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Summer reading for 8th grade Pre-AP– Insurgent by Veronica Roth
This book is the second in a series. Many of you have already read Divergent.
Insurgent is 525 pages, but is so interesting that it doesn’t seem that long. If you
start at the beginning of the summer, you will be finished in no time. It is available at
libraries and at any bookstore. Here is your focus for the novel.
Imagine you are a book critic for Mountain Valley. They want to add some new
books to the ELA reading list and would like you to read and analyze Insurgent by
Veronica Roth. Do you think 8th grade students would find this novel interesting?
Below are some literary terms we will introduce or review during your 8th grade
year. As you read Insurgent, please analyze the story for the following elements.
Write a one-page essay that includes the page numbers and the passages that
could be used to teach/review these elements and be ready to discuss the use
in class. The essay is due the first day of class.
Characterization - Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals
the personality of a character. The basic techniques include physical description,
speech and actions, thoughts and feelings, and others reactions to the character.
Examine the main characters and decide what type of character they are
from this list.
Archetype
The archetypal hero appears in all religions, mythologies, and epics of the world.
He is an expression of our personal and collective unconscious, as theorized by Carl
Jung and Joseph Campbell. All archetypal heroes share certain characteristics. For
example, the hero as warrior in Star Wars, the hero as a sacrificial lamb in the
person of Jesus, the hero as lover in Prince Charming.
Character Foil
This is secondary character that contrasts with the protagonist in order to highlight
aspects of the main character’s personality. Foils may be sidekicks (e.g., Han Solo to
Luke Skywalker) or enemies (e.g., The Joker to Batman).
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is the main character in a story, novel, drama, or other literary
work, the character that the reader or audience empathizes with. The antagonist
opposes the protagonist. In the most archetypical narratives, this boils down to bad
guy vs. good guy: Luke Skywalker versus Darth Vadar in the first Star Wars movie,
for instance.
Flat, Round, Static, Dynamic Characters
When the author chooses to focus on one trait of a character, that character is
referred as a flat character. On the other hand, a character that appears complex
with a complete personality is said to be a round character. Characters that don’t
change much over the course of the story are considered static. There may be
things that happen to them but they don’t seem to change. Characters that change
because of a situation are said to be dynamic.
Plot - The basic sequence of events in a story. In conventional stories, plot has
three essential parts: rising action, climax, and falling action. A plot, typically,
moves chronologically and has a causal chain of events. Study the types of plot here
and determine which type of plot you see in the novel.
Action Plots and Character Plots
The action plot--often Adventure, Science Fiction, and Mystery--focuses on what
happens next. Characters such as James Bond, Luke Skywalker, or Indiana Jones are
involved in action plots.
The character plot--focuses on human nature and relationships. The characters are
searching for meaning in their lives. An example would be Percy Jackson.
The plot includes conflict, climax, and falling action. Identify these parts in the novel,
according to the definitions.
Conflict
In literature, conflict is the opposition of persons or forces that brings about
dramatic action central to the plot of a story; conflict may be internal, as a
psychological conflict within a character, or external (e.g., man versus man, man
versus nature, or man versus society).
Climax
Climax is the point of greatest tension in a work of literature and the turning point
in the action. In a plot line, the climax occurs after the rising action and before the
falling action.
Resolution
The point in a literary work at which the story’s problem is worked out.
Project – Choose one of the following to be turned in the first day of
school along with your one page essay.
1.
2.
Create a depiction of one of the characters as you imagine they would look
like. You can use your artistic talents, cut and paste from magazines, or create
your image on the computer.
At the Choosing ceremony, each of the factions has a symbol: Dauntless is
fire; Amity is earth; Erudite is water; and Abnegation is stones. Choose
which faction you would belong to and create an artistic representation of
it.
3. Insurgent takes place in a futuristic version of Chicago. Though different, many
parts of it are familiar. Create a college of images that represent
Insurgent‘s version of Chicago using photos, magazine clippings, original
art, etc. Include all factions.
4. Create a timeline for one of the character. Follow their changes from the
beginning of the story to the end.
