Blogging Book Reviews Lesson Plan: Blog About Your Favorite Books

Submitted by: Heather Fallis

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

In this lesson plan, which is adaptable for grades 3-12, students use BrainPOP resources to explore the various types of blogs on the internet and learn how to post to a blog appropriately. Students will also demonstrate their understanding by blogging book reviews and commenting on two other book review blog posts written by their peers.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Grade: 11-12

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1

Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Grade: 11-12

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

Grade: 03

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

Grade: 03

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.6

With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

Grade: 04

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Grade: 04

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.6

With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.

Grade: 05

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Grade: 05

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.6

Grade: 06

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

Grade: 06

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.

Grade: 07

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

Grade: 07

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.

Grade: 08

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence

Grade: 08

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

Grade: 09, 10

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1

Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Grade: 09, 10

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

Students will:

Learn about the various types of blogs on the internet
Learn how to post to a blog appropriately
Post a review of a book and comment on two other reviews in the class

Materials:

Computer with internet access and presentation TV or whiteboard
BrainPOP subscription
Copies of the "Blogs" Graphic Organizer and the "Online Safety" Worksheet for each student
Classroom blog (designed by teacher)
Book of choice for each student

Vocabulary:

screen name, blog, internet, email, interactive, blogosphere

Preparation:

Preview the BrainPOP movies Online Safety and Blogs. Make copies of the "Blogs" Graphic Organizer and the "Online Safety" Worksheet for each of your students. Make sure each student has a book they have read that can be shared on the blog. You can use books that have been assigned for a book report.

Lesson Procedure:

Ask your students if they have ever read a blog. Use answers to help the class create a list of blogs on the whiteboard.
Share some blogs with the class. Select blogs that vary in theme/subject (sports, animals, music, etc) to explore with students.
Watch the BrainPOP movie, Blogs. Pause as new terms are discussed in the movie, and have your students turn and talk to their neighbors, then converse as a class.
Have students individually complete the Graphic Organizer and share their answers with a partner or team.
Explain that the class is going to be creating a reading blog as a way to share the books they have read. Then show the previous year's blog, or a different reading blog as an example.
Students then work together to create a post on the blog for a book we have read together as a class.
The next day watch the BrainPOP movie, Online Safety and discuss appropriate postings versus inappropriate.
Complete the Worksheet. As a class review your school's appropriate use policy.
Students use pencil and paper to write a rough draft of their book review. This can also be for homework.
Book review rough drafts are peer edited and then students post them to the blog.
Students will read and comment on at least two of their peer's reviews.

Extension Activities:

Have students create a podcast using the same theme as their reading blog.

Filed as: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Blogs, Book Report, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.6, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.6, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1