Teaching Literary Elements with Favorite Chapter Books: Grades 2-4

The ideas in this book are simply wonderful to make kids read and respond to literature in a fun way. The book is divided into four main sections, each one devoted to one of the four literary elements: character, plot, setting, and theme. For each section, it provides several ideas to have students elaborate on the given literary element. Although each project is exemplified with a specific chapter book, the ideas can be adapted to other books as well. In fact, it provides titles of other chapter books that can be worked with the same projects. In my case, with second graders, I have even used some of the activities with picture books. This book contains clear instructions, diagrams and templates to make the projects. Some of the activities included are: making a comic strip, a 3D plant-shaped graphic organizer, accordion books, a "character's personality pizza", a "time travel machine" (kids love that!), a board game, a tourist brochure, a treasure chest and many more. If you want to make your kids read and develop love for reading, you must try this book.