The Hound of the Baskervilles

Alternate Project
The Hound of the Baskervilles Assignment Explanation:
Logs:
By the end of the Of Mice and Men unit, you are to complete six log sheets for The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle. Compile these into a log booklet. On the next page you will find a list of these logs.
Dialectical Journals:
Following the six log entries, you are to complete a dialectical journal for each chapter of the book for a total of 15 journals.
Instructions for how to complete these journals are given after the list of possible log entries.
The Hound of the Baskervilles Logs Format:
Write about 300 words or more for every entry.
Write in blue or black ink or type your entry. Please do NOT use pencil when writing log entries. Pencil may be used for artwork.
Typed logs must be double-spaced and 12 point font.
Make sure you follow all directions for each log entry.

Log Booklets:
At the end of the quarter (or any time prior to that), you will need to turn in a booklet that contains the six completed logs. Each booklet
is to have these components:

Cover

Table of Contents page

6 log pages

Follow this format for your cover:

Print the title of the novel and the authors first and last name.
Design the cover to reflect the themes, characters, or plot of the book.
DO NOT use the book's own cover as part of your design.
Designs can be hand-drawn or computer generated.
Use color (unless you prefer not) and make the cover/title page neat.
Near the bottom of the page, the following needs to be incorporated as part of the design:
Your name (first and last name)
English I
Class period

Follow this format for your table of contents page:

Title of the Book (centered)
The authors name (centered)

Table of Contents:
(below are examples of log choices: what you choose is up to you)
Summary
Advice Column
Alternative Ending
Retelling a Scene
Alternative Ending
Meaningful Quotations

Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7

List of Log Choices & Explanations:

Summary
Write a summary of what you read. Include basic literary information, such as setting(s), character(s), plot (conflict & resolution), point
of view, theme(s), and anything else that would be beneficial to the reader in better understanding what has happened.

Character Reaction
I really like/dislike____________________ (a character in the book you are reading) because . . .
Give several reasons supported with specific examples from the novel of what the character does or says.

Putting Yourself in a Characters Shoes

If I were ________________________ (character) at this point, I would . . . Give specific actions you would take and provide sound
reasoning for those actions.

Retelling a Scene
Pick a scene and retell the events from a different characters perspective . . . Identify the scene, the character and how the scene is
different in your retelling. Imagine you have entered the mind of that other character. You can write the scene as if you are that character
recounting the events. You may want to use dialogue.

Character Comparison
Compare/Contrast one of the characters with someone you really know. Use specific examples about appearance, actions, personality,
likes/dislikes, vocabulary, etc. Support your examples with citations from your novel (page number).

Advice Column
Describe one of the problems faced by a character and write advice for him/her. You may choose to be serious or humorous. Use the
letter format common to newspaper advice columns, where the person with the problem writes for advice and the adviser writes back.

Alternative Ending
Write an alternative ending for one of the books you read. Try to maintain consistency with the author's style. You must actually write
the ending and not simply describe it.

Searching for Similes and Metaphors

Find and write down 5 similes and 5 metaphors from your book. Label each as a simile or a metaphor (give the page number). Choose
two or three and explain why you chose them.

Character Sketch
Write a character sketch describing your favorite character. Tell what the character is like outside (age, gender, hair, etc.) and inside
(personality). You may also draw a picture of this character if you wish.

Revising Tone
Choose a passage from the book you are reading and rewrite it, changing words to change the tone. Identify the original tone and then
select what type of tone you wish to use. For example, you could sound angry, sympathetic, satirical, etc. (Please identify which book the
passage is from and the page number.)

Transporting a Character
Lift a character out of the book you are reading and drop him or her down in our school. Is the character a student, teacher, custodian,
secretary, nurse, principal, cafeteria employee, etc.? Dont change the characters personalityjust show what might happen if he or she
became one of us.

Analyzing Word Choices

Select several passages from the novel and list the verbs, adjectives, and nouns. Examine these lists. Do patterns emerge? What
observations can you make? (Please identify which book they are from and the page number.)

Casting the Movie Version

You are the director in charge of filming the novel. How will you cast it? Name specific actors for the roles. How will you handle the
camera? What do you have in mind for setting and sound? How will you use color? Why?

Switching Settings
Describe what would happen if you change the setting of the novel you are reading. Be specific. Remember, setting is both time and
place. Would characters change? Would the plot have to change? Explain!

