I love to have the students act out various scenes from the novels we have read. The students have to decide which scene, which characters, and how best to depict the scene using their own imaginations and ingenuity. It has been really fun and educational in the scenes they choose and the characters they assign themselves to protray. I have been amazed at the expressions and the interpretation of the story by the students.
This lesson usually takes one class period and the students own time to be totally prepared. The props are very sparse as each group may pick a different scene and time is a restriction. Students are divided into small groups, they choose the scene and the characters, and use the novel for the dialog. I really enjoy seeing the students act out the stories in this manner. It makes the novel come alive for them.