Rhonda Elton

Reading Enrichment Unit Creating Thinglinks to Advertise Books

Example:
https://www.thinglink.com/scene/698163611587051522
OVERVIEW:
In this lesson, students review the elements of fiction. They identify and share these
components by creating unique, interactive Thinglinks, which are multimedia posters. This
activity offers an alternative to the traditional book report as well as an opportunity for students
to share their posters with their classmates. Students can then see what they might enjoy
reading by viewing others projects.
STATE STANDARDS:
Subject: Language Arts
Grade(s): 5
Standard: ELACC5RL1. Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says
explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Standard: ELACC5RL2. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text,
including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a
poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
Standard: ELACC5RL6. Describe how a narrators or speakers point of view influences how
events are described.
Standard: ELACC5RL7. Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the
meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction,
folktale, myth, poem).
Standard: ELACC5RL10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including
stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Standard: ELACC5RI1. Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says
explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Standard: ELACC5RI2. Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are
supported by key details; summarize the text.
Standard: ELACC5RI4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words
and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
Standard: ELACC5RI7. Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources,
demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem
efficiently.
Standard: ELACC5RI8. Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular
points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence supports which point(s).
Standard: ELACC5RI9. Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to
write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Standard: ELACC5RI10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts,
including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4-5
text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Standard: ELACC5RF4.a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.

Standard: ELACC5RF4.c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and

understanding, rereading as necessary.
Standard: ELACC5W2.b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations,
or other information and examples related to the topic.
Standard: ELACC5W7. Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build
knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
Standard: ELACC5W8. Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant
information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and
finished work, and provide a list of sources.
Standard: ELACC5W9.a. Apply grade 5 Reading standards to literature (e.g., Compare and
contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or a drama, drawing on specific
details in the text [e.g., how characters interact.
Standard: ELACC5W9.b. Apply grade 5 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., Explain
how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which
reasons and evidence supports which point[s]).
Standard: ELACC5SL5. Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual
displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or
themes.
Standard: ELACC5L1.d. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense and aspect.
Standard: ELACC5L4.a. Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text)
as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Standard: ELACC5L6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and
domain-specific vocabulary, including words and phrases that signal contrast, addition, and other
logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless, similarly, moreover, in addition).
NCTE/IRA NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS:
1. Students read a wide range of print and non -print texts to build an understanding of texts,
of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new
information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for
personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and
contemporary works.
2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an
understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human
experience.
3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate
texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers,
their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and
their understanding of textual features (e.g., soundletter correspondence, sentence structure,
context, graphics).
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and
punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss
print and non-print texts.
8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases,
computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate
knowledge.

11.Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of

literacy communities.
12.Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for
learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

WEBSITES:
Thinglink.com

PREPARATION
1. Before this lesson, students will have read a fiction book independently.
2. Students will bring a copy of their book to the lab. It will be the focus of their posters.
3. The teacher will review the definitions of the literary terms used in the lesson: characters,
setting, plot, theme, author, and genre. These terms will have already been taught in the
classroom.
4. The class will brainstorm examples from stories that they have previously read to apply the
literary terms.
5. The teacher will create a Thinglink for students to view.
6. The teacher will make copies of the Thinglink rubric to hand out to students.
STUDENT OBJECTIVES
Students will:

identify elements of fiction.

analyze a fiction book.

communicate literary terms in visual and written form by producing a Thinglink

Share their Thinglink interactive posters with their classmates.

SESSION ONE: INTRODUCING THE PROJECT

1.
2.
3.

The teacher will show the sample Thinglink of the story.

Each student will be given a copy of the Thinglink Book Report Rubric.
As a class, we will go through the rubric and grade the sample Thinglink together. The
teacher will discuss how the hyperlinks expand topics that are in the book, for example, links
to authors homepage or topics covered in the book. The teacher will also discuss how the
character, setting, and plot are covered, and how quotes from the book can be used in the
project to capture the essence of the book.
4.
Students will be given the Book Report Thinglink handout.
5.
Students will be assigned the task of completing the printout before the next session.

SESSIONS TWO THROUGH FOUR: CREATING THE THINGLINK

1.
2.
3.

The teacher will check that students have completed the Thinglink Book Report Checklist.
The teacher will model each step of creating a Thinglink.
Students will be allowed time to work on their posters. While students work, the teacher
will assist students individually on some or all of the following.
Check on their accuracy of use of literary terms and help students revise where
needed.
Question students about which quotes they have selected from their books and why
these quotes reflect the essence of the book.
Ask students what hyperlinks they have selected and why their links are good, credible
websites.
4.
The teacher will encourage students to work on their projects from any computer (home or
public library, for example) since this is an Internet-based program.

SESSION FIVE: CELEBRATING AND SHARING

1.

The students will celebrate the joy of reading by sharing his/her poster with the class.

EXTENSIONS

Establish a class wiki and post links to the wiki. Publish your classroom wiki to the
community, so the audience for your student is larger.
I would also like to have older students create Thinglinks for picture books to get younger
students interested in books that are not always chosen from the shelf.

STUDENT ASSESSMENT/REFLECTIONS

Before students work on their projects, review each students completed Book Report
checklist.
During each session, observe and note the students time on task as this is one of the
categories on the rubric.
Using the Thinglink Book Report Rubric, evaluate each students completed project. Offer
feed back to the students on their project.
Have students present their projects to the class.

Thinglink Book Report Checklist

Are the following items on your Thinglink?

o An uploaded cover of the book

o A tab representing the book level
o A tab representing the AR points (if applicable)
o A tab discussing the main characters
o A tab discussing the setting
o A tab discussing the plot
o A tab discussing the theme(s)
o A tab discussing the genre
o A link to the authors page
o At least one quote from the book is included

Thinglink Book Report Rubric

Student Name:
CATEGORY
Use of Class
Time

Title

Required
Elements

________________________________________

4
Used time
well during
each class
period.
Focused on
getting the
project done.
Never
distracted
others.

3
Used time
well during
each class
period.
Usually
focused on
getting the
project done
and never
distracted
others.

2
1
Used some of Did not use
the time well class time to
during each
focus on the
class period. project OR
There was
often
some focus
distracted
on getting the others.
project done
but
occasionally
distracted
others.
Thinglink has Thinglink has Thinglink has Thinglink has
an
an
title but title no title.
appropriate
appropriate
doesnt match
title using
title, but
subject.
capital letters student forget
where
to capitalize.
needed.
The Thinglink All but 1 of
All but 2 of
More than 2
includes all 10 the required the required of the
required
elements are elements are required
elements
included on
included on
elements are
the poster.
the poster.
missing. .

Attractiveness The Thinglink

is
exceptionally
attractive in
terms of
design,
layout, and
neatness.
Mechanics/
Capitalization,
Grammar
punctuation,
and grammar
are correct
throughout.

The Thinglink The Thinglink

is attractive in is acceptably
terms of
attractive
design, layout though it may
and neatness. be a bit
messy.

The Thinglink
is
distractingly
messy or very
poorly
designed. It is
not attractive.

There are a
couple of
errors in
capitalization,
punctuation
or grammar
throughout.

There are 5 or
more errors in
capitalization,
punctuation
or grammar
throughout.

There are 3 -4
errors in
capitalization,
punctuation
or grammar
throughout.