Book Trailers

Students will explore character, plot, and theme and learn to write persuasively as they develop a movie-style trailer for a book they have read.

Engage

Let your students know they will be creating a booktalk in the form of a movie trailer to promote one of their favorite books.

First, have students determine which book they want to promote. Then, have them answer the following questions:

• Have I read another book by the same author?
• Did I like it as much as this book?
• What genre is this book?
• Is this a book part of a series?
• Do I have a personal connection to this book?

To better advertise their book, students need to be able to identify the theme. Common themes your students can look for in their books include:

friendship courage fairness

love loyalty anger

cooperation determination being different

Have students reread crucial book segments and take notes while analyzing characters, settings, and plot to identify the theme, with a focus on the main character's actions.

Students can use a graphic organizer like a thought web to gather information about the central theme of the book as well as events in the story that relate to the theme.

Thought Web Organizer

Create

Next, have students prepare a script for their booktalk. An exciting script should include:

• An interesting hook.
• A vivid description of an event that supports the theme.
• The title and name of the author at the conclusion.
• A call to action.

To transform the script into a video, it is helpful to have a storyboard or map of each student's vision. Assign the Storyboard template for students to detail their vision, including script sections, scene details, images, and sound files.

Storyboard Template

Instruct students to utilize a blank canvas for their booktalk. They can incorporate images from the Image Library or create their own using the paint tools. They should record their script, incorporating sound effects or background music to align with the booktalk's tone and purpose.

Blank Canvas

Share

Share the book trailers with the rest of the class or play them on the morning announcements to encourage others to read the books. The librarian may choose to show the trailers in the library as other classes come in for their scheduled library time. If your district or community has public access television, try to get your students’ booktalks aired.

Assessment

The final booktalk is a great summative assessment of student skill communicating in a visual medium. During the process, you can assess progress using students’ notes and thought webs. Having students turn in their scripts and storyboards prior to creating the booktalk animation will help ensure that they are on the right track.

Resources

Littlejohn, Carol. Talk That Book: Booktalks to Promote Reading ISBN: 0938865757

Cavanaugh, Terence W. and Keane, Nancy J. The Tech-Savvy Booktalker: A Guide for 21st-Century Educators ISBN: 1591586372

Standards

Common Core Anchor Standards for English Language Arts Grade 5-12

Reading Standards

Key Ideas and Details

2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

Craft and Structure

4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently

Writing Standards

Text Type and Purposes

3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

Production and Distribution of Writing

4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.