Digital Collections

Have students prepare a book report using a multicultural book. Give students the following list of tasks and have them complete a few of their own choosing. The number will depend on the time you are able to spend.

Task list:

1. Draw a comic strip that illustrates an important conversation between characters in the novel
2. Write a few paragraphs that compare your life to that of one character in your novel
3. Choose a character of ethnic minority in the novel and describe how he/she deals with being different. Would you (or did you) deal with the situation in the same way?
4. Choose a character in your novel that has something he/she makes or does that shows his/her cultural heritage. Create a model or a picture of it.
5. Write a letter from the point of view of a character of ethnic minority that expresses his/her feelings about being different
6. Write a poem about the story
7. Write a theme song that would accompany the novel if it were a movie
8. Write a review of the novel including whether or not you enjoyed it and if the characters were realistic
9. If there was stereotyping in your novel, explain how it happened
10. Prepare a monologue that describes the plot from the point of view of a character in your novel.

If possible, let students choose their own novel. If resources are not available, you may need to order a class set of one novel. See under resources: "Choosing Multicultural Books to Read". Plan to have book reports due on a day where students can share their creative work.