Summer Reading Group Presentation

Transcription

1 Name: /English 10H Summer Reading Group Presentation Class period # Group #: Group Members (first and last names please) Taskmaster: Timekeeper: Visual Aid Organizer: *Note-taker: Quote Finder(s): Presentation Rubric Excellent Good Fair Poor 69 and below In-depth coverage of topic Was the topic fully addressed in a thorough and meaningful way? Effective support of ideas through quotes and other specific references Were the group s ideas supported through textual examples? Relevance and accuracy of information Was the information accurate and relevant to the discussion? Was it written in your own words? Creativity Was the presentation engaging and creative, or just a straight lecture on the questions asked? Planning of presentation Was there evidence that the group spent time in planning and preparing the presentation? Group collaboration and effort Did the group work effectively together during class time, with each student playing a role? Participation of all group members in presentation Was everyone in the group involved in presenting the materials to the class? Clear and useful communication and visual aids Did the visual aid(s) enhance the presentation in a meaningful way? Are the slides free of grammar and mechanical errors? Can it be seen by the audience? Appropriate voice projection and eye contact Did the presenters address the class effectively (without reading notes or reciting memorized lines)? FINAL GRADE: COMMENTS ON BACK *Notetaker must turn this rubric into the teacher at the start of the group s presentation with all names recorded on it. with all names recorded on it. REMINDER: Any presentation found to be plagiarized in any way, will receive a grade no higher than a 60. It is YOUR responsibility to check your group s work before the due date.

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3 Name: /English 10H Group Presentation Questions: Summer Reading Below you will find discussion questions based on your summer reading assignment (Animal Farm and Fahrenheit 451). Each book is followed by a series of questions. You will be assigned to a group to answer the questions based on one work. After thoroughly completing the questions, you will present your answers to the class in a group presentation complete with visual aids. You will receive a grade for your group presentation based on the attached rubric. Be sure to examine the rubric before you are finished with the presentation! Your presentation grade will count the same as an essay or test. You are responsible for taking notes on both books during the presentations. You will be tested on both books after the presentations. ***Important Notice Regarding Plagiarism in Presentations It may be tempting to cut and paste answers you find online from places like SparkNotes. Keep in mind: this is plagiarism and will be treated as such. Your answers should be in your OWN WORDS, not lifted from other sources. As your teachers, we are not interested in what online sources say about these questions; we want to hear what you think. While you may certainly do research to supplement your ideas, be sure your presentation is written in your own words, and cites any outside sources. If you need help with this, ask. GROUP #1 Animal Farm by George Orwell 1. Consider the major characters in the novel: Napoleon, Snowball, Boxer, Clover, Squealer, Old Major, Mollie, Moses, Benjamin, the sheep (as a group), the dogs (as a group). a.) Describe the characters, their traits, their motivations, and their conflicts. Use quotes to support your explanations. b.) How do the various characters in the novel symbolize their counterparts in the Russian Revolution? Explain your answers. NOTE: You may need to do research to answer this question. 2. Consider point of view in the novel. a.) From whose point of view is the story told? b.) What is the significance of point of view in the novella? 3. The novella works as a children s animal fable, a satire, and an allegory. A fable is a short, simple story, usually with animals as characters, designed to teach a moral truth. In a satire, the writer attacks a serious issue by presenting it in a ridiculous light or otherwise poking fun at it through irony, satire, or ridicule. This usually involves both moral judgment and a desire to help improve a custom, belief, or tradition. An allegory is a narrative that can be read on more than one level, in which a character, idea, or event also stands for something else. a.) How is Animal Farm a fable? b.) How is Animal Farm a satire? What does it satirize? c.) How is Animal Farm an allegory? 4. As you know, a symbol is word or object that stands for something else in literature; character and place names can be symbols as well as objects and events. Name at least four symbols in the book (in addition to the allegorical symbols explained in question #1) and explain the significance of each. 5. Create a Google Docs presentation to support your answers to questions #1-4. Your presentation should include

