Riverrun - Responding to the Novel

Written Response

Read the assigned section of the novel and prepare an initial response to it. As part of your initial response you must choose at least one quotation from the novel that you think represents something significant. You must also relate this section of the novel to some other historical or contemporary event or issue. Use the criteria in the scoring rubric to assess your written response and submit both your initial response and assessment to the teacher's drop box. Your response should be well thought-out, well-articulated, carefully edited, and roughly a page in length.

Reading Assignments

Seminar Discussion

• Print a copy of your initial response to use for rehearsing your presentation in preparation for your seminar.
• Rehearse your response so that you can deliver it smoothly and with confidence.
• Prepare 3-4 discussion questions related to this section of the novel that you would like to discuss in the seminar. Avoid questions that are trivial and attempt to generate ones that will provoke thought.
• Review the scoring rubric related to the seminar presentation so that you will be prepared. Bring notepaper and a pen to the seminar so that you can make notes in response to new understandings that emerge during the seminar.

Written Reconsideration

Use the notes that you made during the seminar to prepare a written reconsideration of that section of the novel. Be sure to refer to the scoring rubric to ensure that you have included some of the ideas presented by others in your seminar group as well as new insights of your own. Using the criteria in the scoring rubric to prepare a self-assessment of your reconsideration and submit both to the teachers' drop box.