OK, friends! I know that you will all spend time curled up beside the lights of the Christmas tree, reading about Gregor and his Bug Life. I know that the pamphlet isn't too much and soon you will be ready for an assignment! Well, I spent a lot of time last year (all kidding aside) reflecting on what I want students to get from this book and this project and what would be the best assignment for you. It came to me like a lightning bolt in the middle of the night last night last December! So.... here you go. It's in three parts and before you panic, the entire assignment should not take you longer than about 3-4 hours, total. Probably less. OK? Not only that, I am not making it due until the Friday after we come back to school so.... for those of you who either choose to or NEED TO delay your work until we are back on schedule, you have that option.
DUE DATE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 12
Part 1: Shrinklit Poem
I haven't assigned this for a few years and I LOVED it when we did them before. Essentially, it's a 12 line rhyming poem that sums up a book. You will need to detail the plot but also address theme, tone, and characters. They are typically humorous, if only because they condense an entire book into twelve lines.
Your best bet is to first write a summary, then decide which pieces are most important. Take those pieces and work them into your poem.
Below is a great example of a Frankenstein ShrinkLit:
Frankenstein
Mary Shelley
In his occult science lab Frankenstein creates a flab
Which, endowed with human will
Very shortly starts to kill.
First, it pleads a lonely life
And demands a monster-wife;
“Monstrous” Frankenstein objects,
Thinking of the side-effects.
Chilled with fear, he quits the scene,
But the frightful man-machine
Follows him in hot pursuit
Bumping people off en route,
Till at last it stands malign,
By the corpse of Frankenstein!
Somewhere in the northern mists
Horrid thing – it still exists. . .
Still at large, a-thirst for gore!
Got a strong lock on your door?
~ Maurice Sagoff
Part 2: Let Your Creativity Run Wild!
I want a creative project over the book. The important piece here is that you don't just illustrate the events of the novel but convey the message, the deeper complexities, any author information you have, etc.. I am including some ideas for you that I found on Pinterest below. You will include an index card explanation with your project and that will be almost as weighted in the grade as the creative project itself. Options are a book cover, a tshirt, a poster, a graphic design, a repurposed book, a 3-D display, a diorama, it's as wide as your mind!!!
All images below are courtesy of Pinterest...
Examples:
