Honors Independent Reading Project Overview As a means of preparing for Advanced Placement English courses, students will complete

an in-depth study of the works of a single author focusing on common themes and literary techniques, as well as the authors personal, historic and artistic influences. The study must include one research source dealing with the authors personal, historic and artistic influences and at least three novels written by the author. One book about authors life and influences. Three books written by the author.

The project will consist of weekly meetings, an essay and a post-study interview. Weekly Meetings In groups of at least two but no more than six, students will choose the author they wish to study and meet once a week to discuss the focus points as they are outlined below. Meeting Reports consisting of a written account of responses to the focus points must be submitted once a week. The writing of the reports is to be rotated amongst the group members. Meeting Focus Points Influences (Research source only): What influences are being revealed by the groups study to this point? What evidence will the group be able to look for in the authors works? Plot/Characters: What is happening in the story? What characters is the story focusing on at this time and what issues are they dealing with? How are the characters and issues similar to the authors other stories? How might the authors influences relate to those characters? Themes/Motifs: What messages about life (themes) can be drawn from the story at this point? How are the themes similar to the authors other stories? How might the authors influences relate to those themes? Literary Techniques: What literary techniques does the author use to tell the story? How are those literary techniques similar to those he has used in other stories? Are those techniques similar to those of the authors contemporaries? Essay To receive credit for the project, each student must write an essay of no more than five pages with no more than one page devoted to the authors personal, historic and artistic influences. Prompt. Identify what literary period or literary movement the author was part of and the authors other personal, historic and cultural influences. Identify and demonstrate the common themes and artistic techniques to be found in the stories you have read and explain how the authors personal, historical and artistic influences relate to the common themes and techniques.

Essay Rubric Essay identifies and comprehensively demonstrates authors influences . Essay identifies and comprehensively demonstrates common themes, motifs and literary techniques in the authors work. Essay is well organized and clearly written in accordance with MLA guidelines

200pts 200pts 100pts

Interview At the end of study and once essays have been submitted, students will meet as a group with the teacher to discuss the basic plot and characters of each of the novels they have read as well as the common themes and artistic techniques that were discovered during their study.

Special Projects Creative Writing Project: Overview As a means of preparing for college English courses, students will complete a series of poems, short stories and a novelette that address a single issue relevant to the human experience. Each work will be accompanied by a reflective essay explaining the meaning of the work, what artistic techniques were used, and how the authors life, and historic and artistic influences affected the work. Works Required To receive credit for the project a student must write eight poems, two short stories (at least eighteen pages), and one novelette (50 pages) during the semester all addressing a single issue relevant to the human experience. Suggested Time-Line: Work Pages 8 Poems N/A 2 Short Stories 18 Each 1 Novelette 50 Time First 4 weeks Next 6 weeks Last 8 Weeks

Weekly Meetings In groups of at least two but no more than three, students will meet once a week to discuss the meaning and artistic technique of their works by reading each others works and sharing their impressions. Meeting Reports consisting of a written account of responses to the focus points must me submitted once a week. The writing of the reports is to be rotated amongst the group members. Meeting Focus Points Meaning: What messages about life (themes) can be drawn from the works? Literary Techniques: What literary techniques can be identified in the works? Reflective Essays To receive credit for the project, each student must write an essay for each work explaining each works meaning, what artistic techniques were used, and how the authors life, and historic and artistic influences affected the work. Interview At the end of study and once essays have been submitted, students will meet individually with the teacher to discuss their work and potential means of publication.