The Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns Research Project
Over the next four weeks you will read one of the two books by Khaled Hosseini, complete the section summaries and write a small research paper on a topic related to the novel.
Divide the novel into 4 approximately equal sections. Depending on the number of chapters some will have to be divided or added together to make a section. Try to use natural story breaks like chapters or parts, but if you can’t, use page numbers.
· For each section you will need to:
o Summarize, Clarify, and Predict: briefly summarize the chapter, including characters, conflict, and setting. Also, write down some parts that need clarifying, and then make a prediction as to what you think may come next.
o Generate Questions: come up with at least two open-ended questions that focus on the meaning of the text, and/or move beyond the scope of the text.
o Vocabulary: select five English words that are unfamiliar to you; write them down and define them.
o Passage: as you are reading select two passages that have a great deal of significance for the section, write it down, cite the page number, and elaborate in your own words as to why the passage is important. One of the passages should be directly related to a potential research topic that interests you.
o Literary Devices: select an example of a literary device that we have studied earlier in the year (or another one). Write it down and cite the page number and explain what it is and what the significance is.
o Symbols: Find a symbol (something used to represent something else, i.e. mockingbirds for innocence) used in the chapter, or create a symbol for the chapter. Write a short paragraph analyzing or explaining the symbol.
You will need to submit a completed section summary to Turnitin.com each Monday night before 11:59pm. You will also need to bring in a hard copy to class on Tuesday/Wednesday to use for class discussion.
Due dates:
Section 1 due Monday night 1/12 before 11:59pm
Section 2 due Monday 1/19 (Yes, I know it’s a holiday, but the internet never rests)
Section 3 due Monday 1/26 plus a short research proposal attached to the summary
Section 4 due Monday 2/2
Research Paper due week of 2/10 – 2/13
Research Paper:
You are going to write a short research paper on a topic of your choice that the book addresses. You must include an introduction to the topic you research and include in the intro how the topic is alluded to in the novel. The next couple of paragraphs will include outside (real-world) research about the topic — from eLibrary or some other legitimate research source, and a final body paragraph must include a personal analysis supported by quotes from the novel of why the author included this topic and how it connects to the real world. Include a WORKS CITED of the sources you used to research the topic (in proper MLA format), including the novel.