Optional Activities for an ELA (English Language Arts) Response Journal Rubric

Each school district develops its own objectives for student expectations and within that framework, each teacher puts her own spin on the objectives. The goal of this article is help teachers develop a rubric for school work assignments, grading and completion. My objectives are:

elicit the most genuine response from students
reduce busywork for students and teachers
provide options
address VAKT learning styles
address individual needs
organize student work
use resources more responsibly

To that end, I have introduced in another article the Reading Response Journal. Each month (or for each unit) a blocked chart like a bingo card is placed in the journal with a list of 25 activities (from which 20 are chosen by the student). These activities reflect the Michigan Model of Reading (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. I have added Responding as venue for the special needs students or those who learn best in other styles). I have based the activities on HOTS model – Higher Order Thinking Skills {Recall/ comprehension, Analysis, Application, Synthesis, Evaluation}.

This is a list of over 50 optional activities to include in the Reading Response Rubric. Feel free to tweak to fit your class needs. Write one assignment in each of the 25 blocks (5 columns x 5 rows). Students complete these activities in a one subject notebook to keep them all organized they may complete them in any order they wish and only need to complete 20 or the 25 listed. This list is designed for book, literature, or English lessons. Fill in the blanks to fit the content you are covering. It covers spelling, grammar and mechanics also.

Define 10 new words from reading.
Use 10 new words in sentences.
List two synonyms for each vocabulary word.
List one antonym for each vocabulary word.
Write tour guide for the setting.
Write a realtor’s description for setting.
Draw a map of location.
Draw a picture or symbol to represent your 10 new words.
Define words from teacher list.
Use new word list in sentences. (extra points for multiple word usage in a sentence)
Make up a board game for this unit.
Draw a cartoon with 6 frames (or a manga style cartoon) about an event in the story.
Make up a Myspace for a character.
Make a diorama about a scene from the book.
Write a Haiku about the setting.
Make paperdolls of 3 characters.
Make a character web.
Draw a time line or time web to show 10 major events.
Describe main character in 10 adjectives.
Describe setting in 10 adverbs.
Write an Acrostic using a character name.
How are you like _____?
How are you different from____?
List 10 books, songs or movies or that this story reminds you of?
Tell about any idea in this story that you have heard about in another class.
Write 10 trivia questions from the book.
Tell a friend 10 details about your book.
Listen to another classmate and ask 5 questions.
Draw or make a prop, tool, or artifact from the story.
List 5 websites where you can learn more about…
What advice would you give to ___?
What would you do in this situation?
Stage a short debate between ____ and ____?
What would ___be like as a student in this school?
Make a travel brochure for____.
Give 10 alternate titles for this book.
List 5 new ideas you got from the book.
Draw a poster advertising _____
Make a commercial about _____
Write a news review of ____
Write an op/ed piece about _____
Write a book review.
Write an alternative ending.
Write a letter to the author.
Make up vocab quiz for this story.
List five symbols from the book.
Make up an online game.
Make up a costume for ___ (extra points to wear it in class)
Design a book cover.
Set the story to music (minimum 6 songs).
Invent a thing to help_____.
Make an us and them poster.
Make up a ‘Worst Case Scenario’ for ____
Make up 6 Scene-It cards for ____
Make up 10 Deal or No Deal suitcases for _____
Make up 10 Are you Smarter cards.
Talk to _________like you were Simon.
Make up a Survivor task for ____ .
What would _____do if he was running for political office.
Draw a story map.
Rewrite ____passage in today’s language.
Peer edit a paragraph.
Role-play a scene from book.
Write a short debate between two characters.
Perform debate with a partner.
Write a commercial for the book.
Write a slogan for the book, setting, or conflict.
Make a poster about the book.
Debate an issue presented in the book with a partner.
Write a foreward to the book.
Write an afterword for the book.
Proofread a partner’s forward or afterword.

I hope this list gives you some ideas to bounce off from and develop your own Reading Response Rubric.