Culminating Assignment: Independent Novel Study

In order to simultaneously prepare you for college and allow you a chance to have a say in your education, you are going to read a novel of your choice from the list provided. In addition to the reading, you will complete five double-entry journal responses and a two part project. This entire assignment (the reading of the book, the journal, and the two part project) will be dueThursday, April 26th. I will be allotting some class time to work on your reading and both parts of the study.

Project Elements:

1. Double Entry Journals50 pts. Formative

2. Exhibit Projects100 pts. Summative

Part One: Double Entry Journals (50 pts.)

Directions: As you read your independent novel, you will maintain a copy of this log with a record of quotes and meaningful connections.

  • You must have a total of five entries for your book (10 points per entry)
  • Choose five quotes evenly distributed throughout the book
  • Each quote from the novel must be 2-4 sentences in length
  • For each quote, choose one of the analysis options
  • The completed double entry journal must be typed and submitted to Blackboard. You may format it as a two column chart or type the quote and under it type your response.
  • You must have at least one entry for each of the analysis options and you must write at least three of the entries by answering the “Insights” option

Analysis Option #1: Exploring the Personal Response

1. Quote (note the page number): Select text that seems to hint at bigger meanings and/or resonates with you as an individual.

2. Insights: What bigger idea does the author try to reveal through this quote? How does this quote fit into the bigger context of the chapter or the work? OR Connections: Where else do you see this idea? Consider literature, music, history, and other areas of cultural literacy (one paragraph).

Analysis Option #2: Clarifying the Text

1. Quote (note the page number): Select text that requires clarification.

2. Insights: Puzzle through the quote – look at the connotation and denotation of the words. Use these individual meanings to synthesize your response into a cohesive interpretation ORConnections: What other experiences are similar and can help shed light on this quote? (one paragraph)

Analysis Option #3: Analyzing the Text

1. Quote (note the page number): Select a quote that seems to be layered with detail and nuance.

2. Insights: Pull apart the quote and think about what choices the author makes (diction, syntax, and figurative language) to communicate his/her idea ORConnections: Compare/contrast the author’s style to another author you have read during your high school career (one paragraph).

Double Entry Journal Rubric

Meaningful Quote Selection_____/10

Quotes are at least 2-4 sentences long. Quotes are evenly distributed throughout the novel. The quotes are conducive to analysis.

Content/Critical Thinking/Insight_____/30

The interpretation of the quotes is not oversimplified as made evident by generalizations or overlooking key points. The analyses are not plot summaries. Clearly explains and analyzes the text according to the various analytical purposes.

Spelling, Grammar, and Presentation_____/10

This includes spelling, grammar, writing about literature in the present tense, writing in the active voice, avoiding contractions and personal pronouns, and having an organized format.

Part Two: Exhibit Projects

For this portion of the unit, you must choose TWO of the projects listed below. ONE from either Artistic Connection OR Creative Writing AND ONE from Literary Analysis. They must be from different categories. Each project will be worth 50 points. As always, if you would like to propose your own project of equal difficulty and effort, feel free to see me before the end of the week.

Artistic Connections

1. Musical Score: Divide the book into the following sections of plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion. After you have done this, select a piece of music that you think captures the feel or tone of each section. Burn these five songs to a CD and write a paragraph-long rationale for each song.

2. Visual Art: Choose a symbol, theme, or character from your novel and create a piece of visual art that reflects the development of the symbol, theme, or character throughout the novel.

3. Dramatic Monologues: Create two or three monologues for a character(s) from the novel. Go beyond the text and add what you think the character is thinking/feeling at that moment and why. Choose scenes that are central to the conflict and that are spread throughout the book (one from each of the beginning, middle, and end).

4. Art: Find three pieces of artrelated to either the book itself orthe themes that are present in the novel. Then, for each piece of art, write a paragraph in which you explore the connections to the novel and your response to the interpretation of either the book or the theme.

Creative Writing

1. Style Mimic: In a short 1-2 page essay, analyze the style of the novel: break down the author’s use of tone, diction, dialogue, literary/poetic devices, description, etc. OR Write a narrative essay done in the same style as the novel.

2. Poetry: Write three poems in response to the novel. The poems may directly refer to events or characters, but MUST contain an interpretation of, or response to, a theme of the novel. You may write a found poem that incorporates words and/or phrases from the novel. However, you may write only ONE found poem.

3. Book review: Research common reception to your novel at the time that it was published. Write a book review as if you are from the era in which the book was published. Your review should reflect the common criticism of the time. Your review should be at least a page and a half.

4. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead: Tom Stoppard wrote a play by this title. It was a rewrite of Hamlet told from R and G’s perspective. Choose a scene from your novel and write a two page piece from the perspective of a character with no real role in the story and demonstrate what they see and think from their perspective.

5. Epilogue: Write a two page epilogue in the style of your novel in which you explain what happens after the novel leaves off.

Literary Analysis (Must complete ONE from this category)

1. Conflict Timeline: Choose one of the following types of conflicts: man vs. himself, man vs. man, man vs. society, or man vs. nature. Make a timeline that charts the history of the “battles” that took place throughout the novel for this type of conflict. For each “battle,” indicate who wins and write a one-two paragraph analysis of the final outcome of this conflict.

2. Current Events: Select three current news or feature stories from television or news magazines that you think relates to your novel. For each current event/story, write a paragraph explanation of how it connects to the novel.

3. Film Analysis: Watch a film inspired by your novel and either (1) compare/contrast the works in a two page piece or (2) discuss your response to the film adaptation in terms of liberties taken with the text and differences in interpretation in a two page piece.