Making a Soundtrack
Just about every movie these days has a soundtrack that is marketed along with the movie. The songs on the soundtrack use music and
rhythm to set the scene and sometimes tell about characters from the movie. In fact, if you have ever listened to a book-on-tape, they are
sometimes produced with background music to set the mood of a scene or to build suspense. List at least 10 songs and write the song
title, artists and explain (with at least one paragraph per song) what the song is about and why you chose to include it.

Mapping the Setting

On a separate piece of paper, draw a map of the setting in your book. Label all the important places. Make a key explaining the
symbols. Explain your map below. This option cannot be selected if your book already has such a map.

Travel Brochure

Design a travel brochure for the book you read. Include a heading/title, pictures, a map, vivid descriptions, a list of things to do,
interesting facts that relate to your novel, and historical information relating to your book.

Gift Giving
Think of what five (or more) gifts would be perfect to give to the main character. They can be tangible or intangible, but should be things
that he/she would really want or use. Explain why you chose each.

If Walls Could Talk . . .

Create a conversation between the main character and some intangible thing (like goodness, justice, love, greed, etc.) or a nonliving thing
(like a stone, a tree, a chair, a cabinet, etc.) or his/her conscience. Your conversation must be punctuated correctly for dialogue. What
each person says is shown in quotation marks. When a new person begins speaking, you create a new paragraph.

Trial Summary
Pretend you are putting one of the characters from your book on trial. The character may not have committed any real crime, but can
be on trial for being irresponsible, being selfish, being inconsiderate, etc. Be sure to include the following: Name of the accused, crime,
evidence, suggested punishment. Summarize the trial below.

Illustrator
Make six or more cartoons or drawings that show the major events in the story. Below each write a brief explanation of each scene.

Poetry Time
Decide on what the theme of your book is and then write a song or poem to communicate the novels theme, including your personal
thoughts on the topic. Your song or poem must have a title that fits the main idea.

Letter to the Author

Write a letter to the author posing questions about the book. Include at least ten questions. Be sure to start your letter with a greeting
and some information about yourself and your reaction to the book. Follow correct business letter format.

Who Should Read This Book?

Write at least 2 paragraphs on this topic: Why ___________ should (or should not) read this book. Give good reasons! Choose a
specific person you know for this log.

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Dialectical Journals
Assignment Objectives:
Bring your own background and experience to the reading.
Construct your own meaning from the text of the novel.
Provide direct feedback to yourself and your teacher on your thoughts and understanding as you read.
Gain insight into the plot, action, and significant events and details in the novel.
Procedure

Journals will be evaluated based on the quality of the response; this includes depth of thought and/or completeness of idea.
Select at least 15 passages (10 points each).
You must have at least one journal entry for each of the 15 chapters.
Select passages you WANT to write about.
Write a detailed response.
Read, think, and write as much as you can.
Always be sincere in what you are writing or thinking, this doesnt mean that you cannot use humor as long as it is sincere (and
classroom appropriate).
At the end of your journal write a summary piece (approx. 350 words) that answers one of the following questions (50 pts):
o Why is Sherlock Holmes such an enduring character?
o What is the purpose of the character Dr. Watson?
o What does the hound represent?
o Is Sherlock a hero? Why/why not. (What about Dr. Watson?)
o In what ways do Watson and Sherlock form a type of family unit?

If you get stuck, use the following list to help you get started.

WRITE ABOUT: what you like, what you dislike, what seems confusing, what seems unusual, what you think something means, what
personal connections you make, what predictions you can pose. Possible sentence lead-ins might begin like:

I really dont understand this because

I really like/dislike this idea because. . .
This idea/event seems to be important because. . .
I think the author is trying to say that . . .
This passage reminds me of a time in my life when . . .
If I were (name of character), at this point I would . . .
This part doesn't make sense because . . .
This character reminds me of (name of person) because . . .

Dialectical Journal:
You have probably completed one of these whether or not you know it. Dialectic refers to the dialectic method of reasoning used by
Socrates. It is a way of interacting with our surroundings to create deeper meaning and greater understanding. The connections you make
to the books you read will be uniquely yours. A dialectical journal is a method of keeping track of these unique connections. These
journals are essentially double entry journals where you keep track of quotes from the text and your reactions to them. For example:
Quote
and Miss Caroline had learned several things
herself. She had learned not to hand something to a
Cunningham, for one thing To Kill a

Mockingbird

Page #
33

Thoughts
This quote made me realize how we all continue to learn no matter who we
are, or what position we hold in our community. Miss Caroline may have
been Scouts teacher, but teachers dont know everything, and they are
subject to the same misconceptions as their neighbors. Scout, as small as she
is, knows things that even grown-ups dont. Or maybe the grown-ups know
them, but dont acknowledge them.