Published on AASL Learning4Life Lesson Plan Database
Creating book reviews in Destiny OPAC
Created by: Elizabeth Russell
Title/Role: School library media specialist
Organization/School Name: Bradley Elementary School
Location: South Carolina
Grade Level: 2, 3, 4
Type of Lesson: Stand-alone lesson
Type of Schedule: Combination
Collaboration Continuum: Limited
Content Area:
Language Arts
Content Topic: Book reviews.
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner
Skills Indicator(s):
3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding
in ways that others can view, use, and assess.
4.1.3 Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres.
Scenario: Posting book reviews in an OPAC takes the response to literature that students participate in
regularly within their classroom walls to the next level. OPACs may be visited by anyone in the world, so
this is authentic publishing of student opinion. Once students are adept at discussing assigned reading
material, the teacher and media specialist schedule a 45 min. to 1 hour block of time to introduce this
means of expressing their opinions of self-selected reading material. Done in one lesson/demonstration
using a book they are familiar with and using their in-put, students participate in the writing of a review. A
rubric for a good review is created from the discussion and printed for distribution before the class ends.
Students are given a brochure describing the mechanics of using Destiny for writing reviews (see
attachment). Follow-up comes individually as they post their own reviews, which must be approved by the
librarian before they appear in the OPAC. This lesson may be done in the classroom or media center. It
may also be conducted by either the teacher, the librarian or team taught.
Overview: Students will have the opportunity to participate in the greater community of readers by letting
others know whether they should read a certain title. That's the essential question all readers ask: Should I
try this book or not? Students will answer that question using the good grammar, correct spelling and the
writing skills they've been practicing in the classroom to the benefit of anyone who explores our OPAC.
Final Product: The final product will be a book review posted in the school's OPAC.
Library Lesson: The media specialist's goal is to get students excited about reading. Being able to see
their reviews as well as those of their peers published in the OPAC is exciting to students. Using the OPAC
to find reviews will painlessly increase their skill in using it in general. Their writing skills, especially
concision, should benefit.
Estimated Lesson Time: 60 minutes
Assessment
Product: This lesson results in a summative assessment done by the media specialist. The product is
book review posted in the OPAC.
Process: In order to be posted, the review must be evaluated by the media specialist, who scans for
correct spelling, grammar and basic writing skills as well as any additional criteria adopted by the
students in the creation of their rubric. If all is well, the review is posted immediately. If not, the student is
asked to edit or rewrite the review based on a consultation with the librarian and using the rubric.
Student self-questioning: Students have both the rubric and the example of other posted reviews to
which to refer when composing their own reviews. Both the teacher and media specialist are available
for consultation as well.
Instructional Plan
Resources students will use:
Dataset (ie. lists, tables, databases)
Text (books, letters, poems, newspapers, etc.)
Resources instructor will use:
Projector
Smart board
Instruction/Activities
Direct instruction: Students will be introduced to book reviews by reading a few that have been posted
in years past. They will be asked if these reviews are helpful and why/why not. Make note of these ideas
as they will be the font of a student-created rubric for writing reviews. The students will be told that they
will help write a review of the book you are about to read aloud. They are welcome to take notes if they
choose. Read an interesting picture book, preferably one from your state's book award program.
Modeling and guided practice: Once the story is over, students are encouraged to give their opinions
of the text. Write all responses on the board. When finished writing, ask the students which opinions
express their feelings best. Be sure to mention the criteria they gave when looking at reviews earlier.
Write down their reasons and explanations. You should end up with a rubric and a not-quite-ready-forpublication review. Explain to them that this is the process they will use when writing their reviews.
Polish the review by describing the changes you are making and hit "save".
Independent practice: Students will write their own reviews within the week using the rubric their class
created. This may be done in the classroom or the media center. They have been given a pamphlet
describing how to use Destiny to post reviews. Quality reviews will be published. Reviews in need of
editing or rewriting will require librarian-student conferences.
Sharing and reflecting: After 2-3 weeks of review writing, the class as a group will be asked to discuss
their feelings about the reviews. Do they use them when selecting books?
Have you taught this lesson before: Yes
Strategies for differentiation: Conferences with individual students who need to edit or rewrite their
reviews prior to publication will allow the media specialist to differentiate according to student capabilities.
