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Honors English I
Summer Reading Assignment
Havelock High School 2015-2016
Welcome! As a student in Honors English I at Havelock High School, you are expected to complete a
summer reading assignment. You may purchase the book or check the book out from a local library.
We also have copies available to borrow at the high school. If you would like to borrow a copy from
the high school, please email Ms. Roberts.
Approach your reading as a scholar and focus on reading carefully and critically. You will required
to create your own study guide as you read by taking notes on 1) significant quotes, 2) setting, 3)
themes, 4) symbols, 5) conflict, 6) characters, and 7) plot elements. Your notes should be in your
own words and reflect your thoughts and observations from your reading. Do not directly copy
from or rely on online summary sites or critical review sources.
Assessment(s):
You will be tested on the novel on the first day of the semester. You will not be able to use your
notes for they will be collected prior to the test. The summer reading assessment will count as a
major grade for the course.
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
“The volatile world of male adolescence provides the backdrop for John Knowles'
engrossing tale of love, hate, war, and peace. Sharing a room at Devon, an exclusive New
England prep school, in the summer prior to World War II, Gene and Phineas form a
complex bond of friendship that draws out both the best and worst characteristics of each
boy and leads ultimately to violence, a confession, and the betrayal of trust.”
(amazon.com)
If you have any questions regarding this assignment, please email:
Mrs. McCurdy [email protected]
Or
Ms. Roberts : [email protected]
English II Honors-Havelock High School
Summer Reading Assignment 2015-16
Welcome! As a student in Honors English II at Havelock High School, you are expected to complete a summer
reading assignment. You may purchase the book or check the book out from a local library. Approach your
reading as a scholar and focus on reading carefully and critically.
Summer Reading Title:
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
The extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller that is now a major motion picture, Markus Zusak's
unforgettable story is about the ability of books to feed the soul. It is 1939, Nazi Germany. The country is holding
its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living
outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something
she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her
stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. In
superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the
Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time. (Source: amazon.com)
Assessment:
•
•
Reading Check Test
Socratic Seminar Discussion Questions: On the first day of class, you will turn in your answers to the
Socratic Seminar discussion. These answers can be neatly written or typed, but you must have a hard
copy to turn in on the first day of class.
•
Socratic Seminar Discussion: During the first week of class we will have a Socratic Seminar on the book.
The process for the seminar will be explained before the discussion.
***The questions, reading test and your performance in the Socratic Seminar will be the first test grades of the
nine weeks.
Cheating
The administration will be notified when students are caught cheating so that a record can be made of this serious academic violation;
however, the teacher will be responsible for assigning consequences for cheating. Students caught cheating on assignments/tests or forging
grades will receive a zero and will be disciplined at the discretion of the classroom teacher. Teachers will call parents when a child has
been caught cheating. Multiple offenses may result in administrative consequences. (Source: Havelock High School Handbook)
Your answers to these questions should come from your own ideas. Avoid the use of SparkNotes, Shmoop, etc. Plagiarism is a form of
cheating.
English II Summer Reading
Socratic Seminar Questions
Directions: Answer each question with a thorough response. Some questions have multiple layers. Be sure to
answer each part of the question. For each of your responses, include textual evidence in the form of quotes to
support your thinking. For each piece of textual evidence, provide the page number. *Tip: Consider these
questions as you read, and flag text with sticky notes that you will use to answer the questions. We will be doing
a Socratic Seminar, a student-led discussion, during the first week of class. In the seminar, you will be
responsible for discussing these questions and providing text to support your ideas.
1. Death states, “I’m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I
wonder how the same thing can be both.” What is ugly and beautiful about Liesel, Rosa and Hans Hubermann,
Max Vandenburg, Rudy Steiner, and Mrs. Hermann?
2. The Grave Digger’s Handbook is the first book Liesel steals. Why did she take the book? What is significant
about the titles of the books she steals? Explain how Liesel’s own attempt to write a book saves her life.
