Novel Study Pathfinder Project

AP English--Mrs. Rohrbach

Librarian: Joyce Valenza

Part 1: Pathfinder

Task: Your task is to create a pathfinder, a guide for researchers, using your presentation novel.

Pathfinders have been used in libraries for many years to save researchers time. By creating this Web-based research tool, in addition to learning about the particular resources for the novel you are exploring, you are performing a service to your fellow Springfield students, perhaps even students worldwide. Creating a pathfinder will demonstrate your searching skills and your ability to discern quality information sources. (see "Template for Creating Pathfinders")

Resources: For this project it is critical that you locate quality! You may want to start your search in the library catalog to search for anthologies of criticism. Remember to use subscription databases like GALENet, WilsonWeb, and Scribners. See Mrs. Valenza for a password list so that you may use these resources from home.

You will definitely want to search our reference materials. A good index for the Gale series is GALE's Literary Index http://www.galenet.com/servlet/LitIndex.

The Literary Criticism Collection (Internet Public Library) http://www.ipl.org/ref/litcrit/ and Literary Criticism on the Web http://start.at/literarycriticism are good starting points for literature criticism on the free Web. See also our online Pathfinder for Literary Criticism litpath.html.

You should approach this project as serious research. Though our library has excellent print and online resources, a trip to a local college or large public library will likely extend and improve the scope of your materials.

• Access PA (Statewide Library Catolog) http://www.accesspa.state.pa.us/
• Atwood Library of Arcadia University http://quest.beaver.edu/
• Chestnut Hill College Logue Library http://webcat.chc.edu/uhtbin/cgisirsi/0/0/49
• MCLINC (Public Libraries in Montgomery County) http://spica.mclinc.org/polpac/html_client/

As you examine these resources look for the names that recur. These names are likely to be scholars who have considerable expertise on your author. They may be particularly worthy of selection for your pathfinder.

Pathfinder Template: You will complete your pathfinder according to a template based on the following categories/tasks:

(Click here for a printable template for taking notes.)

Title:

 

Introduction: Use this essential question as the basis for your discussion:

How has literary criticism informed my understanding of and appreciation for this novel?

In each category listed below, you will list the premier articles relating to that category, and you will annotate each entry. Follow MLA format precisely. See Annotated Works-Consulted/Cited format. Requirement: 3-5 listings per category. Your listings will come from web sites, primary sources, online journals, video resources, and print sources (chapters of books, essays).

Categories:

Overview:

Context:

Thematic implications:

Characterizations:

Structure:

Style:

Miscellaneous :

Reflection on process : Address the following in your reflection and feel free to add other relevant comments:

• How you found your selections--briefly note which indexes, catalogs, search tools you used. Which search strategies or terms worked best?
• Your criteria for "quality sources"
• Advice for future researchers
• Pitfalls

Part 2: Critical Reaction

Choose one article--one that caused you to react intellectually to its premise or method or claim--and write a critical reaction to it in which you present your views on the basis of your understanding that has resulted from your study of the novel. (Length: 1 page)

Further directions:

You will complete the Pathfinder as a group, but you will write a critical reaction individually. Each member of the group must write a reaction to a different article.

You will save your work to a group folder so that all members of the group have access and so that Mrs. Valenza and Mrs. Rohrbach also have access.

In addition to the Web page itself, you will submit a packet: Title page, Acknowledgements, Printout of Web page. Be sure that the Acknowledgements page details the contributions of each group member and of anyone else instrumental in the production of the work.

Note that all domains of writing assessment--focus, organization, content, style (Yes, including "to be" constructions!), conventions--are in force. See rubric attached for assessment of Novel Study Pathfinder.

Due Dates:

1. Supervised library time_________________________

2. Draft of Pathfinder (Categories only)_____________________

3. Final packet (complete)______________________

Assessment: For both parts of this project please consult the rubric.

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