New Brunswick Public Schools

Summer Reading Assignments

Grades 3-5

Table of Contents

  • Book Bingo (required): p. 2
  • Example: Completed Book Bingo: p. 3
  • Task #1: Create a new cover for your book: p. 4-5
  • Task #2: Create a comic book page: p. 6-10
  • Task #3: Write a paragraph: p. 11-12
  • Task #4: Create a board game: p. 13-16
  • Suggested Reading List, Grade 3-4: p. 17-22
  • Suggested Reading List, Grade 5: p. 23-27


Directions: Make “Bingo” by completing all 5 actions in the row or column. A minimum of at least one row is required for each student. Have an adult initial each box as you complete it.

Choose a task from the attached list.
Adult Initials: _____ / Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week.
Adult Initials: _____ / Read a book along with another family member.
Adult Initials: _____ / Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week.
Adult Initials: _____ / Tell an adult what you liked best about your book.
Adult Initials: _____
Take a walk with someone and talk about your book.
Adult Initials: _____ / Choose a task from the attached list.
Adult Initials: _____ / Tell an adult what you liked best about your book
Adult Initials: _____ / Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week
Adult Initials: _____ / Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week
Adult Initials: _____
Choose a task from the attached list.
Adult Initials: _____ / Read a book to a young child.
Adult Initials: _____ / Choose a task from the attached list.
Adult Initials: _____ / Take a walk with your mom or dad and talk about your book.
Adult Initials: _____ / Discuss your book at the dinner table.
Adult Initials: _____
Read a book to a young child.
Adult Initials: _____ / Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week
Adult Initials: _____ / Discuss your story at the dinner table.
Adult Initials: _____ / Choose a task from the attached list.
Adult Initials: _____ / Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week
Adult Initials: _____
Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week
Adult Initials: _____ / Tell an adult what you liked best about your book.
Adult Initials: _____ / Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week
Adult Initials: _____ / Read a book along with another family member.
Adult Initials: _____ / Choose a task from the attached list.
Adult Initials: _____

EXAMPLE:

COMPLETED BINGO SHEET

Choose a task from the attached list.
Adult Initials: _____ / Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week.
Adult Initials: AG / Read a book along with another family member.
Adult Initials: _____ / Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week.
Adult Initials: _____ / Tell an adult what you liked best about your book.
Adult Initials: _____
Take a walk with someone and talk about your book.
Adult Initials: _____ / Choose a task from the attached list.
Adult Initials: AG / Tell an adult what you liked best about your book
Adult Initials: _____ / Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week
Adult Initials: _____ / Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week
Adult Initials: _____
Choose a task from the attached list.
Adult Initials: _____ / Read a book to a young child.
Adult Initials: AG / Choose a task from the attached list.
Adult Initials: _____ / Take a walk with your mom or dad and talk about your book.
Adult Initials: _____ / Discuss your book at the dinner table.
Adult Initials: _____
Read a book to a young child.
Adult Initials: _____ / Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week
Adult Initials: AG / Discuss your story at the dinner table.
Adult Initials: _____ / Choose a task from the attached list.
Adult Initials: _____ / Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week
Adult Initials: _____
Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week
Adult Initials: _____ / Tell an adult what you liked best about your book.
Adult Initials: AG / Read for at least 20 minutes a day for one week
Adult Initials: _____ / Read a book along with another family member.
Adult Initials: _____ / Choose a task from the attached list.
Adult Initials: _____

Task #1

Design a New Cover for your Book

Instructions and Example

Directions: Create a new book jacket for the book. Use a blank sheet of paper and follow the example below. You may draw your new book jacket by hand, or you may use a computer. Your new book jacket should tell people what type of book it is, and what it is about. Be as creative as possible!

Task #1: Create a New Cover for your Book

Categories / Advanced Proficient (AP)
4 / Proficient (PR)
3 / Developing (DE)
2 / Emerging (EM)
1
Cover Illustration / Cover illustration accurately reflects the genre, theme and plot of the book and shows creativity. / Cover illustration mostly reflects the genre, theme and plot of the book and shows some creativity. / Cover illustration somewhat reflects the genre, theme and plot of the book and shows some creativity. / Genre, theme and/or plot are not clear and illustration shows very little creativity.
Design / Font, colors and other design elements reflects the genre, theme and plot of the book and shows creativity. / Font, colors and other design elements mostly reflects the genre, theme and plot of the book and shows some creativity. / Font, colors and other design elements somewhat reflects the genre, theme and plot of the book and shows some creativity. / Font, colors and other design elements do not reflect the genre, plot or theme and show little creativity.
Summary Content / 5 or more sentences that interest the reader and accurately describe the book / 3-5 sentences that accurately describe the book / 3-5 sentences that partially describe the book / 1-3 sentences that do not clearly describe the book
Author Information / 3 accurate facts about the author that grab the reader. / 3 accurate facts about the author. / Less than 3 accurate facts about the author. / Facts about the author are inaccurate.
Opinion Quote / Quote grabs the reader and opinion is clear. / Opinion is clear. / Opinion is somewhat clear. / Opinion is not clear.
Spelling and Mechanics / Sentences and proper nouns are properly capitalized, and all words are spelled correctly. / Sentences and proper nouns are properly capitalized most of the time, and most words are spelled correctly. / Sentences and proper nouns are properly capitalized some of the time, and some words are spelled correctly. / There are many spelling and capitalization errors.

Rubric

Task #2:

Create a page from a Comic Book/Graphic Novel

Instructions

You must create a page from a comic book/graphic novel that illustrates a key event from the story. Choose an important (key) event from your story. Then, create a comic book page to illustrate this event using ONE of the templates on the next pages.

