Replacing of Book Reports: The Press Conference
Here is a most enjoyable activity. You are going to offer a press conference in which audience members can meet a series of famous people or famous characters. Have each child conduct research about a famous person or draw up details about a character in a story or a novel. Warn them well ahead of time that they are going to need to know a lot about this “person” as they are going to have to participate in a press conference. Famous folks should wear costumes from home.
For each famous person, assign three students to be members of the press. The reporters are to each come up with two or three questions to ask the famous person. The key to making this a success is that the reporters have to submit their questions to you ahead of time. Go through the questions and select one for each reporter to ask. You might want to be the press secretary and call of the different reporters on the day of the event. Make sure to give the questions to the person playing the famous person ahead of time so that he or she can prepare. Famous Folks bring along charts and props to help answer the questions. It is acceptable to rehearse a shy “famous person.”.
If you crave a little public exposure, you might invite members of the community and even members of the press. If you attract actual members of the press ask them to focus their questions on the process of putting the conference together and all of the work that the children did to research, select costumes, prepare questions, etc. Encourage them to query the famous person after the presentation.
Encourage your members of the press to dress like reporters. You may even assign a photographer or two. Flash cameras always make things more exciting. Your set can be as simple as a table. Encourage the famous person to bring along books and maybe props from home.