Book Report Instructions

Reading science literature other than your textbook will help to give you a greater appreciation and understanding of science. Science literature usually focuses on a single idea as opposed to the broad scope of your textbook, so you are able to concentrate on the thoughts and impressions of the author without being bogged down by endless facts.You will be required to read two books this year, one each semester. The book is your choice, but must first be approved by me. I will be checking to ensure that you've chosen a book that is commensurate with your reading ability and that it is contains appropriate subject matter. A list of books is at the bottom of this page, but it is by no means an exhaustive list.

Please keep in mind that this is not a report about the author of the book. DO NOT use the internet to research the book. It is YOUR thoughts that I am interested in - not the thoughts of others. Plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in a zero on your report and a referral. There are no exceptions to this policy. See the following link for more information regarding plagiarism - The Plagiarism Spectrum.

Your report for first semester is due on Friday, January 10, 2020 and for second semester is due on Friday, May 15, 2020 Your report must include:

1. Subject—an initial statement on the general subject of the book.
2. Summary—your summary of what the author had to say about the subject. Pick only the most important points to discuss. You may describe some of the key events or describe some of the main points made about the subject. If the book is divided into different chapters, you can often use those divisions as a guide to the main points.
3. Review - After you've summarized your book, express some of your thoughts about what you've read. What seemed to be the author's main reason for writing the book? What was the most interesting thing you learned about the book's subject? Why did you find it interesting? You might also give your opinion on how the subject was presented. Did the author hold your interest? Would you recommend this book to another student? Why or why not?

Remember! You must be sure to recognize the main idea or ideas in the book. So be sure that you have a good understanding of it before you begin writing. Keep the book beside you while you are writing your report so that you can refer to it when necessary. The book report must be between 2,000 and 5,000 words in length.

Email the file to dwyer_gena@salkeiz.k12.or.us. The file name must consist of your last name, first name.

Book Report Rubric.pdf (printable version)

List of Suggested books:

Most of these books are available in the classroom to borrow from Mrs. Dwyer

Terrible Lizard: The First Dinosaur Hunters and the Birth of a New Science by Deborah Cadbury

The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

Hope is the Thing with Feathers by Christopher Cokinos

Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin

Anthony van Leeuwenhoek and his "Little Animals" by Clifford Dobell

Tyrannosaurus Sue by Steve Fiffer

The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett

Through a Window by Jane Goodall

Earth in the Balance by Al Gore

Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes by Stephen J. Gould

The Flamingo's Smile by Stephen J. Gould

The Panda's Thumb by Stephen J. Gould

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawkings

A Year in the Maine Woods by Bernd Heinrich

Mind of the Raven by Bernd Heinrich

The Trees in My Forest by Bernd Heinrich

Modoc by Ralph Helfer

Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind by Donald Johanson and Maitland Edey

Lucy's Child: The Discovery of a Human Ancestor by Donald Johanson and James Shreeve

Lords & Lemurs by Alison Jolly

The Origin of Humankind by Richard Leakey

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold

Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez

King Solomon's Ring by Konrad Lorenz

What Evolution Is by Ernst Mayr

A Whale for the Killing by Farley Mowat

Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

The Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston

Genome by Matt Ridley

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavars by Mary Roach

Becoming Human by Ian Tattersall

The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas

Walden; Or, Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau

A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth by Samantha Weinberg

Planet Earth by Jonathan Weiner

The Beak of the Finch by Jonathan Weiner

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

Naturalist by E.O. Wilson

The Diversity of Life by E.O. Wilson