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NEPEAN HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
ENGLISH 4U
INDEPENDENT STUDY UNIT
(Mrs. Meldrum)
RATIONALE:
By the end of the course, students will
 read and demonstrate an understanding of complex texts, with an emphasis on analyzing
ideas, themes and concepts
 revise written work independently and collaboratively, with a focus on content, organization,
clear expression and effective style
 employ oral communication skills with a focus on academic language appropriate in seminars
of independent study topics (The Ontario Curriculum: English Grades 11 & 12)
The Independent Study Unit prepares the student for university writing, introduces formal
research skills, and offers a forum for well-supported, independent argument.
Each student will write a literary/ research essay of 1200 - 1500 words that will
 refer to a least TWO, non-World Wide Web secondary sources
 conform to the conventions of the Exemplar Booklet and the Nepean Style Guide
 be typed in Times New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced, 5-7 pages (Note: do not rely on your word
processor word count. University length calculations are based on a base of 250 words per page
and do not include quotations).
The Written Component: The written independent study will consist of SIX stages. Stages 2, 3,
4, and 6 will compose part of your term work, while stage 5 is the Summative for the course and
will constitute 10% of the final mark:
DEADLINE
TASK
MARKS
Stages 1, 2, 3, 4 must be completed and submitted before the submission of the final essay
(stage 5).
The essay then must be submitted in a folder with all process and draft work included and an
electronic copy emailed to your teacher at : tania.meldrum@ocdsb.ca
If for any reason, you think you will not be able to meet one of these deadlines, you must
negotiate a reasonable date with your teacher, expect a call home to inform your parents, and
expect a zero if you do not meet the negotiated deadline.
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LIST OF POSSIBLE NOVELS (Any other books must be approved by the teacher. Each
student in the class must choose a different novel.)
1. Beowulf (Ideally the Seamus Heaney
translation)
2. The Robber Bride (Margaret Atwood)
3. Alias Grace (Margaret Atwood)
4. The Blind Assassin (Margaret Atwood)
5. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
6. Oryx & Crake (Margaret Atwood)
7. The Penelopiad (Margaret Atwood)
8. Emma (Jane Austen)
9. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
10. Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen)
11. Mansfield Park (Jane Austen)
12. Persuasion (Jane Austen)
13. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
14. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
15. A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess)
16. The Outsider (Albert Camus)
17. The Plague (Albert Camus)
18. The Favorite Game (Leonard Cohen)
19. The Secret Agent (Joseph Conrad)
20. Lord Jim (Joseph Conrad)
21. Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad)
22. A Sunday By the Pool in Kigali (Gil
Courtemanche)
23. The Hours (Michael Cummings)
24. The Man in the High Castle (Philip K.
Dick)
25. Great Expectations (Charles Dickens)
26. Crime & Punishment (Fyodor Dostoevsky)
27. Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison)
28. Absalom, Absalom! (William Faulkner)
29. The Sound and the Fury (William
Faulkner)
30. Pilgrim (Timothy Findley)
31. The Wars (Timothy Findley)
32. Not Wanted On the Voyage (Timothy
Findley)
33. Headhunter (Timothy Findley)
34. The Piano Man’s Daughter (Timothy
Findley)
35. The Great Gatsby (Scott Fitzgerald)
36. Madame Bovary (Gustave Flaubert)
37. A Passage to India (E.M. Forster)
38. 100 Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia
Marquez)
39. Love in the Age of Cholera (Gabriel
Garcia Marquez)
40. Sweetness in the Belly (Camilla Gibb)
41. The Tin Drum (Gunter Grass)
42. The Heart of the Matter (Graham Greene)
43. Tess of the D’Ubervilles (Thomas Hardy)
44. The Return of the Native (Thomas Hardy)
45. Jude the Obscure (Thomas Hardy)
46. The Mayor of Casterbridge (Thomas
Hardy)
47. The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
48. A Student of Weather (Elizabeth Hay)
49. Stones From the River (Ursula Hegi)
50. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
51. A Farewell to Arms (Ernest Hemingway)
52. The Sun Also Rises (Ernest Hemingway)
53. For Whom the Bell Tolls (Ernest
Hemingway)
54. Siddhartha (Herman Hesse)
55. The Glass Bead Game (Herman Hesse)
56. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
57. One Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled
Hosseini)
58. Les Misérables (Victor Hugo)
59. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
60. The World According to Garp (John Irving)
61. Widow for a Year (John Irving)
62. Deafening (Frances Itani)
63. Remains of the Day (Kazuo Ishiguro)
64. Portrait of a Lady (Henry James)
65. Navigator of New York (Wayne
Johnstone)
66. Colony of Unrequited Dreams (Wayne
Johnstone)
67. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
(James Joyce)
68. The Swallows of Kabul ( Yasmina Khadra)
69. On the Road (Jack Kerouac)
70. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Ken
Kesey)
71. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara
Kingsolver)
72. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
73. A Jest of God (Margaret Laurence)
74. Women in Love (DH Lawrence)
