Project description:
You will have several weeks to read a classic novel listed on the classic
book list. Throughout the next
eight weeks you will be required to keep a reading journal, and complete one
final project.
It
may take you a long time to read a novel so you should begin reading right away.
You will have four weeks to complete the reading of the novel.
You should divide your novel into four parts and aim to read one part
each week. Each week a journal will
be due; this is to motivate your reading and keep you on track, as well as
providing a forum for you to reflect on the novel.
You
will keep a journal of your reading progress and, upon completion of your novel,
you will complete one final assignment.
You
have until Friday, November 19 to select a novel and sign up for the book.
No one is to read the same novel and once you have signed up for a novel
you may not change your selection. Choose
your novel carefully; do some research on-line and be sure that you have read
several pages to ensure it is a novel you want to read and can get into.
The
Journal:
Each week, you will submit a response to the novel based upon what you have read up to then. All entries will be handed in on loose leaf. Each entry will include the following at the top of the entry: Your name, the name of the novel, the date, the pages covered in the log entry (minimum 35 pages read per entry).
Each journal entry must include the above information and be at least 150 words (3/4 of a page) in length. You will submit journal entries on the following dates:
December 1, December 14, January 7. For ideas on what to include in your entries, see below! Journals will be marked on the basis of length, thoroughness and details. Each entry is marked out of 10.
Contents
of the journal
Comment on at least 3 of the
following questions in each entry (they must be three different questions for
each entry):
Why did you select this novel?
What information did you need to know before reading the novel?
What has happened before the novel began?
What's going on as the story begins?
Who is telling the story?
What is the setting of the novel? Is the setting important or could the novel be happening anywhere? Why?
What is the initial or first problem faced by the main character?
How does the author get you to read on or hold your interest?
What new things are added to the original problem as the novel progresses?
What plot twists or unexpected events happen as the novel goes on?
Comment on the style of the novel. Is it easy or hard to follow the events?
Is the language in the novel difficult or easy?
To what age group is the novel aimed?
Is there a message or main theme emerging in the book? How is it shown?
Describe any new characters that are introduced? What is their purpose?
What is the climax of the novel?
How are the major and minor conflicts solved?
What were the major things that helped to resolve the plot?
What message did you get from the novel? How was this message conveyed?
Is the novel believable?
Why would you (or why wouldn't you) recommend this novel to a friend?
Why
did (or didn't) the novel meet your expectations?
For
your final assignment, choose one of the following:
Final Assignment: Due January 11. Value
-- 20 points
1. Do a collage of a major theme of your novel or one that illustrates
certain parts of your novel. Include
a one page explanation of the collage and how each part relates specifically to
the novel.
2. Write a review the book that you read and compare it to the movie based on
the novel. What were the
similarities? Differences? Which was better and why?
You must research movie reviews and imitate an actual review. (2 pages)
3. Find THREE songs that seem to relate to your novel.
Write out the lyrics and then write a detailed explanation of how each
relates to your novel.
4. Pretend you are a character in the novel and describe the other characters in
the novel and what you think of each of them. Explain why. Be sure to support
your ideas with evidence from the novel. (2 pages)
5. Make a scrapbook of pictures, poems, and memorabilia that would belong to one
of the main characters in your novel. You
could cut out pictures of people and animals that you think look like the
characters and places in the novel. Or you could collect magazine and newspaper
articles. Include detailed
explanations for each of the pages at the end of the scrapbook. (5 – 7 pages)
6. Create a lesson plan for your novel including a quiz or test, a class
activity, handouts and a 60 min. lesson focusing on one part of the novel.
7. Make a 5 - 7 min. video about
part of the book. Include a detailed written explanation (1 – 2 pages) about
how the clip relates to your novel.
8. Do several pieces of art about the novel and include a detailed explanation
of each and how each relates to the novel.
9. Write a long poem or rap (20 lines or more) about the book and include a 1
page explanation of how it relates, specifically, to your novel.
10. Create your own original and creative assignment based on the novel with
the teacher’s approval.