AASL/Common Core State Standards Crosswalk
English Language Arts:
CC.3.SL.5 » English Language Arts » Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas » 5. Create engaging audio
recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable pace; add visual
displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details. (3)
CC.3.W.6 » English Language Arts » Production and Distribution of Writing » 6. With guidance and
support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as
to interact and collaborate with others. (3)
CC.4.SL.5 » English Language Arts » Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas » 5. Add audio recordings
and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or
themes. (4)
CC.4.W.6 » English Language Arts » Production and Distribution of Writing » 6. With some guidance
and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as
to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a
minimum of one page in a single sitting. (4)
CC.2.R.L.2 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 2. Recount stories, including fables and
folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral. (2)
CC.2.R.L.3 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 3. Describe how characters in a story
respond to major events and challenges. (2)
CC.2.R.L.4 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 4. Describe how words and phrases (e.g.,
regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.
(2)
CC.2.R.L.5 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 5. Describe the overall structure of a story,
including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action. (2)
CC.2.R.L.7 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 7. Use information gained
from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters,
setting, or plot. (2)
CC.2.R.L.9 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 9. Compare and contrast
two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different
cultures. (2)
CC.2.R.L.10 » English Language Arts » Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity » 10. By the
end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2-3 text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. (2)
CC.2.W.1 » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » 1. Write opinion pieces in which they
introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the
opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a
concluding statement or section. (2)
CC.3.R.L.2 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 2. Recount stories, including fables,
folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain
how it is conveyed through key details in the text. (3)
CC.3.R.L.7 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 7. Explain how specific
aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood,
emphasize aspects of a character or setting). (3)
CC.4.R.L.9 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 9. Compare and contrast
the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events
(e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures. (4)
This lesson plan is subject to copyright by the American Library Association and may be used for the noncommercial purpose of
scientific or educational advancement granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address usage
requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
Here’s a chance for
you to tell everyone
how much you like
what you’ve been
reading!
Bradley Media Center
Bradley Elementary School
3032 Pine Belt Rd.
Columbia, SC 29204
(803)738-7254
A Kid’s Guide to
Writing Book
Reviews
in Destiny
Bradley
Elementary School
With over 8,000 books to choose from
in the Bradley library, how do you decide which books to check out?
Now you can take the advice other
Bradley Media Center
3032 Pine Belt Rd.
Columbia, SC 29204
Bradley boys and girls by reading their
reviews of the books they’re reading.
And, once you’ve finished reading a
book, you can write your own review to
help other students decide.
Phone: (803)738-7254
Fax: (803)738-7346
E-mail: [email protected]
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://bradley.rcsd1.org/
Get the buzz on
the books in the
library!
Writing reviews is easy to do in Destiny.
DESTINY
Step 2
You must write your review on paper be-
Get familiar with this
word. It is the name of
the library’s on-line
public access catalog,
the list of all the books
in the library and the
place where you read
and write reviews.
fore going to a computer . Make sure you
have spelled everything correctly and that
your argument makes sense. You need to
be persuasive. WHY is it a good book?
What was the best part (or maybe there was
more than one)? Have you read other books
by the same author and liked them (or not)?
What would you want to know if you were
reading this review? Would you recommend
this book to others?
Step 3
WHERE DO YOU START?
First you have to
read a book.
Read it actively,
asking yourself
questions about
the main idea,
characters, point
of view, plot, setting, and mood. What
genre is it in and is it a good example of
that genre? You may want to take notes
because the next step is to . . . . . .
You can do this at any computer at
Bradley that has the Destiny icon on it. That
means in your classroom, the computer lab
or the library.
Once you’re in Destiny, look at the top
right-hand part of the screen for the log in
button. Click on it and type in the username
you’ve been given. Type your password
next.
Type in the title of the book you’ve read,
omitting a, an, or the if they appear as the
first word. Click on the title button.
Next, find the exact title you want from
the list of choices and click on it. At the top
of this screen you’ll see the word reviews on
one of the three tabs. Click on that tab.
Next, click on the add reviews tab. Here
you will want to indicate just how good the
book is by giving it anywhere from 1 to 5
stars. Then you copy the review you’ve
written and click on save.
Step 4
This last step doesn't require any action on your part.
Your review goes to Ms. Russell, who will critique it and
either accept or deny it.
Look for your review to
show up within 2 school days.
You do this by following the
same steps as in step 3.
If your review doesn’t show
up, ask Ms. Russell to tell you
why. You may want to bring
your written copy with you to
help you make your point.
Write your username here:
____________________________
Write your password here:
___________________________