Name: _________________________________________

Date: _________________________________________

English
Independent Study Unit

Select a Novel
1. Students are to select and read a novel that is a Grade 8 level or higher.

Novel Due Date: ______________

Novel Test

2. Students are to complete an in-class test on their novel, which they must have finished reading. There
will be three (3) questions evaluating their understanding of the novel they read. Students will require
their ISU novel for the test; however, whether they bring their text on the day of the test or not,
they are still expected to write. See Appendix A for “How to prepare for your Novel Test”.

Novel Test Due Date: _______________

Book Review

3. Complete a review of the novel and present it to the class. The review must be 5 minutes in length.
Students are encouraged to employ a variety of presentation strategies to enhance the delivery of their
review. Be sure to include a variety of visuals in the presentation! Furthermore, students must be
prepared to answer questions on their review. See appendix B, on “How to Complete a Review”
and appendix C on “Peer and Self Assessment.”

Art Piece

4. During your review, you will be required to present an art piece that represents your novel. It can take
any artistic format, either two- or three-dimensional. The item must be constructed, and cannot be pre-
fabricated. During your report, you will need to identify the significance of your item and explain its
importance. It can be an item from your novel, or represent theme, character, setting, etc.

Book Review Due Date: ________________

The usual standards of academic integrity will apply, and all quoted, scanned, or paraphrased
material must be cited. Plagiarism will result in SERIOUS consequences.
Strands:
Oral Communication: Students will use listening and speaking skills/strategies appropriately to critically evaluate the effectiveness
of the ISU novels for teenagers. They must:
 Reflect and identify their strengths as listeners and speakers,
 Reflect and identify areas for improvement,
 Reflect and identify strategies they found most helpful in oral communication situations.
Reading and Literature Strand: Students select a novel from the grade nine reading list 8 weeks prior to the due date for the final
product. They are expected to
 Read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary elements use a range of strategies to construct
meaning
 Recognize a variety of stylistic elements and demonstrate understanding of how they help communicate meaning
 Use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently
Writing Strand: Students are expected to:
 Generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to prepare for their ISU test
 Applying knowledge of language convention to correct errors, refine expression, and present their ideas effective
Media: Students are expected to:
 Apply various media forms in expressing their ideas

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 APPENDIX A:
HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR NOVEL TEST

The novel test is meant to determine your understanding of the text and whether you are able to
critically reflect and analyze its contents. You must have a strong grasp of the novel’s literary
elements and be able to support your ideas with significant quotations from the text. The test will
have quotation analysis and a journal response.

You are encouraged to create tabs in your novel, identifying important quotations that you can use for
various questions on the test.

Find quotations for the following elements:

 Theme – you must produce a theme statement

 Character – consider traits, motivations, emotions, etc.
 Setting – consider social conditions, geographic elements and time period
 Literary Devices – find a variety of literary devices
 Real world connections – how does your text connect to you personally or the world around
you?

Marking Scheme:

QUOTATION ANALYSIS

Quotation (.5)
Speaker (.5)
Context (1)
Type of Significance (1)
Explanation (6) – In the explanation you must provide two (2) clear reasons as to how your quotation
supports the topic (literary element) provided and a minimum of one (1) reason as to why your
quotation is relevant in relation to the whole text.

JOURNAL RESPONSE
Mechanics (3)
Content (7) - You must identify the literary element (setting, character, theme, literary devices, point
of view, style, etc.), explain the text example, the world example, then make the connection as to how
they relate by clearly explaining/describing.

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 APPENDIX B:
HOW TO COMPLETE A BOOK REVIEW

A book review is a description, critical analysis, and an evaluation on the quality, meaning, and
significance of a book, not a retelling. It should focus on the book's purpose, content, and authority. It
is a reaction paper in which strengths and weaknesses of the material are analyzed. It should include
a statement of what the author has tried to do, evaluate how well (in the opinion of the reviewer) the
author has succeeded, and present evidence to support this evaluation.

Here are some steps to follow when writing a review:

Step 1: Answer the question – Is this an effective novel for teenagers?

Step 2: Find three (3) reasons to support your opinion. These reasons must be literary in nature.
Therefore, choose three elements from the list below:

 Character – Was a character relatable? Realistic? How does the author develop his
characters?
 Setting – Does the setting serve a purpose? Does it help develop characters? Events?
 Theme – How does the author develop a theme of the story? Is it relatable to teenagers?
 Point of View – Does the point of view contribute to the effectiveness of the novel?
 Style? - What is the author's style? Is it formal or informal? Does it suit the intended
audience?
 Literary Devices – What are some literary devices used and how effective are they?
 Mood and Tone – Identify the mood and tone of the story. Do they differ and how?

