Name:
Mrs. Garrard
EN47
Quarter 1 Independent Unit
INDEPENDENT READING UNIT: DYSTOPIA
A CREATIVE WAY OF RESPONDING TO LITERATURE
Independent Dystopian Novel Project
As the name implies, independent reading will require you to read
a novel of your choice on your own and during extratime during class. In addition
to exposing you to authors and novels not covered by class times, this Independent
Dystopian unit presents a unique opportunityfor you to choose a book that you are
interested in reading, to create an individual response to your chosen book, and
to demonstrate your understanding of your book in a way that shows creativity and
critical thinking. My hope is that you have fun not only reading a good book, but
then also have fun working on your project.
It may take you a long time to read a novel, and you will be expected to do all of the reading and projects outside of our instructional time. Do not procrastinate your reading!!! Throughout the quarter there will be ongoing assessment in the form of short writing assignments, group discussion, quote/literary device analysis, and various other informal assessment forms.
There will be several other students in class who will be reading your novel with you; you will be expected to participate in an academic discussion with these classmates throughout the quarter. Before the due date below, you will be expected to independently complete your novel and be prepared to write a summary of your novel, as well as, an in-class essay analyzing your novel. More information on this essay will be provided as we get closer to the end of the quarter.
Remember that with either this novel or your second quarter novel you must complete a project selected from the list on the second page of this handout. You are expected to have this novel with you at all times during the first quarter.
NOVEL GROUP MEMBERS
1. 4.
2. 5.
3. 6.
BOOK REQUIREMENTS
• Must be a book you have never read before.
• Must be selected from the list below:
Title / Author / LexileBrave New World / Aldous Huxley / 870
1984 / George Orwell / 1090
Anthem / Ayn Rand / 880
A Handmaid’s Tale / Margaret Atwood / 750
Feed / M. T. Anderson / 770
Your summative assessment must be selected from the following list of assignments. Below are the general requirements for each of the projects you can choose from:
1)Projects will be assessed on the following: timely declaration, aesthetics (presentation, physical appearance, neatness, organization, color, etc.), and content and detail (to what extent does this project prove to me that you read this book? Does the final product reflect well thought-out ideas and demonstrate understanding of the book?).
2)When choosing a product which involves drawing/art/photography, you absolutely may NOT copy, Xerox, or trace any cover art or incorporate illustrations/pictures provided in the book or elsewhere – including the Internet. The artwork submitted as part of a project must be original.
3)Projects which require a performance or presentation of some sort – such as creating a video or audio recording – must be between 7-10 minutes in length. Written projects must be between
3-5 pages in length.
4)Even though certain projects may appeal to you, make sure the project you choose will work well with the book you have read.
5)You will be required to write a summary of the book which will be completed in class on an announced date. You must bring your book with you on this date.
BOOK PROJECTS
1. Essay :Write about character and his/her role and purpose in your novel. Cover theme, quotations, relationship with others, and conflict in a 750 word essay. The 6 traits will be used to score your essay.
2. Poetry Collection: Create a collection of four to five poems relating to characters and incidents in your book. Each poem must be accompanied by an explanation of its applicability to the novel. These poems can be written or collected. Then create a cover and back for your collection and bind the poems within it. Be creative in your cover design and material you use to make it out of. Possible poetic forms for you to choose are: "My Name Poem/Piece" (as one of the characters), an acrostic poem based on the title of the book, and miscellaneous rhyming and free verse poems. Please type all poems and use a creative font.
3. Movie Trailer: Film a trailer (your own, do not just download one that already exists!) for a movie version of your novel. Prepare a script, practice, and then videotape short scenes to be used for your trailer. Use an attention getter at the beginning of your trailer; add appropriate music; mention actors and actresses who star in this feature film. The trailer should be at least 2 minutes long and convey an appropriate tone and context for your novel. Turn in your script with the video.
4. Soundtrack: Select five songs that you would put on the soundtrack for this novel. Three of these songs must be annotated with notes in the margins explaining connection to the novel. For the remaining two songs you must compose an informative paragraph explaining the connection. Be sure to correctly cite the song lyrics and the novel in your writing.
5. Character Interview: Pretend you are a newspaper reporter whose job is to interview one of the characters. Write your interview. This should be at least two full pages long in MLA format.
6. Music Video: Write an original rap or song which relates to your novel. Include movements, dance steps, or dramatics as you would see in a music video. You may set the lyrics to a popular tune if you like. Perform for the class. (High Tech: Video tape or tape record your song. Play for the class.)
7. Comic Strip: Create a comic strip for a scene from your novel. Your comic strip must be at least 10 frames long and include dialogue and color. The dialogue does not have to be word for word from the text, but the context should remain the same.
8. Newspaper: Create a front page to a newspaper that is devoted entirely to the book you read. The front page should look as much like a newspaper as possible, with writing in columns, headlines, a newspaper title, etc. You may include a variety of features including horoscopes for each character, “Dear Abby” letters, comic strips, news articles, opinion pieces, advertisements, personal ads, an obituary section, or anything else you might find in a newspaper. EVERYTHING you include must be based on actual events and characters in the book you read. Articles must be typed.