Independent Novel Study

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
Reading Level: 6
Topic(s): adventure, courage/survival, fantasy, science fiction

TeacherView by Katy Smith

The Review
Mrs. Frisby needs to move her family from their home in the corner of the Fitzgibbon farm, but her youngest son Timothy has pneumonia and cannot be moved. After talking to the doctor about the problem, she follows her advice and enlists the help of some unusual neighbors, the rats who have escaped from the National Institute of Mental Health. With their help, she and her family are able to escape the farming and the Fitzgibbon cat, and find a new home. In addition, she learns what happened to her husband and to the animals who were part of the experiments at NIMH.

Due: Title: The Rats of NIMH

You must complete activities in bold and underlined. Then choose

any 1 assignment from each of the three sections

and complete a finished piece of work.

Section One: Writing

1. Rewrite the novel for a primary class with simple language and illustrations

Interpret the Novel with Examples	explains own interpretation of a written work, supporting it with evidence from the work and from own knowledge and experience
plot, setting , characters	identifies the elements of a story and explains how they relate to each other
summarize the novel	summarizes and explains the main ideas in information materials(e.g., textbooks), and cites details that support the main ideas
story writing – dialogue	identifies different forms of writing and describes their characteristics
Organization of Ideas	organizes information to convey a central idea, using well-linked paragraphs
revising and editing	revises and edits own work in collaboration with others, seeking evaluating feedback, and focusing on content, organization, and appropriateness of vocabulary for audience
Proofreads	proofreads and corrects final drafts, focusing on grammar, punctuation, spelling, and conventions of style
adjectives	uses adjective and adverb phrases correctly and effectively
positives, comparatives & superlatives	uses the positive, comparative, and superlative forms of adjectives correctly (e.g., good/better/best)
verb tense	uses verb tenses consistently throughout a piece of writing

2. Create a comic strip of your favourite scene in the story. Give special attention to the details of the setting and the dialogue.

Organization of Ideas	organizes information to convey a central idea, using well-linked paragraphs
comic strip	produces pieces of writing using a variety of forms, techniques and resources appropriate to the form and purpose, and materials from other media
revises and edits	revises and edits own work in collaboration with others, seeking evaluating feedback, and focusing on content, organization, and appropriateness of vocabulary for audience
Proofreads	proofreads and corrects final drafts, focusing on grammar, punctuation, spelling, and conventions of style

3. Write a theme song for the movie version of the novel. Make sure the lyrics reflect the events and tone of the story.

Organization of Ideas	organizes information to convey a central idea, using well-linked paragraphs
lyrics	produces pieces of writing using a variety of forms, techniques and resources appropriate to the form and purpose, and materials from other media
revises and edits	revises and edits own work in collaboration with others, seeking evaluating feedback, and focusing on content, organization, and appropriateness of vocabulary for audience
Proofreads	proofreads and corrects final drafts, focusing on grammar, punctuation, spelling, and conventions of style

4. Keep a diary for one of the main characters. Make brief entries each time you read the book and date them. Try to reveal what the character may be feeling but that isn’t said directly in the novel.

journal entry	uses writing for various purposes and in a range of contexts, including schoolwork
reading daily	reads a variety of fiction and non-fiction materials for different purposes

Section Two: Reading

1. Draw a map of the area where the novel takes place. Include landmarks, buildings, and sites where important events took place.

setting	explains own interpretation of a written work, supporting it with evidence from the work and from own knowledge and experience
setting	identifies the elements of a story and explains how they relate to each other

2. Think of all the ways a specific character changed throughout the book (physically, emotionally and spiritually).

character	explains own interpretation of a written work, supporting it with evidence from the work and from own knowledge and experience
character	identifies the elements of a story and explains how they relate to each other
character	makes judgements and draws conclusions about ideas in written materials on the basis of evidence
character	identifies a writer's perspective or character's motivation

3. Draw a plot line for the story showing major events along with a short description of each event. Show minor events that add interest to the story as ‘shoot-offs’ from the main events (use this for your story outline)

plot	explains own interpretation of a written work, supporting it with evidence from the work and from own knowledge and experience
plot	identifies the elements of a story and explains how they relate to each other
plot	summarizes and explains the main ideas in information materials(e.g., textbooks), and cites details that support the main ideas

4. Create a life box is a container of carefully chosen items that represent a particular character in the novel. The box must contain six the eight things the character might use daily or have as a keepsake. A line from the novel must be cited to justify each item.

makes judgements and draws conclusions	makes judgements and draws conclusions about ideas in written materials on the basis of evidence
identify character's motivation	identifies a writer's perspective or character's motivation

5. Design a front and back cover for the novel. Include illustrations and publisher information as well as a ‘blurb’ to catch peoples imaginations.

Communication	communicates ideas and information for a variety of purposes (to inform, to persuade, to explain) and to specific audiences
integrates media materials	integrates media materials (e.g., computer graphics) into writing to enhance message
outlining the plot	makes predictions while reading a story or novel, using various clues

6. Imagine how the main character’s home would look. Make a model or a blueprint of the layout of his/her room or house.

setting	explains own interpretation of a written work, supporting it with evidence from the work and from own knowledge and experience
setting	identifies the elements of a story and explains how they relate to each other

Section Three: Oral Visual

1. Write a pitch to some movie executives who are thinking of making this novel into a movie. Explain why the characters, conflicts and story would make this book ideal for a movie. Suggest a location, director and actors for the movie.

communicates a main idea	communicates a main idea about a topic and describes a sequence of events
staying on topic	demonstrates the ability to concentrate by identifying main points and staying on topic
speaks correctly	speaks correctly, observing common grammatical rules such as subject-verb agreement, noun-pronoun agreement, and consistency of verb tense
figurative language - simile	recognizes and interprets figurative language (e.g., a simile) in the speech of others and uses it to add interest to remarks
tone of voice, eye contact	uses tone of voice and gestures to enhance the message and help convince or persuade listeners in conversations, discussions, or presentations

2. Create a talk show with the characters from the book using a script or audio or video tape.

communicates a main idea	communicates a main idea about a topic and describes a sequence of events
staying on topic	demonstrates the ability to concentrate by identifying main points and staying on topic
speaks correctly	speaks correctly, observing common grammatical rules such as subject-verb agreement, noun-pronoun agreement, and consistency of verb tense
figurative language – simile	recognizes and interprets figurative language (e.g., a simile) in the speech of others and uses it to add interest to remarks
tone of voice, eye contact	uses tone of voice and gestures to enhance the message and help convince or persuade listeners in conversations, discussions, or presentations

Section Four: Whole Class Activity

1. Have students debate the issue of using animals for experimental purposes. After the students research their arguments, hold a debate for the class.

obtain and clarify information	asks and answers questions to obtain and clarify information
communicates information	communicates a main idea about a topic and describes a sequence of events
Communication	expresses and responds to a range of ideas and opinions concisely, clearly, and appropriately
group work	contributes and works constructively in groups
staying on topic	demonstrates the ability to concentrate by identifying main points and staying on topic
speaks correctly	speaks correctly, observing common grammatical rules such as subject-verb agreement, noun-pronoun agreement, and consistency of verb tense
tone of voice, eye contact	uses tone of voice and gestures to enhance the message and help convince or persuade listeners in conversations, discussions, or presentations
follows up on other's ideas	follows up on other's ideas, and recognize the validity of different points of view in group discussions or problem-solving activities
questionable strategies presenters use	identifies questionable strategies presenters use to influence an audience