This month, some of my students are reading A Tale of Two Cities. They are taking turns presenting one chapter each, individually, to the class.
Their presentations must include a visual component, such a web page, video, wiki, Prezi, PowerPoint, or Google Presentation. These must include pictures that symbolize important plot details, a complete summary of the plot, an explanation of the chapter title, three quotes that show the use of different literary devices, and an essential quote with an explanation of its relevance to the chapter. Students are assessed by a rubric that included points for all the aforementioned required elements as well as voice and physical aspects of public speech.
Each student took a turn presenting for five minutes. It has been a big success. We are now almost finished the book and we have collected excellent notes from the entire novel. These notes will be saved forever on the class website, and will aid students in studying for the assessments and final exam.
All in all, this was an excellent experience for the students individually, and one that greatly benefited the class as a whole. It has been excellent to hear an individual impression of each chapter, leading in to group discussions of ongoing themes, symbols, motifs, and literary devices. It was a great way to break down a very difficult text into manageable and meaningful segments of collaborative work, and is one I will definitely do again.
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