INDEPENDENT READ PORTFOLIO
1. Reading log. Divide your book into three equal (ish) sections. Complete a reading log entry for each
section of your book. You will thus have THREE reading logs for the entire text. Each log needs to
contain the following:
a. Title of book and author
b. Pages read
c. 3 important/meaningful quotes from the text and one response per quote explaining why you
selected it. (Why is this quote important?)
d. A 2-3 paragraph summary of that section—include main points, character development, and
conflict (fiction); main points, author’s ideas, interesting facts, themes (nonfiction)
Note: You may do three mind maps in place of these reading log entries. Each mind map may be on a
short section of the book (for instance, 1 – 2 chapters) or on a larger section of the book (for instance,
the first third of the book, the second third of the book, and the last third of the book). (Common Core:
RL 1 & 2)
2. Character development. Show that you can analyze how two of the characters in your book develop
over the course of the book. What are your two characters’ internal and external conflicts? What
motivates each character? What are each character’s fears? Identify a turning point in each characters’
development. Make sure you include specific evidence from the book to support your claims.
Note: This entry may be in full paragraph or outline form. Or, if you prefer, you may create a
presentation or illustration of this entry. (Common Core: RL 3)
3. Language. Select 5 words from your book that are new to you or that surprised, delighted, or confused
you. Write each word out in context (in other words, include the sentence where you found the word).
Define each word.
Note: You may earn extra credit by illustrating each word, too.
4. Literary devices. Select 5 examples of literary devices in your book. (Note: You should identify 5
different literary devices.) Write out each example and identify the literary device at work.
Note: Don’t let me bore you and don’t bore yourself! If you know a simile like the back of your hand
(ha ha), then please do something more interesting: Either find literary devices that you aren’t as
comfortable with or write a couple of sentences analyzing the literary devices you’ve identified.
Channel your inner John Green.
5. How does the author structure this book? Think about how he/she orders events. Do we start the
book in the middle of the action? Are there flashbacks? Are there parallel plots? What’s the pacing of
the book? Does it leap forward in time? Are there chunks of time missing? Is there mystery, tension, or
suspense? If so, how does he/she create those moments?
Respond to the question “How does the author structure this book?” with one well-developed
paragraph OR an illustration. (Common Core: RL 5)
6. Extra credit: Connect a theme or key scene in this book to a painting, video, film, or song. Analyze how
both texts (your book and a painting, for instance) represent a subject similarly and differently.
Consider what each text emphasizes or deemphasizes. Note: Do not compare a movie version of the
book to the book. (Common Core: RL 7)
Examples of the types of comparisons one might analyze for #5:
- Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and the band Wilco’s song “Jesus,
etc.” both deal with the events of September 11th, 2001.
-
Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air includes a description of Mt. Everest in the opening chapter. A student
could compare that to a painting or photograph of Mt. Everest.
-
Chaim Potok’s The Chosen explores two very different father-son relationships. A student could
compare that book—or a scene from it—to an artwork depicting a father-son relationship. (For
instance, Louise Bourgeois’s sculpture “Father and Son,” which is at the Olympic Sculpture Park.)
You may turn this in as an electronic portfolio or in hard copy. Due dates:
Thu/Fri, 3/27 and 3/28: At least TWO entries
Thu/Fri, 4/10 and 4/11: An additional TWO entries
Thu/Fri, 4/17 and 4/18: The rest of the portfolio