Step 3: Find one quotation per element from the text to support your points (3 total).
Explain how the quotations prove your arguments.

Write your review using the correct paragraph format (topic, three examples and
explanation and conclusion) to help organize your presentation. Remember to
include three elements and effective visuals in your presentation (no bristol boards).

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 APPENDIX C:

REVIEW (SELF - ASSESSMENT)

NAME: ______________________________________________

Contents and Structure of the Review

Criteria
Y/N Explain

Have I described three specific elements of the text?

Is my focus clear and is my opinion as a reviewer evident?
Have I identified the explicit and implicit messages in the text?
Have I used specific examples from the text to support my personal
interpretation?
Have I analyzed and synthesized ideas and information in the text, and
communicated them?
Have I explained how the three elements effectively or ineffectively appeal to
teens?
Have I used a level of language that is appropriate for my purpose and
audience?
Have I organized my ideas so that a clear focus and an overall impression are
created (introduction, point, proof, explanation x3, conclusion)?
Are my ideas sufficiently complex to suit my purpose and audience?
Have I responded to questions with answers that are clear and appropriate?

Summary of Things I Need to Work On. Consider two (2) aspects done well and two (2) areas of improvement.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Delivery of Presentation

Criteria Y/N Explain

Are my ideas in my presentation creative and original?
Is my opening engaging and does it clearly introduce the topic?
Have I presented my ideas in a logical sequence?
Is my conclusion clear and effective?
Was my audience engaged most of the time?
Was my speech fluent, expressive, and audible?
Did I use a variety of visual elements effectively?
Did I use language conventions correctly and effectively (e.g., grammar and
usage)?

Summary of Things I Need to Work On. Consider two (2) aspects done well and two (2) areas of improvement.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 APPENDIX C:

REVIEW (PEER - ASSESSMENT)

NAME: ______________________________________________

Contents and Structure of the Review

Criteria Y/N Explain

Have s/he described three specific elements of the text?
Is the focus clear and is the opinion as a reviewer evident?
Has s/he identified the explicit and implicit messages in the text?
Has s/he used specific examples from the text to support her/his personal
interpretation?
Has s/he analyzed and synthesized ideas and information in the text, and
communicated them?
Has s/he explained how the three elements effectively or ineffectively appeal to
teens?
Has s/he used a level of language that is appropriate for purpose and
audience?
Has s/he organized ideas so that a clear focus and an overall impression are
created (introduction, point, proof, explanation x3, conclusion)?
Are the ideas sufficiently complex to suit purpose and audience?
Has s/he responded to questions with answers that are clear and appropriate?

Delivery of Presentation

Criteria Y/N Explain

Are his/her ideas in the presentation creative and original?
Is the opening engaging and does it clearly introduce the topic?
Has s/he presented ideas in a logical sequence?
Is the conclusion clear and effective?
Was the audience engaged most of the time?
Was the speech fluent, expressive, and audible?
Did s/he use a variety of visual elements effectively?

Summary of things to work on. Consider two (2) aspects done well and two (2) areas of improvement.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 ORAL PRESENTATION
BOOK REVIEW

NAME: ______________________________________________ DATE: _______________

Level 1 Level 2 Level 2 Level 4

REPORT -demonstrates a very limited -demonstrates a limited -demonstrates considerable -demonstrates a thorough
understanding of a review understanding of a review understanding of a review understanding of a review

QUOTATIO -provides no quotations – provide one quotation with a – provide only two quotations – provided three quotations and
NS limited explanation with a moderate explanation explain the significance of each
for each with great insight

CREATIVITY -no to very little creativity Limited creativity Moderate creativity Uses creativity with brilliance
throughout the presentation.

-no opening – opening lacks clarity – opening introduces topic – opening is engaging and
ORGANZA original, and clearly
introduces topic
-TION
-no conclusion – conclusion lacks clarity – conclusion is partially clear – conclusion is clear and
effective

-speech is disorderly, with no – speech lacks fluency, – speech is fluent, expressive, – speech is fluent, highly
expression and inaudible expressiveness, and/or and audible some of the time expressive, and audible
audibility

Gestures and facial expression – gestures and facial – gestures and facial – gestures and facial
are very limited in effectiveness expressions are of limited expressions are effective expressions are used skilfully
effectiveness some of the time to engage the audience

-no visual elements
PRESENTA
TION -exceeded time restriction (more
than ten minutes) or did not
meet time requirement (under 3
minutes)
- visual elements are of limited
effectiveness
- exceeded time restriction
(more than seven minutes)
or did not meet time
requirement (under 4
minutes)
- visual elements are somewhat
effective
- somewhat exceeded time
restriction (more than five
minutes)
- visual elements are highly
effective
- met the time requirement
within 10 seconds

TOTAL: _________

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