Name
Mrs. Harrison
IRP Assignment- Historical Fiction (second quarter)
Directions​: For this assignment, you are able to pick an historical fiction novel that
you would like to read. The following assignments (7) must be completed on
loose-leaf or typed. ​I would prefer the assignments to be typed.​ Please write or
type in complete sentences and proofread your work.
**Note- All the assignments will collectively count as a test grade.
Assignment #1​- ​Title Page
● Provide a cover page with the book title and author.
● Write your full name and your class period.
● Provide at least ​FIVE words that describe the book. Examples- exciting,
riveting, etc.
Assignment #2- The Protagonist- the central/main character in a
story
In a well written short answer constructed response (a body paragraph) explain one
thing that you admire about the protagonist in your IRP novel. Explain in detail
something that the protagonist did that you were impressed with. As you explain
the situation, also include at least one personality trait that made the protagonist in
the novel so admirable.
** Note​- Indent the paragraph and use transitions in your writing. You can include
quotes from the text that support your response. Be sure to cite your evidence.
Assignment #3- The Antagonist- the person or force that opposes
the protagonist
Describe one thing that the antagonist did in your IRP novel that you strongly
disagree with. In a well written short answer constructed response (a body
paragraph) explain the situation in detail. Make sure to also include why you
disagree with the antagonist’s actions.
** Note​- Indent the paragraph and use transitions in your writing. You can include
quotes from the text that support your response. Be sure to cite your evidence.
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Assignment #4- Conflict - a problem
Complete the following tasks:
a) State an important CONFLICT in the novel.
b) State whether the conflict is internal or external or both.
c) Explain the conflict in ​detail​.
d) Explain how the conflict was resolved. If it was not resolved, explain why.
e) Lastly, provide advice to the character or characters that experienced the
conflict.
Examples of how a character might feel when experiencing an internal conflict: guilt,
anger, sadness, remorse, uncertainty, fear, jealousy, hostility, insecurity,
disappointment, anxiety
Examples of external conflicts: man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. animal, man vs.
machinery, man vs. technology, man vs. supernatural, man vs. society
NOTE: Make sure to address all ​5​ tasks and cite your evidence.
Assignment #5- Theme – a message, a moral, a lesson in the text.
A theme is a statement (a sentence). It is something that you
learned from the text.
State ​ONE​ important theme in the novel and give an example (evidence) from the
novel that supports the theme. You should include several sentences for this
portion in order to fully explain how the textual evidence supports the theme.
** Note​- Indent the paragraph and use transitions in your writing. You can include
quotes from the text that support your response. Be sure to cite your evidence.
Assignment #6- Setting - the time and place
Where you live, determines how you live.
In a well written short answer constructed response (a body paragraph) describe
the setting in your IRP novel. Explain how the setting of the novel impacted the
characters. How did the setting affect their experiences?
** Note​- Indent the paragraph and use transitions in your writing. You can include
quotes from the text that support your response. Be sure to cite your evidence.
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Assignment #7- Quote Activity
Find a quote that connects (relates) to your novel in some way.
Think about character experiences, important themes- lessons that were taught,
and/or major conflicts.​ The quote cannot be specifically from your IPR novel. It
must be an additional source. You can find quotes from other texts or from
the Internet.
Directions​- Make sure to complete all of the following tasks for the quote activity.
1. Rewrite the quote and make sure to ​give credit to the original source.
**Note​- When rewriting the quote, place the author’s name in front of the
quote. Make sure that you include quotation marks around the quote.
2. Interpret the quote ​FULLY.
3. Relate the quote to the novel AND be very specific. This relation should
be a paragraph in length.
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Independent Reading Project (IRP) Rubric
Content Knowledge
and Connections
_____/60
Organization and
Development
_____/35
Presentation and
Preparation
_____​/5
●
The student used specific evidence
from the historical fiction novel to
answer the questions correctly.
●
The student completed all SEVEN
tasks.
●
The student wrote a short answer
constructed response (body
paragraph) for each task.
●
The student interpreted the literary
terms correctly and was very
detailed when providing examples.
●
The student has included and
completed all SEVEN assignments.
●
The student has written in
complete sentences and there are
no spelling errors.
●
The student has CITED the
evidence.
●
The student used TRANSITIONS.
●
The student has read his or her IRP
book outside of class.
●
The project contains a cover page
and is neatly typed or written.
●
The student has typed or written
each portion of the project.
●
The project is stapled and the
assignments are arranged in order.
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STUDENT SAMPLE PROVIDED
BELOW
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Sample Packet​- This packet is a model. Please use this as a guide
when completing the IRP Project.
Assignment # 1​- ​TITLE PAGE
Kathryn Nonnenmacher
Period 1
Funny
The Misfits
By James Howe
INSPIRATIONAL
Thought- provoking
EMOTIONAL
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HEART- FELT
Assignment # 2​- ​The PROTAGONIST
The protagonist Bobby Goodspeed in ​The Misfits is an admirable character.
Bobby is made fun of constantly by his peers, especially by a boy named Kevin
Hennessey. Bobby is mocked because he is overweight. Even though Bobby
experienced verbal abuse, name calling, at school, he still goes to school each day
and tries to make the best of each situation. He is brave for attending school and
facing the constant criticism. He is also very smart because he has chosen his
friends wisely. He has found good and supportive friends that also identify with him
because they too are made fun of by their peers. Bobby even makes a speech at the
end of novel in front of the same peers that have ridiculed him for years (Howe).
