The Task

Independent Reading Text Mini Research Project

What are we going to be doing?

· We are going to create Power Point presentations that will let our classmates know all about the authors and subjects of our independent reading books. We’ll also show what some of the critics and other readers have thought of our books.

How will we be graded?

· On the content and presentation of the Power Point presentation.

· On the content and organization of our research notes.

· On how focused and on-task we are while working in the computer lab.

What are the requirements for the Power Point?

· At least five slides including the following:

o A title slide that gives the title and author of the book as well as your name, class, and period.

o Information on the author’s biography and other things (s)he has written.

o A short “blurb” that summarizes what the book is about as well as any background information on the topic of the book that might be interesting or useful.

o What made this book and/or author interesting and what sort of reader would you recommend it to?

o Reviews from critics as well as readers.

o A works cited slide listing your sources.

· Make it look awesome.

o Include images that relate to the author and subject of the book.

o Make sure that the presentation is easy to read for audience members.

o Be creative.

What are the requirements for the research notes?

· They should be clearly organized by source.

· There must be clear indication of what is a quotation from a source (copied and pasted) and what is your own summary or paraphrasing.

· You should have at least four sources.

What are the expectations for behavior?

· That you remain on-task while doing the research and completing your presentation.

· That you keep discussions focused on the work we are doing.

· That you do not disrupt or distract your classmates.

Some guiding questions for your research:

1. Who is the author?

2. What are some relevant details about the author’s life?

3. What sorts of things has this person written before?

4. What is this book about?

5. What information about this topic might interest a reader?

6. What has the critical response been to this book? If there hasn’t been much, why?

7. What have other readers said about this book?