Reading & Writing:

INDEPENDENT NOVEL STUDY

This is an opportunity for you to demonstratematurity to work independently, at your own pace and with a novel of your own choice.

Select a book from the library of your choice or you may bring a book from home. The book must be a readability level that is appropriate for you and the teacher must approve the book before you use it for this unit. We will begin our activities in 1 week.

You may use reading time in class to read this novel, but you will require more time outside of class to complete the reading and assignments. You will need to show me what you have learned by creating an electronic newspaper using Microsoft Publisher and by completing regular reading responses.Please ensure you understand what is expected of you in this assignment and manage your time wisely.

Newspaper:

To choose a template, open Microsoft Publisher, select Publications for Print, then Newsletters. You may choose any newsletter template you like for this assignment. You may also add appropriate & relevant images to support your novel. All of the templates have 9 areas for typing over 4 pages. You will fill those areas with the following information. Be sure to come up with some creative titles and headlines!

Check out this link for some video tutorials on how to use the software:

  1. Lead Story Headline: Plot Summary
  2. In the space provided, summarize the main events of the story. MAX 8
  3. Secondary Story Headline: Plot Climax
  4. Identify and describe the turning point of the book—what happened and why was it so significant?
  5. Inside Stories #1-3: Character sketches
  6. Choose 3 main characters from the novel; one for each story.
  7. Describe the physical characteristics of each character and the personality traits for each. You must provide evidencefrom the novel(e.g., quotes, page numbers, phrases) to support the personality traits. Please use your student writing guide to help you find appropriate vocabulary. (see for an electronic copy)
  8. Inside Story #4: Setting
  9. In your own words, describe the setting of the story (the place and time). Remember that setting is developed using the 5 senses. Your task is use language in such a way that the reader can visualize the setting in their mind. You may write this like a travel review that tries to convince the reader to either visit the area or avoid it.
  10. Inside Stories #5 & 6: Your choice
  11. Use these sections to further elaborate on you own ideas about the book. Be creative here! You could write a letter to the author, a letter from a crazed fan, or a biography of the author. You may also use this area to describe other works this author has written. For example, your book may be part of a series that you could describe. You may combine sections 5 and 6 if you would like more space to more fully develop 1 idea rather than 2, but remember to change the table of contents on page 1 if you do so.
  12. Back Page Headline: Your reaction/opinion, supported with reasons. You will likely require more room for this section, so please resize the textboxes on the final page to accommodate your writing.
  13. What message or theme was developed in this book? How can you apply this message to your everyday life?
  14. Good and bad points about your novel. Write a review of the novel and give good reasons as to why a friend should or should not read the novel. INCLUDE EXAMPLES FROM YOUR NOVEL TO SUPPORT YOUR REVIEW.

Newspaper Evaluation:
Reading Response Journal:

In addition to the Newspaper assignment, you will be writing weekly journal responses about the novel. Chunk your book into 4 relatively equal parts. You will write a journal response for each section. By Thursday of each week, you will email me your journal response as an attached Microsoft Word document. PLEASE WRITE YOUR RESPONSE AT THE END OF EACH READING SECTION…DO NOT READ THE WHOLE BOOK THEN GO BACK. I am looking for your reactions to your reading as you go and your abilities to support your thinking with evidence from the book. If you’re stuck about what to write about, please review the handouts for suggestions for journal responses provided to you in previous Literature Circle units. The journals will be evaluated forReadingaccording to the following scale:

Reading: taken from the BC Performance Standards Quick Scale: Grade 7 Reading Literature

Work Ethic: / N / S / G
  • focus
  • preparedness
  • homework
/
  • rarely listens to instructions and does not use class-time wisely
  • often forgets needed materials and/or is rarely ready to get to work when prompted
  • rarely completes homework assignments; does not demonstrate care or pride
/
  • sometimes focuses on the task, needs reminders to listen to instructions
  • usually brings materials, but forgets necessary portions; works when prompted
  • usually completes homework assignments; requires more detail and care
/
  • listens and uses time well, student is self-directed, motivated and reliable
  • consistently brings needed materials to class and stays on task
  • all homework assignments complete with care and pride

This is a busy time of the year and it is likely that their will be disruptions to the planned agenda. If we miss a class, it remains your responsibility to catch-up on your own time. This assignment will be a true test of your time management skills and an opportunity for your parents and your teacher to observe how much ownership you take for your own learning. DO NOT LEAVE ASSIGNMENTS TO THE LAST MINUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These activities will form a large part of Term 3’s Reading & Writing marks.