3. Guilt is another recurring theme in the novel. Discuss three characters who face guilt. Explain their guilt and
how they deal with the feelings of guilt.
4. Death says that Liesel was a girl “with a mountain to climb.” What is her mountain? Who are her climbing
partners? What is her greatest obstacle? At what point does she reach the summit of her mountain? Describe her
descent. What does she discover at the foot of her mountain?
5. Hans Junior, a Nazi soldier, calls his dad a coward because he doesn’t belong to the Nazi Party. He feels that you
are either for Hitler or against him. How does it take courage to oppose Hitler? Discuss how Hans, Rosa, Liesel,
and Max demonstrate courage throughout the novel.
6. Describe Liesel’s friendship with Rudy. How does their friendship change and grow throughout the novel?
Discuss Death’s statement, “The only thing worse than a boy who hates you [is] a boy who loves you.” Why is it
difficult for Liesel to love Rudy?
7. How does Zusak use the literary device of foreshadowing to pull the reader into the story?
8. Liesel Meminger lived to be an old woman. Death says that he would like to tell the book thief about beauty
and brutality, but those are things that she had lived. How does her life represent beauty in the wake of brutality?
9. Why is death haunted by humans?
10. Discuss Zusak’s use of Death as a narrator for the story? How does he challenge traditional views of death?
How does Death provide ironic humor in the novel? Why is the choice of Death as narrator effective in this
particular novel?
Honors English III
Summer Reading Assignment
Havelock High School 2015-2016
Welcome! As a student in Honors English III at Havelock High School, you are expected to complete a summer
reading and paper assignment. You may purchase the book or check the book out from a local library. Approach
your reading as a scholar and focus on reading carefully and critically. You would be wise to create your own
study guide as you read by taking notes on characters, settings, themes, symbols, conflict, quotes, and plot
elements. Your notes should be in your own words and reflect your thoughts and observations from your reading.
Do not copy from or rely on internet summary sites or critical review sources. Bring your annotated copies of the
novels and your paper the first day of class to turn in for a test grade.
Assignment 1:
1. Read The Awakening by Kate Chopin.
2. Complete in text annotations (either on the text, or using sticky notes if the book is borrowed) where you
circle, highlight, write commentary on the following items:
a. Themes
b. Motif
c. Author’s purpose
d. Rhetorical Devices (literary devices)
Assignment 2:
1.
Choose ONE of the following books to read:
a. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
b. Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
2. Complete in text annotations (either on the text, or using sticky notes if the book is borrowed) where you
circle, highlight, write commentary on the following items:
a. Themes
b. Motif
c. Author’s purpose
d. Rhetorical Devices (literary devices)
Book Summaries provided by goodreads.com:
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
When first published in 1899, The Awakening shocked readers with its honest treatment of female marital
infidelity. Audiences accustomed to the virtues of late Victorian romantic fiction were taken aback by Chopin's
daring portrayal of a woman trapped in a stifling marriage, who seeks and finds passionate physical love outside the
straitened confines of her domestic situation. Aside from its unusually frank treatment of a then-controversial
subject, the novel is widely admired today for its literary qualities. Although the theme of marital infidelity no
longer shocks, few novels have plumbed the psychology of a woman involved in an illicit relationship with the
perception, artistry, and honesty that Kate Chopin brought to The Awakening.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely
murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime,
and there were almost no clues. As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the
capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy. In
Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence.
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that
readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that 'The Devil in the White City' is not,
in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible
for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor.
Assignment 3:
1.
Write an argumentative MLA formatted paper on the following prompt
a. Every author reveals something of his/her worldview in his or her writings. Often that view
includes a criticism of the society in which the author lives. In an argumentative essay, you will
argue a social criticism you found amongst the two novels you read. Be sure to argue this with
evidence (quotes from text) to support your claim (stance on topic). Do not use first person in your
paper!
Requirements for essay:
Your paper should be two to three typed pages and should use current MLA format (see the Perdue OWL
website or other reliable MLA formatting source for help). Document any quotes, bring a hard copy of the paper to
turn in the first day of school.
