Honors English 9 Summer Reading Response Assignments

Welcome to the Honors English 9 program! You have chosen to take a rigorous course that will challenge both your intellect and imagination. In order to prepare for our work in the fall, it is important that you approach the readings and assignments with a commitment to thoughtful and thorough response. It will be critical for you to manage your time carefully, ideally revisiting the readings and responses regularly over the course of the summer. Please read this entire assignment outline carefully. Be sure to contact the English department if you have any questions concerning your reading. We expect you to arrive to our first day of class fully prepared and ready to begin our work together.

All Honors 9 Summer Reading Assignments will be due on the first day of school, Monday, August 22!

Part 1: Readings

Carson McCullers: The Member of the Wedding (novel)

Tennessee Williams: The Glass Menagerie (play)

Part 2: Reading Response Journal

In order to become a thoughtful, reflective reader, you must actively engage with the text. As you read, ask questions of the text. For example: How do the experiences of the characters resonate with my own experience? Why did the author choose this particular setting? Do the events in the story have connections to events in the real world?

Think about sections of the book that have a particular significance for you. Your task is to find at least seven quotes each for both the novel and the play. (A quote is any group of words taken directly from the text, not necessarily something a character says.) You will need to record the quote, the page number, and your response to why that quote was significant or how it affected your thinking about the reading. You may use the reading response template provided, or create your own, as long as your document includes all three categories: quotation, page number, and response. Below, you will find some sentence starters you may use to jump-start your response:

I predict that…

I began to think of…

I love the way…

I can’t believe...

I wonder why...

I noticed...

I think....

If I were...

I’m not sure...

My favorite character is...because…

I like the way the author...

I felt sad when...

I wish that...

This made me think of...

I was surprised...

It seems like...

I’m not sure....

This story teaches...

I began to think of…

This made me realize that…

Title and Author of Reading______

Quotation / Page # / Response
Example: “Mr. Freeman is ugly. Big, old grasshopper body like a stilt-walking circus guy.” / 10 / I love the way the author uses such vivid description. I can really picture this character and I predict that he may become important to the story since the author spends so long describing him.

Title and Author of Reading______

Quotation / Page # / Response

Reading Response Journal Rubric

Concepts / Level 4
Insightful / Level 3
Thoughtful / Level 2
Informed / Level 1
Judging
Language, Details, and Ideas / Responds to elements of style, selections of detail, matters of organization and characterization as well as complex ideas in the reading / Responds to subtle language, details, and ideas in the reading / Responds to more abstract language, details, and ideas in the reading / Responds to vocabulary, concrete details, and directly- stated ideas of key points in the reading
Purpose, Content, and Relationships / Makes insightful judgments about purpose, content, or relationships in the reading / Makes well-supported judgments about purpose, content, or relationships in the reading / Makes informed judgments about the purpose, content, or relationships among elements in the reading / Makes judgments about the purpose, content, or relationships in the reading
Understanding and Appreciation / Explores and integrates insightful understanding and appreciation of the reading / Explores and integrates a thoughtful understanding and appreciation of the reading / Explores and demonstrates personal understanding and appreciation of the reading / Explores the reading in the context of personal experience

Part 3: Comparing Themes in the Readings—Response Essay

One dictionary of literary terms defines theme as “the central idea or statement that unifies and controls an entire literary work.” Yet, understanding the themes in a work of fiction is not an easy task—theme is rarely presented directly, but must be discovered by the reader. It might be helpful to think about themes as those truths about life and about the behavior of human beings that are revealed as you read the story, poem, or play.

Here are some ways you might uncover themes in the readings: You might ask yourself, “How does the author feel about what it means to be human?” Look for patterns of ideas and symbols. Think about how the particular experiences of the characters might have connections to experiences everyone might face at one time or another.

Your task is to write a 2-5 page essay that compares the themes in both readings. You will need to formulate an argument about similarities in theme for both readings. Use at least two quotes from each text to support your argument in each of the three body paragraphs. Your essay must adhere to level 3 or 4 of the rubric and follow MLA format.

Comparing Themes— Essay Rubric

Categories / Level 4
Above Expectations / Level 3
Meets Expectations / Level 2
Approaching Expectations / Level 1
Below Expectations
Argument / The argument makes an insightful statement about similarities between themes in both readings. / The argument makes a thoughtful statement about similarities between themes in both readings. / The argument makes a statement about similarities between themes in both readings. / The argument makes a vague or inconclusive statement about similarities between themes in both readings.
Supporting Examples / Four or more direct quotations (with page numbers) are included to strongly support the argument. Examples are specific, relevant, and insightful. Explanations are given that show how each example supports the argument. / Four or more direct quotations (with page numbers) are included to clearly support the argument. Examples are specific, relevant, and thoughtful. Explanations are given that show how each example supports the argument. / Direct quotations (with page numbers) are included to support the argument. Examples and explanations are adequate. / Examples, details and quotations are NOT relevant AND/OR are not explained.
Accuracy / All supportive examples are accurate and effective according to the novel. / All supportive examples are accurate according to the novel. / Supportive examples are accurate according to the novel. / Supportive examples may contain inaccuracies.
Organization / Arguments and support are sharply focused and provide a logical order that makes it easy and interesting to follow the author's train of thought. / Arguments and support are provided in a fairly logical order that makes it reasonably easy to follow the author's train of thought. / Supporting details or arguments may not be in an expected or logical order, distracting the reader and making the essay seem a little confusing. / Supporting details or arguments are not in an expected or logical order, distracting the reader and making the essay seem very confusing.
Grammar & Spelling / Author demonstrates a strong grasp of language, grammar and spelling conventions. / Author demonstrates a clear understanding of language, grammar and spelling conventions. / Author may make errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. / Author frequently makes errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.
Capitalization & Punctuation / Author demonstrates a strong grasp of capitalization and punctuation conventions. / Author demonstrates a clear understanding of capitalization and punctuation conventions. / Author may make errors in capitalization and/or punctuation that catch the reader's attention and interrupt the flow. / Author frequently makes errors in capitalization and/or punctuation that catch the reader's attention and interrupt the flow.