Extending your Interest
If simply reading the books leaves you yearning for more, or you're looking for a way to connect more with vampire literature and legend, try some of these extension projects.
Vampire timelines
One of the defining factors of vampires is their longevity. And indeed, the time periods and events a vampire has lived through can play a huge part in the person they evolve into over time.
For a project that combines literature and history, select a favorite vampire character and plot their course through history. When were they born, and where? If their history is explained in the book or movie then work with that, but if not, speculate for yourself. Find key events in history that the character would have lived through. Create a timeline with Timeliner Software or Tiki-Toki illustrating the personal history of the character alongside historical events, and speculate how those events may have changed the character.
As an example of how detailed a vampire's timeline and history can be, consider this Vampire Diaries Timeline. The older the vampire, the richer their history.
"Vampire Diaries Timeline." The Vampire Diaries Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.
As an example of how detailed a vampire's timeline and history can be, consider this Vampire Diaries Timeline. The older the vampire, the richer their history.
"Vampire Diaries Timeline." The Vampire Diaries Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.
Book Trailers
We've featured some book trailers on this pathfinder, both made by fans and by the publishers themselves. Book trailers are a powerful way to showcase a book, and also a way to make connections with the text. Sometimes fan made book trailers can be even more powerful than the professional one because of deep connections the reader may have and passion for the subject.
There are a couple of great resources to get your started on understanding and creating book trailers.
How To Make a Book Trailer is a Prezi presentation that leads you through the process. This presentation is also tied to a website, Book Trailers for Readers, that includes handouts and other resources.
Harclerode, Michelle. "How To Make A Book Trailer." Prezi.com. N.p., 27 Oct. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
Harclerode, Michelle. "How To Make A Book Trailer." Book Trailers for Readers . Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
There are a couple of great resources to get your started on understanding and creating book trailers.
How To Make a Book Trailer is a Prezi presentation that leads you through the process. This presentation is also tied to a website, Book Trailers for Readers, that includes handouts and other resources.
Harclerode, Michelle. "How To Make A Book Trailer." Prezi.com. N.p., 27 Oct. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
Harclerode, Michelle. "How To Make A Book Trailer." Book Trailers for Readers . Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
Creating a Vampire
Now that you have an idea of how detailed and rich a vampire character's history can be, why not try your hand at creating a character of your own? Character development is one of the most important facets of story telling. The details of a characters life can affect everything they do. A good story will leave the reader feeling like they personally know the characters, and the reader can't feel that unless the author makes them feel real with details.
Vampires are very complex and you have a lot of options to consider. This great article, Creating Interesting Vampire Characters, leads you through a lot of the important characteristics and considerations of making a vampire character that really stands out.
Give it a try, creating a biography for your character. And just for fun, try out an online Vampire Maker to get an idea of what your character might look like.
"Creating Interesting Vampire Characters." Squidoo. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
Pascarella, Angie. "WebQuest: Vampires! Vampires! Vampires!" Zunal WebQuest Maker. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
Vampires are very complex and you have a lot of options to consider. This great article, Creating Interesting Vampire Characters, leads you through a lot of the important characteristics and considerations of making a vampire character that really stands out.
Give it a try, creating a biography for your character. And just for fun, try out an online Vampire Maker to get an idea of what your character might look like.
"Creating Interesting Vampire Characters." Squidoo. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
Vampire Book Club
Want to find like minded vampire literature fans? Why not start a vampire book club.
If you want to start a club that meets in person, you can try to either get it arranged through your school or your local library. Talk to a teacher or a librarian about it. Before you do, you'll want to prepare a bit about what you're asking for. Lay out:
Having a plan for your book club will show you are responsible which may help to convince the person you are asking to help with or sponsor your club. They'll also see that you are willing to do some of the work and organizing so it won't all be up to them, which will also be appealing.
If you can't get a group to meet in person, consider online options. Goodreads.com is one place that hosts an online book club for vampire lovers where members can share book suggestions and have discussions about what they're reading
"Vampire Book Club." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
If you want to start a club that meets in person, you can try to either get it arranged through your school or your local library. Talk to a teacher or a librarian about it. Before you do, you'll want to prepare a bit about what you're asking for. Lay out:
- How often you want to meet
- A few books you want to read
- How many people you anticipate joining
- What sort of commitments you'd need from the staff
- Some activities you might want to do
Having a plan for your book club will show you are responsible which may help to convince the person you are asking to help with or sponsor your club. They'll also see that you are willing to do some of the work and organizing so it won't all be up to them, which will also be appealing.
If you can't get a group to meet in person, consider online options. Goodreads.com is one place that hosts an online book club for vampire lovers where members can share book suggestions and have discussions about what they're reading
"Vampire Book Club." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
Vampires! Vampires! Vampires! - Webquest
A webquest is a more interactive way to conduct research online. Through a series of guided questions and exercises you'll travel the world wide web to find what you need. In this featured webquest, Vampires! Vampires! Vampires!, you'll learn about vampire lore and write your own vampire story.
This webquest would be a fun exercise for individual use, but it could be a great resource for other outlets as well. For example it could be used as an activity for vampire book club. It can also be used in the classroom to accompany a reading of Dracula or any other vampire books.
There are several other webquests out there involving vampires, but not a great number. If you want t go a step futhe, why not develop your own web quest using resources from the Vampire Library? A web quest could be about vampires in general or centered around a particular book or even a character. It's a great way to explore and make connections with the literature.
Famous Vampire Hotspots
We've already seen that vampire history and lore spreads all over the world. So why not delve a little deeper into some vampire hot spots?
Consider a few projects options for making the most out of your research:
- Plan an imaginary trip to a famous vampire location
- Take a virtual tour around the world by finding vampire hotspots on google earth
- Create a promotional brochure for a famous vampire haunt
For information on some of the most well known vampire locations, check out the following websites
- World's Best Vampire Spotting Locations
- The Top Five Most Likely Places To Find Vampires in the United States
- History of the Vampire
History of The Vampire." History of the Vampire. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.
"The Top Five Most Likely Places to Find Vampires in the United States." Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
Acting Adaptation
Movie and play adaptations of vampire literature have long been a part of pop culture. From early Dracula movies and plays to recent blockbusters like the Twilight series and the Vampire Diaries, vampire stories are great when brought to life.
One great way to get a sense of the dramatics of vampire literature without needing a hollywood movie studio is through a readers theater adaptation. Readers theater is an activity in which students, while reading directly from scripts, are able to tell a story in a most entertaining form, without props, costumes, or sets. This activity doesn't require a lot of preparation so is quick and easy while still making an impression. Literacy Connections provides a lot of detailed guidelines and resources for reader's theater.
For those with more time and resources or older students, consider more detailed adaptations with props and a more truly theatrical presentation.
"Readers' Theater." Literacy Connections. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.
Vampire Jeopardy
This is another activity that could be adapted for classroom use, for library or book club use, or even just a fun game to play with your friends. It's can be a good way to review all of the new vampire information you may have gained through this pathfinder. It's also great for reviewing the plot and character details of any book, or just general trivia.
Jeapoardy games are easy to put together these days thanks to online resources. This Free Flash Jeopardy Review Generator makes creating the game simple, and you even have an option to download your game so you can play it even if you do not have internet access.
It will be important to make sure you have rules set up before game play, including how to buzz in, who gets to answer the question, and how scoring will be determined.