10th Grade English Summer Reading Assignments Due August 3, 2017
Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers. The Story of Success
Please Type all assignments and email to
by August 3, 2017 EVEN if you do not have English until Second Semester
Rationale: This work contains the elements of persuasion, expository, and narrative and will serve as an introduction to 10th Grade ELA.
Objectives: To read and respond to the work in its entirety
To understand how a writer uses language & devices to create message and meaning
To communicate your thoughts clearly and with textual support
Assignment One: It is recommended that students purchase a copy of the book. This will provide an opportunity for annotation (but not required) and allow students to begin building their own libraries. In addition to reading, students will write a well-developed paragraph for each chapter, including at least one piece of textual support, and finish with an essay. For the ESSAY QUESTIONS, instructions are listed below.
I. Specific Instructions for answering essay questions
• MLA formatting
• Responses must include textual support (quotes) and demonstrate critical reading of the text.
• 100-200 words, each response, one piece of textual support per response.
• This is not a summary of your reading; it is an analysis
Note: The questions are designed to guide the reader through the entire novel. The student will choose to answer either question #1 or question #2 in each section.
Introduction “The Roseto Mystery”
What is the Roseto Mystery? What overarching idea is Gladwell establishing in his introduction? (All students answer this question)
Chapter One “The Matthew Effect” (Choose to answer either #1 or #2)
1. Explain the author’s viewpoint regarding “The Story of Success”. Are personal qualities the sole reason one becomes an outlier? Explain your answer providing support from the text.
2. What is the consequence of “prematurely writing people off as failures”?
Chapter Two “The 10,000-Hour Rule” (Choose to answer either #1 or #2)
1. Explain the 10,000-Hour Rule.
2. Consider the following: “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.” Explain how this philosophy was at work for Bill Joy, The Beatles, and Bill Gates.
Chapter Three “The Trouble with Geniuses, Part 1” (Choose to answer either #1 or #2)
1. Describe the difference between ‘divergence testing’ and ‘convergence testing’. Is one more significant than the other?
2. Gladwell states that communities and companies in American society “are convinced that those at the very top of the IQ scale have the greatest potential.” After reading the chapter, explain why you either agree or disagree with this statement.
Chapter Four “The Trouble with Geniuses, Part 2” (Choose to answer either #1 or #2)
1. Compare and contrast Langan and Oppenheimer.
2. What is the difference between “concerted cultivation” and “accomplishment of natural growth”?
Chapter Five ”The Three Lessons of Joe Flom” (Choose to answer either #1 or #2)
1. .Explain Gladwell’s statement as it relates to Joe Flom: “Buried in that setback was a golden opportunity.”
2. Consider the following quote: “Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning.” Explain how this quote relates to the chapter.
Chapter Six “”Harlan, Kentucky” (Choose to answer either #1 or #2)
1. Describe the “culture of honor” that exists in the Appalachian Mountains.
2. What are the “cultural legacies” described in this chapter? Why are they significant to understand when dealing with people?
Chapter Seven “The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes” (Choose to answer either #1 or #2)
1. Describe the significance of the “willingness to change” as it relates to Korean Air.
2. What is Gladwell explaining about the importance of communication?
Chapter Eight “Rice Paddies and Math Tests” (Choose to answer either #1 or #2)
1. After reading this section of the book, have your opinions changed about math classesand math ability? Explain why or why not.
2. Describe the connection between the “10,000-Hour Rule” and the wet-rice farmers in Asia.
Chapter Nine “Marita’s Bargain” (Choose to answer either #1 or #2)
1. Describe the significance of summer vacation as it relates to different groups of students. Why is this significant?
2. Gladwell states “success follows a predictable course.” How does this quote apply to Marita? How does this apply to you?
Epilogue
1. What does Gladwell mean when he states, “The outlier in the end is not an outlier at all.”
2. Explain what Gladwell means when he states, “That is the story of my mother’s path to success – and it isn’t true.”
10th Summer Reading Assignment TWO
Essay prompt:
Writing Assignment: In his book Outliers, Malcom Gladwell argues that “there's no such thing as a self-made man and that super achievers are successful because of their circumstances, their families, and their appetite for hard work." To what extent do you agree with Gladwell? In a well-organized essay, support your answer with references and examples from the book Outliers to support your response.
Essay Requirements:
1. Essay should be between 500 and 1000 words long. Your works cited page does contribute to your word count.
2. Essay should use at least 3 quotes from the text. Use proper MLA Citation format and include a works cited page (Purdue OWL website for MLA citations)
3. Essay should be typewritten and meet the content and formatting guidelines (see attached essay rubric)
4. Essay must be your own original work. Any instances of plagiarism will result in an immediate grade of zero and possible disciplinary action in accordance with the ECCA Academic Honesty policy.
Please Type all assignments and email to
by August 3, 2017 EVEN if you do not have English until Second Semester.
10th grade English Essay Requirements
Outliers Essay
Title Should Be Centered Here
Your Outliers Essay and all subsequent work should be submitted in the following format: 12 point Times New Roman Font with 1 inch margins and double spaced. Include a header in the top left-hand corner that lists your name, class, due date, and assignment. Be sure to indent (hit Tab) at the beginning of each new paragraph. Insert page numbers at bottom right hand corner. Format your paper BEFORE you begin typing.
All typed papers from this point forward should be formatted as mentioned above or a maximum of 10 points for proper formatting will be subtracted from your overall assignment score. This is the practice of colleges around the state and country, and these are basics that are sometimes taught within the first few weeks of a college writing course. A rubric for the essay is included in this assignment. It is recommended that you keep this sheet to refer to and use as a checklist before submitting any typed assignment for this class.
Outliers Essay Rubric
1. Content (60 points)
-Shows a clear understanding of the task with an effective, suitable, defendable thesis statement. (15 points)
-Significant components of the work are identified and effectively integrated. (15 points)
-Offers ample, specific, and logical development of ideas in relation to the thesis statement. (15 points)
-Maintains a clear focus on responding to the specific task throughout the essay (15 points)
2. Organization (15 points)
-Ideas are effectively organized and logically sequenced with clear paragraph structure throughout. (5 points)
-The introduction and conclusion are well-developed and effective. (5 points)
Effective transitions are used between paragraphs (5 points)
3. Language (10 points)
-The response demonstrates a good command of language; sentences are varied and word choice is varied and precise. (5 points)
-There are few, if any, errors that distract the reader. (5 points)
4. Formatting (10 Points)
-12 point Times New Roman Font (1 point)
- Essay uses 1 inch Margins and is double spaced between lines (2 points)
- Header in top left-hand corner with name, class, due date, and essay assignment, page number in the bottom right hand corner (2 points)
- Pages are numbered and labeled with student's last name and different front page.
- Font of page number matches the font of the essay (1 point)
- Essay should have a title that is not "My Essay” or "Outliers Essay” or any version of such (2 points)
- Each new paragraph is indented by using "Tab" only once (1 point)
- Word count is written or typed at the bottom of the page and essay meets word count requirements (600-1200) (1 point)
5. MLA Citations (5 points)
- Essay correctly uses at least 3 quotes from the text and includes a proper works cited page (5 points)
Need Help?
Not sure how to cite? Check out Purdue OWL's tips on MLA in-text citations.
Example Works Cited
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers. The Story of Success. New York: Little Brown and Company, 2008. Print
(Yes, you can use my citation)