Draw the characters that are part of the event. If the characters speak to each other in this event, use speech bubbles to show the dialogue (words). Include a caption (title or explanation) at the bottom of each section of the template to explain to the reader what is happening.


Task #2:

Create a page from a Comic Book/Graphic Novel

Blank Template #1


Task #2:

Create a page from a Comic Book/Graphic Novel

Blank Template #2


Task #2:

Create a page from a Comic Book/Graphic Novel

Blank Template #3


Task #2:

Create a page from a Comic Book/Graphic Novel

Rubric

Categories / Advanced Proficient (AP)
4 / Proficient (PR)
3 / Developing (DE)
2 / Emerging (EM)
1
Event Selection / Student selects the key (most important) event from the story. / Student selects a key event from the story. / Student selects an event from the story, but it is not a key event. / Student selects an event from the story.
Characters and Dialogue / Characters and dialogue are included. The characters and dialogue complement each other and explain the event to the reader. / Student includes and uses characters and dialogue properly, but they do not reflect the key event being described. / Student includes characters and dialogue, but the characters and dialogue do not match (reflect each other). / Student draws the characters, but not the dialogue necessary to explain the event to the reader.
Captions / All captions are included and the captions truly explain the key event to the reader. / Student includes captions for all parts of the comic strip. / Student includes captions for some parts of the comic strip. / No captions are included in the comic strip.
Grammar & Spelling / Student has no grammar/spelling mistakes. / Student has 1-2 grammar/spelling mistakes. / Student has 3-4 grammar/spelling mistakes. / Student has 5 or more grammar/spelling mistakes.


Task #3:

Write a Paragraph

Instructions

Choose one of the following questions and answer it in a well-written paragraph. Remember to use examples from your book to explain your answer.

1. Let’s pretend you really like this book. How would you convince your friend to read it? What would be your first sentence to get your BFF hooked? Write 3-5 more sentences to persuade your BFF to read this novel.

2. Invent a BFF for the main character of the book. What is this new character’s name? How do the main character and the new friend interact with each other? Write 4-6 sentences describing this new character and the relationship with the main character.


Task #3:

Write a Paragraph

Rubric

Categories / Advanced Proficient
4 / Proficient (PR)
3 / Developing (DE)
2 / Emerging (EM) 1
Organization / Strong hook/topic sentence. Ideas are organized. / Good topic sentence. Ideas are organized. / Some organization; attempt at a beg/mid/end / No organization; lack beg/mid/end
Ideas / Presents ideas in an original manner / Presents ideas in an consistent manner / Presents general ideas / Ideas are vague or unclear
Grammar, Usage and Mechanics / Virtually no spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors / Few spelling and punctuations errors, minor grammatical errors / A number of spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors / So many spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors that it interferes with the meaning


Task #4:

Create a Board Game

Instructions

  • Choose two or three short books you read over the summer or one long book. Discuss or share these books with your friends, and then you can play together.
  • Write Start at the beginning of the path and Winner at the end, and the title and author of the book or books somewhere on the board.
  • FOR FICTION: In at least 12 of the blank spaces along the path, write in events of the story in the order that they occurred. Around the path, draw some of the characters, settings, or important objects.
  • FOR NONFICTION: Write at least 12 facts that you learned from the books.
  • Create at least 12 cards with vocabulary words from the books you read. These should be words that you did not know before you read the book, but understood after you read it, or looked up in a dictionary. On the back, write the meaning of the word.
  • In approximately 10 spaces, write “Vocabulary Card”.

How to Play

Start the game with several players and play pieces and using dice or a spinner to move through the path. If you land on a “Vocabulary Card” square, draw a card. You then have to give the correct definition of the word on the card, either because you know it already, or by looking it up in a dictionary. If you answer correctly, you get a second turn. If you land on an event square, read the event out loud. Whoever reaches the end first is the winner.



Task #7:

Create a Board Game

Rubric

Categories / Advanced Proficient (AP)
4 / Proficient (PR)
3 / Emerging (EM)
2 / Developing (DE)
1
Game Board Content / Board has 5-6 clearly drawn and labeled characters, objects and settings in the background. / Board has 4-5 drawn and labeled characters, objects and settings in the background. / Board has 3-4 characters and settings, but not detailed or labeled. / Board only has 1-2 characters which are not detailed or labeled.
Game Board Cards / 12 or more cards, with vocabulary that is very specific to the book and aids comprehension of the book or subject. / 8-12 cards, vocabulary is a mix of advanced and new and words that student may already know. / 5-7 cards, vocabulary includes many words students already know. / 5 or fewer cards with vocabulary that students already know.
Event Spaces (Fiction) / 10 or more events. Events on game “path” are consecutive and specific, demonstrating student comprehension of the event. / 6-9 events on game “path” that are consecutive and specific, demonstrating student comprehension of the event. / 6-9 events that are not consecutive or clearly described. / Fewer than 6 events that are not consecutive or clearly described.
Content spaces (nonfiction) / At least 12 spaces that show a variety of subtopics with clear summarization. / 8-12 spaces that show a variety of subtopics with clear summarization. / At least 8 spaces with clearly summarized facts, but are from a limited range of subtopics within the books. / Fewer than 8 spaces, from a limited range of subtopics or not clearly summarized.
Spelling and Grammar / Virtually no spelling and grammar errors / A few spelling and grammar errors. / A number of spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors / So many spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors that it interferes with the meaning


Suggested Book List