- 1). Choose a book that fits the assignment as well as your interests. You might find a book that talks about Seneca history, religion and tribal locations, or you might look for a book about customs and traditions. You also could look for a book about the Seneca reputation among other tribes. Ask your teacher for more specific directions. If there are none, feel free to choose any book about the Senecas that particularly interests you. Lois Lenski's "Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison," reveals a lot about the daily life of a Seneca Indian captive in colonial New York, including information about the Indian people Mary learns to live with. Mary undergoes a change from frightened captive to member of the Indian community during her captivity. Another book about Mary, "Mary Jemison: White Woman of the Seneca" by Rayna M. Gangi, also might be appealing. Books by Seneca Indians themselves may also be interesting, such as "Other Council Fires Were Here Before Ours: A Classic Native American Creation Story as Retold by a Seneca Elder, Twyla Nitsch, and Her Granddaughter, Jamie Sams" by Jamie Sams and Twyla Nitsch. Seneca leaders Cornplanter and Red Jacket have been subjects of books. Arch Merrill, a foremost historian of the Genesee Valley, wrote about the Senecas in "Land of the Senecas," a book that secondary students would find easy and interesting reading.
- 2). Structure your report once you have finished reading the book. Use the structure or outline your teacher provides you. Most outlines include the setting, time period, information about the main character(s), and a summary of the plot. Don't report every single thing that happens; pick only the most important events. When was it published? And how well does it represent the Senecas?
- 3). Be sure you are writing a report and not a review of the book. A report is shorter and base strictly on fact, while a review includes your opinions. Ask your teacher what she wants. The terminology for review and report sometimes is used interchangeably. Among the things a review on the Senecas should include are brief information about the author, a section that tells the reader what you learned about the Senecas in reading this book, and a conclusion that tells the reader why you would or would not recommend it. You may also include the opinions of other reviewers of the book you chose if you feel they add to your review. Be concise; a book report or review shouldn't drag on past a page or two.
- 4). Outline your report. Fill in the details you need to mention. Re-read sections of the book if you need to. Once your outline is complete, you can write your report.
- 5). Check with your teacher to be sure he wants a cover page. Put the name of the book, the author, the writer (your name) and the date of the report on the cover page. Check with your teacher to see if there is any other information he wants on a cover page.
- 6). Spell check the entire document, then read through it to find any places where you have used the wrong word and the spell checker did not catch it, such as using night instead of knight or they're instead of their. Read it through carefully and make any final corections and changes. Then print the report. Paperclip, staple or bind your report together with the cover page.
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