Students create multimedia projects which connect the historic and cultural backgrounds of the work and the period of the writer to the theme and the characters. Using music that relates to the literature focus has worked well. Shakespeare T-shirt Day involves students in a search for Shakespeare's words which speak directly to them. These quotes and drawings are put on plain T-shirts and then seen and discussed by classes. Make a board game of the events and replay the novel by rolling dice and moving board markers throughout the story.
Students create a one page flow-chart or graphic organizer to serve as a visualization of the book.
Creating a treasure trove motivates discussion. Students bring an object or symbol from the book for the trove. Each one pulls an item and tells how it connects with the book. Students prepare a meal related to the book. For example, they serve a Puritan meal during the reading of books such as Witch of Blackbird Pond or the Scarlet Letter.