Writing Tips and Guidelines:
1. MLA format: Times New Roman font, 12 point font only, double spaced, and 1” margins on all sides.
2. Begin your introduction with concrete language to draw the read in. No questions or quotes. Just a general
statement about the topic of your argument.
3. Create a one sentence thesis statement that argues a point; do not just state a topic. (Thesis=topic +
position on the topic + reasoning behind position). Place this thesis as the LAST sentence of your
introductory paragraph.
4. Do not summarize the book. Use specific facts from the book as evidence to support your thesis. BE SURE
YOUR FACTS ARE ACCURATE.
5. Quotes should be introduced, given, and then explained with commentary.
a. Example: One critic complains of the authors, “They’re sheep in wolves’ clothing who manage to
write about bad things and make you feel good” (Bukiet 35).
i. Notice how the quote is introduced, given in quotation marks (or you can paraphrase),
and then the author’s last name and page number is in parenthesis.
6. Remember to provide transition sentences from paragraph to paragraph in order to focus the reader’s mind
on your thesis.
7. Your thesis is debatable (meaning someone could argue against your point). Make sure to address the
opposing viewpoints by admitting them and making a claim via support as to why your viewpoint is more
accurate. (
8. Provide a works cited page that contains the complete citation for the novel and any other works you use in
your paper.
9. Proofread, re-read, and edit your paper BEFORE you turn it in the first day. Simple spelling and grammar
mistakes should be avoided.
If you have any questions regarding the summer reading assignments, please see Mrs. Frank (703) before the end of
school.
[email protected]
Advanced Placement Language and Composition (AP English III)
Havelock High School
Summer Reading Assignment 2015-16
Welcome! As a student in AP Language and Composition at Havelock High School, you are expected to complete
a summer reading assignment by reading two AP-level novels. You may purchase the books or check the books out
from a local library. On the first day of class, all three assignments are due, and there will be a test on the two
novels.
Assignment 1:
1. Read The Things They Carried by Tom O’Brien.
2. Complete a detailed Major Works Data Sheet.
3. Bring a copy of the novel the first day of class.
4. Throughout the book, create an Annotation Journal in which you complete the following:
a. Find at least 5 significant quotations with page numbers which support a theme in the book and
provide insightful commentary.
b. Find at least 3 significant quotations with page numbers which serve as textual evidence of the
author’s purpose and explain the significance.
c. Find at least 2 PASSAGES (4-5 sentence passage) with page numbers which represent the author’s
style and explain how it is effective in achieving the author’s overall purpose. (Author’s style refers
to word choice, tone, mood, sensory language, rhetorical devices, syntax, etc. Please research
further if you are unaware of this concept.)
Assignment 2:
1. Read Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut
2. Complete a detailed Major Works Data Sheet.
3. Bring a copy of the novel to class the first day.
4. Throughout the book, create an organized and neatly hand-written Annotation Journal in which you
complete the following:
a. Find at least 5 significant quotations with page numbers which support a theme in the book and
provide commentary.
b. Find at least 3 significant quotations with page numbers which serve as textual evidence of the
author’s purpose and explain the significance.
c. Find at least 2 PASSAGES (4-5 sentence passage) with page numbers which represent the author’s
style and explain how it is effective in achieving the author’s overall purpose. (Author’s style refers
to word choice, tone, mood, sensory language, rhetorical devices, syntax, etc. Please research
further if you are unaware of this concept.)
Assignment 3:
1. Using the Rhetorical Device terms, create 5x7 flashcards that include the following:
a. Front of card:
i. Rhetorical device term name
b. Back of the card:
i. Definition
ii. One example of the term found in either assigned novel (may include examples from other
novels you’ve previously read as well.)
*You will be tested on these rhetorical terms a couple of weeks into the semester; however, it is assumed
you have the definitions memorized by the first day of class.
