English 9C: To Kill a Mockingbird Multi-Genre Final Project
(75 point Summative Assessment)
What is a multi-genre project?
It’s a collection of pieces written in a variety of genres, informed by your understanding of a particular subject that presents one or more perspectives on a topic or work of literature. A multi-genre project is personal, creative, and can’t be copied from some other source. It involves you, as a writer, making conscious decisions about what information is important and how it should be presented to the reader.
You will be creating five (5) pieces of writing about the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Each piece of writing will involve one of the five elements of story and will demonstrate your understanding of various elements of the novel.
Each piece of writing will be accompanied by a 100-150 word explanation of how and why you created the piece and how and why it demonstrates the aspect of the novel it accompanies.
Element #1: Plot
Choose a scene in the novel that you feel was significant for whatever reason. Create a piece of writing or art that illustrates the scene and how you believe it was important in relationship to the rest of the novel.
Element #2: Character
Choose a single character from the novel and create a piece of writing or art that you believe demonstrates the most important aspects of that character’s personality and/or the relationship of that character to other important character’s in the novel.
Element #3: Conflict
Choose any conflict from the story, it could be major or minor, internal or external, and create a piece of writing or art that not only demonstrates the conflict but also shows how important that conflict was to the rest of the novel as a whole.
Element #4: Setting
Choose any setting from the novel, a single house or building or the town of Maycomb as a whole. Create a piece of writing or art that you feel illustrates the setting and how it is significant to the rest of the book and the other elements of story.
Element #5: Theme
Choose a lesson that you feel is taught by the novel and create a piece of writing that you feel demonstrates that lesson. Perhaps you feel a lesson was taught about losing one’s innocence, or perhaps a lesson about the importance of being open-minded, or a moral about justice – illustrate that lesson through the creative piece that you produce.
Rationale Paragraphs (x5)
For each of the five pieces that you create, you need to write a 100-150 word explanation of:
1. How and why that piece of writing or art demonstrates the significance or importance of the element of story (plot, character, conflict, setting, or theme)
2. Why you chose to create that particular style of writing or art and why it best represents the element of story it is connected to.
Example of Rationale paragraph (for Romeo’s letter student example – category : CHARACTER)
The letter that Romeo wrote to his father at the end of the play demonstrates the fragile and desperate state of mind that the character was in when he chose to end his own life at the tomb of Juliet. It was important to see that Romeo was not only passionately in love, but also devastated by the news of his wife’s death – this helps explain why his character was willing to commit such a reckless act without much thought for anyone else. It also explains how Romeo feels about his father and Friar Lawrence, as well as Juliet. I felt that a letter was the best way to show his personal feelings and thoughts and a realistic way for the character to share his thoughts. Plus I liked the idea of making the paper look old and important by staining it with tea.
(144 words)
IDEAS:
Birth certificate /Book cover /Brochure / Comic Book Graphic Novel / Conversations/dialogue
Death certificate / Doctor’s report / Short story/ Eulogy (speech given at a funeral) / Letter of
Complaint / Letter of Appreciation / Letter of Recommendation, etc. / Game / Greeting card
Journal/diary entry / Letter to editor / Map / Diorama / Poster / Newspaper article - column
Newspaper (tabloid) cover / Newspaper article – obituary (report of someone’s death)
Newspaper article - personal or want ad / Book or movie review / Casting Call (which actors and
actresses would best play parts) / Collage / Poem (but NOT a portrait poem) / Recipe
Scrapbook with journaling / Screenplay / Timeline / Sheet music or song / Video or movie
Television/radio advertisement / Wedding invitation / Sculpture / Mobile / Etc. Etc. Etc. Etc.
Go with your interests, your strengths, and the types of projects you feel best fit the element of story you are writing about. Have fun and be creative. Originality and creativity count!
Checklist:
Plot Writing/Art - Element #1
Rationale Paragraph – Element #1 (100-150 words)
Character Writing/Art – Element #2
Rationale Paragraph – Element #2 (100-150 words)
Conflict Writing/Art – Element #3
Rationale Paragraph – Element #3 (100-150 words)
Setting Writing/Art – Element #4
Rationale Paragraph – Element #4 (100-150 words)
Theme Writing/Art – Element #5
Rationale Paragraph – Element #5 (100-150 words)
Each piece of writing * AND rationale paragraph needs to be turned into the appropriate TURNITIN.COM assignment spot by the due date of
TUESDAY, MAY 6th by 11:59pm
* Any creative piece NOT in written form (diorama, painting, sculpture, poster, etc) must be turned in by the end of the day Tuesday, May 6th and the rationale paragraph still turned into TURNITIN.COM