INVESTIGATE AN AUTHOR

Criteria

Authors

Resources

INVESTIGATE AN AUTHOR!

Introduction: Our literature book includes stories by several world-famous authors. In this project, you will choose one author from our book and learn more about that author by doing library research. You will also read at least one short story or poem by that author. You will present your research and lead the class as they read along.

Purpose: You will learn more about an author that is famous, read a well-written short story or poem by that author, and learn why the selection is considered well-written. You will learn more about the research process. You will learn how to do a short bibliography. You will gain practice in presenting orally. (All of these goals are included in state standards and tested during ISTEP testing.)

Requirements: This is an individual, not a partner or group, project. As part of conducting research you choose one author and use note cards to find answers to the following questions. IMPORTANT: Each time you look at a book, magazine, or website, write down the name of that site on a card so you will have a list of resources that you have checked.

(1.) ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS! Organize your note cards according to questions. (Don’t forget to write down each source you check on a separate note card.) (Up to 200 points)

1. What is the birth date (and death date) or the author? What is the birthplace?

2. Where did the author grow up? Where does the author now live? (Or where has the author spent most of his/her life?)

3. What “genre” or type of short stories and writing does the author crea

4. Tell a little about the author’s childhood.

5. Tell a little about the author’s adult life.

6. Were there any important “life events” that influenced the author greatly in his overall attitude or writing?

7. What was the title of the first writing that the author published? What else has he/she written?

8. Why do you think the writer is considered famous or superior? Are the stories especially suspenseful, powerful, humorous, or unique? Why do you think this story was chosen for an eighth grade literature book?

9. Is there anything else that is important to know about the author? You will receive a grade that counts double based on the quality of your completed note cards.

(2.) Complete a power point presentation or presentation board about your author. You will receive up to 150 points on this. You must include a slide with a list of your sources or you will receive 0 points and fail the project!

(3). Read carefully the story or poem that was written by the author that you researched. Construct a ten-question quiz about the story. Also, complete a story outline or map so that you can clearly explain the story to the teacher or to the class. You will receive a grade on both the quiz and the story map. (Up to 200 points)

CRITERIA:

1. Included a list of resources (bibliography).

2. Completed each part according to directions.

3. Took care to make project neat, legible, and attractive.

4. Conducted work in library, hall, and classroom seriously and quietly.

5. Showed extra effort or creativity.

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AUTHORS:

Maya Angelou	O. Henry	Marie G. Lee	Naomi Shihab Nye	Carl Sandburg
Sandra Cisneros	James Herriot	Abraham Lincoln	Gary Paulsen	Gary Soto
Arthur C. Clark	Karen Hesse	Patricia Preciado Martin	Ann Petry	Yoshiko Uchida
Anne Frank	Langston Hughes	Patricia McKissack	Edgar Allen Poe	Alma Luz Villanueva
Virginia Hamilton	Stephen King	Walter Dean Myers	Marjorie Rawlings	Kurt Vonnegut