Novel Study: No-Prep Vocabulary, Writing, and Collage for ANY Novel

Novel Study: No-Prep Vocabulary, Writing, and Collage for ANY Novel!

No time to prepare a novel study unit for a specific novel? Do you have students reading a variety of novels? Are you getting ready for literature circles?

Well this is the 8-page ready-to-go package for you! It works with any novel in the middle grades (4-8). It includes three different activities for your students to complete over several weeks as they read their books.

1) Vocabulary: Students are tasked with collecting 20 new to them vocabulary words as they read their novel. For each one, they write a definition and use the word in a sentence to show its meaning. They can illustrate the words too!

2) Comprehension: Students are given 6 written comprehension prompts and they must pick and complete 4 of them.

• Stop reading when you are a third or halfway through the novel. Write a paragraph making predictions about what you think will happen next. Explain your ideas and support them with evidence (proof) from the text.

• Choose an exciting scene from the novel and write a descriptive paragraph about it. Be sure to include adjectives, adverbs, similes/metaphors, and specific verbs.

• Choose two characters from the novel. Write a paragraph to compare and contrast them. Remember this means including similarities AND differences.

• Write a diary entry as one of the main characters. Describe how the character is feeling based on the events in the novel. Try to imagine how the character would actually sound when he or she is writing.

• When you are done the novel, write a book review. Let people know if you liked the novel or not. What kind of reader would you recommend this book to?

• Choose one quote from the novel. Remember this does not have to be a character speaking, it can be any short passage that stands out to you. Explain why you chose that quote and share any connections, opinions and reactions you have.

3) Collage: Students can reflect and respond to the novel in a visual way by creating a collage. They cut out or draw important images and symbols from the novel and write about their visual presentation.

Simply print a booklet for each student, and get reading!