BookGuide Project

Definition: A BookGuide is a collection of meaningful activities and information related to a picture book--or, as Regie Routman describes bookguides in Invitations, "a flexible framework for using a book holistically" (pg. 84). Routman further recommends that the BookGuide include questions and activities that do the following:

• enhance readers' enjoyment of the book and bring them back to the text for reexamination
• actively involve the reader
• promote critical thinking
• allow readers to examine their own feelings (pgs. 84-85 in the Invitations text)

For more information, see the article, "A guide for the teacher guides: Doing it yourself," by Susan Hepler, that describes more fully the reasons for using bookguides.

Step One: To create your Bookguide, your first job is to write up a set of activities appropriate for the picture book of your choice. To receive credit for this activity, you will need to construct the following articles:

1. Summary--include author/illustrator info, a brief summary (2-3 sentences) of the storyline or content, and plot, characters, artwork, theme, as appropriate
2. Thinking Critically (Creation of three sets of questions that are not meant to be written out by students; they are for you, the teacher, to use in guiding discussion before, during, and after reading):
• Pre-reading or Initiating Activites--such as book introduction and making predictions using the book cover/jacket, chapter titles, opening pictures, dedication
• Reading Discussion Activities--include phrase questions that invite responses and ask for evidence
• Post-reading Activities-used as comprehension checks (such as folding a piece of paper in three parts and have students write events that happened in the beginning, middle, and end of the story)
3. At least one writing activity--diary, journal entry, newspaper article, explanation, description, poem, etc. Write the directions that you, the teacher, will use to get the students to write the diary, journal entry, article, explanation...etc.
4. At least one discussion activity--critical thinking questions or creation of a concept map that extends discussion by reacting to the book as a whole. Write out the steps you, the teacher, will use to involve the students in further discussion or concept-mapping.
5. At least one art activity--write up an activity that could be created that relates to the story or book content. Again, be sure to write the directions so that you are aware of the steps that you, the teacher, must complete in order to take your students through the activity.
6. At least one internet activity--linklist, scavenger hunt, treasure hunt, virtual field trip, keypals, impersonation activity, photo journal, etc. (see Activity Structures)
7. Author Information--include biography material about the author for your reference at a later date.

Step Two: Using the newsletter format (See sample BookGuide), you will lay out the articles written above in a pleasing format incorporating the following technology:

• An AppleWorks document that holds pages 1 and 2 called [yoursecnumber][yourlastname]first.cwk and another AppleWorks document that holds pages 3 and 4 called [yoursecnumber][yourlastname]last.cwk.
• Pages formatted with .5" and 1 page down, two across
• Each of the four pages set up with a layout showing two columns on each page
• Separate linked text frames for each article (NOT text boxes--Text boxes are not appropriate for this criteria)
• One article split between columns
• A minimum of six appropriate graphics
  • Text wrap on at least two
  • One watermark
• Text formatted for interest and clarity
  • Titles of articles with different font, font size and font color from body text
  • All text in articles justified
• Banner with graphic and interesting design
  • Rectangle background shape
  • Graphic resized to fit into rectangle
  • Textbox that holds the title/author of book the guide will highlight
  • Additional textbox that holds your name and the date
  • Background, graphic, and two textboxes grouped together