Major Grade Choice Novel Assignment

Lightning Thief

Major Grade Choice Novel Assignment

Part One

Vocabulary

Find and copy ten challenging words as you come across them in the novel. Copy the word and the sentence using proper quotation marks. Write a definition of the word in your own words based on how the word is used in the sentence.

Part Two

Literary Elements

Find and copy five examples of literary elements from the list below. Be sure to copy the sentence using proper format and include a page number. Explain why each term is that example.

SimileMetaphorPersonificationHyperbole

IdiomOnomatopoeiaAlliteration

Part Three

Discussion Questions

Answer these questions using complete sentences:

Percy says, "Mr. Brunner expected me to be as good as everybody else, despite the fact I had dyslexia and I had never made above a C- in my life. No-he didn't expect me to be as good. He expected me to be better." What do you think of Mr. Brunner as a teacher?
Percy gets exasperated with his mother because she puts up with Smelly Gabe, yet he is proud of her because "she did have a rebellious streak, like me." Do you find Sally Jackson a strong character? Does she stand up for herself? For her son?
Percy's first encounter with an Olympian god is Mr. D, Dionysus. Initially, Percy has a hard time believing Mr. D is immortal. What is your reaction to the way Dionysus is portrayed in the book? The Greek gods have very human traits-would this make them easier or harder to believe in?
Annabeth is the daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare. Read the description of Athena in this guide. Look at some of the myths about Athena, including the stories of Arachne, Medusa and the founding of Athens. How is Annabeth like her mother? Does anything about Annabeth's character strike you as unlike Athena?
Medusa tempts Percy to stay with her as a statue. She warns him that he is simply a pawn of the Gods. Does Percy seem like a pawn? Why or why not? If you were given Percy's quest, would you undertake it or would you rebel?
Dreams play an important role in the narrative. At Montauk, Percy first dreams of a horse and eagle fighting on the beach. Later, he dreams of a voice from the pit. As he gets closer to Los Angeles, his dreams get scarier and more specific. What would the book be like without these dream episodes? Is there information that Percy can only get from his dreams?
Percy's fight with Echidna and the Chimera is a low point for his morale. He begins to doubt that he is capable of being a hero. Why does he feel this way, and do you think his doubts are reasonable? What does this fight scene reveal about Percy's character?
Percy's trip to the Underworld does not turn out as he suspected. What do you think of Percy's decision to leave his mother behind? What does the scene in the throne room tell you about the three friends-Annabeth, Grover and Percy?
When Percy finally meets his father, Poseidon seems distant and hard to read. Percy says that he is actually glad about this. "If he'd tried to apologize, or told me he loved me, or even smiled-that would've felt fake. Like a human dad, making some lame excuse for not being around." Do you agree with Percy? Do you find yourself liking Poseidon or not?
How does the last line of the prophecy-you shall fail to save what matters most in the end-come true? What do you think of this ending? Did Percy make the right choice? What would you have done in his place?

Part Three

Research Extension

Research a topic and create a PowerPoint presentation.

Choose one god/goddess to research from the book:

Identify the topic by telling whether it is a major god or goddess, a minor god or goddess, mortal, hero, monster, etc., event, place, etc.

Background—ancestors, parents, origin

Birth or Creation (especially unusual circumstances)

Childhood or early life

Description—physical and personality

Realm and symbols

Myth involving character or topic—mention different versions and variations

Death (if applicable)

Sources: minimum of 2 books and 1 website; use correct citation (Works Cited instructions can be found on my website in Class Notes)

***These 8 topics are just the skeleton of the research. Identify as much information in addition to this as you can.

Part Four

Persuasive

Choose a main character from the book and an idea that they are trying to persuade someone or something to do or not do. Write a letter of persuasion. This should be at least three paragraphs in length and follow the friendly letter format.

Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie

MAJOR Grade Choice Novel Assignment

Part One

Vocabulary

Find and copy ten challenging words as you come across them in the novel. Copy the word and the sentence using proper quotation marks. Write a definition of the word in your own words based on how the word is used in the sentence.

Part Two

Literary Elements

Find and copy five examples of literary elements from the list below. Be sure to copy the sentence using proper format and include a page number. Explain why each term is that example.

