Safe as Houses

Safe as Houses: Final Assignment

I know we all really enjoyed our shared reading of Eric Walter’s book Safe as Houses. You now have a chance to complete 1 or 2 of the assignments listed below. Be prepared to share at least one of your assignments with the class.

New Book Cover - Create a new cover for the book; be sure to include all the important information that must be found on a cover.

Poetry- In your poem, you may want to use some of the vocabulary words that you learned as you read, or you may want to create more freely. See whether you can capture the spirit of the book in your poem. Remember, that poems do not have to rhyme.

A Letter from a Character – Write a letter from the perspective of one of the three main characters from the story; Lizzie, David or Suzie. Chose a point in the story when you think they may have decided to write a letter to their family, friends or a stranger.

Diorama – Create a diorama for an important scene in the book. This is a miniature scene, using dried plants, stones, dirt, small figures, and background pictures, etc., to create a three-dimensional effect.

Collage- Browse through magazines looking for pictures that remind you of characters or scenes from the book. Then cut them out and arrange them in interesting patterns on a poster.

Book in a Bag- Select five objects that have significance to the story. Place the objects in a bag or box. As you deliver your oral presentation, pull out objects one at a time and explain why you think it belongs.

Professional Review – Pretend you are a professional critic and write a review of Safe as Houses. Some tips to writing a professional review include: writing in the third person point of view, using present tense, anticipating and addressing the concerns of the reader, and supporting your opinion with evidence and examples from the book. Remember that a good book review does not give away the ending of the story.

Comic Strip – Make a comic strip about an event from the story. Make very neat and clear illustrations that are easy to understand. Remember to keep the pictures simple and not too detailed so that it is easy to see what is going on.

Letter to a Friend – Write a letter to a friend telling him or her all about the Safe as Houses. Explain what you liked about the story and what you didn’t like about the story. Include what you might have learned from the book.

Illustrations – Illustrate 10 pictures of characters or scenes from the story. On the back of each page, write a short paragraph explaining what the picture is and why you chose to include it.

Your Own Choice – If you have your own creative way of showing your recollection of the book, come and speak with me.

Good luck and have fun!

Our presentations will be due one week today on Tuesday December 18th.