Literature Circles – Culminating Project
You will do a culminating project on your novel worth 50 points. There are three options below. Choose one. If you have another idea, I would be happy to hear it but the idea is to demonstrate the following:
· Your knowledge of the text
· Your understanding of the main parts of the story: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution
· Your understanding of the time period in which your story is set
Project #1 – Skit: You will use your knowledge of the book to create a short skit that will show main ideas of the book. Each scene should showcase only one of the main parts of the story (see above) Please make sure to include some explanation of the problems that the main character(s) face, and how they solve the problem. You will need to have the following:
· A script. You must have dialogue that is typed. You should try to memorize as much as you can, and will be turning in a printed copy of the script BEFORE performing to the class.
· Props and costumes. You can use anything you like, but please ask me before bringing in anything extravagant from home. Don’t go overboard. One small costume piece can be used to represent a character.
· All people must contribute. You need to include everyone in some aspect of the skit, either in the writing, the acting, or the prop making.
You can perform this play using your own bodies, sock puppets, stuffed animals, dolls, marshmallows, or marionettes – whatever you wish. However you must not make a joke of it – it should be a serious recreation of the part of the play demonstrating the above three main objectives: knowledge of text, understanding of the main parts of the story, and understanding of the time period.
Project #2 – The Story Map: On a large poster board, piece of butcher paper, Prezi or Power Point, please show your understanding of the book using the story map. You should also be as detailed as possible in your creation of the story map. You should include the following, in order:
· Exposition. Please include the Setting, characters, and the problem.
· Rising action. Rising action is the series of events that lead to the climax of the story, usually the conflicts or struggles of the main character(s).
· Climax. A climax is a moment of great intensity in the plot of a literary work, generally bringing events to a head and leading to the conclusion.
· Falling Action. The falling action in a work of literature is the sequence of events that follow the climax and end in the resolution. This is in contrast to the rising action which leads up to the plot's climax.
· Resolution is the part of the story's plot line in which the problem of the story is resolved or worked out. This occurs after the falling action and is typically where the story ends.
Project #3 - Newspaper: You will create either the front page or a few pages of a newspaper, featuring different moments from your book. Each member of your group will write one story – you can choose the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, or resolution. You can include a few more if you wish. This will be graded on:
· Neatness and legibility
· Use of correct grammar, spelling and complete sentences
· Choice of correct information that makes others WANT to read your publication.
· Use of color and illustrations to enhance the visual appearance
· Using your stories to PROVE your understanding of the book
Again, I will be happy to discuss other ideas, such as artistic or cultural demonstrations (dance, food, artifacts, music, etc.), debates, poetry, and art projects – whatever. I’m open. Just write up your proposal to let me know what you plan to do and how it demonstrates the learning objectives I outlined in the first paragraph.
Proposed project due date: Friday, February 10th