Looking for something more hands-on than simple narration, but far from the dreaded book report to see what your kids are taking from the books they’re reading? Try a paper bag book report!
A paper bag book report is a prime example of why home schooling and public schooling moms should keep open lines of communication: this idea was shared with me by one of my public school mom friends and it’s one that we love.
For a paper bag book report, the child simply places in a paper bag items that represent key moments or ideas from the book he has read. For example, we did a paper bag book report on Leonardo da Vinci. Our bag contained items such as:
*a toy bicycle, representing the fact that da Vinci drew plans for a bicycle that would have worked
*a toy plane, representing the fact that he drew plans for a plane that would not have worked
The student can then narrate his book report by pulling the items from his bag and telling about their significance in relation to the book. You’ve got a book report, narration, public speaking and simple research all rolled into one.
And, it might be even more fun if you video tape it!
Kris is the sweet-tea-drinking, classically eclectic, slightly Charlotte Mason, homeschooling mom to three Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
Photo by noaha
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a great idea! When I taught 5th grade, my kids had to do a presentation on one of the 50 states. They had to decorate the outside of their bag with things from their particular state and fill the inside with items that related. It was a fun project, and they really seemed to like it.
It was also fun for those who were listening since you never knew what might come out of the bag!
This is a great idea for my homeschooling girls group- they can make the bags at home and then present them at the meeting! We(the moms) were just talking about public speaking being something we would like them to get some experience in!
This would also make for a great book activity for younger children too. They can show items related to the book can tell what happened. This also can help with story sequencing. Thank you for the wonderful ideas! I will be using them with my children.