The document outlines an assignment for students to create a zine, or self-published magazine, as the final project for their literature circle group. Students will compile texts they wrote over the course of the literature circle discussions into an online portfolio, then select their best pieces to refine and include in the group zine. The zine must include a minimum of 10-15 multimedia texts and be hosted on an English language platform. Guidelines are provided on compiling, designing, and presenting the zine, which will be launched and shared with the class at the end of the term. Performance will be assessed based on submission quality, demonstration of novel understanding, source use, visual design, skills, originality, and more.

1. Zine Assignment
The final product of your Spring literature circle work

3. What is a ”zine”?
• ’Zine’ comes
from ’magazine’
• A self-published
special-interest
magazine
• Variety of
visual, audio
and written
texts

4. Zines and Literature circles
1. Lit circles meet 5-6 times in the term
2. Each week, each member writes a short text based on their lit circle
role. Upload to group portfolio on Dropbox.
3. By week 6: group portfolio of 25-30 texts.

5. Portfolio Zine
1. Look through your
group’s portfolio.
2. Which pieces were
you most interested
in writing?
3. Which represent
your best work?
4. Choose at least 2 to
refine, extend and
edit for your group’s
zine.

6. Zine Step One:
• Choose a site to host your group’s zine
• The site MUST be an English platform (no Swedish-English hybrid
zines, please!)
• Recommended:

7. Zine Step Two
• Select and compile texts for your site from your group’s
porfolio
• The site must contain a MINIMUM of 10-15 audio, visual and
written texts.
• This means each person must submit at least 2 texts
(individually) and make a contribution to a group text
(film/podcast) as well

8. Zine Step Three
• Some class time will be
given to work together
on your group zine (see
the class schedule)
• Zine launch parties are
scheduled for classes at
the end of term (see
schedule).
• At the zine launch, you
and your group will tour
us around your texts,
preview any film or
audio, and celebrate
your publication

9. Examples of Zine texts
• Audio texts (interviews, music, podcasts, spoken word)
• Image texts (your own artwork, other artwork, photographs
etc.) with good, detailed, explanatory captions and analysis.
• Video texts (film clips with explanations and analysis, your
OWN films, such as short documentaries, film reviews, a scene
from the novel you act out etc.)
• Written texts (poetry, interviews, reviews, critical analysis,
short essays, creative responses, journal entries, newspaper
reports)

10. Suggested Zine pieces
• poem composed of several of your best wordsmith words
• illustrated map of the novel’s setting.
• song you composed and recorded
• film of a scene from the novel you act out
• interview with one of the characters (filmed, recorded or
written)
• analysis of an event
• recipe from the novel (and why it’s important)
• crime scene investigation report

11. ”Carte Blanche” ”Tap on the shoulder”
• This means you have • This means you need to
full creative choice over show specific skill(s) in
any texts/films/audio your final zine hand-in.
you would like to
produce • I will assign you to write
• Your work this term has or produce more formal
been strong so far. You and extended
have been meeting the written/audio production
course goals effectively, in order to meet our
and I can assess course requirements.
whatever you produce
with confidence.

12. VRG Zine examples
To Kill a Mockingbird The Picture of Dorian
Gray
Example 1 Example 1
Example 2 Example 2

13. Zine Assessment
1. Submissions
How many pieces have you submitted to your group’s zine? Are
they varied enough? Do they represent a sufficient breadth of
skills (written and oral) and knowledge (of your novel, of the
English language)?
2. Content Knowledge: Novel
How well do you show that you know your novel? Do you
demonstrate your understanding of plot, setting, character and
theme?

14. Assessment continued
3. Content Knowledge: Working with sources
If your zine includes texts dealing with other sources addressing
issues in your novel, how do you quote from and critique your
sources?
4. Use of Visuals: Images and video texts
Were images carefully selected and placed for maximum
meaning and effect? Are they justified and explained with clear,
well organized texts?

15. Assessment continued
5. Research & Computer Skills
Research from reliable sources, and online zine-making resources
used (wiki, blog, glog or website).
6. Oral and Written skills Is the oral/written English presented in
your contributions clear, coherent, well- structured and accurate?
7. Originality and Creativity how have you used multiple
literacies to create visual/oral/written texts that connect on a
personal, creative and critical level with the novel?