Outside Reading Assignment and Rubric

Outside Reading
9th Grade Literature and Composition
Due _12/17/10_____
Please select your book by___11/17/2010______

Standards
ELA9RL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence… and uses this evidence as the basis for interpretation.
ELA9W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.
ELA9RC1 The student reads both informational and fictional texts.

You will have a choice to complete one of the three projects listed below:
1. Book Report
2. Poster
3. Paper Bag Project

Whichever one you choose, it is a component of your final exam grade AND must be completed outside of class. There are 5 elements that must be represented in your project. Please read below for the requirements of your assignment.

Choice 1 (50 points)
The book report project will assess your understanding of different literary devices.
The paper should be written using Times New Roman 12-point font and must be at least two pages. Please double space your paper. Your paper should include the following.

Paragraph 1
An introduction and a strong thesis statement.

Paragraph 2
A paragraph explaining the basic plot of the story.


Paragraph 3
A paragraph explaining the personalities of the main characters in the story


Paragraph 4
A paragraph explaining the setting of the story and the theme.

Paragraph 5
A conclusion and a re-visit to your thesis statement.

Choice 2 (50 points) Poster- You will need to choose 5 symbols. The symbols need to represent the following:

1 symbol for exposition (setting and time)
1 symbol for the central conflict
1 symbol for the main character
1 symbol for the climax
1 symbol for the theme

The poster must have your book’s title displayed on the front. On the back of your poster you must have the book cited in MLA style.

Example of MLA citation: (Book by one author)

Riordan, Rick. Percy Jackson and The Olympians, The Lightning Thief. New York: Hyperion Books, 2006. 375. Print.

Choice 3 (50 points) Paper Bag Project- You will need to choose 5 symbols. These symbols will need to be 3-dimensional and appropriate to have at school. Please do not bring anything valuable.

The symbols need to represent the following:

1 symbol for exposition (setting and time)
1 symbol for the central conflict
1 symbol for the main character
1 symbol for the climax
1 symbol for the theme

The paper bag must have your book’s title displayed on the front. On the bottom of your bag you must have the book cited in MLA style.

Example of MLA citation: (Book by one author)

Riordan, Rick. Percy Jackson and The Olympians, The Lightning Thief. New York: Hyperion Books, 2006. 375. Print.

Grading Rubric:
Part 1 (50 points) FIVE POINTS EACH
1 symbol for exposition __________
1 symbol for the central conflict __________
1 symbol for the main character __________
1 symbol for the climax __________
1 symbol for the theme __________
Neat and organized __________
Presents Project to Class __________
__________ /50
Part 2 (50 points) FIVE POINTS EACH

5=Information is correct and lots of supporting evidence from text is present
4=Information is correct and some supporting evidence from text is present
3= Information is generally correct and some evidence from text is present
2=Information is partially incorrect and/or no evidence from text is present
1=Information is incorrect and no evidence from text is present
0=No Information
*The spelling and grammar grade will be reflected in the grade for each paragraph.

Paragraph 1 has a strong thesis sentence and ‘hooks’ the reader _______ x 2

Paragraph 2 gives a detailed explanation of the plot _______ x 2

Paragraph 3 describes the characters _______ x 2

Paragraph 4 explains how the author uses imagery and the role of the setting _______ x 2

Paragraph 5 references the thesis statement and includes a strong conclusion _______ x 2

_______/ 50

Final Grade and Comments:

E-books are A-wesome!

We have all downloaded our e-books and have started reading our novels. I am thrilled at the enthusiasm everyone has about reading on a Kindle! Keep reading and I will upload our outside reading/Kindle project rubrics so you can work on it over Thanksgiving.

Our Kindles Are Here!

Thank you to the Milton High School PTSA for awarding a generous mini grant enabling me to purchase 9 Kindles and e-books for my 9th grade literature students!

First Week

If you are in my 4th or 5th Team Taught class with Ms. Greene, you need to be accessing the following link for your information. http://9thlitcompgreene.pbworks.com/

Welcome to Milton High School!

Welcome to Milton! We are excited that you are a part of this wonderful learning community. Milton offers a wonderful array of both academic and extracurricular opportunities. As new learning experiences arise, take advantage of them and strive to improve yourself and Milton as a whole during your time here.

Organization is very important in high school. You will need to budget your time so that you can succeed in the classroom and beyond. Time management is important. You will discover that the pace in high school may be quicker than the pace in middle school. In regards to Language Arts, you should not throw out your materials until the end of the year. The End of Course Test will be a cumulative assessment; thus, the EOCT will address standards that you have learned throughout the entire year. After each unit test, you ought to remove the materials from the unit and save them in a folder at home. You will use the materials from both first and second semester to study for the EOCT.

In Language Arts class, we will agree to create a respectful environment. As we learn, read, and write together, it is important that we learn to communicate effectively through positive language. You will be encouraged to become a critical thinker; therefore, through analysis and discussion we will discover new ideas and learn from one another.

Thursday, September 17.

Students completed in class assignment on Active and Passive Voice. The students entered the activity in the grammar section of their Learning Logs. No homework for this evening. Friday's activity will be the practice Georgia High School Graduation Test. The Unit Test is scheduled for Tuesday, September 22.

Wednesday, September 16

Student completed the During Reading and After Reading Activities for "Learning to Fly". Also, student began working on the Fill-in-the-Blank Study Guide for the Unit Test. The Unit Test is on Tuesday, September 22.