ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RESOURCES

LANGUAGE ARTS :: SECONDARY RESOURCES :: RIGHT DIRECTION 2 :: BANNED BOOKS RESEARCH PROJECT

BANNED BOOKS RESEARCH PROJECT

Planning Points

Approximate Time Needed: 1-2 months
Correlation to English I SCS 1.02, 2.01, 2.03, 3.01,3.02, 3.03, 4.01, 4.03, 6.01, 6.02
Correlation to NC High School Exit Exam Competencies: C1, C2, C3, C5, C6, C7, C8, PI9, PI10, PI11, PI13, PS15, PS16, PS17

Lesson Objectives:

Students will choose a literary work that has been challenged in the United States. After reading the book, researching its literary elements, and completing reading response journals, the students will choose scenes or evidence from the text that they predict censoring groups have objected to. Next they will research why the book was challenged as well as research censorship and right to read issues. The students will then write an argumentative research paper defending their view of the banning of the literary work. The students should write the paper with the local school board as their audience.

Materials Needed:

List of challenged books (found on the American Library Association website http://www.ala.org/bbooks ), media center resources, and guidesheets (included)

Description:

  • Before beginning the project, the teacher should have taught about ethical research methods and formats.
  • Explain the assignment and review the guidesheet with the students.
    • The students will choose a challenged book to read. They will complete literary analysis and research on the book as well as write reader response journals. The students will also take notes on scenes and situations in the literary work that have caused it to be challenged. After reading their books, they will meet in literature circles to discuss their responses to the literature, reasons why the books might have been banned, how society and perceptions of the books may have changed since that time, etc.
    • The students will research why the book was banned as well as read sources that describe support for the literary merit of the book. The students should take notes using the traditional note card method. (If the teacher is going to allow students to interview people about the censoring of the book, then he or she should explain the proper method for doing so.) Throughout the reading, students can meet in groups to discuss their findings and to look for any patterns in the challenges or banning cases.
    • The students will then write an argumentative research paper using their sources to persuade their audience of their view. Again their intended audience is the local school board.
  • The teacher will check the students' work periodically with due dates and individual conferences to check on the progress of the students' work.

Assessment:

See rubric for the research paper. Informal assessments of students' progress through the guidesheet help students stay on track throughout the process.

Additional Notes:

  • Before assigning the banned book project to students, the teacher should be aware of the reasons for the challenges of various books. The teacher should also discuss the project's nature and SCS objectives with the school's administration before assigning it. The teacher may want to encourage the students to choose books that their parents will not object to.
  • This project is designed to last through several weeks, with some of that class time spent working on the project. Focused mini-lessons on topics such as evaluating sources for bias, incorporating direct and paraphrased quotations, using logical strategies and sophisticated techniques for support, etc. will help students through the steps of the project.
  • A suggested number of required research sources for the students to use are listed on the guidesheet. The teacher should adjust this number for his or her classroom situation.
  • The teacher may have students create displays based on their research papers for public perusal in the media center or the teacher may have the students create presentations for fellow classmates or other classes.

Teacher's Notes:

English Research Project:

Your task is to practice critical thinking while you read and research information concerning a challenged literary work. After analyzing the work and responding to its content, you will research the nature of the controversy surrounding the literary work and then write an argumentative research paper in which you persuade your local school board to agree with your perspective on the literary work's value.

Step One

  • Read a book from the Banned Book list.
  • Take literary analysis notes on the significance of the plot, characters, settings, symbols, etc. as well as complete 5 reader response journals.
  • You may conduct literary research to help you complete your literary analysis notes.
  • As you read, note what scenes and comments could cause the book to be banned. Take notes using the traditional note card method.

Step One must be completed by ____ Your literary analysis notes and your reading response journals are due that day. You will use these notes to meet in literature circles to discuss the following:

  • Basic premise of the storyline
  • Objectionable content
  • Value of the literary work

Step Two

  • Research why the book was banned, including if the book was banned for certain age groups. Make sure you read sources that support the banning of the book as well as those that support the book. Use a minimum of 3 books, magazines, or newspapers and a maximum of two Internet sources. Take notes using the traditional note card method.
  • Research censorship (what it means, how banning a book happens, etc.)
  • Take notes using the traditional note card method.
  • You may choose to interview people (teachers, parents, students, etc. about your book.)

