September Book Report: Diorama

 

Date due: Friday, Sept. 30

Quiz Passed: Friday, Sept. 16

 

Your task is to make a diorama that captures a scene or concept described in the mark twain book you read. This will help your teacher and classmates get a better idea of what you are trying to convey about the book.

 

A diorama is a mini-world—an entire landscape in a container or box.

 

Things you will need: shoebox, paint or construction paper, pictures from magazines, figures, glue, scissors, etc.

 

Steps:

  1. Pick a scene or concept from the book that you read that you think would be good to recreate for your diorama. You might want to pick something that sums up the book or a scene from the most important part of the book. It might be your favorite or least favorite part of the novel. Choosing the scene is very important.
  2. Make a list of some of the most important elements of the scene. List the characters in the scene, and make notes about the setting and the action that is taking place in the scene.
  3. Draw a sketch of the scene you are trying to create. This will help you decide what to put in your diorama.
  4. Turn an empty shoebox on its side. Either paint the inside or glue construction paper to cover the inside of the box.
  5. Decide on a scale. A diorama is supposed to look “real”. Then, gather the materials for your scene. Cut out pictures from magazines or shapes from construction paper to create the people and things within your diorama. Clean out your toy box and find toys or figures that would fit the scale/concept of your scene. Be creative: sugar cubes can make an igloo, a toothpick with paper leaves could be a palm tree, etc.
  6. Build your diorama working from the back to the front.
  7. Refer to the scoring guide as you construct your diorama.

 

 

 

 

Diorama Scoring Guide

 

Name: Date:

 

Title of Book:

 

 

Exemplary

4 points

Proficient

3 points

Progressing

2 points

Not yet meeting standards

0 points

1. Reading counts quiz passed on time

1. One – three days late

1. Four – seven days late

1. Passed quiz more than one week late

2. Diorama completed by deadline

2. One – three days late

2. Four – seven days late

2. Diorama more than one week late or not completed at all

3. Characters are carefully made or depicted so others can tell who they are

 

3. Characters are carelessly made with few details or do not match characters from the novel

3. Only one character is shown or character does not fit scene or concept of diorama

4. Setting is clearly shown so that others can tell where and when the story takes place

4. Setting only shows when and/or where, not both

 

4. Setting is inaccurate or does not fit scene

5. Without words, the plot of the story is shown so that others know what the characters are doing in the setting

5. Audience has some idea of what is going on

5. Diorama does not accurately depict the plot or it is unclear

5. No evidence of plot in the scene

6. Diorama is visually attractive and neatly done. Student went above and beyond the requirements with the project.

6. Diorama is visually attractive and neatly done.

6. Diorama is completed in a hasty way that is visually distracting

6. Diorama is lacking detail and materials to accurately complete scene

 

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________