Fourth Period - BQ 2: The Protagonist

Note: BEFORE doing this assignment, you must have read the first two chapters of your novel. (The first few pages of a novel won’t tell you very much about your protagonist – two chapters will.)

• Review my grading standards before posting. Remember, once you hit submit, it is final.
• Don't forget to put your first and last name at the top of your post and to comment on another classmate's post. 
• Comments should focus on similarities or differences you perceive between your protagonist and your classmate's protagonist or something that intrigues you about your classmate's protagonist.

Prompt:

Answer the following questions in paragraph form – no need to separate each answer by a space.

1) Who is the protagonist of your novel? (name, two characteristics, and his or her occupation [student, detective, etc.])

2) What is one thing you and the protagonist have in common?

3) What is one way in which you and the protagonist differ?

4) What is one quote spoken by your protagonist that you think represents them well from what you’ve read?

Due: Friday February 1 at midnight

Second Period - BQ2: The Protagonist

Note: BEFORE doing this assignment, you must have read the first two chapters of your novel. (The first few pages of a novel won’t tell you very much about your protagonist – two chapters will.)

• Review my grading standards before posting. Remember, once you hit submit, it is final.
• Don't forget to put your first and last name at the top of your post and to comment on another classmate's post. 
• Comments should focus on similarities or differences you perceive between your protagonist and your classmate's protagonist or something that intrigues you about your classmate's protagonist.

Prompt:

Answer the following questions in paragraph form – no need to separate each answer by a space.

1) Who is the protagonist of your novel? (name, two characteristics, and his or her occupation [student, detective, etc.])

2) What is one thing you and the protagonist have in common?

3) What is one way in which you and the protagonist differ?

4) What is one quote spoken by your protagonist that you think represents them well from what you’ve read?

Due: Friday February 1 at midnight

First Period - BQ 2: The Protagonist

Note: BEFORE doing this assignment, you must have read the first two chapters of your novel. (The first few pages of a novel won’t tell you very much about your protagonist – two chapters will.)

• Review my grading standards before posting. Remember, once you hit submit, it is final.
• Don't forget to put your first and last name at the top of your post and to comment on another classmate's post. 
• Comments should focus on similarities or differences you perceive between your protagonist and your classmate's protagonist or something that intrigues you about your classmate's protagonist.

Prompt:

Answer the following questions in paragraph form – no need to separate each answer by a space.

1) Who is the protagonist of your novel? (name, two characteristics, and his or her occupation [student, detective, etc.])

2) What is one thing you and the protagonist have in common?

3) What is one way in which you and the protagonist differ?

4) What is one quote spoken by your protagonist that you think represents them well from what you’ve read?

Due: Friday February 1 at midnight

Discovering Subtext Questions

Discovering Subtext Questions

These questions will help you start analyzing your novel.

 

Characters

• Who are the main characters in your book and what is their function? Why are they the main characters? 
•  How do they change and how does their change affect the other characters/story line?
• What is their flaw? What does that flaw say about the human condition?
• What gender, age, and race are the characters? Does the genetic make-up of the characters tell us something about a point the author is trying to make?
• Who is the antagonist? Why are they in the novel? Why are they portrayed the way they are? How do they act as a foil character?
• What is the protagonist good at? What does he or she like to do? How is he or she challenged? How does he or she grow/is he or she challenged?
• Look at what the characters do. Then, ask yourself this: what would make YOU act the way they did?

Setting

• Where is your story taking place? What is the time period? How do these two things affect your reading of the story? 
• Does the setting help you relate to the story better or worse?
• Why does the story take place when and where it does?

Conflict

• What is the conflict? Why did the author choose to focus on this conflict?
•  Consider the conflict. If the conflict had been different, would the ending have been different? Why did the author choose to end the story how he or she did?
• What does the conflict tell us about our lives?

Other Elements

• What symbolism occurs in the story? 
• What imagery is present? How does this help you read, interpret, and understand the story?
• Are any themes blatantly obvious? (war, friendship, love, prejudice, change, etc.) How does the author shape this theme? What is the author trying to say about this theme?
•  From which point of view is the narrator speaking? How does this affect your reading? How does this point of view shape the story?

Grading Information

Remember:
This homework may seem easy to you, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to grade easy. I have high expectations for you no matter what we're doing!
ALWAYS write your first and last name at the top of both your comment and response. 

Total: 100%
Spelling/Punctuation/Grammar: 25%  

• Note: edit. I will take off points for misspelled words, inappropriately used punctuation, etc.
• Don't use internet "slang". This is a Pre AP English classroom blog. We are striving for BB-style improvement.

Analysis in Response to Prompt: 25%

• Thought-provoking
• Original
• Insightful
• Answer prompt directly - no fluff (be concise)

 Following Directions: 25%

• Comment and respond once 
• Following each prompts directions thoroughly the first time

Turning In Homework: 25%

• Respond to prompt by midnight on the due date.
•  This is hit or miss - if you don't complete the homework assignment on time, you receive a zero.

Chosen Novel Project Overview

Chosen Novel Project

      The purpose of the Chosen Novel Project is for you to have the opportunity to learn how to discover and analyze subtext, to read for comprehension, to take ownership of your reading, and to make connections between diverse works as independent readers. 

• You will choose a novel to read and analyze.
• Components:

o   Library day

o   Blog Postings
o   McKee Quiz

o   Flip It Quiz

o   Presentation

• Subtext is the foundation of this project.  The McKee handout will give you a better idea of how to approach subtext in a novel and how a novel works. From this handout, you will choose two quotes to apply to your novel analysis (which you will use in your presentation).

• There will be a quiz over the main points of the McKee handout.