Independent Reading 15-16

Below are your reading assignments and due dates for your independent reading. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to complete the reading AND the related writing assignment. You should always bring your book to class so that you can make progress on your current book.

Semester 1 Type of Analysis Due Date

Memoir or Biography Passages September 30

Any Fiction Character October 28

Historical Fiction Setting November 30

Science Fiction or Fantasy Your Choice January 8

Semester 2 Type of Analysis Due Date

Contemporary/Realistic Fiction Theme February 12

Historical Fiction Your Choice March 11

Science Fiction or Fantasy Your Choice April 15

Any Fiction Your Choice May 13

For the fiction assignments, you will always be required to write a summary and personal response. The summary cannot be more than ½ page typed. The type of analysis will vary based on the reading assignment.

Formatting requirements: o Typed o 12-point font o Times, Arial, Cambria font o Double-spaced o 1-inch margins on all sides o Headings for each section

Please see samples in the Independent Reading binder in class.

Independent Reading Assignment – September: Biography, Autobiography, Memoir

o Biography – a nonfiction story of a person's life. To be considered biography, the biography must be as true as possible, based on factual evidence. Most biographies are split into two types: popular nonfiction books about celebrities, politicians, and historical figures and academic works based on scholarly research. o Autobiography – a nonfiction story of a person's life, written by that person. In other words, the author is writing about their own life. The autobiography falls into the same trappings and styles as the biography. Both tell the story a life from birth until death - or to the present day, in the case of the autobiography. o Memoir – a nonfiction story written by an author about their own life, but has more in common with narrative nonfiction than biography in terms of style. Instead of telling about the entire life of a person, the memoir tells only about a certain period of time or bout a certain story arc of the author's life. Many memoirs deal with depression, abuse, or drugs, or on the other end of the scale, extraordinary, life-changing events. They can also come from celebrities and famous figures, but these are generally limited to books that are ghostwritten by someone else.

Your assignment must include the following:

o Title and Author o Subject (who it is about) o Type of Text (Bio, Auto, Mem) o Time Period o Five important events during that time period in general. Explain those events, especially if they are not well-known. These events should somehow relate to the events in the book or give a frame of reference for understanding the book. o Strengths and weaknesses of the subject (~ three of each), supported by evidence with page numbers. o Analysis of five short passages; copy the quote (include the page number) and then analyze by telling what it means and why it matters.

Independent Reading Assignment – October: Any Fiction

Your assignment contains three parts: Summary, Personal Response, Analysis.

Please re-create this table and complete it prior to writing your summary:

Exposition

Conflict

Rising Action

Climax

Falling Action

Resolution

For your analysis, please analyze character. Consider the following in preparing to write your analysis: Who is the round, dynamic character? Which character changed the most throughout the story? Why did that character change? How? Be specific and cite details from the text. You must include page numbers for your support. Independent Reading Assignment – November: Historical Fiction

Historical fiction is a narrative based on historical events with detailed, authentic settings.

Characters are portrayed in a realistic manner; some characters may be actual people from history, but the story is fictional. There is an artistic mix of fiction and historical fact.

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 and authentic. 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.

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Your assignment contains three parts: Summary, Personal Response, Analysis.

For your analysis, please analyze setting. Identify what function the setting serves (see below), and use quoted evidence as support.

Functions of Setting in Fiction

Setting can: o clarify conflict. o act as an antagonist. o illuminate character. o affect mood. o provide historical background. o be symbolic.

Independent Reading Assignment – December/January: Science Fiction or Fantasy

Science fiction is based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, frequently portraying space travel and life on other planets. It is important to note that science fiction has a relationship with the principles of science—these stories involve partially true-partially fictitious laws or theories of science.

It should not be completely unbelievable, because it then ventures into the genre fantasy.

Fantasy fiction is based on events that occur outside the ordinary laws of the universe. The setting is imaginary and magic is a central characteristic. Fantasy stories often involve journeys and quests, and they are full of action. Stories can include witches, sorcerers, vampires, mythical creatures, dragons, fairies, time travel, gods/goddesses, and more.

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Your assignment contains three parts: Summary, Personal Response, Analysis.

For your analysis, you can analyze character, setting or theme. Review previous instructions for character and setting. If you choose theme, see below:

Theme: A story's underlying meaning or significance; it is the author's statement of an underlying truth about people, society, human relationships, or "the human condition."

Discovering and Evaluating Theme: Questions to Consider o How does the main character change in the course of the story and what has (s)he learned by the end of the story? o What is the central conflict? What is the author saying as this conflict is explored? o Does the title of the story provide any clues to possible themes? o What does the author seem to be trying to tell you in the story about society, human relationships and life in general beyond the story? o Is the theme worthwhile?

“Friendship”: this is a topic, not a theme in literary analysis. “The importance of friendship”: this is a phrase, not a theme in literary analysis. “Friendship is one of the valuable benefits in the world.” This is a theme (or thematic statement), expressing a universal truth. Independent Reading Assignment – February: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Realistic fiction is a genre consisting of stories that could have actually occurred to people or animals in a believable setting. These stories resemble real life, and fictional characters within these stories react similarly to real people. Stories that are classified as realistic fiction have plots that highlight social or personal events or issues that mirror contemporary life, such as falling in love, marriage, finding a job, divorce, alcoholism, etc.

They depict our world and our society.

Your assignment contains three parts: Summary, Personal Response, Analysis.

December/January analysis = your choice

February analysis = theme

March analysis = your choice

April analysis = your choice

May analysis = your choice

*DO NOT write the same type of analysis two times in a row.