In the third term, we will begin studying a novel titled "The Giver", written by Lois Lowry. There will be a number of written components required in completion of the novel study, which you will have time to work on in class. These sections must all, however, be submitted together in a single website that you are to create at geocities.com. The outline below will provide the structure for your final project.

Assignment 1

Assignment 2

Assignment 3

Assignment 4

Assignment 5

Assignment 6

Assignment 7

Assignment 1 - Biography of the author. (During) ( 10 marks)

Write a brief biography of Lois Lowry. Where and when was she born? Where did she grow up? How did she become a writer? Where does she get her ideas?

Use complete sentences, and proper paragraphs. Your biography should include an introductory paragraph, two to three body paragraphs and a concluding paragraph. Be sure to reference your sources in a brief list at the bottom of your biography.

(If possible, include a picture of Ms. Lowry)

Assignment 2 - Book Summary. (After) (20 marks)

Upon completing the book, write a detailed summary of the plot. What happened in the book? Who were the main characters and what happened to them? What problems did the main characters face? What was the climax of the plot? What was the resolution (how did it end)? Be sure to write complete sentences and paragraphs. The questions above are general questions to think about, not questions to be answered separately. Be sure to retell the main events of the story in chronological order. Book summary should include an introduction (stating the genre of the book and general overview) several body paragraphs (detailing what happened to the characters in the plot) and a conclusion (bringing your summary to an end).

Assignment 3 - Responses (During) (30 marks)

Upon completing each of the 5 sections of the book (detailed below) you will be required to complete a one page (one page typed (12pt font double spaced)) response. Responses are designed to help you "get into" the book and to make it personal. They are to help you focus better on what you are reading, and allow you to develop your ideas about topics presented in the section.

In each response, you are to write how you feel and think about what you have read. You can compare a character's feelings before or after an event, or compare a character's feelings to a different character. A key component, is to compare the character's feelings to your own. What might you have done or felt in the same situation. How is what is going on in the novel similar or different to what is going on in your own life or your past experiences?

The sections are as follows, and due dates will be discussed in class.

Section 1 Chapters 1 - 5 Due Date May 15

Section 2 Chapters 6 - 10 Due Date May 21

Section 3 Chapters 11 - 15 Due Date May 25

Section 4 Chapters 16 - 19 Due Date May 29

Section 5 Chapters 20 - 23 Due Date June 2

Responses are to be written in complete sentences in your writing book. Each journal entry should be at least 1 pages in length (every line). Be sure to provide an introductory paragraph, a number of body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. Spelling and sentence structure are important, and the rubric for you journal entries is attached to the back of this document.

Assignment 4 - Vocabulary & Spelling (During) (20 marks)

During the novel study, you will come across a wide variety of words that are new to you. As a part of the spelling program, you have received a list of 104 words that are found in the novel. Each week, you will receive several activities to complete that will be taken up on Mondays. These activities are designed to help you get acquainted with the words before you encounter them in the novel.

The spelling test will be held at the conclusion of the novel study!

Assignment 5 - Tests (During) (20 marks)

There will be 6 tests during the unit! The first five tests will be on the material introduced in the reading in each of the sections. Questions will be short answer comprehension questions on the characters, setting and plot of each section. The final test will be on the whole novel.

Test 1 - Section 1 Chapters 1 - 5 Date: May 15

Test 2 - Section 2 Chapters 6 - 10 Date: May 21

Test 3- Section 3 Chapters 11 - 15 Date: May 25

Test 4- Section 4 Chapters 16 - 19 Date: May 29

Test 5- Section 5 Chapters 20 - 23 Date: June 2

Test 6 Final Test All Sections Date: June 5

Assignment 6 - "A world without colour!" (After) (20 marks)

After reading "The Giver", you will get an opportunity to see things in your world the way Jonas saw them before he could see colour. You will have an opportunity to go around the school and take a number of pictures using the digital camera. However, you will convert the pictures on the computer into black and white.

From the pictures you have taken, you will have to select 5 pictures to print and display. Along with the pictures, you will have to write a brief overview, explaining what colour means to you, and what it would be like for you to live in a world without any colour. Each picture must be referred to in your write up (ie. As shown in figure 1, colour is important ...) Each picture must also have a brief caption explaining what is shown.

The overview of "A world without colour" must be written in full sentences and proper paragraphs. There should be an introductory paragraph and a concluding paragraph. There should also be a caption for each of the five pictures selected.

To see a sample write up of a level 4 - world without colour assignment, completed by Nikki S. last year, click here!

Assignment 7 - WEBSITE!!!! (During) (30 marks)

The entire contents of the novel study are to be presented as a geocities website. You have begun to create your website in tech classes. You will be required to create a title page (called "index") which will include your title, name, and links to each of the required assignments (with exception of the tests).

Each assignment is to be submitted as a separate page. For example, all responses will be typed up and submitted on a page entitled responses. You might choose to, at this point, use a separate page for each response, or you might choose to separate each response on a single page using an anchor and a table of contents at the top.

This will count as an oral and visual communication mark, and will be graded based on completion, creativity, aesthetic appeal, and effectiveness. This will be outlined in the attached rubric.