By: Connie Casserly
Grades 6-12
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Connie
Hook the students' interest about the Academy Awards. For this
activity, Presenting the Academic Awards
for Literature, the students' mission is to choose the best literature,
from both fiction and non-fiction, for this year’s awards. The categories for the awards are based on the elements of literature
(characters, settings, plots/conflicts, symbols, themes and point of views).
Student Directions:
1. Write the Category title and your Choice for the Best in that
category in the given spaces on the certificate.
2. Under that information on the awards certificate, explain and
support your choice in a paragraph, following the points under Writing
Criteria.
3. Make sure that your writing specifically addresses the criteria for
each category.
4. After the writing segment is finished, you will defend one or more
of your selections during a class discussion.
The criteria for Fiction and Non-fiction offers students points to
ponder about each element of literature as they consider how to explain the
who, what, where, when and why behind their choices.
Example: Characters (Types of characters are in the parentheses): Does
the character grow and change (dynamic), show different sides to his/her
personality (round), stay one-dimensional in his/her personality (flat) or show
no mental/emotional and/or spiritual growth (static)? Is the character: major,
minor, the protagonist or the antagonist? Are the characters believable and or
sympathetic? Do you care what happens to them?
After they choose their recipients for each award students are to fill
in the certificates. Here are a few of the twenty categories
•Best Fictional Female Character
•Best Fictional Male Character
•Best Supporting Fictional Female Character
•Best Supporting Fictional Male Character
•Best Non- Fictional Female Character
•Best Non-Fictional Male Character
For their explanation paragraphs, students must state the award
recipient and the title and author of the text. To defend their choices, the
explanation must include three examples along with supporting details that
justify each choice and that add clarity to the reasoning behind it.
The Teacher Notes page lists the Common Core Standards that pertain to
this activity as well as the Bloom's Taxonomy terms students will utilize.
Happy Teaching,
TEACH IT WRITE - BUILD POWERFUL ACADEMIC HOMES
