Have you ever done a novel study in your French class and wondered what to do at the end of it? Most of us have. We read the book, work on reading strategies, assess their reading comprehension, etc, but what do we do at the end of the book? How can we end the book with a fun, conclusion activity?
I’d like to share some of my favourite activities to do after completing a novel with my kiddos. I’ve chosen my top 3 to share in detail but if you want more ideas, you can sign-up here and I’ll send you the list.
Whether you do whole-class novel studies, small group literacy circles, read-alouds, individual novel studies, or a mix of all four, these activities will work for you!
Activity 1: Skit
This is a super fun activity if you have a really out-going class, or you are wanting to do a speaking assessment along with your reading comprehension evaluation. I split the book into 2-4 chapter sections, depending on the length of the chapters and the length of the book.
For example, l’Assassin impossible by Laurent Chabin has 14 chapters and an epilogue so I divide it into 5 sections. I then have the kiddos get into groups of 4-5 (there are 5 main characters in the book) and choose which skit section they want to do. The groups have to go through the book and review the chapters before they come to the board to sign-up for their skit. Once all the groups have chosen their section, they get started.
My expectations are that the kiddos create a skit that presents the actions of their chapters. They don’t need to write an official script but they can write one for themselves if they wish. I typically give the students 4-5 days (depending on the book) to work/practice before we do presentations. The kiddos know that I am assessing their French speaking as well as their understanding of their chapters.
On presentation day, the kiddos are encouraged to bring costumes and props. We then go through the presentations in chronological order so that it’s as if the kids are watching a full play of the novel.
This option is great if you are feeling a little overwhelmed with grading because you will mark it as the students are presenting and there is no marking to do after. Such a bonus for you with this fun activity!
Activity 2: Different ending
This activity is an individual activity that is great if you’re wanting to add a writing assessment to the novel study conclusion. You could also make this a cooperative activity if the students all have access to technology.
The task: The kiddos are asked to rewrite the last couple of chapters to offer a new ending to the story. They must keep the same characters, setting, etc, but they must change the outcome. I don’t put any limitations on the content of this assignment but I do give length minimum/maximum amounts. This would dependant on the age of your kiddos, their level of French, etc.
If you want this to be a cooperative assignment (which would mean WAY less marking!), then I recommend making sure you have enough technology for all the students. This way they can work in a small group on GoogleDocs and create a collaborative document. This is also great as it allows you to see how much each student is cooperating and it also allows you to give feedback while they are working.
Activity 3: Book Jacket
Creating a new book jacket is another individual activity that has a nice balance between writing and drawing. The kiddos are asked to create a re-imagined title page for the book. They are asked to include some symbols and details from the book and they must ensure that their new title page is completely different from the original. I require this to be a full-page image (8.5×11) and in full colour. If you have the technology for it, you could allow your students to do a digital design.
Next, they need to rewrite the book jacket book introduction. In this write-up, they must show that they have a clear understanding of the main idea of the story and they must hint at what will happen in the story. For my Grade 8 students, I ask that the write-up be between 75-150 words.
Those are my top 3 novel study project ideas to do with my Gr 7-9 students. If you’re interested in more ideas, you can fill in the form below and the list will be sent directly to your e-mail.
If you have more ideas, let us know in the comments so that we can all learn from each other.
Looking for ideas for novel study books? Check out the list here: Lire en immersion française
Need ideas for evaluating reading comprehension?? Check out this list: 5+ évaluations pour la compréhension de lecture