75. Sons & Lovers (DH Lawrence)
76. The Rainbow (DH Lawrence
77. Armies of the Night (Norman Mailer)
78. The Road (Cormack McCarthy)
79. Fall on Your Knees (Anne-Marie
Macdonald)
80. The Way the Crow Flies (Anne-Marie
Macdonald)
81. No Great Mischief (Alistair MacLeod)
82. The Magic Mountain (Thomas Mann)
83. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
84. Amsterdam (Ian McEwan)
85. Antonement (Ian McEwan)
86. Lonesome Dove (Larry McMurtry)
87. Moby Dick (Herman Melville)
88. Fugitive Pieces (Anne Michaels)
89. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
90. Such a Long Journey (Rohinton Mistry)
91. Family Matters (Rohinton Mistry)
92. Roughing it in the Bush (Susanna Moodie)
93. Beloved (Toni Morrison)
94. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
95. In The Skin of a Lion (Michael Ondaatje)
96. Anil’s Ghost (Michael Ondaatje)
97. Animal Farm (George Orwell)
98. 1984 (George Orwell)
99. Doctor Zhivago (Boris Pasternak)
100. In the Heart of the Sea (Nathaniel
Philbrick)
101. The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath)
102. The Shipping News (Annie Proulx)
103. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
(Mordecai Richler)
104. Barney’s Version (Mordecai Richler)
105. The God of Small Things (Arundhati
Roy)
106. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
107. Funny Boy (Shyam Selvadurai)
108. Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
109. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
110. Larry’s Party (Carol Shields)
111. Unless (Carol Shields)
112. Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
113. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
114. Dracula (Bram Stoker)
115. Sophie’s Choice (William Styron)
116. Gulliver’s Travels (Jonathan Swift)
117. Vanity Fair (William Thackeray)
118. Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain)
119. The Underpainter (Jane Urquhart)
120. Away (Jane Urquhart)
121. The Englishman’s Boy (Guy
Vanderhague)
122. The Last Crossing (Guy Vanderhague)
123. Slaughterhouse 5 (Kurt Vonnegut)
124. The Color Purple (Alice Walker)
125. Night (Elie Wiesel)
126. The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar
Wilde)
127. To the Lighthouse (Virginia Woolf)
128. A Room of One’s Own (Virginia Woolf)
129. The Waves (Virginia Woolf)
130. Mrs. Dalloway (Virginia Woolf)
131. Clara Callan (Richard Wright)
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
DATE DUE: Tuesday, Mar. 9
Last Date: Fri., Mar. 12
MARKS:
/30
WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations of books, articles, and documents. These are
potentially three of your secondary sources. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about
150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, called “the annotation.”
Annotations are descriptive and critical; they expose the author's point of view, clarity and
appropriateness of expression, and authority.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?
The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the
sources cited. In addition to bibliographic data, an annotated bibliography provides a concise
summary of each source and some assessment of its value or relevance. Depending on the
assignment, the annotated bibliography may serve a number of purposes. Including but not limited
to:
 a review of the literature on a particular subject
 illustrate the quality of research that you have done
 provide examples of the types of sources available
 describe other items on a topic that may be of interest to the reader
 explore the subject for further research
THE PROCESS: Steps to Follow
Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise
writing, succinct analysis, and informed library research.
1. First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may
contain useful information and ideas relating to your topic.
2. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose those works that provide a
variety of perspectives on your topic.
3. Cite the book, article, or document using the MLA Style Guide (see blue sheet on
MLA style in Library).
4. Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central idea and scope of the text.
Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the
author, (b) comment on the subject matter and summarize the main argument of the
source, (c) explain how this work illuminates your topic (i.e. briefly identify how you
intend to use the source and why).
Note: You may also compare or contrast this work with another you have cited.
THE FORMAT
Your list of sources must be arranged alphabetically, based on the authors’ last names or on the
first word in the citation entry. You must create all bibliographical entries following the MLA Style
Guide format. Remember to indent the second (or any subsequent line) in each citation as shown
in example below.
YOUR TASK
You must research and collect at least THREE credible secondary sources for your annotated
bibliography. You may include more for your teacher’s perusal, but should asterisk (*) the three
that you want marked. Since many Internet sources are not “refereed,” you need to gather your
sources from published texts or from the library databases available to you through our NHS
Library and the Ottawa Public Library (see below). If however, you find an Internet source that you
assess to be valid, you must have it approved by your teacher in order to include it. Please note
that Mr. Turner, the Library teacher, is willing to assist you and give you some suggestions.
