AP Book Club—Capstone Project 2014

You should choose a substantial work (taken from the list I have provided) which you have never read before, preferably a work that represents a challenge and a risk for you. The intent here is to foster a friendly reading of something you may never have experienced.Despite years of being "taught" or "force-fed" canonical literature, you may never have experienced a voluntary reading of some of the authors who are generally regarded as the greatest in our culture. Indeed, you may harbor resentment for some of these authors.

The books will be provided either in hard copy form or as an e-text available for download.You must work with at least two other classmates.

Format: Students will complete a reading log (journal), participate in book club discussions, plan, prepare, and present the book to class in a creative manner, and write a final paper.

Reading Log: From the beginning, you should keep a journal in which you monitor your reading habits and reactions. You should write at least a page a week, and address many or all of the following topics:

  • the reasons why you chose the book
  • your first impressions of the book
  • problems of understanding
  • difficulties in reading
  • the author’s style
  • plot, characters, setting, etc.
  • emotions and associations which are evoked
  • places which you reread
  • places which you skipped
  • times or places when you thought or talked about the book independently of reading it
  • images or "movies" you formed in your head
  • reading behaviors which you notice (like reading the last page ahead of time, counting off the number of pages left, reading in bed or while eating, preferring to read alone or with music, etc.)
  • how your reading of this work intersects with your reading of other books for this course and for the other courses you are taking…not to mention how itintersects with experiences in the world or in your personal life

I will check occasionally for progress, and I will collect these reading logs on two occasions, April 25 and May 5. The log should be brought to class every day, and entries should be appropriately dated and with page references to the literature under discussion.

  • Evaluation of this reading log will be mainly in terms of timeliness and comprehensiveness. That is, have you made regular and consistent entries, and do these entries reflect mature and insightful considerations on not only the work of literature, but your own experience of reading it? Entries should be dated and appropriately referenced to the literature. Since the assignment is a learning log, evaluation will not be concerned with grammatical or other mechanical concerns. Legibility is essential, but the log may be handwritten in part or in full.

Book Club Meetings:

  • Book clubs will meet as noted below. The expectation is that each participant is present for book club meetings. The assigned reading should be completed by each date. Each participant should have journals to share that add to the discussion of the book.

Book Presentation:

  • Each group will present their book to the rest of the class to highlight such things as setting, structure, point of view, characterization, symbol, and theme. You must also present on the literary period of the work (more details to follow). All group members must actively participate in the presentation and a creative/ visual element is required. Format of the book presentation is up to the creativity of the group but 15-20 minutes is the required amount of time allotted per group

Final Paper (will count on the quarter and as the final exam—9-point rubric):

  • Each student will submit a final 4-6 page research paper in which they argue for a particular interpretation of their chosen book. This is not a book report, so summary must be kept to a minimum. Rather, you are arguing for a book’s meaning. In so doing, you must properly integrate (that is, quote and cite your sources) the ideas of at least 2 scholarly articles on your book. These must be approved by me.

Book Club Meeting Participation: 20

Reading Logs:20

Book Presentation:60

Final Paper:100 (will also count as a 4th quarter paper grade)

Total:200 (final exam grade)

Book Club Schedule:

April 17: Opening meeting, form a strategy, set reading schedule

April 22: First meeting (15-20 minutes)

April 25: Book Club Meeting/ Journal Due

April 30: Book Club Meeting (15-20 minutes)

May 5: Book Club Meeting/ Journal Due

May 12: Have finished book

May 12-15: Library work week (Presentations and Papers)

May 19-22: Presentations (dates depend on number of presentations per class)

Final Exam Day: Final Papers due to turnitin.com

  • 1st hour, Wednesday, May 28
  • 7/8 hour, Thursday, May 29
  • 9 and 10 hour, Friday, May 30