Novel Descriptions (all from www.goodreads.com):
The Things They Carried Tom O’Brien
They carried malaria tablets, love letters, 28-pound mine detectors, illustrated Bibles, and each other. If they made
it home alive, they carried unrelenting images of a nightmarish war that history is only beginning to absorb. Since
its first publication, The Things They Carried has become an unparalleled Vietnam testament, a classic work of
American literature, and a profound study of men at war that illuminates the capacity, and the limits, of the human
heart and soul.
Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut's absurdist classic Slaughterhouse-Five introduces us to Billy Pilgrim, a man who becomes unstuck
in time after he is abducted by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. In a plot-scrambling display of virtuosity, we
follow Pilgrim simultaneously through all phases of his life, concentrating on his (and Vonnegut's) shattering
experience as an American prisoner of war who witnesses the firebombing of Dresden.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you have any questions regarding the AP Language and Composition course or summer requirements, please see Mrs.
Frank (703) or Mrs. Foster (702) before the end of school.
[email protected]
[email protected]
AP Language & Composition
Standard 2: Reading for All Purposes
Prepared Graduates:
• Evaluate how an author uses words to create mental imagery, suggest mood, and set tone
• Engage in a wide range of nonfiction and real-life reading experiences to solve problems, judge the quality
of ideas, or complete daily tasks
Students can:
• Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of
where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall
structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. (CCSS: RL.11-12.5)
• Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective,
analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text. (CCSS: RI.1112.6)
AP English Major Work Review Guide
DIRECTIONS: For each major work, complete this guide in preparation of the AP Exam in May.
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
YEAR PUBLISHED:
===============================================================================
SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERS AND FUNCTION IN THE WORK
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
===============================================================================
SIGNIFICANT SETTINGS AND THEY ARE IMPORTANT
1.
2.
3.
===============================================================================
THE WORK BEGINS WITH:
THE WORK ENDS WITH:
DEFINING MOMENTS (Five bulleted events WITH explanations of significance.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
===============================================================================
AUTHOR’S STYLE (Techniques, rhetorical devices, key ideas—identify and EXPLAIN effect.)
===============================================================================
DOMINANT THEMES/WORK AS A WHOLE STATEMENTS (No morals or clichés!)
1.
2.
3.
===============================================================================
IMPORTANT SYMBOLS OR IMAGERY (Identify and EXPLAIN significance.)
===============================================================================
QUOTATIONS OF INTEREST (What and who says it!)
===============================================================================
POINTS OF COMPARISON WITH OTHER LITERATURE (Explain how they’re similar.)
English IV Honors Summer Reading
Havelock High School
***DUE FIRST DAY OF CLASS
**You will need to purchase or acquire a copy of two books. You will be making copious annotations in
your text. If you use a borrowed copy of the text, all of your annotations can be made on sticky notes.
Part One
How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster (revised edition published in 2014)
Thomas Foster knows how to “read literature like a professor” because he is indeed a professor of English at
the University of Michigan. In this text, Foster explains how to read literary works more deeply. Focusing on
theme, symbolism, allusions, intertextuality, and other literary devices, Foster will give you tips on how to be
a more analytical reader, an important skill in any English class. His book will be an excellent reference for
us in class throughout the year.
You will need to borrow or purchase your own copy of How to Read Literature Like a Professor. You can find
the book in bookstores, and from sites such as amazon.com, booksense.com, and other online booksellers.
Assignment - Read and annotate chapters 1, 10, 14, 19, 21, 24, and 25. Follow the annotation guide that is
included at the end of this assignment.
Part Two
Assignment - Read and annotate The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Follow the same provided
annotation guide. Again, you will need to purchase your own copy of the novel from a local bookstore or
order online from sites such as amazon.com, booksense.com, or other online booksellers. You may also check
the book out at your local library.
Part Three
Synthesize Parts One and Two - Relating How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster to The
Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Directions: Respond to the all of the writing prompts below. Each response should be a well-written
discussion (i.e. two - three paragraphs) that includes a minimum of two pieces of direct textual evidence, in
the form of quotes, from both texts. ALL TEXTUAL EVIDENCE MUST INCLUDE PAGE NUMBERS!
