Module II

1. Work as part of a team to compose arguments for and against banning or challenging a selected text with a controversial history.
2. Read and analyze examples of banned or challenged literature dealing with issues of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion, and political perspective.
3. Explain the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as it relates to literature and other printed materials.
4. Identify and explain factors that motivate people and organizations to challenge and/or ban your chosen book(s).

• novel to read as a group for the project
• author with several texts, and each member of the group reads a different text
• theme and each member of the group reads a novel that fits in the theme
  

• Week 6: What your plan of actions will be and why you choose book, author or theme.
  
• Week 7: Reflect on the major themes of your text and analysis of text. Use the Literary Terms handout is you need help with analysis.
  
• Week 8: Reflect on the major themes of your text and analysis of text. Use the Literary Terms handout is you need help with analysis.
• Week 9: Identify and explain factors that motivate people and organizations to challenge and/or ban your books
• Week 10: Explain your role in the group project: what are you responsible for doing and how did you do it.
  

• 10 Questions - Students produce an interview of a character using a 10-question format. Format: podcast
  
• Convert a book to a radio drama. Give a live or taped version about the story - or a scene from it - as a radio play. Include an announcer and sound effects. Format: Podcast
  
• Do a dramatic reading (Reader's Theater) of a scene. Select the scene and ask friends to help read it dramatically. Format: Video
  
• Convert a book into a puppet show. Make simple puppets (stick puppets, finger puppets, paper bag puppets, and so on) or complex puppets (marionettes) and present the story or an exciting scene from it. Format: Video
  
• Prepare a television commercial about a book. Imagine a book is the basis for a miniseries on television. Prepare and give the television commercials that would make people want to watch it. Format: Video
  
• Conduct a small group discussion: Several students who have read a particular book should get together and discuss it. Format: Podcast
  
• Portray a book character. Ask another reader of the same book to role play a different character. The two characters can meet to talk about themselves and what has happened to them. This is especially appropriate if they have something in common: similar adventures, similar jobs, and so on. Format: Video
  
• Make a talking display of a book. Tape a dialogue or description about an event, scene, or character. Format: podcast
  
• Convert the events of a story into a ballad or song. Write the lyrics and music or adapt words to a melody by someone else.  Format: podcast
  
• Novel Court. Hold a "mock trial" to permit one of the characters to defend what he has done in some controversial scene in the book. Let members of the class deliberate as the jury and arrive at a verdict. Format: Video
  
• Design the front page of a newspaper. Write a short news story describing the major event in your book. Include an attention grabbing headline and teasers for the rest of the paper. Format: Print
  
• Write an editorial on some controversial issue raised by the book.
  
• Design a time line for the events in the story.
  
• Create an eye-catching poster. Choose a scene from the book and cast it in a poster which would attract potential readers or buyers to the book.

• Blogs & Wikis
• • WetPaint
  • PBWiki
  • WordPress
  • Blogger
    
• Slidecast/PowerPoint Presentation (self running)
• • SlideShare
  • GoogleDocs
  • 13 Online Presentation Apps
    
• Social Network (Ning, Facebook)
• • Ning
  • Facebook
• Podcasting (audio)
• • Audacity: Free Audio Editor and Recorder
  • Record by phone with Gabcast.com
• Video

Projects:

http://themegroup.wetpaint.com/

http://thechocolatewar.wetpaint.com/

http://bravenewwiki.wetpaint.com/