INDEPENDENT NOVEL PROJECT
For this project, you will choose assignments from a variety of levels. Some involve basic understanding, whereas others
require critical thinking and application. The number of activities you do, as well as the types you choose, will determine
your grade. All written assignments must be typed, double-spaced, on 8.5x11” paper. NO COLLABORATION with
other students is allowed.
C LEVEL
To earn a “C” grade, you must complete (accurately, neatly, and thoroughly) one assignment from each of the three
following categories (making a total of three assignments):
Vocabulary
1. Choose 20 words from the novel that you do not know. Fill in the personal vocabulary sheet for these 20
words.
2. Create a crossword using 20 unfamiliar words from the novel (definitions or sentences that would use the words
should be your clues). Be sure to include one blank and one filled-in crossword.
3. Create a quiz on 20 words from the novel. Be sure to include a key and a blank copy of the quiz. Matching
words and definitions is NOT acceptable.
4. Create a song or poem that correctly incorporates a total of 10 vocabulary words from the novel. Their
definitions should be clear from context. (Include a list of the words used and the lyrics to the song.)
Comprehension
1. Create an illustrated timeline that shows the events from the novel in chronological order. This should include
all major events and characters from the novel. Be sure to have a caption to explain each illustration.
2. Create an objective (multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks, short answer) test (NO True/False Questions) with a
minimum of 50 questions. This should cover all major events and characters of the novel (This may require
more than 50 questions). Include a key.
3. Create a cause and effect organizer. On a plain sheet of paper, draw three columns and label them as follows:
“Cause of,” “Event,” and “Effect of.” Record events with respective causes and effects. This should cover all
major events of the novel.
4. Create a 1-2 page summary of the novel. This should cover all major events of the novel. DO NOT copy from an
online source.
5. Write 1-3 haikus (look up format if unfamiliar with it) for each chapter of the novel. You should end up with a
total of at least 50. Each haiku should present the main idea for the chapter.
Elements (Literary & Writing)
1. Create a chart that shows how the author has used rhetorical devices in the novel. Include a minimum of eight
different devices, with two or three examples (including page number) of each. You may need to look up
rhetorical devices to complete this portion.
2. Create a song/rap that creatively incorporates 8 different literary elements from the story. (Plot,
characterization, point of view, conflict, foreshadowing, irony, tone/mood, symbolism, theme, imagery,
figurative language, etc.) Hand in both the lyrics and a recording of the song.
B LEVEL
To earn a “B” grade, you must complete (accurately, neatly, and thoroughly) the three assignments from the “C” level
(one vocabulary, one comprehension, and one elements), as well as one assignment from the following choices:
1. Write a 2-3 page short story in which the main character faces the same type of conflict as the protagonist of
your novel. Use the same type of narrator (1st or 3rd person) as your novel. Incorporate vocabulary from the
novel and dialogue into the story. Also include a one-page explanation of the correlation between your story
and the novel you’ve chosen.
2. Create a 2-3 page newspaper as it would have appeared at the time the novel was set. Include historical
information as well as information about events from your story. This requires research into the historical
context of the novel you’ve chosen. Be sure to keep the tone and style of a newspaper. This should include a
minimum of 5 articles: two historical and three covering events from the novel.
3. Create a children’s book that tells the story of your novel. Be sure the pictures and words leave no gaps in the
storyline. Make sure the language and illustrations are appropriate for children. Students may not do this
option if they did the illustrated timeline as one of their “C” projects.
4. Modernize your novel. Write a short story to show what would happen if the events in your book were to occur
in 2017 at VHS. Be sure to incorporate vocabulary from the novel into the story. Include a one-page
explanation of how the theme of the story is universal and applies to modern times.
A LEVEL
To earn an “A” grade, you must complete (accurately, neatly, and thoroughly) three assignments from the “C” level
(one from each subsection), one assignment from the “B” level, and one assignment from the following choices (all
“A” projects are 2-3 page essays):
1. Complete the character tracking form for one main character, with at least 12 examples of indirect
characterization for the character. Consider specifically how the character interacts with other characters, and
changes over the course of the novel. Then, write an essay in which you discuss the most important change that
occurs to the protagonist during the course of the novel, taking care to specify whether this change is mainly
one of fortune, moral character, or knowledge. Trace the progress of this change through these stages:
a. The original situation of the protagonist
b. The precipitating event (or series of events) which begins to involve the protagonist in a central tension
c. The alternative types of action which are available to the protagonist as her/his involvement intensifies
d. The major steps that intensity the involvement. Show how each step advances the involvement, and
how it changes the relative strength of the alternatives.
e. The crisis. Show what event precipitates the crisis and how.
f. The resolution. Show what event breaks the crisis and how.
2. Evaluate the moral structure of the protagonist. Is he/she a moral person?
a. To what degree is her/his moral stature defined by contrasting minor characters, by the testimony of
characters who are readily acceptable as witnesses?
b. Discuss the protagonist’s inclinations to specific virtues and vices, his/her powers or handicaps with
relation to those virtues and vices.
c. Discuss one or two important actions in which her/his moral stature is apparent.
3. Before reading the novel, do some research into various themes of the book you have selected. Choose one
theme, and as you read the novel, complete the theme tracking form (at least 12 examples of the theme from
the text), noting how the theme develops as the novel progresses. When finished, write an essay discussing the
development of the theme throughout the course of the novel. How does the theme first emerge? How do
details from the text shape and refine the theme? How do characters and events propel the theme through the
book?
4. Writers can’t help but be influenced by the events and people that they see around them. The question is to
what extent does that influence become part of the works they write and how do they communicate their
feelings and beliefs about the world around them? For your essay, think about how the characters, setting, and
themes in your novel relate to the period in which it was written or to the author’s life. How is the novel an
analysis of the period? How is it a reflection, and how is it a criticism? How does the writer make opinions
about that world clear to the reader? This will require research into the period and the author’s life. You may
not do this option with Black Boy.
5. Analyze how the author’s choices of how to structure the text, order events, and manipulate time create effects
such as mystery, tension or suspense. In a 2-3 page essay, use specific examples from the text that support your
position.
6. Watch a video or live production of the novel you have chosen. (Please make sure the choice is appropriate and
approved by your parent/guardian.) Write an essay comparing/contrasting the novel and the production you
watched. Discuss specifics of what is emphasized or absent in each, and how that affects the overall impression
it gives. Which is more effective as a story-teller? Why? Support your answer with specific details from both
the book and the movie. *Note – This is not possible for all novels.
All students will also complete the Reading Literary Text form for their novel and will complete three journal entries.
The journal entries will be done in class, approximately once every 1 ½ - 2 weeks.