Chapter 1 -- Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It's Not)
List the five aspects of the QUEST and then apply them to Margaret’s quest in The Thirteenth Tale. Include a
minimum of three pieces of textual evidence from each of the works in your response.
Chapter 10 -- It's More Than Just Rain or Snow
Choose a scene from The Thirteenth Tale where the weather or the environment is more than what it seems
and explain the significance. Include a minimum of three pieces of textual evidence from each of the works
in your response.
Chapter 19 -- Geography Matters…
Pay special attention to the geography in The Thirteenth Tale and explain its importance in the story, the
characters, and the message the author is sending to his or her readers. Include a minimum of three pieces
of textual evidence from each of the works in your response.
Chapter 21 -- Marked for Greatness
Analyze the physical imperfection of Vida Winter and its implications for characterization. Include a
minimum of three pieces of textual evidence from each of the works in your response.
Chapter 24 -- ...And Rarely Just Illness
In The Thirteenth Tale, what are the symbolic and metaphorical possibilities of the illness in which Vida
Winter is inflicted? Include a minimum of three pieces of textual evidence from each of the works in your
response.
Chapter 25 -- Don't Read with Your Eyes
Choose a quote from The Thirteenth Tale that reflects the overall meaning of the work. What did you learn
from this reading experience? Include a minimum of three pieces of textual evidence from each of the works
in your response.
(Annotation guide and grading rubrics are on the following pages.)
ANNOTATION GUIDE
Annotate – v. To furnish (a literary work) with critical commentary or explanatory notes [<LATIN ad near + nota
a mark, note]
The Process:
There are a number of procedural expectations that make annotation practical and effective. First, implement a
consistent system. Use the same abbreviations and symbols every time you annotate. Second, have a pencil close at
hand (I usually tuck one behind my ear). Yes, use a pencil. Why? You may change your mind or get it wrong the
first time; someone else may say it better or more succinctly; more recent discoveries may prompt a reevaluation
of earlier findings, etc. Third, be disciplined.
Annotation Strategies:
Tracking nouns -- important people, places, things, and ideas: Put a box around the name of [1] a character the
first time you encounter the character, [2] a place (or other aspect of the setting) whenever it seems important or
relevant, and [3] an object when it seems crucial to the story. “Re-box” a character/setting/object whenever
he/she/it returns to the text after a long absence. Track important people, places, things, and ideas by supplying
page numbers whenever possible that point to previous encounters. Cross reference all of this tracking/tracing by
also writing page numbers at the spot of the earlier instances of people, places, things, and ideas. Write brief
comments whenever possible to make these connections clear and to note any evolution or development. On the
inside cover of the book, keep a list of the characters you encounter, the page on which they first appear, and a
very brief description of each. You may need to add to or modify these descriptions as the story unfolds. In this
way, you will develop a comprehensive list of characters. Keep track of important aspects of the setting and
important objects in a similar manner. Do the same for ideas. Keep track of themes (motifs) by noting them as
they are perceived and by tracing their development.
Underlining: Within the text of the book, underline or otherwise note anything that strikes you as important,
significant, memorable, etc. If possible and profitable, write brief comments within the side margins that indicate
your motivation in underlining. Focus on the essential elements of literature (plot, setting, characterization, point
of view and theme). You need not underline every word. Often, I underline isolated words and phrases.
Vocabulary/unusual diction: Within the text of the book, circle words that are unfamiliar to you or whose use
strikes you as unusual or inventive. Look up words in a dictionary that seem essential to an understanding of the
meaning or the sense of the author. If it helps to do so, jot a brief definition or synonym nearby.
Questioning: Actively engage the text and further/confirm your understanding of each chapter by writing at least
two open-ended questions for each. Short essay questions are most useful.
Shifts: Note all shifts in point of view. Note all shifts in time. Note all shifts in diction and syntax.
