All Quiet on the Western Front

 

Erich Maria Remarque

 

Staple and place your project in a folder before you turn in.  See the Extra Credit section for an alternative way to submit your project.  Novel project is due to Connie or Michele on or before Monday, November 14.

 

IF WE ARE IN THE SECOND SEMESTER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, YOUR PROJECT IS DUE WHEN YOU REACH 50% IN YOUR LANGUAGE ARTS CLASS.

 

This novel is available in the bookroom for checkout. It is also available on Google Books.  Go to http://www.google.com/ >More>Books>Type in All Quiet on the Western Front>and select a “full view” option.  During this activity you will be using several websites such as sparknotes.com and cliffnotes.com as supplemental resources.  Limit your use to the requested activities.  Avoid reading the Plot Overview until you have finished reading.  Read the novel as it is meant to be read with the plot unfolding and characters developing page by page. I promise that the wait will be worth it.

 

1.  Read the brief information on the sparknotes website http://www.sparknotes.com  about Remarque’s life and literary work.  There is also another excellent website: http://www.sdcoe.net/score/all/alltg.html which also includes biographic information for Erich Maria Remarque as well as newspaper clippings, photographs, and personal accounts of life in the trenches during World War I.   What information did you learn that will help you better understand this novel and the author’s purpose?

 

2.  After you have finished reading the novel, go back and read the overview in sparknotes.  How well did sparknotes summarize the plot?  Were you glad you did not read this section before you read the book? Explain why or why not.

 

3.  How does Remarque treat his female characters?  Do you notice a difference in how they are presented?  Do you think this is intentional?   Explain why or why not.

 

4.  CliffsNotes, a respected website for assistance in understanding literary works, has a character map which shows the relationships of the characters and gives brief information about each. Check out the graphic organizer and develop your own as you read.  You may draw the organizer or use computer software such as Inspiration.

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/All-Quiet-on-the-Western-Front.id-6,pageNum-12.html

 

5.  As the story unfolds, how does the main character, Paul, change? Would you consider him a hero?  Give at least four examples from the text.

 

6.  Contrast a World War I German soldier’s environment with a current American soldier’s environment. Include clothing, weapons, housing, etc.

 

7.  Have you experienced a situation where you have returned to what was once a comfortable setting and felt out-of-place?  Using your past experience, explain why it was “uncomfortable” for Paul when he returned home?  

 

8.  The ending has been called both powerful and insignificant. Explain why you think this is so.  Include how you reacted to the ending.

 

9.  Choose ONE of the following essays.  Be sure to follow the five-paragraph essay format.

 

A. Write an essay on the value of reading historical novels along with studying the facts of history.

 

B.  Write an essay on how novelists such as Remarque use their books to present a social commentary.  What was Remarque’s goal?  Was he successful? 

 

C.  Have you read another war novel or watched a war movie such as Pearl Harbor?  Write an essay on how the subject of war was handled compared to All Quiet on the Western Front.

 

D. Important quotations are explained at this link.  http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/allquiet/quotes.html

Select one and develop an essay based on your impression.  Give examples from the book and your own life to support your opinions.

 

 

10.  Select ONE of the following projects.

 

Create a poster, collage, or a drawing illustrating the personal and/or emotional effects of war rather than illustrating fighting and weaponry. Project can be computer generated.  Try a new software program in Smart Lab.

 

OR

 

Create a book cover using one of the recurring symbols in the novel  ie:  boots, friendship, etc.

 

OR

 

Create a PowerPoint or other interactive presentation of World War I.

 

 

 

 

*A very important part of using internet sources for research is documenting resources correctly.  Go to the link below and use the correct annotation to add to your information.  Use the MLA citation format. http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/All-Quiet-on-the-Western-Front.id-6,citation-true.html

 

Knight Cite is an automatic annotation composer which will help you apply the MLA style to your citations.

http://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/index.php

 

 

 

**Extra Credit

There are two movies that have been made based on this novel; one was made in 1930 and the other was made in 1979.  Watch either and write about whether or not the movie captured the emotions and setting of the book. Make sure to include examples and follow the essay format. 

 

-------OR--------

 

For extra credit, create an electronic portfolio of your work similar to what you would create in Smart Lab.  Choosing to complete this project may determine the type of projects you choose and their format (ie: video format, etc.).  See Connie or Denise for help.