High School Summer Project Assignment
Select a project from the selections below. Projects will be due August 31, 2015.
Be prepared to discuss your project with your teacher or present it to your class!
Create a diary or journal in the voice of a character from your book. Follow the events of the novel and give your chosen character's impressions and reflections on those events. Be sure to go beyond the obvious. Sure, he might have been nervous about attending battle school, but how would he write about that in a journal? What thoughts are racing through his mind? Pick this project if you feel like the book's characters really came alive for you. You must write at least 12-15 journal entries. The project should be 250-800 words (2-4 typed pages, double spaced.)
Write letters between characters. This project can be done in two ways. You could write letters back and forth between two characters from your book. Or you could think outside the box a bit more and write letters between one character in your book and another person from literature or history. For example, say you read Uglies and think its protagonist, Tally, might be a good pen pal to Cinder’s cyborg protagonist. What would they say to each other? How would they get along? What stories might they share? Choose this project if you think interaction between characters is more interesting than introspection from one character. You may write as many letters as you would like. The project should be 250-800 words (2-4 typed pages, double spaced.) Make sure your interactions are grounded in the books.
Get crafty with some cartography (that's mapmaking, FYI). Look back closely at the places that were important in the book, and illustrate a map that shows where they all are in relation to one another. Create a key in which you explain why each place is so important to the story. For example, use creative mapping to show Laurel’s move from New Orleans to Mississippi. Select this project if you're known for your close attention to detail. Your map should be posterboard size, must include at least 5 places, and must include paragraph-long explanations for the significance of each location.
Make a movie trailer featuring your book. If you have Windows, chances are you have Movie Maker without even knowing about it. If it's your first time making a movie on the computer, though, think about downloading Microsoft's Photo Story. It's free and simple to use and has enough features (photo effects, neat transitions, the ability to add music) that you can create a pretty cool product. Choose this project if you dream about being the next Steven Spielberg or M. Night Shyamalan. Your final movie should be a professional-looking 3-5 minutes long.
Write a pamphlet or handbook for people traveling to the place and time of your book. Introduce the culture and describe any differences in lifestyles and beliefs that travelers from your place and time should know about. What do the people there eat? What kinds of jobs are available? What behaviors are considered polite or rude? What do the people think is most important in life? Your pamphlet should fully show your understanding of the book. In order to do well on this project, you should include details from your book. While you should be creative, you should also quote characters and show your teacher that you read and fully understood the importance of the setting of your book.
Create a newspaper for your book. Summarize the plot in one article, cover the weather in another, do a feature story on one of the more interesting characters in another. Include an editorial and collection of ads that would be pertinent to the story. A book like A Farewell to Arms might work really well if told through news articles. Your newspaper must include at least 5 stories and should be laid out as a newspaper.
Create a new and unique book cover for your book. Using all original work only (no fair cheating and downloading pictures or words from the internet!), you must create your own book cover. Include a front cover image, a back cover advertising blurb, an inside cover précis, and a back inside cover “about the author” section. Your teacher has seen the book covers that are currently available. Be prepared to discuss your artistic choices. This option should include artistic components. Do not rely on the internet for your text.
Graphic novel or illustrated artist’s gallery. If you have a real talent for art, put it to good use with this project! Choose 12-15 scenes from your book and create illustrations for each scene. Make sure you include dialogue! A gentle reminder: Plagiarism is a big deal. Any time you turn in someone else’s work as your own, whether you found it on the internet or borrowed it from their computer, you are plagiarizing.
All plagiarized assignments will be given a zero. Don’t be tempted!
Be prepared to discuss your project with your teacher or present it to your class!
Create a diary or journal in the voice of a character from your book. Follow the events of the novel and give your chosen character's impressions and reflections on those events. Be sure to go beyond the obvious. Sure, he might have been nervous about attending battle school, but how would he write about that in a journal? What thoughts are racing through his mind? Pick this project if you feel like the book's characters really came alive for you. You must write at least 12-15 journal entries. The project should be 250-800 words (2-4 typed pages, double spaced.)
Write letters between characters. This project can be done in two ways. You could write letters back and forth between two characters from your book. Or you could think outside the box a bit more and write letters between one character in your book and another person from literature or history. For example, say you read Uglies and think its protagonist, Tally, might be a good pen pal to Cinder’s cyborg protagonist. What would they say to each other? How would they get along? What stories might they share? Choose this project if you think interaction between characters is more interesting than introspection from one character. You may write as many letters as you would like. The project should be 250-800 words (2-4 typed pages, double spaced.) Make sure your interactions are grounded in the books.
Get crafty with some cartography (that's mapmaking, FYI). Look back closely at the places that were important in the book, and illustrate a map that shows where they all are in relation to one another. Create a key in which you explain why each place is so important to the story. For example, use creative mapping to show Laurel’s move from New Orleans to Mississippi. Select this project if you're known for your close attention to detail. Your map should be posterboard size, must include at least 5 places, and must include paragraph-long explanations for the significance of each location.
Make a movie trailer featuring your book. If you have Windows, chances are you have Movie Maker without even knowing about it. If it's your first time making a movie on the computer, though, think about downloading Microsoft's Photo Story. It's free and simple to use and has enough features (photo effects, neat transitions, the ability to add music) that you can create a pretty cool product. Choose this project if you dream about being the next Steven Spielberg or M. Night Shyamalan. Your final movie should be a professional-looking 3-5 minutes long.
Write a pamphlet or handbook for people traveling to the place and time of your book. Introduce the culture and describe any differences in lifestyles and beliefs that travelers from your place and time should know about. What do the people there eat? What kinds of jobs are available? What behaviors are considered polite or rude? What do the people think is most important in life? Your pamphlet should fully show your understanding of the book. In order to do well on this project, you should include details from your book. While you should be creative, you should also quote characters and show your teacher that you read and fully understood the importance of the setting of your book.
Create a newspaper for your book. Summarize the plot in one article, cover the weather in another, do a feature story on one of the more interesting characters in another. Include an editorial and collection of ads that would be pertinent to the story. A book like A Farewell to Arms might work really well if told through news articles. Your newspaper must include at least 5 stories and should be laid out as a newspaper.
Create a new and unique book cover for your book. Using all original work only (no fair cheating and downloading pictures or words from the internet!), you must create your own book cover. Include a front cover image, a back cover advertising blurb, an inside cover précis, and a back inside cover “about the author” section. Your teacher has seen the book covers that are currently available. Be prepared to discuss your artistic choices. This option should include artistic components. Do not rely on the internet for your text.
Graphic novel or illustrated artist’s gallery. If you have a real talent for art, put it to good use with this project! Choose 12-15 scenes from your book and create illustrations for each scene. Make sure you include dialogue! A gentle reminder: Plagiarism is a big deal. Any time you turn in someone else’s work as your own, whether you found it on the internet or borrowed it from their computer, you are plagiarizing.
All plagiarized assignments will be given a zero. Don’t be tempted!