1. “4 Corners”
Ideas, Connections, Extensions (I.C.E)
Your Non Fiction Novel, Biography and...
Your Life
Your World
Your Interests
Your Schooling
Non Fiction Novel or Biography
Daily:

2. Each day students must write in their reading log after reading for 15 (uninterrupted) minutes. They are
to focus in this post reading activities on identifying, analyzing and elaborating on any connections
they see existing between their book and the “4 corners” listed above.
Weekly:
Students will add to the “What I am Working On” wall each week, for 5 weeks, one of the tasks from
the “Non Fiction Self Directed Weeklies” document.
Culminating Task:
Research based oral presentation with an embedded media design component. Students will be given
instruction on the research process as it is expected of them in the post secondary system and then
asked to research a specific, related topic/issue from their novel. Required submissions include an i)
annotated bibliography ii) a formal research report iii) an original media product.
Evaluation – Weighting
Each Weekly should be weighted to reflect the amount of “process” required to complete them. For
each they must have read a portion of their text, reflected on their reading and worked in class and
outside class completing rough drafts or first copies in order to complete each task. They will have
to submit their rough work including assessment activities completed in pairs prior to posting their
polished or final copy of the assignment. For this reason I have assigned a 1% weighting to each
weekly assignment. This puts them in line with the “short memo” and “series of opinion
paragraphs” completed in the previous two units.

3. Non Fiction Self Directed “Weeklies”
1. In a series of paragraphs expressing an opinion format, state your opinion of the novel and
focus on quality of: characters, story, any graphics/pictures.
Possible Evaluation Criteria and Weighting: 50% Writing, 50% Reading
From Writing
“2.1 write for different purposes and audiences using a variety of informational, literary
and graphic forms”
“3.7 produce pieces of published work to meet criteria identified by the teacher, based on
the curriculum expectations (e.g., adequate development of information and ideas,
logical organization, appropriate use of form and style, appropriate use of
conventions)”
From Reading and Literature Studies
“1.6 analyse texts in terms of the information, ideas, issues, and themes they explore,
examining how various aspects of the texts contribute to the presentation or development
these elements (e.g., describe how tone and word choice support the argument in a

4. journal article on a current issue; explain the role of various characters in a short
story with respect to plot development and theme; analyse how the use of multiple
points of view in a novel contributes to the development of its themes)
2. Find a series of articles from a magazine(s) or newspaper(s) and explain the
connection(s) between them and your novel/biography. As well how these articles
extend your understanding of your novel/biography.
Possible Evaluation Criteria and Weighting: 50% Writing, 50% Reading
*The sections of the English Curriculum 2007 cited in the first of the “Weekly” assignments
can be used again in any combination for this assignment. Below are some further
suggestions.
From Writing
“1.2 generate, expand, explore, and focus ideas for is up to date and accurate?”
potential writing tasks, using a variety of strategies and print, electronic, and other resources,

5. as appropriate (e.g., use a graphic organizer to plan the questions they will address in
writing a report on an independent study project; conduct an Internet search for
information to use in writing the text for an oral presentation, and bookmark websites and
databases that seem useful;
From Reading and Literature Studies
“2.1 identify a variety of characteristics of informational, literary, and graphic text forms and
explain how they help communicate meaning (e.g., a standard organization and format are
used to communicate course information in college calendars; dialogue is used to reveal
character in short stories and novels; photographs, statistics, and pull quotes highlight
interesting details in magazine articles; several types of organizational patterns, including
question-and-answer and cause-and-effect, can be used effectively in a persuasive essay

6. 3. View and then review via a brief oral presentation which is more of an informal
“chat or short talk” a movie that connects to or extends your understanding of
your novel/biography.
Possible Evaluation Criteria and Weighting:
50% Media, 50% Oral Communication
From Media
“1.1 explain how media texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, are created to suit
particular purposes and audiences (e.g., in a movie drama for a teen audience, the central
characters are teenagers, to enable viewers to identify and sympathize with them; a college
website includes images of students from a variety of ethnocultural groups studying so that a
wide range of prospective students can imagine themselves at that college.”

7. “1.3 evaluate how effectively information, ideas, themes, issues, and opinions are communicated
in media texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, and decide whether the texts
achieve their intended purpose
From Oral Communication
“1.4 identify the important information and ideas in oral texts, including increasingly complex or
difficult texts, in a variety of ways (e.g., write an accurate summary of a video).”
“1.5 develop and explain interpretations of oral texts, including increasingly complex or difficult
texts, using evidence from the text and the oral and visual cues used in it to effectively support
their interpretations

8. 4. Create a graphic for your novel/biography. This can be a picture or a collage of
images that might be found on the dust jacket of this text. Alternatively a hand
drawn scene from the text or a portrait of a character. A written explanation of the
images and how they relate to your reading must accompanying the submission of
the graphic.
Possible Evaluation Criteria and Weighting: 25% Writing, 75% Media
From Writing
“2.1 write for different purposes and audiences using a variety of informational, literary and graphic
forms (e.g., single organized paragraphs on a current issue, an idea encountered in shared reading,
or a technical subject in preparation for a group discussion; contributions to a class anthology of
short narratives, information pieces)”

9. From Media
“1.2 interpret media texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, identifying and explaining
the overt and implied messages they convey (e.g., explain the messages conveyed by the images, text,
and symbols used in a movie poster; 2 explain what the use of rich colours and an image of people in
evening wear might suggest about the audience for a product in an advertisement)”
“3.4 produce media texts, including increasingly complex texts, for a variety of purposes and audiences,
using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques (e.g., a promotional ad about a college program
aimed at peers; a personal web page to support a résumé aimed at prospective employers)”

10. 5. You will create a “study guide” for students who will read your book in the future. This study
guide must include: internet links to related subject matter
and any alternate media sources (movies, TV shows, magazines etc.), and any other related
fiction or non fiction titles. Any and all references to these sources must be accompanied with a
brief annotation to their content and usefulness as it applies to the reading and study of this text.
Possible Evaluation Criteria and Weighting: 75% Writing, 25% Media
From Writing
“1.2 generate, expand, explore, and focus ideas for writing tasks, using a variety of
strategies and print, electronic, and other resources, as appropriate (e.g., use a graphic organizer to
plan the questions they will address in writing a report on an independent study project; conduct an
Internet search for information to use in writing the text for an oral presentation, and bookmark
websites and databases that seem useful; use a template to evaluate sources and information for
reliability, objectivity, and comprehensiveness; record all sources of information in a bibliography
or reference list, observing conventions for proper documentation and full acknowledgement of
sources and extracts, in recognition of the need to credit original authors and promote academic
honesty)”
“1.3 locate and select information to effectively support ideas for writing, using a variety of strategies
and print, electronic, and other resources, as appropriate (e.g., create a research plan and track their
progress; identify a range of sources that could provide appropriate information for their
assignment, such as books, journals, online databases, websites, audio and video)”
From Media

11. “1.2 interpret media texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, identifying and explaining
the overt and implied messages they convey (e.g., explain the messages conveyed by the images, text,
and symbols used in a movie poster; 2 explain what the use of rich colours and an image of people in
evening wear might suggest about the audience for a product in an advertisement)”