Final Thoughts on Annotation:
Your teachers expect you to think critically about what you are reading. While the amount of annotation may
vary widely from page to page, any notes you add to a text will help you to read more critically – any attempt to
annotate your book will help you to understand the reading as you read – and, as I hope this handout has made
clear, will help you return to the reading with confidence later. Annotation is a discrete skill, and like any skill, it
takes significant practice to hone your ability to the point of acquiring expertise. So push the pencil! Push the
pencil! Push the pencil!
*This annotation handout was in part inspired by “How to Mark a Book,” an essay by Mortimer J. Adler, Ph. D, and
modified by Sandra Effinger.
Grading for Parts One and Two – Each book will receive a separate annotation grade.
Annotation Rubric
(A) Excellent:
• Text has been thoroughly annotated with questions, observations, and reflections of the content as well as the
writing; variety of topics marked for discussion; variety of stylistic devices marked.
• Comments demonstrate analysis and interpretation – thinking beyond the surface level of the text. Thoughtful
connections made to other texts, life experiences, or other events throughout the text.
• Comments accomplish a great variety of purposes.
• Consistent markings throughout text (not bunched).
• Each chapter has several annotations.
(B) Proficient:
• Text has been annotated reasonably well with questions, observations, and/or reflections of the content as well
as the writing style.
• Comments demonstrate some analysis and interpretation – thinking somewhat beyond the surface level of the
text. Attempts have been made to make connections.
• Comments accomplish a variety of purposes.
• Some lapses in entries exist or entries may be bunched.
• Each chapter has at least two annotations.
(C) Adequate:
• Text has been briefly annotated with questions, comments, observations, and/or reflections of the content or
writing style.
• Commentary remains mostly at the surface level. The commentary suggests thought in specific sections of the
text rather than throughout.
• Entries may be sporadic.
• Each chapter has at least one annotation.
(D-F) Inadequate:
• Text has been briefly annotated.
• Commentary is thoughtless. There is little or no attempt to make connections.
• Not all chapters are annotated.
Grading for Part Three - Synthesis of Parts One and Two
Response Criteria:
• Response contains specific examples from The Thirteenth Tale
• Response contains at least two quotations from The Thirteenth Tale and at least two quotations from the
specified chapter of How to Read Literature Like a Professor
• Response fully answers prompt
• Response is at least one-two paragraphs in length
AP Literature and Composition (English IV AP)
Havelock High School
Summer Reading Assignment 2015-16
Welcome! As a student in AP Literature and Composition at Havelock High School, you are expected to complete a
summer reading assignment by reading two AP-level novels. You may purchase the books or check the books out from a
local library.
Assignment 1:
5. Read Atonement, by Ian McEwan.
6. Complete a detailed Major Works Data Sheet
7. Prepare for a reading check test on the first day of class.
8. Bring a copy of the book or your e-reader to class on the first day. This novel will be studied in-depth during the
first two weeks of school.
9. Prepare for discussions by completing the theme assignment that follows. For each theme provide a minimum of
three pieces of textual evidence with page numbers. Assignments without page numbers will not receive credit.
You will receive a grade for this assignment and you will receive a grade for your participation in a Socratic
seminar to be held during the first week of class.
Assignment 2:
5. Read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
6. Complete a detailed Major Works Data Sheet.
7. Prepare for a reading check test on the first day of class.
8. Bring a copy of the book or your e-reader to class on the first day. This novel will be studied in-depth during the
first two weeks of school
9. Prepare for discussions by completing the theme assignment that follows. For each theme provide a minimum of
three pieces of textual evidence with page numbers.. Assignments without page numbers will not receive credit.
