In depth studies in literature bring the texts alive. In our classes, students pay close attention to their amazing novels, oen reading much more slowly than ever before. They learn to ask questions while reading, and notice much more than the basic storyline. When students find some area of interest in a novel, and want to know more, what might they do? Enter the Enrichment Projects!
At the end of each semester, our students finish reading their novels, oen 2-3 weeks prior to the end of the class. The remaining weeks allow the students time to explore an aspect of their novel in which they find interest. Topics related to history include:
The time period of the novel
The state in which the novel takes place
An interesting element not directly related to the story’s events
Various professions from the era
Famous persons, such as leaders or heroes
Clothing from the period
Tools used by the characters
Types of travel
Additionally, students may create a written composition that differs from the typical writing assignment completed during weekly assignments in class. These various types of writing include:
An extra chapter or two to the end of the story
An epilogue that revisits the characters further along in their lives
Their own short stories that relate to the novel in some way
A different ending of the story
Research on an assigned topic related to the novel
We have seen a variety of creative writing projects come to light over the years. In our classes, the written portion of this project explores just one element of creativity. Students also create a visual project to share, and they give an oral presentation to their classmates. These projects allow students to expand the subjects much farther than the text. We hope to see many new projects from this semester’s topic: Pioneering!