Ongoing Reading Assignment

Ongoing Reading Assignments

You may complete in any order, but you are responsible for completion of an assignment at the given deadlines. All assignments should be posted to your blog:

Ongoing Reading Assignment	Due Date	Grade out of 20
1. Novel - Top 21 before 21	FRIDAY FEB. 14
2. Novel - Banned Book	FRIDAY MAR. 14
3. Novel – Your Choice (with approval)	FRIDAY APRIL 11
4. Non-Fiction	THURSDAY MAY 1
5. Magazine Study	FRIDAY MAY 30
6. Newspaper Study	FRIDAY JUNE 13

Novels:

It is essential that I SEE you reading your novel.  Be sure that you choose a novel that you have not read before.  Time will be given to read, why re-read a book in that allotted time?!?

Be sure that your response is YOUR OWN WORK.  Plagiarized material will receive 0. NO NEGOCIATIONS

Top 21 Before 21

1. Google “Chapters Top 21 Books to Read Before 21” and check off each of the novels that you have already read. Post which ones on your blog, the choose one you haven’t read to read.
2. Describe briefly the plot of the book.  Who are the main characters? How are they presented? What is the major conflict(s) of the book?
3. What is your personal response to the book?  Did you enjoy the book? Provide detail to support your answer.
4. In a thoughtful paragraph (at least 12 sentences) discuss why you think this book has been included in Chapter’s Top 21 Books to Read Before 21 list.  You may want to compare it to others on the list.

Banned Book

1. Understanding Censorship. Explore

http://www.freedomtoread.ca/censorship-in-canada/#.UoqRK1HgD2A

2. What do we mean by the term censorship? How does state censorship differ from self-censorship?
3. List 5 reasons you think a book might be censored from a school library.
4. Look at the Challenged Books List provided to you.
1. Do you notice any trends (this may require you to find some information about the books)?
2. Choose 10 novels from the list and check our catalogue to see if we have any of the books.  Have you read any of the books on the list? Read one that you have not read before.
5. Having read one of the books from a banned book list, offer a brief summary of the book.
6. In more detail, write about the areas of the novel that you think raised concern.  Why do you suppose the book was on the list?
7. In 350 -500 words, argue for or against including the book in our school collection

Your Choice

1. Describe briefly the plot of the book.  Who are the main characters? How are they presented? What is the major conflict(s) of the book?
2. What is your personal response to the book?  Did you enjoy the book? Provide detail to support your answer.
3. Would you recommend the book? To whom (which grade, gender)? Why?

Non-Fiction:

The book you select must be a work of non-fiction.  Consider:

Historical Account (ie: Holocaust Memoir)

Biography (Actor, Athlete)
            Memoir

Informational

1. Write a summary of the book.
2. Write an evaluation of the book’s purpose. Why did the author write the book? Is the book historically important? Does it give the reader important information? What sort of reader does the book target? Do you think the author may have been biased by personal experience or other factors (explain your answer)
3. Your personal reaction to the book. This can include responding to the author’s style, the information included in the book, or as a comparison to material you have studied on the book’s topic.

Newspaper Study

Using The Vancouver Sun, The Province or The Globe and Mail or another paper of your choice, choose one big story to follow throughout the week. 

• Post a link to the articles on your blog.
• Remember a story may not be in the paper every day of the week.  It is a good idea to look at the paper for a week before deciding on a news story.

1. Write a paragraph each day commenting on the topics such as: bias, amount of information/details provided, photographs/visuals, a topic that interests you.

• Consider the reasons behind the decisions made by both the editor and the writer. Why was a particular picture chosen? What emotions does it evoke in the reader? How does the position of the story within the newspaper itself change throughout the week (from the front to the middle, from a large front page lead, to a small column)? What does this say about the story, the newspaper, and the public?
• THINK CRITICALLY

Magazine Study

Choose a magazine in the library that interests you.

1.    Write a review including which includes the following information:

a.    Who the target demographic is

b.    Which advertisers pay for spots in the magazine

c.     How has the cover hooked the audience

d.    What types of articles are in the magazine

2.    Choose an article to read. After you have read the article, provide a summary and then comment on how this article fits into the general mission of the magazine. Consider:

a.    What is the article telling its readers?

b.    What are the graphics associated with the article

c.     What is the article arguing? Was it advertised on the cover?

3. Having examined the magazine, comment on how useful it is to the reader.  BE CRITICAL.  Does this magazine serve a purpose?