Polishing your Novel Study

Novel Study
Make a Good Copy of Your Draft

 

CHOOSE YOUR TASKS

A. Reliability: write one paragraph with a topic sentence about the author and/or publisher, at least three pieces of evidence, and a concluding sentence   (10 points) (Click HERE to see some some paragraphs.)

B. Challenging words:  make a chart showing at least 10 words, page numbers, and your strategies (10 points)

C. Mental pictures: make one coloured vivid illustration (10 points)

D. Powerful language: make a chart naming  the technique and showing the quotations  and the page numbers  (10 points)

E. Thinking: made a chart showing at least three  powerful quotations with page numbers and explaining how they describe real life (20 points) (Click HERE to see some examples of powerful quotations.)

F. Author’s message: write one short sentence summarizing what the author believes about life; add five to seven sentences explaining how that is shown in the novel; add a short concluding sentence (20 points) (Click HERE to see some paragraphs.)

G. Purpose: the purpose was to let you see life differently; write a paragraph telling what you learned about life and how it enables you to manage your own problems differently (10 points)

 

CHECK FOR QUALITY

1. Evidence of great effort

2. Evidence of deep thinking

3. Accuracy

4. Supporting details

5. Correct English

6. Excellent organization

7. Neat and attractive

 

MARKING GUIDE

Meeting Expectations = 25 points
Fully Meeting Expectations = 45 points
Exceeding Expectations = 55 points

 

 

TIPS FOR PART B    Click HERE

TIPS FOR PART D   Click HERE

TIPS FOR PARTS A,  F AND G

Expectations for a paragraph:

  • 1.    begins with the chosen topic sentence
  • 2.    continues with three to seven supporting sentences
  • 3.    concludes with an emotive sentence
  • 4.    contains quotations as evidence
  • 5.    employs figures of speech such as alliteration, similes and metaphors
  • 6.    includes transition words and phrases
  • 7.    employs literary devices such as parallel structure and varying sentence lengths
  • 8.    displays correct spelling, punctuation and grammar
  • 9.    is indented and neatly written by hand or on computer
  • 10.    displays a title, name, division and date

Three different formats for paragraphs:

  1. Topic sentence.  Evidence ( __ ) .  Transition word, more evidence ( __ ) .  Transition word, more evidence ( __ ) . Rephrased topic sentence.
  2. Topic sentence.  Evidence: “quotation” ( __ ) .  Transition word, more evidence: “quotation” ( __ ) . Transition word, more evidence: “quotation” ( __ ) . Rephrased topic sentence.
  3. Topic sentence.  “Quotation…” name verb explanation ( __ ) . Transition word, “quotation…” name verb explanation ( __ ) . Transition word, “quotation…” name verb explanation ( __ ) . Rephrased topic sentence.

Tips for Using Quotations: Leave out the parts that ruin the flow of your own writing.
NOT GOOD:  Bear has told Crispin that he needs to “speak boldly, not merely to strangers, but even to those above his station and that it was all in the eyes” (154).
GOOD: Bear has told Crispin that he needs to “speak boldly, notmerely to strangers, but even to those above his station and…” to look people in the eye (154).
NOT GOOD: Bear has taught Crispin “how to make snares Bear used to catch rabbits and birds” (155).
GOOD:  Bear has taught Crispin “how to make snares…to catch rabbits and birds” (155).

 

 AN EXAMPLE OF PART G

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton changed my view about how people are classified or how not everyone in a certain “clique” is what you think they are. At first, the main character, Ponyboy, doesn’t believe Cherry when she tries to explain to him that not all Socs- the term used to define the “West-side rich kids- jump on Greasers- boys from the East side- and beat them up for fun. “All Socs aren’t like that… You have to believe me, Ponyboy. Not all of us are like that” (34). Later, even though Johnny has committed manslaughter and he has ran away with Ponyboy, they both risk their lives to save kids from inside a burning building (92). Randy, a friend of the boy Johnny killed, says that he is tired of everyone fighting because it doesn’t do any good (117). Ponyboy finally realizes that both Greasers and Socs can do good things and change how people judge them. When Two-Bit asks, “What’d Mr. Super-Soc have to say?”, Ponyboy tells him, “He ain’t a Soc, he’s just a guy” (118). This proves that it doesn’t matter if you are a Greaser or a Soc, study hard in school or play sports, come from a foreign land or are born native to the country. Everyone is an individual. This novel helped me see that you cannot judge people by who they hang out with or where they come from, because everyone can do good in the world. (Ilar)

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