Are you looking for ways to incorporate meaningful Banned Books Week reading comprehension activities and projects that introduce students to the debate on censorship and book bans? This Banned Book Week reading comprehension + research project bundle is the perfect unit for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade ELA students to dive into deep discussions around censorship and book banning. Through a combination of a nonfiction close reading activity, a reading passages scavenger hunt, and an informative project, middle school students will deepen their understanding of banning books while strengthening essential literacy skills
Perfect for middle school ELA sub plans, book clubs, or as a unique extension to your literature curriculum, this week-long resource helps students develop critical thinking and research skills while creatively showcasing what they learn. After completing the introduction reading comprehension scavenger hunt and creating an awareness campaign about the 2024 Banned Books Week theme “Freed Between the Lines,” students will then conduct research about banned books and identify one banned book to present to their classmates.
In addition, the completed projects can not only be used as a Banned Book project but the completed Banned Books Week posters can also be used as purposeful classroom decor when displaying the projects throughout your classroom or for creating a meaningful Banned Books Week Bulletin Board.
✍ What’s Included:
• Banned Books Week Reading Comprehension Lesson + Project
- Activity #1 Nonfiction Close Reading Lesson (Editable Materials)
- Text: “Book Bans in Schools: Granting Parents’ Rights or A Slippery Slope to Censorship?”
- Text Two-Column Notes Organizer with Multiple Choice Questions
- Answer Key
- Activity #2: Stop the New Book Evaluation Program Scavenger Hunt (Editable Materials)
- Teacher Set-Up Directions
- Student Mission and Directions
- 10 Reading Passages (Full Page)
- 10 Reading Passage Cards (2 Per Page)
- Answer Keys
- Student Answer Sheets
- Activity #3: Banned Books Week 2024 Project (Editable Materials)
- Project Assignment Guide with Suggest Websites
- Project Rubric
- Project Planning and Notes Page
- 25+ Project Template Pages (Sketch Posters, Banners, or Social Media Templates)
- Strong and Weak Project Samples for Each Project Option
- 3 Day Lesson Powerpoint (Editable)
- Learning Targets
- Setting Our Purpose Slides
- Warm-Up Questions
- Step-by-Step Close Reading Lesson Slides
- Scavenger Hunt Directions
- Project Introduction, Model Breakdowns, and Directions
- Daily Student-Self Reflections
- Teacher Guide with Tips and Important Information
• Banned Books Research Project
- Banned Books Week Banners Research Handouts
- Grading Rubric
- 21 Pre-designed and EDITABLE templates with DIRECTIONS
- Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Mini Lesson + Bookmarks
- Strong and Weak Teacher Models
- Google Slides Versions of All Materials
• Banned Books Week Daily Reading Comprehension Bell Ringers
- 5 Full Page BellRingers
- 2 Per Page Bell Ringers with an Extension Question
• Banned Books Week Bulletin Board
- 12 Color Posters with Quotes and H.O.T. Questions
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Resource:
✅ SAVE your TIME and ENERGY with this LOW PREP Resource
✅ Covers MULTIPLE ELA Standards and Skills
✅ Clear Student Directions, Strong Models, and Rubrics Included
✅ Create Purposeful Classroom Decor
✅ Editable Print Materials
✅ Print and Digital Resources
✋ What SKILLS AND STANDARDS ARE ADDRESSED?
• Conducting Online Research
• Pulling Evidence/Information from Multiple Sources
• Self-Generating Research Questions
• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Text Evidence
• Identifying Relevant Text Evidence/Information
• Works Cited Page and Website Citations
• AND MANY MORE!
✋ How Can You Use These Banned Books Week Activities?
– Book Club Activities
– Book Recommendation Activities
– Middle School ELA Sub Plan
– Group/Partner Project
– Individual Project
– Create Banned Books Week Door Decorations
– Student Discussions and Collaboration
