Creating a Reader’s Guide for your Memoir/Autobiography
Your task is to compile a variety of documents to help guide a reader through the book you chose.
You must complete ALL of the following in thoughtful, well-developed paragraphs with specific textual support (with parenthetical citations).
A. Questions
Ask and answer TEN HIGHER LEVEL questions that could only be answered by having read AND THOUGHT ABOUT the book. (These questions should not include a “How-would-you-feel-in-this-situation?” type question.) See “Costa’s Level of Questions” on the LibGuide for help…
B. Paragraph of Purpose
What do you think is the author’s purpose in the writing the book? Did he/she write it primarily to: Explain? Inform? Inspire? Teach? Express an opinion? Persuade? Entertain? Other?
C. Paragraph of Audience
What is your opinion of the author’s intended audience? (Just because you read the book does not mean you’re part of the intended audience. Do you think Suzanne Collins intended for so many adults to read her books?! JK Rowling?) Think gender, age, life experience and level of education, to name a few.
D. Language
How is language used in the work? Formal? Informal? What diction (words) does the writer use? Simple words or complicated ones? What kinds of imagery are used (metaphors, similes, personification, alliteration) and what purpose do they have? Is the sentence structure (the syntax) simple? Complex? Long? Short? Smooth? Choppy? Academic? Dull? Beautiful? Neutral? In what ways does it aid (or hinder) in your understanding of the book? What effect do the voice and tone have on the reader? Is the voice informal, formal, academic? Is the tone calm, angry, frustrated, courteous, humorous, serious? Some other emotion?
E. Theme
How is the theme revealed through the journey the subject/character takes through the course of the book? Using textual evidence from the beginning, middle and end of the book, write a well-developed paragraph that proves a theme of the book through character development.
The Reader’s Guide Assignment is due FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21 in Reading.
Your project must be complete in order to be considered an on-time submission; each section should be completed as per the instructions. Late assignments will have a reduction in points.
Grades for the project will also include MLA format, including MLA parenthetical citation throughout.
You will also lose points for lack of editing and revising that results in egregious errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar and usage – particularly those covered specifically in class prior to this assignment.
English Language Arts Research Topics Assignment
Research Topics Create a list of topics (10-15) that, if researched, the reader would better understand/enjoy the book. Along with the list, you need to provide textual evidence (with page numbers) from where the idea/interest for the topic came.
Three of these topics will include some research completed for the reader, with sources. You will have two class periods in the lab on to work on this portion of the assignment.
You will be given more specific instructions and a rubric for this assignment in ELA.
The Research Assignment is due FRIDAY,NOVEMBER 14 in ELA.
Directions:
Go to the OTMS library home page; click on Databases; scroll down about half way. On the right side, under Encyclopedias, you’ll see “Britannica School Edition.” In the search box, type in your topic. On the next page, click “go.” You will be at a page with various options/links. The HIGH SCHOOL level links are on the left. You should use those! After clicking on those links, you might see on the next page “Expand Your Research” which will give more links to other reputable sources. You need to summarize and cite TWO sources on THREE of your topics. The information you find should be different/more than what is already available in the book you’re reading. IF you’re struggling to find information on Britannica, go to any of the Gale Databases on the home page of Databases.
If you cannot find the topic on the Britannica School Edition then you will need to use the 3 other databases provided on the Lib Guide.
***Passwords for home access to the search engines on Databases - falcon