This hands-on reading project encourages students to think critically about the books they read while making meaningful connections to characters, setting, problem, and solution. It’s an excellent activity for building reading comprehension, speaking skills, and classroom community during the first weeks of school.

Students will love sharing the treasures hidden inside their bags, and teachers will love the meaningful discussions that naturally follow!

Students will:

✔ Choose a fiction book to read independently.

✔ Select four objects that represent important story elements.

✔ Explain how each object connects to the story.

✔ Present their paper bag book report to the class.

✔ Practice summarizing, sequencing, and oral presentation skills.

Students will include:

• Something to represent a character
• Something to represent the setting
• Something to represent the problem
• Something to represent the solution

This project makes an excellent:

• Back to School homework assignment
• First month reading project
• Independent reading activity
• Reading response project
• Literature circle extension
• Reading celebration activity
• Parent involvement assignment
• Book recommendation presentation

What’s Included

⭐ Student directions (2 versions)

⭐ Paper Bag Book Report template

⭐ Easy-to-use grading rubric

Why Teachers Love This Resource

• Encourages students to actually read their books.
• Makes book reports fun and memorable.
• Develops higher-order thinking and reading comprehension.
• Strengthens speaking and presentation skills.
• Requires very little teacher preparation.
• Uses inexpensive classroom materials.
• Perfect for Grades 2–5.
• Great for the beginning of the school year when building classroom community.

Instead of another worksheet, give your students a creative reading project they’ll be excited to complete and proud to share!

Perfect For

• Back to School
• First Week of School
• Reading Centers
• Independent Reading
• Reading Workshop
• Literacy Activities
• Homework
• Book Reports
• Fiction Reading
• Reading Comprehension
• Upper Elementary Classrooms

Thank you for visiting my store!

Pam