Book reports can be a yawn, or they can be an opportunity to inspire students’ creativity and get students excited to share what they read.
When students complete book reports, they should demonstrate their understanding of the text and share their opinion of it.
The challenge for teachers is connecting the old book report format with today’s students, which is where the Time Capsule Book Report template comes in.
This book report template is perfect for when students read a story that is particularly character-driven, which a lot of novels for elementary schoolers are.
How to Use the Time Capsule Book Report Template
As you read through a novel with your students, use the planning sheet to capture information about the characters, such as what objects become important to them.
For example, what objects would Opal save in Because of Winn-Dixie, or what objects would Esperanza save in Esperanza Rising?
Teachers can focus students’ thinking on a book’s theme by having students choose a theme and choosing objects to create a time capsule that shows that theme, using the Time Capsule Book Report worksheet.
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A student focusing on the theme of “friendship” while reading Charlotte’s Web may identify different time capsule choices for Wilbur than a student that focuses on the theme of “change.”
Students can explore different themes by considering what objects their characters would choose for a time capsule, such as a wand from Harry Potter, a dragon’s egg from Wings of Fire, or a book from Matilda.
Creating Time Capsules
Have students create or collect the objects their character would gather, then save them for future classes to open.
Start your own time capsule by using the Time Capsule Book Report to kick off or end the year.
After completing a time capsule for their character, students will understand what it means to choose something for their own time capsule.
They think about what they would save from their book and why.
Each item should connect to a character or plot, showing what they connected with from the story and how they understood the character.
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Once students have thought about what their character’s time capsule would contain, they draft their report.
They draw their time capsule and write a paragraph or two about what they included and why.
Benefits for Teachers and Students
This book report template gets students thinking about character development and theme without heavy-handed lessons or questions.
Because the book report template is open-ended, students can have rich discussions as they pull their time capsules together.
The template encourages students to think critically about the character and pay attention to details in a way they haven’t before.
Students love the opportunities for creativity and projects.
Get your free Time Capsule Book Report worksheets! Have students use these worksheets to complete their next book report. Need book recs to pair with the book report template? Check out the best books for students in grades 2-6 (with printables).
