Flowers for Algernon Complete three of the following projects during and/or after you read Flowers for Algernon. See the following slides for specific instructions on each project. Movie poster/trailer Put yourself into the story Psychological tests Superstitions Write a script News story/broadcast Read the novel and complete a novel response. Other: You tell me what you want to do.  Each project counts for 50 points, and questions from the book (parts 1 and 2) make up the other 50 points, for a total of 200 points.

Create a movie poster or trailer If Flowers for Algernon became a movie, what might it be like? Who would play the key roles? Brainstorm on the following actors: Charlie Miss Kinnian Dr. Strauss Dr. Nemur Joe Frank Fanny Create a colorful and appropriate movie poster for your updated version of the movie. You may draw your poster or create it on the computer. If you prefer, you may create a book trailer video at least 3-5 minutes long.

You are such a character! Pretend you have accidentally fallen asleep in the middle of “Flowers for Algernon”, and you awaken to suddenly find yourself a character in the story! How would the author portray you? What would your role be in the story? Would you be a static or dynamic character? Write a description of yourself as a character in this story. You may embellish the story with your addition to the story, but you must remain true to the plot as you know it currently: Charlie is slow and has received an operation to improve his intelligence. Charlie is still the protagonist. You may make some predictions or foreshadow with your addition to the story.

Why do you do what you do? At the beginning of the story, Charlie takes a couple psychological tests. One is a Rorschach test, and another is a “thematic apperception test”. These are two types of personality or psychological tests. Your mission is to create a powerpoint (or other presentation) in which you research these tests, plus two other psychological tests (four total).

People really believe that? (Superstitions) Charlie had a rabbit’s foot in his pocket for good luck because he believed it would help him with the inkblot test. A rabbit’s foot has historically been used as a good-luck charm in many cultures. Create a power point of five superstitions (five slides) that people believe in. At least three of them must be from other countries, and one may be your own personal superstition.

Act it out! Flowers for Algernon is told from Charlie Gordon’s point of view, as he grows in wisdom and intelligence. The story does not contain a lot of dialogue or conversation, but rather descriptions of scenes and events as Charlie sees and understands them. Your mission is to script a scene that could have occurred during this story. The scene must include at least one section of narration and conversation between at least three characters. It should be written as a script, not as dialogue, and have stage directions so that another group of people can act it out.

EXTRA! EXTRA! NEWS FLASH!! Newscasters love to report all things exciting or new to the world. Dr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss have agreed to speak with you, LGMS’s top reporter, about their exciting findings in the world of science and intelligence. We are very curious to know what all the testing is all about and what is going to happen next. It is up to you. Write a news story or create a video broadcast telling what is going on with Charlie Gordon right now, and what your predictions are for the future of both Charlie and Algernon. Do you think society is going to be pleased with the revelation that the doctors are surgically changing people? Remember this is expository, so what questions will we be looking to have answered? (5 W’s and the H!).

Need to know more? Read the full novel and complete a Reader’s response sheet (on my teacher page).