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ESOL Summer
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Academics
Summer Reading 2008-2009
Summer
Reading Projects
Main Character’s Diary
Imagine you are a person in your book. Write a diary for at least
ten days (it can be long, and it does not need to be consecutive days)
as he or she would have done.
Front Page of a Newspaper – Design the front page of a newspaper.
Write several short news stories describing the major events in your
book. Create a mock up of the page (this means that it should look
like a newspaper).
Timeline
Design a DETAILED timeline, complete with dates (or time references)
and illustrations of key events, for the plot of the story. You must
include explanations of how these references are important to the
book.
Playlet
Write a short play based on a character, a key event, or several events
from the plot if the novel. Remember, a play is told completely in
dialogue, what the characters say.
Literary Map – Create a colorful and informative map of the
significant places in the novel. This map should include illustrations,
labels, color, and references to key events in the novel.
Movie Cast
PUT TOGETHER A CAST FOR THE FILM VERSION OF A BOOK. Imagine the director-producer
wants a casting director to make recommendations. Decide who would
be the actors and actresses. Include photos and descriptions of the
stars and tell why each is "perfect" for the part. Write
a report to convince the producer of the selections (the report should
describe the characters, how they fit into the novel, and why a specific
actor/actress would be great for the part).
Resume and Cover Letter
As if you were a character in the book, compose a realistic resume
and cover letter for your character who is applying for a job suitable
for the character and setting of the novel. Include references from
other characters in the novel. You may need to use the Internet to
search for examples of resumes and cover letters.
Song
Convert the events of the story into a song. Write the lyrics and
music or adapt the words to a melody by someone else. The song must
include stanzas and chorus. Be careful about the tune you choose;
the song needs to a little more challenging than “Mary Had A
Little Lamb,” or something similar.
News Program
Write a “You Are There” news program reporting on a particular
scene, character, or event in the book.
Create a Dossier
Pretend that you are a foreign spy sent to report on your
chosen character. Compile a secret file containing general and specific
information about your character based on the information you know
from the novel. The file must contain a combination of your written
observations of the character and what you suppose the character to
be up to as well as items that you have picked up in your observations
with an explanation of how those items are significant to understanding
that character. Remember, you are spying on the character and need
to gather as much detail possible. Don’t forget the photo.
Radio Drama
Convert the action of the novel into a radio program. Record a taped
version of the story – or a scene from it – as a radio
play, acting out a story to be heard on the radio before television.
Include an announcer and sound effects.
Literary Agent
Pretend that you are a literary agent representing the author of your
book. Write a business letter (check the format on the Internet) to
Harry Decision, editor of young adult fiction at Bandwagon Books,
explaining why you feel he should publish your author’s book.
This letter must contain at least five paragraphs and three specific
reasons why the novel should be published.
Scrapbook OR (not both) Memory Box
Choose one of the major characters in your book and, as that character,
put together a scrapbook of memory box of special memories and mementos.
For the memory box, include a written explanation of what you include
in your book or box telling what the item is and why it is significant.
For the scrapbook, you need to be sure to include captions indicating
the significance of the memories or items. Be true to your character.
Twenty Questions Q & A
Pretend you're interviewing a person from the book or the author about
the book (questions must be specifically about the book, what you
want to know about the book, and indicate your reading of the book).
Write your interview in question and answer format (you must answer
the questions you create). Questions cannot be yes/no questions. You
guessed it, you must include twenty questions.
Birth Signs
Explore the Zodiac or horoscope signs (http://www.horoscope-universe.com/signchar.cfm)
or the 12 animal birth signs of the Chinese Zodiac (http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/zodiac.html).
You can use any web site that you choose; these are just suggestions.
Select a character from the book you read and determine under which
sign of the Zodiac your character was born. Write a detailed explanation
of the sign of the Zodiac and the character’s personality using
specifics from the novel. You must clearly demonstrate an understanding
of your character.
Powerpoint
In a PowerPoint presentation (print and present), include a series
of slides with the following information:
1. Cover slide: title, author, name, class, period, date
2. Setting (time + place=mood)
3. Tone (**see following examples)
4. Main characters; identify the main character and the state of the
main character's conflict; state the traits that exemplify each of
the main characters.
5. Use a quote from the book to illustrate character, setting, or
mood. Embed the quote in your own commentary (your own writing must
introduce the quote and then explain the quote). Include page number.
Include page number.
6. Theme of the book - this must be in your own words (Italicize the
entire theme).
7. Plot summary – be brief but to the point and SPECIFIC
8. Insert a picture that depicts the story and its theme.
9. Reference slide (title, publisher, date in MLA format) Example:
Soto, Gary. Living Up the Street. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell
Publishing Group, 1992.
**Tone: The writer's
attitude toward his or her audience and subject. The words he/she
uses establishes the tone of the piece. Examples of adjectives describing
tone:
Formal- words used such as : shall, surely, certainly, etc.
Informal- common, every day words used
Serious- the tone is very staid and strong; no humor evident
Playful- words used such as: happy, fun, joking, etc.
Bitter- the writer used words like hate, unforgiving, upset
Ironic- twists and turns in the story; what you expect to happen doesn't
happen
Cynical- complaints, negative statements about people, places, things
Sarcastic- words that say one thing but mean the opposite
Defiant- angry words such as: regret, rebellion, hate, etc.
Determined- strong words of success: will, shall, indeed, succeed,
certain
Enduring- words such as: try, stick it out, fight, win, trudge on,
never give up
Confident- words that show positive outlook; sure, indeed, you can
do it
Dedicated- strong words about sticking with it: stay with it; keep
going; don't give up
Hopeful- positive words; hope, future, change, positive
Joyous- positive words; great, wonderful, exult
Reminiscent- words that look back to better days; good old days, past,
better than, etc.
Melancholic- sad words are used; dreary, sad, dark, cloudy, depressed,
tears, cry, etc.
Dark- depressing words: depression, black, no future, death, murder,
kill, etc.
Mysterious- words such as: mystery, questionable, doubtful
Exciting- words such as: celebrate, travel, fast, move, quick, surprise,
wow
Adventurous- words and situations such as: expedition, trip, curious,
odyssey, journey
Nostalgic- words talking about the past in a better light: old days,
quiet, gently, antique, personable, better back then
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