Novel Study Unit                           English 8                                           Mrs. McDee                 2009

 

I hope this will be an enjoyable project for you and one which will be an aid to a fuller understanding of literary terms and the structure of novels.

 

DUE DATES:      TIMELINE FOR NOVEL STUDY UNIT       2009

 

By the end of Spring Break (24 March, Tuesday)                        Complete the reading of the novel

 

By Tuesday, 31 March                                                                      PART I: Book cover, its explanation and                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      characterization pages should be complete

 

By Tuesday, 14 April                                                                          PART II: Statement of plot page, time & place                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            setting page and literary terms page

                                                                                                                                should be complete

By Tuesday, 21 April                                                                         PART III: Summary of plot pages and theme

                                                                                                                                page should be complete

 

By Tuesday, 28 April                                                                          PART IV: Contents page and revising of entire book                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  should be complete

 

Monday, 4 May                                                                                  Novel Study Project is due by ALL by Break in                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        boxes provided in Rm 214                                                        

 

Tuesday, 12 May                                                                                Peer evaluation of project in class

 

VERY IMPORTANT: I will be checking the above work on the days stated and giving it a grade. You don’t have to have the book with you just a summary on your computer of HOW you will complete these sections. NO CLASS TIME WILL BE ALLOWED FOR THIS PROJECT AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO STUDY OTHER UNITS AS YOU COMPLETE THIS PROJECT ON YOUR OWN. Do not wait until the last minute to try and complete this entire project. Remember, the project is worth 300 points. A great deal of your fourth quarter grade is dependent on this project.

 

GOAL

                 The basic goal of your literary book is to use the literary terms below and apply them to your specific novel. This is a novel analysis presented in an unique manner rather than writing an essay. Your literary book will present the characters, along with the basic plot of the novel, created in story book form,  in conjunction with a statement (in a complete sentence) of the main theme which generates from the plot.

 

REQUIREMENTS:           1. Choose a novel which you WANT TO READ!!!!!!

                                                2. The novel you choose must be AT LEAST 150 pages in length.

                                                3. After reading the novel, you will create a literary book following the specific instructions below.

BOOK COVER

                Be creative with your book covers. (SEE SAMPLES) Your book cover must include the name of the novel you read and its author. The cover of your book must be ‘protected’. You can laminate it, use hard materials as the cover or both. The choice is yours. However, make sure you follow the cover with a page that explains in a paragraph (word processed) why you covered your book as you did. The book must be bound in some way not just stapled together. The binding, however, must be pliable enough so that the reader can easily maneuver through your book without destroying or ripping it. PLEASE DO NOT PLACE YOUR NAME ON THE COVER.

 

INSTRUCTIONS: STRUCTURE OF THE LITERARY BOOK

                I will show you some samples of literary books in class but since some of us are visual learners I will include here the structure in written form.

Following the book cover and its explanation, please insert a Table of Contents page. Label this page Table of Contents and under it write Created by and your name. Along the left hand margin, name your pages.  Along the right hand margin give the page number(s) where that  titled page can be found. Make sure each page of your book is numbered at the bottom. Please word process this page.

 

The first page of your book should list the characters according to how they are presented in the novel, such as antagonist, protagonist, narrator, dynamic character, flat or static character and a short description of their importance to the novel’s plot.

                The second page should state the plot in written form, including the conflict, the climax and the conclusion. (1-2 SENTENCES SHOULD SUFFICE.)

                The third page should state in written form the point of view employed in the novel and the time and place setting of the novel.

                The fourth page should include any other of the literary terms studied (see attached sheet) that your novel might have used such as symbols, irony, flashback or foreshadowing and a complete explanation of each term and how it was displayed in the novel.

                The next few pages should be set up as a summary of the novel’s main content or plot. This will be a summarized version of your novel which will also include illustrations drawn by you.

                The last page of your book should be a one sentence statement of the main theme of the novel.

               

ILLUSTRATIONS

                The manner in which you choose to present your book is up to you personally. You can create a children’s book, a condensed replication of the book, or a pop-up book (SEE SAMPLES IN CLASS). The possibilities are endless. However, whichever genre you choose, the above literary terms must be included as stated above and the theme must be stated in a generally applicable way and in sentence form on the last page of your book. You do not have to be an artist to neatly and appropriately draw figures which would enhance the summary of your novel. No cut-outs from magazines are allowed. You do not necessarily have to draw a complete scene for each page of your book. Symbols might sometimes be more effective. However, each page of your book needs to contain a creative border done in color.. Use your own creativity and imagination and remember to make sure your ‘drawings’ are neat and appropriate.

 

GRADING

                 Each of you will be given a classmate’s literary book to read and evaluate using a criteria sheet I will give you later (SEE ABOVE FOR PEER EVALUATION DATES). I will also individually grade each book using the same criteria. This project is worth 300 points (150 points from your peer grader and 150 points from my evaluation). THIS PROJECT WILL NOT BE CONFERENCED. READ---THINK---CREATE---BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY: HAVE FUN!!!!!!

 

REMEMBER: NO CLASS TIME WILL BE GIVEN FOR THIS PROJECT SO FOLLOW THE TIMELINE CAREFULLY!!!!

 

 

 

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