If you have any questions, please email me. L.breitenkamp@comalisd.org
Summer reading for “regular” 8th grade ELA – Scorch Trials by James
Dashner
This book is the second in a series. Many of you have already read Maze Runner. If you
start at the beginning of the summer, you will be finished in no time. It is available at
libraries and at any bookstore. Here is your focus for the novel.
You are a book critic for Mountain Valley and they want to include new books for ELA.
Your job is to read and analyze Scorch Trials by James Dashner to determine if 8th grade
students would find this novel interesting.
Below are some literary terms we will introduce or review during your 8th grade year. As
you read Scorch Trials, please analyze the story for the following elements. I have
included a graphic organizer to help you describe the main characters. Write a one-
page essay including the pages and the passages that could be used to
teach/review these elements. This will be turned in the first day of school.
Characterization - Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the
personality of a character. The basic techniques include physical description, speech and
actions, thoughts and feelings, and others reactions to the character.
Examine the main characters and decide what type of character they are from
this list.
Archetype
The archetypal hero appears in all religions, mythologies, and epics of the world. He is
an expression of our personal and collective unconscious, as theorized by Carl Jung and
Joseph Campbell. All archetypal heroes share certain characteristics. For example, the
hero as warrior in Star Wars, the hero as a sacrificial lamb in the person of Jesus, the
hero as lover in Prince Charming.
Character Foil
A secondary character who contrasts with the protagonist in order to highlight aspects
of the main character’s personality. Foils may be sidekicks (e.g., Han Solo to Luke
Skywalker) or enemies (e.g., The Joker to Batman).
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is the main character in a story, novel, drama, or other literary work,
the character that the reader or audience empathizes with. The antagonist opposes
the protagonist. In the most archetypical narratives, this boils down to bad guy vs. good
guy: Luke Skywalker versus Darth Vadar in the first Star Wars movie, for instance.
Flat, Round, Static, Dynamic Characters
When the author chooses to focus on one trait of a character, that character is referred
as a flat character. On the other hand, a character that appears complex with a
complete personality is said to be a round character. Characters that don’t change
much over the course of the story are considered static. There may be things that
happen to them but they don’t seem to change. Characters that change because of a
situation are said to be dynamic.
Plot - The basic sequence of events in a story. In conventional stories, plot has three
essential parts: rising action, climax, and falling action. A plot, typically, moves
chronologically and has a causal chain of events. Study the types of plot here and
determine which type of plot you see in the novel.
Action Plots and Character Plots
The action plot--often Adventure, Science Fiction, and Mystery--focuses on what
happens next. Characters such as James Bond, Luke Skywalker, or Indiana Jones are
involved in action plots.
The character plot--focuses on human nature and relationships. The characters are
searching for meaning in their lives. An example would be Percy Jackson.
The plot includes conflict, climax, and falling action. Identify these parts in the novel,
according to the definitions.
Conflict
In literature, conflict is the opposition of persons or forces that brings about dramatic
action central to the plot of a story; conflict may be internal, as a psychological conflict
within a character, or external (e.g., man versus man, man versus nature, or man versus
society).
Climax
Climax is the point of greatest tension in a work of literature and the turning point in the
action. In a plot line, the climax occurs after the rising action and before the falling
action.
Resolution
The point in a literary work at which the story’s problem is worked out.
Project:
Create a depiction of one of the characters as you imagine they would look. You can use
your artistic talents, cut and paste from magazines, or create your image on the
computer.
Create a timeline for the events of the novel from the beginning of the story to the end.
These are due the first day of school along with the one page essay.
EXTRA CREDIT
Create a college of images that represent the setting for Scorch Trials using photos,
magazine clippings, original art, etc.
Recap what is due the first day of school:
1. One-page essay including the pages and the passages that could be used to
teach/review these elements.
2. A depiction of one of the characters as you imagine they would look
3. A timeline for the events of the novel from the beginning of the story to the end
If you have any questions, please email me. L.breitenkamp@comalisd.org
Name _______________________________
By James Dashner
Character
Who They
Are
Appearance/Personality
Traits
Significance
in Novel