Technical Reading and Writing Using Board Games

Overview

Featured Resources

From Theory to Practice

 

OVERVIEW

Students work in small groups to create a game based on a novel they have read. Each game must be directly related to the novel, contain at least 25 questions, and be neatly created and contained within a folder. Each game must also include a brochure with student-written directions for how to play the game. Once the game is complete, students play it to test their instructions. Students then rotate through the room, playing all the games and leaving constructive comments at each. After discussing the results, each group has a chance to revise their game and/or instructions.

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FEATURED RESOURCES

	ReadWriteThink Printing Press: Students can use this online tool to create brochures with instructions for their games.
	Board Game Rubric: Use this rubric to assess the board games students create.

 

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FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

In her article "Fifty Alternatives to the Book Report," Diana Mitchell writes: "Students tire of responding to novels in the same ways. They want new ways to think about a piece of literature and new ways to dig into it." This lesson invites students to respond to texts in a new way while also helping them focus on key points in their books and challenging them to write concisely and to "read like writers." By focusing on the key elements of fiction, this lesson  reinforces the reading-writing connection.

Further Reading

Mitchell, Diana. "Fifty Alternatives to the Book Report." English Journal 87.1 (January 1998): 92-95.

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