Your annotated bibliography must be typed, and it must follow the process and format explained in
this document.
EXPECTED FORMAT AND MARKS BREAKDOWN
Quality of writing will be evaluated for each evaluation. Poor quality of writing will negatively
impact your mark.
Name:
Course:
Teacher:
Date:
Annotated Bibliography
Text:
Citation (in alphabetical order by last name and properly cited using MLA format)
/1
a) Credibility of author/source (2-3 sentences)
b) Summary (5-6 sentences, ideally with quotations)
c) Relevance to ISU (2-3 sentences)
/1
/2
/1
Citation (in alphabetical order by last name and properly cited using MLA format)
/1
a) Credibility of author/source (2-3 sentences)
b) Summary (5-6 sentences, ideally with quotations)
c) Relevance to ISU (2-3 sentences)
/1
/2
/1
Citation (in alphabetical order by last name and properly cited using MLA format)
/1
a) Credibility of author/source (2-3 sentences)
b) Summary (5-6 sentences, ideally with quotations)
c) Relevance to ISU (2-3 sentences)
/1
/2
/1
Total =
/15 x 2 =
/30
Nepean
High
School
Library
Revised March 3, 2016
Reference sheet for ENG 4U
Independent Study Paper – finding secondary sources
See the Nepean Library Wiki – nepeanhslibrary.pbworks.com for up to date information
If you are uncertain, ask Mr. Turner.
MLA style
Works Cited list
(Should be double-spaced)
Citing
your
bibliographic information
sources:
Write down all key bibliographical
information for any resource you use to
gather ideas! Different types of sources
require different types of information, as
you see below. Use the library’s coloured
research notes sheets to keep track.
Books
Periodicals (magazines & newspapers
in print and on-line)
Author of article
Author of book
Encyclopedias and other reference
books
Author of article
Websites
Author of web page
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THESIS PROPOSAL AND DIRECTIONAL STATEMENT
DUE DATE: Monday, Mar. 29th
Last Date: Thursday, April 1st
MARKS:
/10
EXPECTED FORMAT AND MARKS BREAKDOWN
The following format should be followed for
Name:
Course:
Teacher:
Date:
Thesis Proposal and Directional Statement:
(Enter your text here!)
1. Bibliographical information on your book. Your entry should follow MLA Style, and it
must contain the proper punctuation, including indentation on the second line:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Place of Publication:
Publishing Company’s Name, Date of Publication.
/1
2. Name the protagonist and describe at least THREE characteristics about him/her with
quotations to support your analysis. ½ mark per trait and per quotations. Should also have
brief explanation of how quotation supports trait.
/3
3. Thesis Statement – explains what it is you will explore and ultimately prove about your text
in your 1200-1500 word literary, research essay. Refers to the novel’s theme(s) and the
elements that you propose to employ in illustrating these themes. (You may offer two proposed
theses if you are as yet undecided on one).
/2
4. Directional Statement – list 4 to 6 key points you will utilize to prove your argument. You
must elaborate on how each will be employed to illustrate and support your argument.
/4
Total =
/10
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DETAILED OUTLINE
DUE DATE: Tuesday, Apr. 20;
Last Date: Fri., Apr. 23
MARKS:
/50
Name: _________________________________
Detailed Essay Outline Rubric
Introduction
1.
General Statement
2.
Refers to author and title in opening lines
3.
Thesis Statement
4. Directional Statement
Body
I. First Paragraph-first major point
a.
topic sentence clearly linked to thesis and directional point
b. evidence is clearly proves topic sentence
i.
quote/point one
ii.
quote/point two
c. conclusion sentence – summarize and link to thesis
II. Second Paragraph-- second major point
a.
topic sentence clearly linked to thesis and directional point
b. evidence is clearly proves topic sentence
i.
quote/point one
ii.
quote/point two
c. conclusion sentence – summarize and link to thesis
III. Third Paragraph-- third major point
a.
topic sentence clearly linked to thesis and directional point
b. evidence is clearly proves topic sentence
i.
quote/point one
ii.
quote/point two
c. conclusion sentence – summarize and link to thesis
III. Fourth Paragraph—fourth major point1
a.
topic sentence clearly linked to thesis and directional point
b. evidence is clearly proves topic sentence
i.
quote/point one
ii.
quote/point two
c. conclusion sentence – summarize and link to thesis
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
/1
Conclusion
1. Restatement of topic, thesis and main points, using slightly different language
/3
Demonstrates Use of at least Two Secondary Evidence
1. As this is a research paper, demonstration of a minimum
of two suitable secondary sources must be evident
/2
Total:
1
/25 x 2 = 50
You may have more than four paragraphs but I will only mark the first four.