SimileMetaphorPersonificationHyperbole

IdiomOnomatopoeiaAlliteration

Part Three

Discussion Questions

Answer these questions using complete sentences:

Identify the main characters of the book and a brief description of each.
If you were to “throw off the weight of this particular day,” what day would

that be? Describe a day from your past (or one you imagine in your

future) which you would like to erase. (p. 13)

“It made a statement.” What clothing of yours makes a statement about

you? (p. 51) Describe what it actually looks like, as well as the statement

it makes.

“If I could say anything I wanted to, to anyone in the world right now, I

would be all over _____ (name of person). “ (p. 57) Decide who you

would talk with, and write what you would say.

Reread and then analyze Steven’s journal entry on pages 57-60. What is

Steve really saying? Was this an effective way for him to “say” it? Why or

why not?

Steve notices similarities between dodgeballand dances and calls them

the “two Ds of my middle school nightmares.” (p. 95) Write your own

comparison of some kind, “the two __s of my ______nightmares.”

Steve decides that the “old rules no longer apply.” Can you think of a time

in your life when you would say that the “old rules” needed to be replaced?

Describe what happened and what the “new rules” were. (p. 171)

Mrs. Galley encourages Steve to “try working on the things you CAN

change.” (p. 184) Is this solid advice? Why or why not?

Matt Medic keeps Jeffrey brave. (p. 221) What keeps you brave?
Before reading past page 251—predict: Will Steve’s Dad attend the

concert? Why or why not?

Identify the theme of the book and explain.

Part Four

Research Extension

Research a topic and create a PowerPoint presentation.

Choose a medical topic for your research.

What is your medical topic?
Are there any ways to prevent getting it? If yes, what are they?
What are the stages (what the body goes through over time)?
What are some visible signs people can see? For example, a symptom of Parkinson’s is the shaking or tremors of the hands.
Is it treatable? If so, what are the medicines used to treat? How effective are they?
Is it curable?
Who is more susceptible to getting it i.e., gender, ethnicity, ages? You will need to find actual statistics showing percentages.
Is it hereditary?
Is there a foundation that has been established to continue funding additional research to find a cure or more medical advancements? For example, the Susan G. Komen Foundation has been established to continue researching a cure for breast cancer.

Sources: minimum of 2 books and 1 website; use correct citation (Works Cited instructions can be found on my website in Class Notes)

******These questions are just the skeleton of the research. Identify as much information in addition to this as you can.

Part Four

Persuasive

Esperanza Rising

MAJOR Grade Choice Novel Assignment

Part One

Vocabulary

Find and copy ten challenging words as you come across them in the novel. Copy the word and the sentence using proper quotation marks. Write a definition of the word in your own words based on how the word is used in the sentence.

Part Two

Literary Elements

Find and copy five examples of literary elements from the list below. Be sure to copy the sentence using proper format and include a page number. Explain why each term is that example.

SimileMetaphorPersonificationHyperbole

IdiomOnomatopoeiaAlliteration

Part Three

Discussion Questions

Answer these questions using complete sentences.

Why does the author open with a scene of Esperanza and her father lying down to hear the heartbeat of the earth? How does this shared experience seem to affect Esperanza's relationship with her father?
Explain Mama's reasons for leaving Mexico. Would you have been willing to make the same decision if you were in her situation? Why or why not?
Esperanza and Miguel take a train ride together as young children. Compare this train ride to the one they take when going to live in America.
What does Esperanza mean when she says to Miguel that there is a "deep river" that runs between them? Does this change in California? If so, describe how their relationship changes and give reasons for why this might happen.
Describe the cabin where Esperanza must live in America. How does this home compare to her home in Mexico? When Esperanza points out these differences, why does Mama become angry with her? Is Mama right to be angry with her? Why or why not?
After the dust storm, Mama is the only one of the workers in the cabin to become ill. Why is this so? How does her illness affect Esperanza? Why does Esperanza agree to cut the eyes out of the potatoes?
When Esperanza is told she cannot visit her mother for several weeks, she describes her life as going through "the motions of living." Have you ever felt this way? If so, describe how. What does Esperanza do to increase the amount of joy in her life?
Papa's words, "Wait a little while and the fruit will fall into your hands," are said by Miguel in a heated argument with Esperanza. How does this idea relate to the titles of the chapters in this novel? How does this relate to the end of the novel when Esperanza is retelling all the events from California to Abuelita.
When Esperanza finds out Miguel has taken her money orders, she is devastated. Describe how she must feel when Alfonso comes to take her to the train station to pick Miguel up. Is she justified to feel this way? What was Miguel's reason for taking the money? What do his actions mean?
The last section of the novel has Esperanza and Miguel listening to the heartbeat of the earth. What does this parallel to the first chapter mean?

