Independent Novel Study

Transcription

1 Independent Novel Study Student Name: Teacher: Mr. McMullen (aka: Coolest Teacher of All Time in All of History of the World) Date Assignment given: Date Assignment due: Novel Information: Name of Novel Author Type of Book Number of pages Date reading began Date novel finished You will be asked to read, interpret and further develop your appreciation of literature. The novel you choose should challenge you to look inwards and outwards...into yourself and out towards the bigger themes that are embedded in the novel. Don t be afraid to try something new! You must choose a novel that you have not read before, and it must be at your level and one that is of interest to you. A good rule of thumb is that if you don t have a good idea of the main problem by the second or third chapter, it probably isn t a story that will catch your interest. You will be required to complete the following activities based on your book.

2 Asking Questions It is important when we are reading that we do not just skip over the things that we do not understand. We must ask questions about these words, ideas, and situations, because only then will we fully understand what we are reading. Vocabulary Example: If you are reading, and you come across a word that you don t know, write it down in the form of a question. What does exhilaration mean? Then answer the question using a dictionary. Content Example: If you are reading and you don t understand why a character says or does something, or why something happens, write it down in the form of a question. Why did the main character say that she couldn t go with him even through she wanted to? Answer this question by looking back over what you know about her from everything else you have read, and try to use that knowledge to answer your question as best you can. Please ask one vocabulary question and one content question about your book, and then answer them. Vocabulary Question: What does the word mean? Answer: Content Question: Answer:

3 Inferring Inferring can also be called reading between the lines. It is the process of figuring out what the author is not saying. For instance: When the teacher praised her for the good job she did, Mildred lowered her eyes and blushed. She said, Oh, it was nothing. Anybody could have done it. When the teacher continued to praise her, she got even more red in the face. This piece of writing tells us straight up what is going on between Mildred and the teacher. What it doesn t come straight out and tell us is how Mildred is feeling and what kind of person Mildred is, but we can read between the lines and figure it out. Lets try: How is Mildred feeling? Why? What does that tell us about what kind of person she is? Now try it with your book. Read, and pay close attention to looking for a passage which requires you to infer something. Copy out the passage and answer the questions. Passage: What information did you infer from the reading?

4 Making Connections When we are reading, it is very important to connect ourselves and our previous knowledge and experiences with the novel. This helps us to better understand what we are reading, and to remember the novel more clearly as well. There are three connections we can make with text that we are reading 1. Text to Self: These connections are connections between something we have read and something that we have felt or experienced in our own lives. Example: When reading a piece about a character who has a fight with their best friend, the reader might remember a fight they have had with their best friend. They might ask themselves if they felt the same way during and sfter the fight that the character does. 2. Text to Text: These connections are connections between something we have read or viewed and something else we have read or viewed. Example: When reading a piece about a man who wins the lottery, the reader might be reminded of a movie they once saw where a man won the lottery, but it ended up ruining his marriage. They might ask themselves if the two characters have reacted the same way to their wins, and if they think the character in the book will turn out the same way as the character in the movie. 3. Text to World: These connections are connections between something we have read and something we know about the world. Example: When reading a piece about a man who faces the death penalty, the reader might be reminded of a real-world story they have heard about someone facing the same punishment. They may ask themselves if they feel differently about it happening to the real person and it happening to the character in the book. Now I would like you to try to make connections to your reading today. Please use the following sheet to record any connections you can make to your novel.

5 Text to Self Text to Text Text to World

6 Determining Importance Picking out the important parts of a novel or story can be difficult, because sometimes it seems like everything is important. However, there is a helpful question we can use while we are reading in order to determine what the most important information is. Would the story still make sense if you were missing the piece of information you are considering? Below, please record the five most important pieces of information you have come across in your book so far. Pretend that someone who has never seen your novel before is about to start reading it from the point where you have left off. Therefore, you need to tell them everything they need to know in order to read the rest of the book without being confused

7 Book Chats x 3 Student s Name: Title of novel: Chat prompts used: Tell me about your book Who is the main character in your book? What is the biggest thing that s happened so far? Have there been any surprises so far? Do you like your book so far? Is there anything you would change about the book? What do you think is going to happen? (only if not done reading) Who would you recommend this book for? Voice Student is quiet and unclear Student is quiet or unclear. Student speaks loudly and clearly. Connection Student never once looks at the listener. Student looks at the listener a few times. Student maintains acceptable eye contact with the listener. Content Student does not seem to know anything about their book. Student provides some information about their book. Student provides a lot of information about their book. Opinions Student expresses no opinions about their book. Student expresses few opinions about their book. Student expresses many opinions about their book. Guidance Student provides no information without prompting. Student provides some information without prompting. Student provides lots of information without prompting.

8 WRITING ASSIGNMENTS FOR INDEPENDENT NOVEL STUDY You are required to complete three assignments on the novel you chose. Choose one assignment from each list below. You may also propose an alternate assignment that you create. GROUP A - Simple 1-PARAGRAPH responses: 1. Compare where you live with the setting of your novel 2. Tell what you think happened before the story began or after the story ended 3. Make a horoscope for one of the main characters explaining his/her sign and his/her future 4. Find a poem which applies to your book; write it out and explain how it applies. 5. Explain why you would or would not recommend this book to a friend. 6. Describe an experience you ve had that was like the experience of a character in your book. 7. Write an obituary for one character GROUP B - Non-Written responses: 1. Design a new book cover for your novel. (Explain why you chose the images you did). 2. Draw or paint a portrait of your favorite character. 3. Make a crossword puzzle from vocabulary within your book. Include page number references. 4. Make a full colour map of the town/city in which your novel takes place. (This may NOT be a Google Maps print out.) 5. Make a 3D representation of a theme or character or symbol in your novel. 6. Draw a comic strip of a scene from your novel. GROUP C - Longer than 4 paragraphs: 1. Write a series of poems about your book. They should connect thematically. 2. Write a movie or play script for one scene of your book. 3. Make a job application and cover letter for the main character and fill it in. 4. As a psychiatrist, analyze the conflicts and problems of a character. 5. Pretend that you are a character in the novel. Write three diary entries explaining three different events that occurred in the novel. 6. Write a long letter to the author and explain your reaction to his/her book. 7. Write a formal critique of your book.