    DO NOT SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR RESEARCH.

  • Call and politely ask to interview the person.
  • Prepare interview questions using your research as your guide.
  • Interview your community member and take notes again using the traditional note card method.
  • Politely thank the person for the interview.
  • Write a thank you note to the person for the interview. You must offer proof of these steps.

Step Two must be completed by ____You will have a note card conference with me on this date to check the progress of your research. On ____ you will meet in literature circles to discuss the following:

  • Cases in which literature was challenged or banned
  • Authors' responses to challenges or banning
  • Patterns found by discussing cases - types of objectionable content, geographical areas where challenges took place, etc.

 

Step Three

  • Write your research paper with your local school board as your audience.
  • Using the scenes you've identified, argue if you believe the literary work should be banned or not. Your thesis should address your perspective of the age appropriateness of the work. Your paper should also address why the groups who have challenged the book are wrong or are right.
 Step Three -Your thesis statement and outline are due on ____ and the rough draft of your paper is due on ____.

Step Four

  • Turn in your research packet.
 Step Four -Your research packet (Data Sheets, Reading Response Journal note cards, rough draft, outline, final copy) is due ____

 

 Thesis driven argumentPersuasive evidenceResearch and use of sourcesPara-phrasing and quotationsUse of research formats and methodsGrammar and Mechanics
4 Uses thesis and paper's organization to effectively argue the student's perspective of the censoring of the literary work as related to intellectual freedom, right to read, and the appropriate age and developmental level Thoroughly and thoughtfully discusses specific examples from the literary work throughout the paper as related to arguing about the literary work's censorship issue Has carefully selected information from the note cards, Data Sheets, and Reader Response journal to argue personal view of the banning of the book; Equitable use of the six sources Displays personal writing persona while skillfully and appropriating using paraphrases and quotations Has used the correct format for the cover page, the outline, the header, the quotations, the internal documentation, and Works Cited page Contains two or fewer grammar and/or mechanical errors
3 Uses thesis and paper's organization to argue the student's perspective of the censoring of the literary work as related to intellectual freedom, right to read, and the appropriate age and developmental level One to two paragraph describe instead of argue. Offers brief explanation of some specific examples from the literary work throughout the paper as related to the literary work's censorship issue Uses information from the note cards, Data Sheets, and Reader Response journal to argue personal view of the banning of the book; equitable use of the six sources Skillfully uses paraphrases and quotations to argue perspective Has one or more of the following minor problems - wrong info or spacing problems on the cover page and/or in the headers;

Spacing, indention or title problems with outline; commas separate the author's name and the source's page the internal documentation

 Contains three to four grammar and/or mechanical errors
2 Uses thesis to argue the student's perspective of the censoring of the literary work as related to intellectual freedom, right to read, and the appropriate age and developmental level. The paper is equally heavy with description. There may be poor organizational choices. List specific examples from the literary work throughout the paper as related to the book's censorship issue Uses information from the note cards, Data Sheets, and Reader Response journal to argue and describe student's personal view of the banning of the book;

The paper may rely on two sources more heavily than the other four

 Heavily relies on paraphrases to argue perspective Has inappropriately used internal documentation format in one or two instances OR has one or two inappropriate formats for the citations on the Works Cited page Contains five to six grammar and/or mechanical errors
1 Uses thesis to describe the student's perspective of the censoring of the literary work as related to intellectual freedom, right to read, and the appropriate age and developmental level. One to two paragraphs argue. Serious organization choices are present in the paper. Sparsely offers specific examples from the literary work as related to censorship issue in an attempt to argue Uses information from the note cards, Data Sheets, and Reader Response journal to describe personal view of the banning of the book in an attempt to argue but the paper relies on one source for the majority of its content; further research would have strengthened the paper Heavily relies on quotations to argue perspective Has not used internal documentation format in one or two instances AND has one or two inappropriate formats for the citations on the Works Cited page Contains seven to eight grammar and/or mechanical errors
0 Uses thesis to describe censorship issues as related to the literary work. Offers no specific examples from the literary work Uses information in the paper that is not found in the note cards, on the Data Sheets, or in the Reader Response Journal

Uses less than the required six sources

 Misuses or overuses quotations and paraphrases. Has not used internal documentation OR sources used in the paper are not included on the Works Cited page Contains nine or more mechanical errors

<< Back | Table of Contents | Next >>