Part Four

Research Extension

Research a topic and create a PowerPoint presentation.

History of Mexico

Celebrate the Mexican Revolution
Identify the who, what, when, where and why

The Great Depression

Research the Great Depression
Identify the who, what, when, where and why

Sources: minimum of 2 books and 1 website; use correct citation (Works Cited instructions can be found on my website in Class Notes)

******These topics are just the skeleton of the research. Identify as much information in addition to this as you can.

Part Four

Persuasive

Tangerine

MAJOR Grade Choice Novel Assignment

Part One

Vocabulary

Find and copy ten challenging words as you come across them in the novel. Copy the word and the sentence using proper quotation marks. Write a definition of the word in your own words based on how the word is used in the sentence.

Part Two

Literary Elements

Find and copy five examples of literary elements from the list below. Be sure to copy the sentence using proper format and include a page number. Explain why each term is that example.

SimileMetaphorPersonificationHyperbole

IdiomOnomatopoeiaAlliteration

Part Three

Discussion Questions

Answer these questions using complete sentences.

What incident does Paul remember as he and his mom are about to leave the house?
Paul says, “I can see everything. I can see things that Mom and Dad can’t. Or won’t.” What do you think he means?
What is the meaning of the following quotation? “It’s like we are major leaguers who’ve been sent down to a minor-league city for awhile. We’re expected to do great things here and then move back up to the big leagues.”
Paul writes, “Now Mike is dead. But the Dream lives on.” What does he mean?
Why is it important for Paul to be around Joey?
Discuss the events surrounding the sinkhole. How does the sinkhole affect Paul’s life? What might the sinkhole symbolize?
What do Arthur and Erik do while Joey is at the Fisher’s house?
Do you think Joey belongs at Lake Windsor like Paul said? Why?
Why do you think that Erik asks for a key to the storage shed?
Why isn’t Shandra’s picture in the paper?
What goes through Paul’s head when he hears that Luis’s aneurysm was caused by a blow to the head?
Why, for the first time, is Paul no longer afraid of Erik? Discuss what really happened to Paul’s eyes.
Many characters decide to tell the truth at the end of the novel. Discuss each one and their reasoning for finally revealing what they do. How do truth and lies function in the novel as a whole?

Research Extension

Research a topic and create a PowerPoint presentation.

Muck Fires: What is a muck fire? Where in the U.S. are muck fires most common? Why? How is a muck fire started and controlled? Research the presence of lignite in causing muck fires. Is this true? Be sure to explain how this topic ties into Tangerine. Cite specific examples from the novel.

Lightning: What causes lightning? Which states is lightning most common? Least common? Why? What kind of injuries can lightning cause? Can lightning hit the same spot twice? Be sure to explain how this topic ties into Tangerine. Cite specific examples from the novel.

Sinkholes: Define sinkhole. What causes a sinkhole? Is it manmade or natural disaster? Where are sinkholes common? Why? Can sinkholes be prevented? If so, how? Were the details of the sinkhole in Tangerineaccurate with what you have learned? Be sure to explain how this topic ties into Tangerine. Cite specific examples from the novel.

Research the citrus industry in Florida. Where are most of the groves located? What conditions are needed for oranges to thrive? What conditions cause the most damage? How many different types of citrus fruits are there? How are hybrids formed? Is there a tangerine called Golden Dawn? Be sure to explain how this topic ties into Tangerine. Cite specific examples from the novel.

Research a solar eclipse and determine whether or not this could have been the cause of Paul’s particular vision problem. Be sure to use facts to support your position. Be sure to explain how this topic ties into Tangerine. Cite specific examples from the novel.

Sources: minimum of 2 books and 1 website; use correct citation (Works Cited instructions can be found on my website in Class Notes)

******These questions are just the skeleton of the research. Identify as much information in addition to this as you can.

Part Four

Persuasive