3 Fun Activities for your A Boy Called BAT Reading Unit

Are you about to start reading A Boy Called Bat with your students? Maybe you’re using the book as a novel study, a whole class read aloud, a book club or a literature circle option. Either way, these fun activities will engage students in learning more about this fantastic novel.

1) A Boy Called BAT Art Activity

Students love the fact that BAT has a pet skunk. One fun extension activity for A Boy Called BAT is to complete a fun directed drawing of skunks. I love this video from Art Hub for Kids because it’s simple enough that all students will feel successful.

Plus I am always game for an activity that involves me walking around with my hot coffee while students enjoy a creative outlet!

2) A Boy Called BAT STEM Project

A fun extension project for A Boy Called Bat is to have students build pet enclosures. They can design an enclosure for a stuffed animal of their choice. Kids LOVE to bring in their stuffies from home. But I am always sure to keep a few extras available, just in case!

Want to grab all of the STEM recording sheets for this activity? Click HERE to check out the STEM project along with all of my Interactive Read Aloud prompts and reading comprehension activities for A Boy Called BAT.

Want to try one of my Interactive Read Aloud Units before buying the A Boy Called Bat Novel Study? Click HERE to have my Swashby and the Sea Interactive Read Aloud sent straight to your inbox. Trust me, you will LOVE all of the meaningful reading comprehension practice that students get.

3) A Boy Called BAT Research Project

I love asking students to complete a rapid research project on skunks during this read aloud unit. This provides an excellent opportunity for students to be engaged in reading nonfiction texts.

The difference between a traditional research project and rapid research is the time frame and expectations. For a rapid research project, I provide students with 30 minutes to collect and record their research. You know your students best. Maybe you will ask them to collect the three most interesting facts about skunks. Maybe you will ask them to come up with two questions about skunks to answer. But remember that you want your students to feel successful completing the task in 30 minutes.

I HIGHLY recommend asking students to complete their research using real books rather than internet articles. For some reason, students are much more likely to utilize their nonfiction reading comprehension skills when reading actual books.

If your school library doesn’t have a ton of books about skunks, you might consider borrowing books from your local public library. Another option is using a website like EPIC books.

Once it’s time for students to start researching, be sure to set a visual timer so that they know how much time they have left.

If you have students in your class who struggle with accessing information independently, you could always make small groups of students that can work together. When I do this, I like to pair two friends with someone who might need some extra help. That way there is less resentment as the stronger student doesn’t feel like they’re doing all of the work.

So there you have it, three awesome activities to add to your A Boy Called Bat novel study. Click HERE to check out the unit!

Need some more ideas for Realistic Fiction books for your classroom? Click HERE to read my blog post where I organize awesome books by guided reading level!