Eighth Grade Independent Literature Study



Eighth Grade Independent Literature Study

Genre Reading Project

What does “genre” mean?

Genre is a specific kind, or category, of literature. See back for list.

Project Details:

During this school year (every six school weeks) you will be reading books outside of class from different genres, and doing a project or writing a report on each. There is an attached list of the many genres; you are free to choose from any of these genres, but you can only use each genre once.

Formatting:

All projects and reports must be turned in with a signed rubric stapled on top. The written portion of all projects/reports must be formatted using MLA guidelines. (The Purdue OWL’s online MLA Formatting Guide is a great resource for all things MLA.)

First page:

-In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, create a heading: list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Double spaced the text.

-Maintain double spacing and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks; write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.

-Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text. Example: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as a Morality Play.

- Double space between the title and the first line of the text.

General formatting:

-Include a header: your last name and the page number right justified in the header.

-Double-space and left justify the text of your paper.

-Use Times New Roman size 12.

- Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.

-Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. Use the Tab key as opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times.

Due Dates:

Please plan ahead so that you have time to read your book and carefully compose your report/project. Directions for each genre project will be given well in advance of the due date. In addition, a quick check will be completed around the halfway point to ensure that you are on track to completing your work on time.

|Genre Project |Due Date |

|#1 |October 14 |

|#2 |November 18 |

|#3 |January 20 |

|#4 |March 10 |

|#5 |April 28 |

|#6 |June 2 |

Why does the rubric have to be signed?

Your genre project will be completed primarily outside of class time. It is expected that your parent/guardian will see you reading and completing the reports. While I can assist you with book selection if needed/desired, your parent/guardian is the expert on whether the book you have chosen is at a suitable reading level and contains appropriate content for you. The signature on the report is simply your parent/guardian’s confirmation that you’ve shared your work with them and that they have approved your book choice. Reports/projects will NOT be accepted without a signature on the rubric. Reports found to have a forged signature on them will be returned without a grade and parents/guardians will be notified. Disciplinary action may also be taken.

Important Note About Academic Honesty:

Plagiarism is using another’s words/ideas as your own. It is unacceptable to plagiarize any part of your genre report. This includes using another student’s report, composing a report together with a classmate, using the synopsis on the cover, or using information found online (which is at some times appropriate when credit is given, but not on this project please). Slightly changing the words is still considered plagiarism; the ideas in the genre reports MUST be your own ORIGINAL work. Per class policy, any plagiarism automatically receives a zero and parents will be notified.

Genres of Literature

Adventure/Survival Fiction

Action-packed tales in which the characters come into conflict with nature or a dangerous enemy.

Animal Fiction

Stories that involve the relationship between a character and an animal or have animals as characters.

Award-Winning

Books honored for their distinguished writing by the American Library Association and other National associations.

Biography/Autobiography (Nonfiction)

Factual books about the life story of a real person—the author himself/herself if an autobiography.

Contemporary/Realistic Fiction

Stories that take place in the present or recent past and deal with life-like characters and their problems.

Fantasy Fiction

Stories that deal with magic, the non-existent, the unreal, and/or the incredible—such as animals that talk.

Graphic Novels

Stories told in graphic format (like comic books, but longer). Manga style are from Japanese Anime artists.

Historical Fiction

Stories that take you back in time, putting you in touch with actual events and people of the past.

Mystery/Spy Thriller/Detective Fiction

Suspense-filled stories that keep you guessing about what will happen next and often have surprise endings.

Science Fiction/Futuristic

Stories set in the future or other worlds and that often deal with the impact of science on society.

Folklore and Legends

Stories, fables, and legends that people told one another over the years and were later written down.

History (Nonfiction)

Factual books about a particular time and/or place in history.

Humorous Fiction

Funny books written to entertain and keep you laughing.

Informative/How To (General Nonfiction)

Informational books on a topic of interest: hobby, sport, health, technology, etc.

Mythology

Stories dealing with gods and heroes of a particular people and that often attempt to explain natural phenomena.

Poetry

Verse written to inspire thoughts and feelings in the reader, often using rhyme and meter.

Science (Nonfiction)

Factual books that explain, describe, and illustrate information about animals, health, plants, the universe, technology,

medicine, physics, etc.

Sports Fiction

Stories where the main character is an athlete and that often focus on the character-changing aspects of sports.

Story Collection

Collections of short stories, usually by one author or arranged around a common theme.

Suspense/Horror

Suspense-filled stories calculated to inspire feelings of dread or horror.

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