This took a tremendous amount of courage because it is not easy to stand up in front
of your peers and share your inner thoughts and feelings, and that is just what
Bobby did. Bobby’s actions in the novel were impressive.
Assignment # 3​- ​The ANTAGONIST
Kevin Hennessey is the antagonist in the novel ​The Misfits by James Howe. I
disagree with many of his actions, but I especially dislike how he targets Bobby
Goodspeed, the protagonist, and constantly mocks him for being overweight. No
person should have to endure such verbal abuse when they go to school. “Yo,
Blubber!” He calls out. “You better get a ladder if you’re gonna kiss Godzilla!” He
laughs as if he actually finds this funny and goes off down the hall. “He is such an
idiot,” Addie says, and this gets us both laughing, which is a good because inside I’m
still stinging from being called Blubber. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve been
called names, it still hurts- and it still always comes as such a surprise that I never
know how to respond (page 131). Kevin’s constant name calling continued to
impact Bobby in a negative way. Students should feel safe and enjoy school, and it is
not right that Bobby or any individual should have to endure any type of bullying at
school.
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Assignment # 4 ​– ​CONFLICT
One conflict in the novel ​The Misfits by James Howe is Bobby vs. Mr.
Kellerman (Killerman). This conflict is external because it is considered man vs.
man. Bobby thinks Mr. Kellerman is unfriendly because Mr. Kellerman doesn’t
really talk or smile and gives a lot of orders (chapter 1). In the beginning of the
novel, they do not get along. Then, Bobby and Mr. Kellerman have a heart to heart
and realize that they have certain things in common (chapter 8). The advice that I
would give to Bobby is to try to get to know Mr. Kellerman because there may be a
reason as to why he never smiles. The conflict is resolved and Bobby and Mr.
Kellerman become friends.
Assignment # 5​- ​THEME
In the novel ​The Misfits by James Howe, an important theme is that bullying
and name calling can be very damaging emotionally. In the novel, the protagonist
Bobby Goodspeed explains that no matter how many times he gets called a name, it
still hurts. Kevin Hennessey calls him blubber and other insulting names because he
is overweight (Howe). “Me, I’ve been called, amongst other things, Pork Chop, Roly
Poly, Dough Boy, and Fluff. I hated that last one most of all” (pg.12). The constant
name calling really bothers Bobby, and it is not fair that he has to endure such
torment. In life, no one should have to experience such ridicule and abuse.
Assignment # 6​- ​SETTING
An important setting in the novel ​The Misfits by James Howe is Paintbrush
Falls Middle School. During school hours, students like Bobby, Addie, Joe, and
Skeezie are ridiculed and mocked by their peers. These characters have
experienced so much criticism. On page 139 in the novel, the characters list all of
the names that they have been called throughout the years. This paints a clear
picture for the reader the abuse that these students have endured. Even though
they experience these obstacles at school, they luckily have each other to depend on
for support and comfort (Howe). The school setting is important because the
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characters not only experience their hardships, but also grow and change in positive
ways due to those negative experiences.
Assignment # 7- QUOTE ACTIVITY
Kermit the Frog once said, “It’s not easy being green.” This quote means that
it is not easy being different from others. In this world, people may be judged based
on skin color, race, sexual preference, physical appearance, etc. Certain people are
targeted and bullied because of those differences. Bobby in the novel, ​The Misfits,
was called names because he was overweight. Many of the students called him
blubber or fluff. Addie was another character that was very tall for her age. In
chapter 3, Kevin Hennessey, one of the bullies in the novel, called her Godzilla
because of her height. The constant name calling in the novel affected the
characters emotionally. Bobby was insecure about his weight and often times
embarrassed because of his appearance. He endured the name calling the best he
could (Howe). The characters in the novel were treated unfairly by others because
of their differences, thus making them similar to Kermit.
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Historical Fiction Definition
The genre of historical fiction in the field of children’s literature includes
stories that are written to portray a time period or convey information about a
specific time period or an historical event. Usually the event or time period is
about 30 years in the past.
Some well-known examples are Karen Cushman’s ​Catherine, Called Birdy and
The Midwife’s Apprentice, and Christopher Paul Curtis’s ​The Watsons go to
Birmingham—1963 and ​Bud, Not Buddy.
In historical fiction, setting is the most important literary element. Because the
author is writing about a particular time in history, the information about the
time period must be accurate, authentic, or both. To create accurate and
authentic settings in their books, authors must research the time period
thoroughly. They must know how people lived, what they ate, what kinds of
homes they had, and what artifacts were a common part of their lives.
Historical fiction books—whether they are picture books, transitional books, or
novels—may have characters who are either imaginary or who actually lived
during the time period. Settings also may be real or imaginary. The plot events
may be documented historical events or they may be fictional. If they are
fictional, it means that the author created the events for the telling of the story.
The fictional characters, settings, and plot events must be portrayed
authentically as if they actually ​could have happened.
A classic example of historical fiction is ​Johnny Tremain, a 1944 Newbery Medal
book. The primary setting is Boston in 1773. The book contains both real and
fictional characters, real and fictional settings, and real and fictional events.
The book is successful because of author Esther Forbes’s extensive historical
research and knowledge of the time period and her skillful blending of history
and fiction into a believable story.
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