ENG 4U1 INDEPENDENT STUDY UNIT – SPRING 2016 OBJECTIVES To encourage broad and independent reading in an area of special interest, and to develop annotation skills, analytical writing skills, time­management skills, and self­discipline. THE TASK Each student will pursue an area of interest within the study of award­winning non­Canadian literature. The choice of topic, organization of the necessary reading, and the completion of the essay are the responsibility of the student, with guidance by the teacher. THE PROCESS A. Text Selection and Submission of Rationale 1) Choose a novel by a non­Canadian author whose work has been awarded or been nominated for a literary prize (e.g.’s: Booker, Pulitzer, Nobel, etc.). 2) As part of your book selection process, find and read one or two popular, short, on­line book reviews at the very beginning of the assignment. Write a 100­150 word rationale for your book choice with reference to the book reviews: what in the review piqued your interest in this particular novel or this author. It is imperative that you have not read this novel before, and that the novel is not being taught in any courses at Centennial. B. Reading Journal, Statement of Intent, and Quotation Analysis 1) The reading journal must be completed and evaluated before you can proceed with your ISU essay. While you are reading, keep a journal which may include analysis of characters’ personalities and behaviour; notes on social, political, religious, philosophical, ethical ideas or events; themes; symbolism; imagery; and any other significant insights regarding the text. Write down quotations that might be useful in the essay; note the page number, and include a brief notation on their significance (there is no value in quotations without notation). Your journal entries must reflect the scope of the novel and show evidence of continual, thoughtful responses to the novel. Do not read the entire novel and then write your entries. Do not write a summary of the novel; this will result in a failing mark. Your notes should be approximately 6 pages in length, must be typed, and must be submitted to turnitin.com. 2) As preparation for your essay, you must write a statement of intent that is approximately 250 words and includes the following: a) A tentative thesis and an explanation of why this thesis is worth exploring. b) An outline of how you intend to develop ideas and major points you will consider. c) A brief paragraph outlining the areas of knowledge you will need to strengthen, such as a specific literary device or some psychological or sociological idea. 3) Choose one significant quotation from the novel and write a 400­500 word analysis. Begin with a short paragraph explaining the context of the quotation, followed by several paragraphs in which you explain two points of significance. You might consider what it reveals about character, how it moves the plot forward, touches on a central theme, establishes a mood, reveals the writer’s narrative style, uses irony or dramatic irony, etc. C. Preliminary Analysis
1) You will be provided with an excerpt of critical theory that examines patterns in literature. You are to write a 400­500 word response to the excerpt in which you explain to what extent the theorist’s insights apply to the novel you selected for your ISU. 2) You must choose one secondary source pertaining to your novel. It might be a book review or an article written in a scholarly journal. If the novel was published more than a year or two ago, you might find entire texts relating to your novel. You will find the library at the University of Guelph very useful for your search (You may use on­line sources but avoid simple plot summaries such as those you might find at amazon.com etc.). In 400­500 words, summarize the source and explain what it adds to your understanding of the novel. You might also comment on how the view of the novel presented in the review/article/essay differs from your own view. You must submit a copy of your secondary source. D. Thesis, Outlines, and Interviews You will have an opportunity for a brief, in­class interview with the teacher to review your reading journal and to discuss your essay outline. Following the interview, you will be expected to hand in your essay outline, which includes the following: ● A working thesis ● A summary of your supporting arguments, in which each argument begins with a working topic sentence, followed by point­form notes detailing your supporting evidence. You must also include quotations you intend to use to support each argument. E. Rough Draft You will be asked to bring a typed copy of your rough draft to class, and you will have an opportunity to have at least two peers edit your work. Your rough draft should show clear evidence of editing. F. Final Copy Length to be approximately 1500­2000 words (approximately 6 pages, double­spaced). Essays that are significantly over or under this word count may be penalized. Quotations do NOT count towards your word count. Be sure to type your essay according to most recent MLA format. EXPECTATIONS AND EVALUATION All steps must be handed in on time and submitted to turnitin.com. If you have a problem meeting deadlines, please discuss it with the teacher in advance of the deadline; however, keep in mind that your work should not be left until the night before. Computer problems will not be considered as a legitimate excuse. You may not proceed to the next stage without completing the prior stage, and you will not receive a mark unless ALL stages are complete. You must complete the ISU in order to earn the course credit. COMPONENTS DUE DATES EVALUATION Text Selection and Rationale Tuesday, February 16
5 marks (K) Reading Journals Tuesday, March 8
20 marks (K) Statement of Intent Tuesday, March 8 10 marks (K) Quotation Analysis Tuesday, March 8 20 marks (T,C) Preliminary Analysis Tuesday, March 22
40 Marks (T, C) Student Conferences March 22​
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Thesis and Outline Tuesday, March 29
20 Marks (A) Rough Draft (Peer Editing) Friday, April 15
Final Copy Tuesday, April 19
100 Marks (K; T; C; A)