Literary writing assignments and book reports can be meaningful without being dull! The following assignments will get your students writing as well as thinking critically about themes, characters, setting, etc. I’ll post five ideas per week for the next few weeks. Here we go:
#1. The publishers of Life's Little Instructions have heard
that (your choice of novel) contains lots of great lessons for life, and they
need your help to compile a special edition of instructions based on the novel!
Suggest 20 different instructions that could be included in this edition.
Instructions can be serious or light-hearted. Be sure to explain why each
instruction would be appropriate. If you want to put the tips together into an
actual booklet of some sort, you may put the explanations on the back of each
page.
Obviously, this assignment is a great way to get students thinking about theme. Here are a couple of student examples:
Obviously, this assignment is a great way to get students thinking about theme. Here are a couple of student examples:
#2. As you are reading
(your choice of literary work), think about which (canto, scene, chapter, etc.)
you want to illustrate. Then, illustrate the (canto, scene, chapter, etc.) or
some aspect of it on 8.5x11 paper. You may use any type of images you deem
appropriate—drawn, cut out, downloaded, three-dimensional, color, black and
white, etc. Your goal is to depict the (canto, scene, chapter, etc.). Think not
only about what is happening in the text, but also about the characters,
themes, symbols, etc. On the back of your illustration, you must quote the one
line from the (canto, scene, chapter, etc.) that best captures the essence of
your illustration. Finally, you must attach a one-page explanation of why you
have chosen to depict the (canto, scene, chapter, etc.) they way you have: Why
did you choose the types of images you chose? Why did you arrange them the way
you did? What does you illustration say about the (canto, scene, chapter,
etc.)?
This assignment provides an opportunity for students to think about all aspects of the literature and to create their own symbolism. Here are two student examples from Dante's Inferno. The written explanation gives this assignment real depth of meaning.
This assignment provides an opportunity for students to think about all aspects of the literature and to create their own symbolism. Here are two student examples from Dante's Inferno. The written explanation gives this assignment real depth of meaning.
#3. Choose five
characters from (novel of your choice), and then choose something nonhuman to
represent each one. (It doesn’t have to be something from the book. It could be
something as random as a stapler.) For each character, write a paragraph that
tells what object you’ve chosen and how that object and that character are
alike. Specific quotations and/or paraphrases from the novel would be helpful
in providing your explanations.
I don't have a picture to share for this one, but it gives students an opportunity to really delve into the characters and think on a higher level.
I don't have a picture to share for this one, but it gives students an opportunity to really delve into the characters and think on a higher level.
#4. Then saw you not
his face . . . book? What if (insert author here) had known about Facebook?!
We’ll each choose a character from (your choice of play) and make a Facebook
page for him or her. Don’t forget a picture! Then all the characters will need
to become friends. No “outsiders” allowed please (except for parents, of
course, but they can’t comment.) Throughout the week, post and comment as
though you were really that character. Though you don’t have a
posting/commenting quota, your character needs to participate actively. Print
out your Facebook pages to submit—no revision will be necessary of
course.
We've had a lot of fun with this one! We continue the project throughout the course of the novel. Then at the end, we have a springboard for talking about character development, plot development, dramatic irony, etc.
We've had a lot of fun with this one! We continue the project throughout the course of the novel. Then at the end, we have a springboard for talking about character development, plot development, dramatic irony, etc.
#5. And what should we
do in Illyria? Create a travel brochure that convinces me to visit some certain
place in (your choice of literary work). Capture the setting, mood, and tone of
the work so visitors understand what the place is like. Try to think of
everything a traveler would want to know. Consider an attractive travel
package. Be creative (even ironic?) and have fun!
Here are a couple of student examples for this one, too. Notice that one student opted to discourage visitors--very clever! This is one of my favorite projects because of the focus on some more difficult concepts like tone and mood.
Here are a couple of student examples for this one, too. Notice that one student opted to discourage visitors--very clever! This is one of my favorite projects because of the focus on some more difficult concepts like tone and mood.
Stop by next week for five more literature based project ideas!
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