Choose 1
A) Imagine you are a teacher, and you have been asked by the principal to write a letter to parents justifying the inclusion of this book in the curriculum. In your letter, you will need to argue that the book has valuable lessons to impart to all young adults. What are they? Support your answers with evidence from the book. You should probably cover at least three lessons. (4 pages long)
B) Carefully consider 2 prominent themes in Silver and write an essay about what the book communicates regarding them. Again, use specific support from the book. (3.5 pages minimum)
A Swiftly Tilting Planet Assignment
A) A Swiftly Tilting Planet introduces many concepts from physics and psychology. The novel
mentions, but does not explore extensively, topics such as ESP (extrasensory perception),
time travel, and extraterrestrials. Pick an idea from the book that interests you,
then find out more information about that subject. Write a report on this subject and
relate it to the ideas in A Swiftly Tilting Planet. Be sure to include references for any information which you use that is from other sources. (4 pages)
B) Charles travels to several different �Whens� in the book. You are to choose another When (it will have to be a time period which you know something about), and write your own chapter of A Swiftly Tilting Planet in which Charles travels to your When. Your chapter should sound like it is written by L�Engle herself, so that it could fit into the story. (4.5 pages)
Out of the Dust Assignment
1.Look at resources on the internet (and books as well) about the Great Depression. Using the information you have found, write a paper about how people had to deal with the daily problems of the Great Depression. You will first need to take a page to describe what those problems were, and then use 1.5 pages to explain how people dealt with these problems. Then, use 1 page to write about how the events of Out of the Dust match up with the way things really were. How realistic is the book, and how does it add to your understanding of the Great Depression. If you have not done a research paper before, or simply need to be reminded how to do one, see me early on. (3.5 pages minimum)
OR
2. Interview someone who lived through the Great Depression. What was it like to live during this time period? Are things the same now as they were then? What has changed? What has remained the same? Your interview should be three pages total, and then you will need to write 1 page about how realistic the book is compared with what you discovered through your interview and how the book added to your understanding of the Great Depression. (4 pages total)
Saying It Out Loud Assignment Options
You are to write a 2 page essay on the significance of the title of the book. Consider 1)what the author means by �saying it out loud� 2)how �saying it out loud� [or not saying it out loud] comes into the story and 3)what the author is trying to say about this theme. Then, you need to pretend you are the narrator, and you are going to write a letter to your dad in which you say it out loud. Based on the book, what specifically would the narrator want to communicate to her father? Obviously, she will talk about her mother in the letter, but she should also talk about her relationship with her father, and other subjects. It is your jod to figure out what she would talk about based on what happens he book. (2 pages additional) Total length=4 pages