Thursday, May 22, 2014

Independent Book Report

For your independent book report, complete the following book report.


First, in the upper right hand corner, enter the following information:
  1. student name
  2. book title (underlined)
  3. author
  4. total number of pages
  5. the pages numbers that the book report will be covering (Please note: If you have not finished your novel, indicate the number of pages you have read that you will be covering. Keep in mind that if your book report is vague or incomplete, you may be given a verbal quiz. If you do not perform well on the quiz, your book report grade will reflect this. In other words, your grade will be better off if you are honest about not finishing the entire book.)

Here's an example of the header:

          John Perkins
          Carter Beats the Devil
          Glen David Gold
          339 total pages
          pages 1-172



Second, answer the following four questions in four thoughtful, thorough paragraphs. Each paragraph should be a minimum of 200 words. Use at least three cited quotations throughout the report. (Introductions and conclusions are not necessary. The report should take the form of a four paragraph essay.)


  1. Summarize in detail the main events of the book.
  2. Describe how each of the major characters changes/grows throughout the course of the book. For each, explain whether or not they achieved their goal. (Is each character satisfied at the end with regards to what motivated him or her?)
  3. Relate a significant incident from the second half of the book that truly interested you or impressed you, and explain why you liked it.
  4. Evaluate the book, indicating in specific terms what you liked and/or disliked about it.  Do not use words like “good” or “bad” – which are vague and useless.  Give concrete reasons for your evaluation.



Note: Your job here is simple: Prove that you have read half the book and reflected on it. Remember that 200 words per paragraph is the minimum. That is how many words it takes to pass, not necessarily to get an A. You will be graded here for quality as well as quantity. Again, students who do not demonstrate a thorough understanding of the book are subject to a follow up verbal quiz. The results of this quiz will be reflected in the book report grade.

If you have any questions, please ask your instructor.


This book report is due Tuesday, May 27.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Sample Book Trailers

Here are some of the sample book trailers Mrs. Shaner shared with us at the start of the unit...



Feathered




 Inexcusable


Thursday, May 8, 2014

Real World Problems in Fahrenheit 451

This post is for JUNIORS only.



In a thoughtful, thorough, one-page essay, respond to the following prompt. Be sure to use the One Page Essay Rubric when drafting and revising. Also refer to the Road to Formal Essay Revision handout. Both are available in your Googledrive. You should also refer to your Problems in Science Fiction handout. The essay is due on Tuesday, 5/13/14.

Title your Googledoc "451 Problems."

The societal problems Montag faces in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451
exist not only in the novel, but in the modern world as well.

Your task in the first body paragraph is to identify one problem from the "Problems in Science Fiction" handout and present two different examples in which it manifests itself in the novel. This paragraph must include two correctly incorporated and cited quotations -- one for each example.

In the second body paragraph you must supply two examples from the real world -- other literature, pop culture, history, current events, etc.

Each body paragraph must have a topic sentence that clearly expresses what will be proven in the paragraph.

For inspiration, refer to the Googledoc that collects our notes from our previous work on this issue.