4 GROUP #2 Animal Farm by George Orwell 1. Name each of the 10 commandments Old Major gives the animals (Orwell 11). Note, he gives TEN commandments; the pigs reduce them to seven. a.) Can you think of ways each of them could be related to a vice? (Hint: consider the biblical seven deadly sins) b.) In what ways does Animalism mirror Socialism? What might Orwell be trying to say by showing its failure on Animal Farm? 2. There are three types of irony in the play: dramatic, verbal, and situational irony. Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows more than a particular character or characters. Verbal irony is irony that is spoken. Situational irony is irony that arises out of a particular situation. Give one or more examples of each type of irony in the play. 3. A paradox is a statement that seems contradictory, but actually makes sense. [Example: "Cowards die many times before their deaths." Julius Caesar] An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two opposing or contradictory ideas. [Example: jumbo shrimp ]. a.) Give an example of a paradox in the novella and explain why it is a paradox. b.) BONUS: Find an oxymoron in the book, or create one that describes a character. 4. A motif is a recurring idea or image in a work of literature. Two important motifs in Animal Farm are education and language. a.) Discuss the importance of these motifs as they evolve during the course of the novella. What is Orwell saying about each? b.) Address the distinctions that may be made between education and indoctrination. What is the difference between the two? How do we see this in the book? This may require research. c.) What other motifs can you identify in the work? Name at least two others. 5. A theme is a main idea or subject explored in a literary work. What themes can you identify in Animal Farm? Name at least four and explain how each theme is developed. [Remember: A literary theme is a statement expressing the purpose of a work, not just a single word or phrase. Example: Money does not buy happiness.] 6. Create a Google Docs presentation to support your answers to questions #1-4. Your presentation should include GROUP #3 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 1. Our identity is continually shaped, even as we grow older. Discuss the concept of identity in Fahrenheit 451. Characterize Guy Montag, Millie, Clarisse, Faber, and Beatty. What factors shaped their identities? Are they dynamic or static characters? What are their various motivations and conflicts? Use specific examples and quotations whenever possible. 2. Science fiction is literature that explores technological and societal change. Science fiction is often based on scientific principles and technology. It may make predictions about life in the future or comment on important issues in society. a.) What elements make Fahrenheit 451 a science fiction novel? Name at least three. 3. Both verbal and situational irony are used in Fahrenheit 451. (See definitions above in Group #2, question #2.) a.) Find examples of both. b.) What is Bradbury s purpose in employing irony?

5 4. In the fictional world where Montag lives, books, like education, are considered dangerous. Why? Use specific examples and quotations to back up your answer. 5. Create a Google Docs presentation to support your answers to questions #1-4. Your presentation should include GROUP #4 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 1. What makes Montag rebel? Consider the quote on p.55, in which Montag says: Let you alone! That s all very well, but how can I leave myself alone? We need not to be alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real? a.) What does Montag mean by this quote? b.) Explain its relevance to the themes of the book. c.) How does it relate the various quarter themes (Identity, Culture and Diversity, Perspectives, Journeys) we will be exploring this year? Be specific. 2. What is the meaning of (and symbolism behind) the various section titles: The Hearth and the Salamander, The Sieve and the Sand, Burning Bright? 3. Fahrenheit 451 was published in 1953, but remains very relevant today. a.) What does Fahrenheit 451 suggest about the power of media and government? b.) Do you think this kind of world is possible? To what extent is it happening today? Explain. c.) BONUS: Find a contemporary example or recent news item that relates to Fahrenheit As you know, an allusion is a reference to a famous person, place, or thing. Discuss some of the many allusions made in Fahrenheit 451. Why are they important in this novel? Name and explain at least three. 5. A theme is a main idea or subject explored in a literary work. What themes can you identify in Fahrenheit 451? Name at least four and explain how each is developed. [Remember: A literary theme is a statement expressing the purpose of a work, not just a single word. Example: Money does not buy happiness.] 6. Create a Google Docs presentation to support your answers to questions #1-4. Your presentation should include CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTION 1. What parallels can you draw between Animal Farm and Fahrenheit 451? [Hint: consider your summer reading question about dystopia.] Answer in at least 3-5 sentences.