Honors English 4 Summer Reading Assignments

Books

The Bible – You may choose any version, but it must include both Old and New Testaments

“Genesis,” Exodus,” “Job,” and “Luke”

Studied for the names and stories often referred to in literary allusions

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Memoir, nonfiction

How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster

Nonfiction, academic study guide for analysis of literature

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

American/World Lit, Afghanistan, family /relationships, fiction

Assignment #1 Do this with The Glass Castle and The Kite Runner

  1. For each book, do thorough, quality annotations. This is a close reading skill necessary to comprehend college textbooks and other material.
  1. Use the following websites for additional information on close reading:

If you have trouble linking to these sites, google how to do close reading

  1. You may annotate in pen, pencil, colored pens – whatever system works for you.
  1. You must include words in the margins, or you have just “colored” your page.
  2. I will do some type of annotation check on the first day of school. Make sure you use your own book and put your name in the front.

Assignment #2 Do this with The Glass Castle and The Kite Runner

  1. For each book, do a Dialectical Journal (See Directions on Handout)
  2. Read the handout carefully and follow all directions
  3. Do 10 entries per book. Do 2 separate journals, one for each book.
  4. The entries must cover the entire book. Space the entries from beginning to end.
  5. Do your own work. Do not work with another student and include the exact, same entries. Neither the entries nor the wording should be the same.

Note: Do not rely on Spark Notes or other reading aids for your information. These activities are designed to improve your critical reading and analyzing skills. You will use them to write papers, do assignments, and participate in class discussions. Trust your ideas and abilities.

Continued 

Assignment #3 Do this with How to Read Literature Like a Professor

  1. Read and highlight or underline important points in each chapter.
  2. As you underline or after you underline, use a different color pen to number what you think are top 5 points in each chapter. Briefly, as an annotation in the book, tell why you think this is a key point. Use the previous annotation guide for ideas or make a new point!
  3. Read the “Appendix: Reading List” on pages 283 – 296. List or number 5 of these books (that were discussed in the book) that you might like to read during the school year. We do independent reading.
  4. Suggested: Watch one of the movies suggested on pages 293 – 294. We may watch Star Wars (IV) 1977. But, can you watch too much Star Wars?

Assignment #4 Do this with the 4 books in The Bible

  1. These books are much like Edith Hamilton’s Mythology in that they contain a lot of people and stories in the many chapters.
  2. You may not want to annotate your Bible, or you may not have room.
  3. I suggest you find a method that works for you to remember the people and stories. You may want to:
  • Make flash cards of the major people, stories, and themes in each of the books
  • Keep a Reading Notebook, spiral-bound notebook, with bullet point summaries of the major people, stories, and themes in each of the books
  • You may want to keep a chapter by chapter summary or guide
  • You could make a chart with the major literary elements (character, plot, theme, etc…) in each book
  • Any other method that fits your personal learning/studying style
  1. I suggest you become familiar with these stories: Creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Able, Noah, the tower of Babel, Abram/Abraham, Sodom and Gomorrah, Issac, Jacob, Joseph, Israelites in Egypt and their exodus/Moses (plagues, parting of Red Sea, wandering in desert, 10 commandments, burning bush, the Ark and Tabernacle, the story of Job, birth of Jesus, Jesus’ ministry, the parables, plot to kill Jesus, the Last Supper, betrayal of Jesus, the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, Jesus’ resurrection and appearance after death
  2. There are other biblical allusions we will study during the school year. We will also discuss the Koran and Islam briefly with The Kite Runner.
  3. I use a NIV (New International Version) Life Application Study Bible published by Tyndale and Zondervan

Dialectical Journals

A dialectical journal is a graphic method to identify significant passages in a work of literature and personally react to each on a variety of levels. “Dialectic” means “the art or practice of arriving at the truth by using conversation involving questions and answers.” Your responses will be personal and analytical. This will help you to process what you are reading, to meaningfully participate in discussions, and to prepare for Literary Analysis assignments.

Procedure:

  1. Choose passages that stand out to you and record them in the left-hand column of a T-chart. ALWAYS include the page numbers.
  2. Write your response in the right-column. It should be detailed, relevant, and meaningful.

Contextual Evidence

Some details / responses might include discussion on

  • Quotes revealing a theme
  • Passages with figurative language (simile, metaphor, etc), other literary devices (allusion, flashback, irony, satire, symbolism, etc).
  • Quotes giving insight into the characters and/or their relationships; how a character’s personality is developed (consider dialogue and actions also).
  • Dominant images and/or motifs / symbols that are recurring
  • Setting and how it helps develop the story, characters, and themes
  • How the work is structured and organized
  • How the author uses style, vocabulary, diction, syntax, and language to develop elements in the work

Student Response

Some responses might include

  • Questions about the passage, events, etc or parts that are unclear or confusing to you; what surprises you
  • Personal reactions – how this made you feel
  • Other literature, movies, songs, poems, etc this reminds you of
  • What / who this reminds you of in your own life experiences
  • Something new you’ve never seen before
  • What you agree or disagree with about a character
  • Making a judgment on a character
  • Discussing what the passage means in a broad sense. What does this say about the world, human nature, how things work
  • Analysis of the literary devices, techniques, style, language, etc in the passage
  • The point of view and different perspectives
  • How this passage relates to the work overall
  • Interpreting what the author is trying to say

Grading

  1. Responses must be specific and detailed
  2. Quality as well as quantity counts
  3. Responses should be a paragraph of mature length (7-10 sentences min.)
  4. Responses must be typed; use Cambria 11 or Times 12
  5. Response criteria:
  6. detailed, thoughtful, meaningful (not cliché)
  7. includes literary element discussion (diction, syntax, imagery, symbol, etc….) and how each contributes to meaning,
  8. insightful personal connections / thought provoking questions
  9. thorough coverage of entire text
  10. neat, organized presentation that follows directions

Example: The Kite Runner (Include the title on each page)

Quote / Contextual Evidence / Personal / Analytical Response
I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975. (p. 1)
Continue Quote #2 here / I notice the difference in time. The heading is December 2001. This will be a flashback. The 1st sentence carries so much weight – importance right away that the reader knows something big, serious is going to happen. This sentence is pivotal to the plot, theme, and characterization in the story. What happened, how did it change him, and what did it mean for him and anyone else involved? This is all in the first sentence. Plus, most people could relate to a moment in their lives that changed who they are today. It really draws the reader in using suspense. The imagery in the words frigid, overcast, and winter give a sense of foreboding – kind of dark and barren.
Continue Response #2 here