Name________________________________
Culminating Unit: Independent Novel Study
In order to simultaneously prepare you for college and allow you a chance to have a say in your
education, you are going to read a novel of your choice. In addition to the reading, you will complete
five double-entry journal responses and a two part project. Since every member of the class will have a
different book, self-discipline and time management skills will be imperative to your success.
Project Elements:
1. Double Entry Journals (5 total)
2. Exhibit Projects (3 total)
50 pts EACH. (250 total)
200 pts EACH. (600 total)
Important Dates:
1. First Double Entry Journal due December 1, 2014
2. Second Double Entry Journal due December 5, 2014
3. Third Double Entry Journal due December 9, 2014
4. Fourth Double Entry Journal due December 12, 2014
5. Fifth Double Entry Journal due December 16, 2014
1. First Exhibit Project due December 15, 2014
2. Second Exhibit Project due January 8, 2015
3. Third Exhibit Project due January 12, 2015
Part One: Double Entry Journals
Directions: As you read your independent novel, you will maintain a copy of this log with a record of
quotes and meaningful connections.
 You must have a total of five entries for your book
 You must use a different option for each entry
 Choose five quotes evenly distributed throughout the book
 Each quote from the novel must be 2-4 sentences in length
Analysis Option #1: Exploring the Personal Response
1. Quote in MLA format: Select text that seems to hint at bigger meanings and/or resonates with
you as an individual.
2. Insights: What bigger idea does the author try to reveal through this quote? How does this
quote fit into the bigger context of the chapter or the work? Explain this in one paragraph.
Analysis Option #2: Exploring the Personal Response
1. Quote in MLA format: Select text that seems to hint at bigger meanings and/or resonates with
you as an individual.
2. Connections: Where else do you see this idea? Consider literature, music, history, and other
areas of cultural literacy (one paragraph).
Analysis Option #3: Clarifying the Text
1. Quote in MLA format: Select text that requires clarification.
2. Insights: Closely read, analyze and interpret the quote – look at the connotation and
denotation of the words. Break the quote down into each word and figure out what each word
means. Put these ideas into your own words in a new paragraph.
Analysis Option #4: Clarifying the Text
1. Quote in MLA format: Select text that requires clarification.
2. Connections: What other personal experiences do you know of that are similar and can help
shed light on this quote? Explain this in one paragraph.
Analysis Option #5: Analyzing the Text
1. Quote in MLA format: Select a quote that seems to be layered with detail and nuance (what
is it saying when you read between the lines?).
2. Insights: Pull apart the quote and think about what choices the author makes (diction, syntax,
and figurative language) to communicate his/her idea. Explain the author’s decisions in a new
paragraph.
Analysis Option #6: Analyzing the Text
1. Quote in MLA format: Select a quote that seems to be layered with detail and nuance (what
is it saying when you read between the lines?).
2. Connections: Compare/contrast the author’s style to another author you have read during
your high school career (one paragraph).
Double Entry Journal Rubric
Category
A
* Quotes are at
least 2-4 sentences
long
* Quotes are
Meaningful Quote
evenly distributed
Selection
throughout the
novel.
* Quotes are deep
enough to analyze.
* Clearly explains
and analyzes the
text according to
the various
analytical
Content/Critical
purposes.
Thinking/Insight x3
* Analysis is at
least one welldeveloped
paragraph.
Mechanics
* Less than 3 errors
in spelling,
grammar, MLA
format and
punctuation.
B
* Missing 1
requirement OR 1
requirement is
problematic.
C
* Missing 2
requirements OR 2
requirements are
problematic.
D/F
* Missing more
than 2
requirements or
more than 2
requirements are
problematic.
* Explains and
analyzes the text
according to the
various analytic
purposes, but may
be vague at times.
* Analysis is vague
or confusing.
* Analysis is simply
restating the quote
and/or no new
insight is provided
and/or insight is
confusing.
* Less than 5 errors
in spelling,
grammar, MLA
format and
punctuation.
* Less than 8 errors
in spelling,
grammar, MLA
format and
punctuation.
* More than 8
errors in spelling,
grammar, MLA
format and
punctuation.
Part Two: Exhibit Projects
For this portion of the unit, you must choose THREE of the projects listed below. Each project must be from
a different category. If you would like to propose your own project of equal difficulty and effort, feel
free to see me before the end of the week.
Artistic Connections
1. Musical Score: Divide the book into the following sections of plot: exposition, rising action, climax,
falling action, and resolution. After you have done this, select a piece of music that you think captures the
feel or tone of each section. Explain what each song is about and how it fits into that portion of the book.
Please be sure to include title of song and artist (remember, song titles are capitalized and go in
quotation marks!!)
2. Visual Art: Choose a symbol, theme, or character from your novel and create a piece of visual art
that reflects the development of the symbol, theme, or character throughout the novel.
3. Dramatic Monologues: Create three monologues for a character(s) from the novel. Go beyond the
text and add what you think the character is thinking/feeling at that moment and why. Choose scenes
that are central to the conflict and that are spread throughout the book (one from each of the beginning,
middle, and end).
4. Art: Find three pieces of art related to either the book itself or the themes that are present in the
novel. Then, for each piece of art, write a paragraph in which you explore the connections to the novel
and your response to the interpretation of either the book or the theme.
Literary Analysis
1. Conflict Timeline: Choose one of the following types of conflicts: man vs. himself, man vs. man, man vs.
society, or man vs. nature. Make a timeline that charts the history of the “battles” that took place
throughout the novel for this type of conflict. For each “battle,” indicate who wins and write a one-two
paragraph analysis of the final outcome of this conflict.
2. Current Events: Select two current news or feature stories from television or news magazines that you
think relates to your novel. For each article, write one paragraph for each of the following connections:
text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world. (See me if you want a chart)
3. Film Analysis: Watch a film inspired by your novel and either (1) compare/contrast the works in a
two page piece or (2) discuss your response to the film adaptation in terms of liberties taken with the text
and differences in interpretation in a two page piece.
4. Character Analysis: Choose one character from the novel to create a body biography. (What you did
on the large papers for Breaking Night) Please see me for further detailed instructions.
Creative Writing
1. Style Mimic: In a short 1-2 page essay, analyze the style of the novel: break down the author’s use of
tone, diction, dialogue, literary/poetic devices, description, etc. OR Write a narrative essay done in the
same style as the novel.
2. Children’s Book: The option here is simple. Create a children’s book in which you honor both the plot
and the characterization of your novel. You must include both words and illustrations.
3. Poetry: Write three poems in response to the novel. The poems may directly refer to events or
characters, but MUST contain an interpretation of, or response to, a theme of the novel. You may write a
found poem that incorporates words and/or phrases from the novel. However, you may write only ONE
found poem.
4. Book review: Research common reception to your novel at the time that it was published. Write a
book review as if you are from the era in which the book was published. Your review should reflect the
common criticism of the time. Your review should be at least a page and a half.
5. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead: Tom Stoppard wrote a play by this title. It was a rewrite of
Hamlet told from R and G’s perspective. Choose a scene from your novel and write a two page piece
from the perspective of a character with no real role in the story and demonstrate what they see and
think from their perspective.
6. Parody: Write a two page parody in which you mimic and/or ridicule the style or genre of your
novel.
7. Epilogue: Write a two page epilogue in the style of your novel in which you explain what happens
after the novel leaves off.