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FINAL ESSAY
DUE DATE: Tuesday, May 25
Last Date: Fri., May 28
MARKS:
/100 (10% SUMMATIVE)
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ORAL POSTER or POWER POINT PRESENTATION
DUE DATE : JUNE (TBA)
MARKS:
/40
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Value: The presentation will be evaluated using the attached presentation rubric.
Date: The presentation will be given in June. Each teacher will choose dates which will
best suit his/her class.
STRUCTURE OF POSTER:
The student will put the title and author of his/her text, as well as the thesis and directional
statement of the essay on a large poster so that students can read it before and after the
presentation. The student should briefly refer to this, and any visuals, during the
presentation.
Structure of Presentation:
Each student will give a 5-10 minute presentation on the novel which she/he has chosen for
the ISU essay.
The presentation should have an introduction, body, and conclusion.
A brief (1-2 minute maximum) plot synopsis (that does not reveal the ending) may be a
good way to begin the body of the presentation so that the rest of the presentation makes
sense to the class. Be careful not to be repetitive if the thesis or directional statements
deal with elements of the plot. Keep in mind that this is not the most important part of your
presentation and you will lose marks if you spend too much time on this portion.
The main purpose of the presentation is to bring the author to life for the audience by
addressing the following:
a) the societal/historical context of the novel
OR
b) the author’s life/motivation for writing the novel
AND
c) the importance of the novel in the literary canon
(see the attached handout for guidance in this section)
The presentation should be creative and engaging. DO NOT read from your essay!
The Canon of Literature
For part of your ISU presentation, you must discuss the importance of the novel you are
studying in the “literary canon.”
The following definition of the literary canon is taken from M.H. Abrams’ A Glossary of
Literary Terms, 7th Ed.:
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The Greek word “kanon,” signifying a measuring rod or a rule, was extended to denote a list or
catalogue then came to be applied to the list of books in the Hebrew Bible and the New
Testament which were designated by church authorities as the genuine Holy Scriptures.
The term “canon” was later used in a literary application to signify the list of works accepted by
experts as genuinely written by a particular author. We speak thus of “the Chaucer canon” and
“the Shakespeare canon.”
In recent decades the phrase literary canon has come to designate … those authors who, by
a cumulative consensus of critics, scholars, and teachers, have come to be widely
recognized as “major,” and who have written works often hailed as literary classics. The
literary works by canonical authors are the ones which, at a given time, are most kept in print,
most frequently and fully discussed by literary critics and historians, and most likely to be
included in anthologies and in the syllabi of college courses.
The canon of literature is the product of a wavering and unofficial consensus; it is implicit rather
than explicit, loose in its boundaries, and always subject to changes in its inclusions.
The canonical works are of high intellectual and artistic quality. They are works that have proven
to delight and to appeal to widely shared human concerns and values. In addition, these texts
have (or have the potential to) shaped Western civilization and represent much of Western
culture.
Canonization, in other words, permits the member of the canon to be read and hence not only
exist, but also be immortalized. Belonging to the canon confers status, social, political,
economic, aesthetic, none of which can easily be extricated from the others. Belonging to the
canon is a guarantee of quality, and that guarantee of high aesthetic quality serves as a
promise, a contract, that announces to the viewer, "Here is something to be enjoyed as an
aesthetic object. Complex, difficult, privileged….”
Questions to answer:
1. Is your author renowned? Does he have his own canon (such as Shakespeare, Chaucer,
Dickens, Atwood, etc.)?
2. Does your text exemplify a time-period, a geographical region, a literary, political, or
philosophical perspective (like Renaissance Lit., Can.Lit. or Am. Lit., feminist lit., etc.)?
3. What is the intellectual or artistic quality of your text? What values or human concerns does
your text address? How has it shaped Western civilization (this is not just the Americas)?
4. Are there many essays and books by critics and historians on your topic? How easy was it
to find them? Would you find copies of essays and books if you went to other libraries?
5. Is your text taught at junior high, high school, college, or university level? Why do you think it
has become a pivotal text? Should it be taught and why?
6. How long has it been in print? How many editions have been printed? How many
languages has it been translated into? Is it included in anthologies, such as the Norton
Anthology, for example? Has it been made into a film? How many adaptations?
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ISU PRESENTATION MARKING SHEET
Name: _____________________________
Date: ____________
Title/Topic: ____________________________________________________
COMMENTS: