Step One: WEBQUEST
Complete the Banned Books WebQuest Assignment and take the open notes quiz in Google Classroom (worth 10 points).
Step Two: SIGN UP FOR BOOK
Now that you have a little background on banned books, it’s time to create your poster project. Remember, the purpose of your project is to inform students and staff about book banning and censorship and to…
- Show an appreciation of our First Amendment Rights
- Encourage the reading of banned books (and all books)
See the sample posters from previous years. Your poster will be about a specific book (or series) that you learned about through research.
Select a book, series, author that is or has been associated with book banning. To do this, check the list of banned books at the American Library Association’s The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books by Decade or the most recent Top 10 Banned Books. You may also use any of the Banned Books Resource Guides located in the reference section of the library (REF 098.1). Once you’ve decided on a book, go to the Google Doc posted in Google Classroom and sign up. Remember, multiple classes are doing this project and we want to feature as many books as possible, so please choose a different book if you already see it on the list twice. Add your name, teacher and period to the spreadsheet in Google Classroom.
Step Three: RESEARCH AND WRITE
Research the reason(s) your selected book was challenged or banned, and when and where the incident occurred. Fill out the form given to you in Google Classroom. Write a short paragraph about your banned book. You may include the following information in your paragraph?
- Why was your book challenged or banned?
- Was there a court case?
- What was the end result?
- Who were the book banners?
- How did they explain their reasons?
- What was the end result?
You may wish to note whether or not the book is in the TZHS Library or in the SOCSD curriculum.
You can find this information in our print sources, at the banned books online web site (where you can actually READ the banned book itself) or do your own search using the Gale database, a periodical database on the library’s research page. Plot summaries can also be found on our Novelist database.
Be sure to cite your sources. Your paragraph should include internal citations in addition to your Works Cited. This is worth 10 points. Use Bibliography.com to create your Works Cited.
When you have answered all of the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How questions on your particular book, series, author, or court case, you are ready to create your poster. Your project can be serious or funny, direct or satirical.
Step Five: CREATE POSTER
Create your project. It should include:
- The title and author of the book
- The printed form from Google Classroom filled out with the required information
- Visual elements to make the poster appealing
- Your name, teacher, and class period on the front of the poster as such: Jane Doe/McMane per. 2
Remember that these will be posted for others to view, so do your best work!
Want to go the extra mile and take a stand against censorship?
Each year during Banned Books Week, Amnesty International draws attention to people around the world who have been imprisoned, threatened, or murdered because of their writing, art, or other published work. In solidarity with the American Library Association (ALA) and organizations across the U.S. and around the world, Amnesty activists work to fight challenges to freedom of expression.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP INFORMING OTHERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND OUR FREEDOM TO READ.