June 1, 2016
Dear Parent /Guardian and Rising Honors Ninth Grader:
Research has proven that reading is the one skill upon which all other academic skills depend. Summer reading prevents regression, exposes students to a wider range of literary works, enhances the course curriculum, and provides an opportunity for a second deeper read. Our mission at Valley is to promote the highest level of reading for all of our students; therefore, students entering 9th grade honors English are required to critically read and respond to John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men prior to entering high school.
Set in the Salinas Valley of California during the Great Depression, this classic novel examines the plight of the migrant worker. Ultimately, the book is about two friends and their search for the American Dream. George and Lennie are traveling ranch hands who dream of owning their own small farm. Readers follow their journey together as they find work on a ranch and start saving money for their future. Some of the chapters deal with George and Lennie’s pursuit of the dream; other chapters relay incidents that occur to the characters themselves. As part of the English 9 Honors curriculum, this novel raises political, social and human issues that are important and relevant to the ninth grade program of study. The book is recommended for classroom use by Loudoun County Public Schools. However, because the book is a realistic portrayal of ranch life, it does contain some instances of mature language. As a parent, if you would like to preview the novel in advance, you may request a copy from Eileen Lowry (email address listed below).
In order to complete the summer assignment based on the novel, students need to obtain a copy of the book. Many students prefer to purchase their own copy of the novel for annotating purposes; however, if you would like to borrow a copy of the text from LVHS, please contact Eileen Lowry via email by June 8, 2016 with your student’s name and the name of their current 8th grade English teacher. We will happily loan a book; however, if the loaned book is lost or damaged over the summer, it will be subject to the LCPS deficiency policy.
The summer assignment is due September 15 (A Day: Blocks 1, 2, 3, 4) September 16 (B Day: Blocks 5, 6, 7, 8). In addition, there will be other in-class assignments based on the novel, so students need to have completed the reading prior to the first day of school.
Sincerely,
Rebecca L. Walter, Eileen C. Lowry, and Kristyn H. Inman
LVHS English Teachers
Summer Reading Assignment Overview
You are asked to read and analyze Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Please do not rely on summaries, movies, or book notes (Spark Notes, Cliffs Notes, etc.) for this assessment.
Please complete the following assignment. You may find an electronic copy of assignment on the LVHS webpage.
Say, Mean, Matter Writing and Critical Thinking Response
Complete the attached chart to showcase your critical evaluation of the novel and its major themes. Select two quotes from the text (not the same chapter) and analyze them in a tiered response. Quotes from a novel include any written part of the text; it does not have to be dialogue. First, list the quote on the chart with the page number. Next, summarize the context and meaning of the quote. Finally, use two of the sentence stems and analyze the quote for the larger, thematic significance.
Example: from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
Say (Level 1) / Mean (Level 2) / Matter (Level 3)Quote 1
“First of all,” he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 39). / This exchange between Scout and Atticus occurs when Scout refuses to return to school because she feels like her teacher is picking on her. Atticus is trying to teach Scout that she needs give Miss Caroline the benefit of the doubt, and Scout should not judge Miss Caroline and her teaching practices before Scout gets to know her. / *This relates to the book as whole because Scout uses this same lesson with Boo Radley and Mrs. Dubose. Scout learns that we all walk a difficult path in life, such as Mrs. Dubose’s morphine addiction and Boo’s reclusiveness. Atticus teaches Scout not to judge before we truly understand the struggles each person faces.
*This raises the question of “is it ever right to judge someone else?” Atticus teaches Scout, “no,” as he believes that each individual carries their own burdens, and we should never judge them based on our own experiences. It also adds to the basis of the Tom Robinson case and the racial divide in Maycomb.