Outside Reading Assignment
1 major grade
1 major grade
1. Choose a novel.
2. Get it approved by Mrs. Woodliff.
3. Complete the analysis below and on back.
4. Complete one of the project options on the green handout.
5. Due February 9 (3rd period) 10 (2nd and 6th periods). Your projects will be presented in class on this day.
Novel Analysis
1. Write an MLA entry for the novel:
2. Plot: basic storyline, significant events/scenes
3. Characters: specific names, dominant personality traits, relationships
4. Setting: time period, specific places and their physical/symbolic roles
5. Themes: list as many as you can with brief explanation (Theme is the general idea or insight about life that a writer wishes to express. All of the elements of the book (plot, characters, setting, etc.) contribute to theme. A simple theme can often be stated in a single sentence. For example: "After reading (this book, poem, essay), I think the author wants me to understand......."
6. Style: comment on choices such as author’s choice of narrator (Who is it? Is there more than one?), point of view (1st, 3rd limited, 3rd omniscient. How does it affect the story?), novel’s structure (Is it chronological. Are there flashbacks? Etc.), distinctive use of language (dialect, jargon/vocabulary, etc.), tone (author’s attitude toward his subject? To the reader?), etc. What is the effect of these stylistic issues?
Project Options (green sheet)
Option A: Symbolic Recipe Book
Directions: Choose the main characters from your book and create a symbolic recipe for him/her. Your recipe must include a minimum of 7 ingredients and a minimum of 5 steps for preparation. Remember to follow recipe format for ingredients and method of preparation, but think symbolically. For example, a cup of evil, not a pound of flesh. You must use either blue or black ink or 12-point font Times New Roman for this assignment, and you need to bind your recipes together to make a book. Please put your full heading on the cover of your recipe book in the top left hand corner. Make sure that your recipe book is legible and creative!
Below is an example of a symbolic recipe. You need to determine what ingredients/characteristics are combined to make up the character you have chosen.
Friendship Recipe
2 cups patience
1 heart full of love
2 handfuls of generosity
a dash of laughter
2 cups of loyalty
1 cup understanding
Mix all ingredients well.
Sprinkle generously over a lifetime.
Serve to everyone you meet.
A = 8 recipes B = 6 recipes C = 5 recipes D= 3 recipes F= 2 recipes or less
Option B: Character Collage
Directions: Using poster board, create a collage of one of the main characters of your book. The shape of the poster should be relevant to the character as well as all of the pictures. It should be no larger than ½ a poster board. Please put your heading on the back of your collage.
A = full coverage of the poster; at least 25 pictures
B = a little bit of the poster showing between pictures; at least 20 pictures
C = some poster showing between pictures; at least 15 pictures
D = quite a bit of poster showing between pictures; at least 10 pictures
F = half of the poster is showing; less than 10 pictures
Option C: CD-Soundtrack of the book
Directions: Pretend that your book is being made into a movie. You must find songs to represent either characters, major scenes in the movie, or a combination of both. Write a 3-5 sentence explanation for each song selection. Combine them all on a single CD. Make sure all lyrics are appropriate for school and for the book. Please put your heading on your CD case.
A = 7 songs with explanations
B = 6 songs with explanations
C = 5 songs with explanations
D = 4 songs with explanations
F = 3 or less songs with explanations; or no explanations for any songs
Option D: A high school yearbook or photo album for a main character
Directions: Create either a high school year book or photo album for a main character from your book. Be sure to write captions for each picture. Bind all the photos/pages together into a book/album. Please put your full heading on the cover of your book/album in the bottom right hand corner.
A = at least 5 pages with at least 10 photos
B = at least 4 pages with at least 8 photos
C = at least 3 pages with at least 6 photos
D = at least 2 pages with at least 4 photos
F = less than 2 pages, 3 photos or less
Option E: Book Report in a Bag
Directions: Take a lunch bag size paper bag and decorate it in a way that is relevant to your book. Inside the bag, place items that are significant to some aspect of the novel (make sure that the items are not valuable, not breakable, and are allowed in school). Please put your heading somewhere on your bag.
A = the bag is decorated with at least 10 images and you have at least 7 items in the bag.
B = the bag is decorated with at least 7 images and you have at least 5 items in the bag.
C = the bag is decorated with at least 5 images and you have at least 3 items in the bag.
D = the bag is decorated with at least 3 images and you have at least 2 items in the bag.
F = the bag is decorated with 2 or less images and has 1 or no item in the bag.
Option F: Google Doodle (examples can be found in classroom)
Directions: Using ½ a poster board, use the title of the book to create a “Google Doodle.” Just like the search engine has art work behind the title of their logo, create a “doodle” that incorporates the title of the novel and is relevant to the novel itself. Please put your heading on the back of your poster.
A = neat, original, colorful, meets all requirements
B = neat, original, meets most requirements
C = original or neat, meets some requirements
D = not particularly neat or original, meets at least one requirement
F = doesn’t meet requirements
Option G: Protagonist’s Poetry Notebook
Directions: Create a poetry notebook from the protagonist’s point of view. The poems should be about other characters in the novel as well as events in the novel that impact the protagonist. All poetry must be original. Each poem must be at least 8 lines long, but they may be free verse. Bind all of your poems into a notebook. Please put your heading on the cover of the notebook and decorate the cover in a way that is relevant to the novel.
A = at least 10 poems of appropriate length bound with a decorated cover
B = at least 8 poems of appropriate length bound with a decorated cover
C = at least 6 poems of appropriate length bound with a decorated cover
D = at least 4 poems of appropriate length bound with a decorated cover
F = at least 3 poems; no decorate cover
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