Socratic Seminar
Socratic seminars are a kind of discussion in which questioning is considered better than debating or finding answers. Ideally, Socratic seminars are done in small groups, student-led, and teacher-guided but may be adjusted so students don’t feel intimidated or lost in the assignment. A good way to get students accustomed to participating in the discussion is to prepare them well ahead of time. Assigning students to annotate the test with the discussion questions beside them would give students enough time to take notes, write down questions they would like to ask, and feel more confident to enter the Socratic seminar. As students get more comfortable with the format of the discussion, they may be allowed more freedom in what they discuss, and they will have a better idea of what they want to bring to the table.
Resource Links
Facilitating Student-Led Discussion, from ReadWriteThink (link to webpage)
Socratic Seminars, from ReadWriteThink (link to webpage)
5 Other Ways to Facilitate Engaged Classroom Discussions, from Edutopia (link to webpage)
Book trailer
Book trailers are a great alternative to book reports. While book reports are usually just summaries and written reviews on a novel, book trailers give students the opportunity to both exercise their creativity and introduce their classmates to what they read. There are many ways in which to structure a book trailer, and students may be given the option to film one, present with PowerPoint, or present with a poster. Below are some video examples of student-made book trailers.
resource links
Book Trailer Project Step-by-Step Guide (link to webpage)
Book Report Alternative: Book Trailer, from ReadWriteThink (link to webpage)
Book Talks
Another book report alternative is to have students present a book talk. Book talks are like book reports, but instead of students giving their classmates a review of the book, they may instead advertise the book and try to get their peers interested enough that they may want to read it. This means, students are not allowed to give away the ending or important plot points but still engage their audience with a meaningful passage or discussing themes and main characters and the setting of the story.
resource links
Book Talk Assignment Description (link to pdf)
Book Review Template, a good starting point, from ReadWriteThink (link to webpage)
Research and Ramblings 