mrs. Ens was absent from the group today.

Peer Evaluations
Week One
Week One Member Name Assessment WHY?

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

Additional Comments:

Week Two
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Week Two Member Name Assessment WHY?

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

Additional Comments:

Week Three
Week Three Member Name Assessment WHY?

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

Additional Comments:

Week Four
Week Four Member Name Assessment WHY?

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

Additional Comments:

Week Five
Week Five Member Name Assessment WHY?

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!
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1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

Additional Comments:

Week Six
Week Six Member Name Assessment WHY?

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

1 2 3 4 WOW!

Additional Comments:
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Group Names: ___________________________

Pre-Reading Organizer

Cover Page: Look at the cover art and make a Summary: Look at the book summary and
prediction about the book make a prediction about the book

Text Features: Look at the text features (table Title: Talk about the book title and make a
of contents, chapter headings etc) and make a prediction about the book
prediction about the book
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Investigating the Story Elements

Name: ___________________
Book Title:____________________________

1. Pick a main character from the story. Choose a character quality that best describes this
character and use an example from the book that supports that character quality.
(*Character Quality: The parts of a person's behavior that make up a character's
personality. For example, Ms. Merk is very kind. I know this because she gave me
chocolate on Valentine's Day.)

2. Where and when does the story take place? If you do not know, make an inference (guess
using clues from the book) and provide clues from the story that led you to your
inference.

3. What is happening in the story so far? Name two key events and provide the page
numbers on which each event occurs. Remember that a key event is so important that the
story would not be the same without it!
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4. What do you predict will happen next? Support your prediction with a detail from the
text.

Taking Note

Name: ___________________
Book Title:____________________________

Part One: As you read, record your thinking by taking notes on your sticky notes. Mark where
you ask questions, make connections, or experience strong feelings. Record two of your
sticky notes below. Keep the rest of your notes in your book.
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Using those notes, make a prediction about what will happen next in your book:
I predict:

Part Two: Not all chapter books have pictures on every page. Therefore, we must create the
pictures in our minds as we read. The author gives us clues so that we can VISUALIZE the
characters and the plot. Below, draw and color a character or scene from the second section of
your book. Then complete the sentence at the bottom of the page.

Part One Checklist:

● Illustrate a character or scene
● Color your work
● Use complete sentences
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This is how I visualize:

Word Nerd
Name: ___________________
Book Title:____________________________

Part One: Choose a word from this section that you did not know. Then, research the word,
assign the correct definition by using context clues and complete the Vocab Trading Card.

Front: (full color illustration & vocabulary word in large black letters at the top)

Back
Vocabulary word:

Sentence containing the word in the text with the page number:
 Correct dictionary definition in your own words:

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My own sentence with context clues:

Part Two: Sometimes what authors say is not exactly what they mean. This is called using
figurative language, figures of speech or non-literal language. Some types of figurative language
are similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, assonance & alliteration.

Search for figurative language in your book. Record your findings in the chart below:

What the author SAYS (Non-literal) What the author MEANS (Literal) Page #
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Making Connections

Directions: As you read, write down any text-to-text, text-to-self- and text-to-world connections that you
have for the book.

● Text-to-Text Connections: Sometimes a story will make a reader think of another book that
he/she has read or heard about.

● Text-to-Self Connections: Sometimes a story will remind a reader about something that
happened in his/her own life such as a birthday party, a vacation, etc. Sometimes, the text-to-self
connection is about an event that happened in someone else’s life such as an aunt, a friend, etc.

● Text-to-World Connections: Sometimes a story will make a reader think about something that is
happening in the world. Maybe the book that you are reading is talking about a class election.
That may remind you that your parents have talked about an upcoming election.

Text-to-Text
Describe below some connections that can be made from the book you are reading to another book or
movie.
Book Club Book: Other Book Title:
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Text-to-Self
Describe below some connections that can be made from the book you are reading to an experience you
or someone you know has had.
Book Club Book: Personal Experience:

Text-to-World
Describe below some connections that can be made from the book you are reading to the world.
Book Club Book: World Connection:

Outcome: Communicates connections and inferences with texts read, viewed or heard.
4-Excellent 3-Proficient 2-Basic 1- Limited
Reader made excellent Reader made Reader made simple Reader made no
connections and connections and based connections and did not connections between
explained in detail how them on background explain them all in text and self/text/or
their background knowledge and/or detail. world.
experiences aided in the experiences. Reader
comprehension of text. also had clear
explanations on most
connections.
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Character Diary Assignment

Dear
Diary….
Pick a main character from your novel. Put yourself “in their shoes” and imagine what they think
and how they feel about the events and other characters in the novel.