You will receive a grade for this assignment and you will receive a grade for your participation in a Socratic
seminar to be held during the first week of class
Novel Descriptions (all from www.goodreads.com):
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Ian McEwan’s symphonic novel of love and war, childhood and class, guilt and forgiveness provides all the satisfaction
of a brilliant narrative and the provocation we have come to expect from this master of English prose. On a hot summer
day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses a moment’s flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie
Turner, the son of a servant and Cecilia’s childhood friend. But Briony’s incomplete grasp of adult motives—together
with her precocious literary gifts—brings about a crime that will change all their lives. As it follows that crime’s
repercussions through the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the twentieth century, Atonement
engages the reader on every conceivable level, with an ease and authority that mark it as a genuine masterpiece.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
A novel set mostly in Afghanistan. The introverted and insecure afghan narrator, Amir, grows up in Afghanistan in the
closing years of the monarchy and the first years of the short-lived republic. His best and most faithful friend, Hassan, is
the son of a servant. Amir feels he betrays Hassan by not coming to his aid when Hassan is set on by bullies and
furthermore forces Hassan and his father Ali to leave his father´s service. Amir´s relatively privileged life in Kabul
comes to an end when the communist regime comes to power and his extrovert father, Baba emigrates with him to the
U.S. There Amir meets his future afghan wife and marries her. Amir´s father dies in the U.S. and Amir receives a letter
from his father´s most trusted business partner and, for a time, Amir´s surrogate father, which makes Amir return, alone,
to a Taliban-dominated Afghanistan in search of the truth about himself and his family, and finally, a sort of redemption.
AP Literature & Composition
Name:_____________________
Standard 2: Reading for All Purposes
Prepared Graduates:
•
Evaluate how an author uses words to create mental imagery, suggest mood, and set tone
•
Engage in a wide range of nonfiction and real-life reading experiences to solve problems, judge the quality of ideas, or complete daily tasks
Students can:
•
Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or
tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. (CCSS: RL.11-12.5)
•
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power,
persuasiveness or beauty of the text. (CCSS: RI.11-12.6)
AP English Major Work Review Guide
DIRECTIONS: For each major work, complete this guide in preparation of the AP Exam in May.
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
YEAR PUBLISHED:
===========================================================================
SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERS AND FUNCTION IN THE WORK
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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SIGNIFICANT SETTINGS AND WHY IMPORTANT
1.
2.
3.
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THE WORK BEGINS WITH:
THE WORK ENDS WITH:
DEFINING MOMENTS (Five bulleted events WITH explanations of significance.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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AUTHOR’S STYLE (Techniques, literary devices, key ideas—identify and EXPLAIN effect.)
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DOMINANT THEMES/WORK AS A WHOLE STATEMENTS (No morals or clichés!)
1.
2.
3.
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IMPORTANT SYMBOLS OR IMAGERY (Identify and EXPLAIN significance.)
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QUOTATIONS OF INTEREST (What and who says it!)
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POINTS OF COMPARISON WITH OTHER LITERATURE (Explain how they’re similar.)
Socratic Seminar Preparation:
For EACH novel you must do the following:
Directions:
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•
•
•
•
•
For each novel, explore 5 of the 6 themes listed below.
For each answer, provide a minimum of three pieces of textual evidence with page numbers to
support your answer.
For each piece of textual evidence provide insightful commentary that highlights how your textual
evidence supports the theme. (This means you will have a total of 15 pieces of text from each
novel, for a total of 30 with commentary for all 30 quotes.)
Your evidence should come from a variety of places in the text (beginning, middle and end)
All textual evidence MUST include the page number where the text is located. If you are reading
on an e-reader, you must still record the page number. VERY IMPORTANT: Textual
evidence without page numbers will not receive credit.
You will receive a grade for your evidence and commentary, and you will receive a grade for your
participation in a Socratic seminar to be held during the first week of class.
Themes for Atonement and The Kite Runner: (Choose 5 of the 6 for EACH novel.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The loss of innocence and coming of age
Redemption of the human spirit
Social evils and the pain of war
People’s inner conflicts
The destructive power of jealousy and insecurity
The lingering impact of guilt
Final Note: Information in your Major Works data sheets must be in your own words and not simply
copied and pasted from online sources.
"Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud." – Sophocles
If you have any questions before school ends or during the summer, please see or email Mrs.
McCurdy (Rm. 710 – [email protected]).