OSCAR Awards

Topic: Making a Reading Web Site Using FrontPage
Course: ELA-Reading, Grade 8
Time Frame: 3-4 days (classroom) & 5-7 days (computer lab)

Introduction
Well-written stories have the power to entertain us, teach us and to even change history. So what makes a story powerful, and what makes characters and settings interesting and memorable? Discover the answers as you and your friends nominate authors and book characters to receive an Outstanding Setting, Character & Author Recognition (OSCAR) book Award. Each of your choices can come from different books you have read, or some may be from the same title.

Essential Questions

• What steps are required to build an informational web site?
• What makes written work outstanding?

Outstanding Character - Male
Who was the most outstanding male character in the literature that you've read? Your choice should be a main character in any work. Think carefully about how the character you choose is explained, described, and developed and what makes that character "outstanding." Explain your selection and support your choice, perhaps including comparisons to other candidates that you considered. Why does this character really stand out?

Outstanding Character - Female
Who was the most outstanding female character in the literature that you've read? Your choice should be a main character in any work. Think carefully about how the character you choose is explained, described, and developed and what makes that character "outstanding." Explain your selection and support your choice, perhaps including comparisons to other candidates that you considered. Why does this character really stand out?

Supporting Character - Male
Who was the most outstanding male supporting character in the literature that you've read? Your choice should be a supporting character in any work. Think carefully about how the character you choose is explained, described, and developed and what makes that character "outstanding." Be sure you have a clear understanding of the difference between a main character and a supporting character. Explain your selection and support your choice, perhaps including comparisons to other candidates that you considered. Why does this character really stand out?

Supporting Character - Female
Who was the most outstanding female supporting character in the literature that you've read? Your choice should be a supporting character in any work. Think carefully about how the character you choose is explained, described, and developed and what makes that character "outstanding." Be sure you have a clear understanding of the difference between a main character and a supporting character. Explain your selection and support your choice, perhaps including comparisons to other candidates that you considered. Why does this character really stand out?

Setting
What was the most outstanding setting in the literature that you've read? A work can include more than one setting. Think carefully about how the setting you choose is explained, described, an developed, and what makes this setting important to the work as a whole. An outstanding setting is more than a well-described place. Be sure you have a clear idea of what makes a setting "outstanding." Explain your selection and support your choice, perhaps including comparisons to other settings that you considered. Why does this setting really stand out?

Author of a Novel
What was the most outstanding novel that you've read? Think carefully about the novel you choose. You should account for all aspects such as character, setting, plot, structure, tone, point of view, and style. Be sure you have a clear idea of what makes a novel "outstanding." Explain your selection and support your choice, perhaps including comparisons to other novels that you considered. What did the author do to make this novel really stand out?

A sample Oscar project from Mr. Ferratier