Create a Character Diary from the perspective of one of the main characters in your novel.

Include:

● Five diary entries that relate to five major events in the novel
How were you involved in the event?:
- Did you want to be involved?
- Were you a major part of the event of a bystander?
- How did you feel about the events?
- What emotions were you experiencing?
- What are your thoughts on the other characters?
- How does the setting impact you?
- What are your hopes/dreams/secrets?

● A diary cover page that is drawn and coloured. It should reflect your chosen
character:
- Are you a boy or girl?
- Would your diary be hand-written or typed?
- Would you have a fancy diary or a plain one?
**Relate your cover to the personality of your character, the themes, mood, and setting of the
novel.

● Attach your cover to your five entries.

**Remember to write in first person!

Outcome: Describe characters’ qualities based on what they say and do and how they are
described in oral, print, and other media texts.
4-Excellent 3-Proficient 2-Basic 1- Limited
The student created a The student created a The student used some The student created an
thoughtful, mature, and thoughtful and specific good details and had a incomplete character
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specific character diary. character diary. basic understanding of diary with little to no
Their work shows a Their work shows a the character and the understanding of the
deep understanding of good understanding of character’s personality character and the
the character's the character's traits. character’s personality
personality. personality. The student did not traits.
The student did an The student did a good relate the characters The student did not
excellent job relating job relating the thoughts and feelings to attempt to relate the
the character’s thoughts character’s thoughts major events in the character’s thoughts
and feelings to major and feelings to major novel. and feelings to major
events in the novel. events in the novel. The student created 5 events in the novel.
The student created 5 The student created 5 complete diary entries. The student handed in
thorough and complete complete diary entries. incomplete diary
diary entries. entries.

Mapping It All
Out
Create a poster sized map of the town and area where your
novel takes place. (The setting of the novel).
Include:
Details and locations using your imagination and specific
details from the book. Keep in mind the time period and
location of the book.
Include a list of important events from your book in point
form somewhere on your poster. Include all major events.
Labels of all the locations you draw.
A border
 A compass rose
A legend
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**Make this look like a map as much as you can! Can you
link the theme of the novel to the style of map you draw??
What are the major events in the story?

Write a paragraph for each important event explaining why you think it is
important. This can be included with your map on a seperate piece of
paper.

Include a few details about the event, but make sure to explain why each
event is significant.
What impact did each event have on the outcome of the novel?
What event do you think had the most impact of the characters in the
novel? Why?
Did the setting influence the events? Relate the event to the setting as much
as possible.

Outcome: Describe and discuss the influence of setting on the characters and events.
4-Excellent 3-Proficient 2-Basic 1- Limited
The student created a The student created a The student created a The student created an
specific, unique and specific and detailed map with some details. inappropriate map with
detailed map. map. simplistic details.
The student did some
The student did an The student did a good analysis of some events. The student did no
excellent analysis of analysis of each event. They provided basic analysis of events. They
each event. They had They had well written details about each provided no details
well written paragraphs paragraphs and good event. about events.
and thorough descriptions of each
descriptions of each event. The students' work was The students' work was
event. somewhat clear and not clear and organized.
The students' work was organized.
The students' work was clear and organized.
clear and well
organized.
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Key Events Assignment (Part One)

1. The end of a story is where an author typically resolves the problem presented in the
beginning of the book. Choose one of the major problems and explain how it was
resolved in the end.

2. Why did the author write this book? Was it to persuade, inform, or entertain? State your
opinion and explain your reasoning with a reference to the text.
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Key Events Organizer (Part Two)

Decide the MOST important events from your book. Write them in this Key Events Organizer. Without these events the
story never would have happened the way that it did!

Climax

Falling Action & Resolution

Problem & Rising Action

Exposition
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Outcome: Identify the main problem or conflict in oral, print, and other media texts, and explain
how it is resolved.
4-Excellent 3-Proficient 2-Basic 1- Limited
The plot diagram The plot diagram The plot diagram The plot diagram
includes thorough and includes adequate includes some includes vague
well written information about the information about the information about the
information about the conflict and solution conflict and solution conflict and solution
conflict and solution of the story. Most of the story. The of the story. Some
of the story. All major major conflicts are student was not information is
conflicts are written written and explained. thorough in missing.
and explained. explaining these
parts.
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Book Recommendation: Would you recommend this book?

Name:____________________________
Book Title:___________________________________________________

Give a brief summary of the book below.

Would you recommend this book to a future student? Why or why not?
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How many stars do you give this book? Color in your star rating below

Not for me! Meh Good Great! WOW

!

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