Summer Reading - 2009

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English
Social Studies
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English Department Summer Reading Project

 

Annotated Title List for 2009-2010 English Summer Reading

**All students must complete both English & Social Studies Summer Reading Projects**

Summer Reading Project
English Department

In an effort to expose students to a wider variety of scholarly materials and to prepare them for college, the English Department requires students to read selected book(s) that will be referenced in their English classes this year.  All students in regular English courses are required to read one book; students in Honors level and AP classes must read TWO books.  Book selections for each grade level are listed on the following pages.

Students will write an in-class essay response to their book(s) using a specific writing prompt during the first week of the 2009-2010 school year.  In addition, students will have discussion opportunities in class to share observations and analyses of the book(s). 

The English faculty strongly advises that students take hand-written notes while reading, focusing upon setting, characters, conflict, plot, and themes. Students may use their hand-written notes while writing their in-class essays.

The summer reading assessment will be listed as a PASS/FAIL grade, indicating whether the requirements of the assignment have been met.  The assessment will not count directly toward the student's grade in English class; however, students who do not complete the assignment will not receive credit for their required English class. 

The essay scoring guidelines are included below, and students whose papers do not meet the standards for a "satisfactory" grade in any of the areas will be asked to revise their papers until they meet the standards. 

English Department Summer Reading

Essay Scoring Guidelines

The in-class essay:

1.)   Develops a thesis statement that clearly addresses the writing prompt
Excellent         Strong             Satisfactory                 Does not meet expectations

2.)   Uses specific examples from the book that demonstrate comprehension
Excellent         Strong             Satisfactory                 Does not meet expectations

3.)   Uses accurate details from the book
Excellent         Strong             Satisfactory                 Does not meet expectations

4.)   Presents ideas logically and clearly
Excellent         Strong             Satisfactory                 Does not meet expectations

5.)   Uses language clearly and effectively according to the rules of standard written English
Excellent         Strong             Satisfactory                 Does not meet expectations

If you have any questions, please email Trish Main, English Department Chair, at tmain@wheatonacademy.org.

2009-2010 English Summer Reading List

All FRESHMAN English students must read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The insiders and the outsiders (the Socs and the Greasers) occupy the world of Hinton's book. The hero, Ponyboy, is a greaser. When one of his friends, Johnny, accidentally kills a Socs, the boys run away to avoid capture. Although this was written in the 60s, the problems of teen life, gangs and cliques make it as real today as it was then. This is one book that every teen should read.

IN ADDITION, students enrolled in Honors FRESHMAN English must ALSO read Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. (Students will be notified of Honors placement by the end of June)

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury              
Known for his science fiction writing, Ray Bradbury changes style to write a coming-of-age book about his own childhood. Douglas Spaulding, a 12- year- old boy in a small town in the 1920s, discovers the beauty and quiet thrill of being alive. This is a work of brilliant writing that affirms the innocence of childhood. Many readers feel this is one of the best books about moving from childhood to adulthood.

All SOPHOMORE English students must read Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
This book could have been the original source of the TV show Lost.  A plane full of English schoolboys crashes on a deserted island. Compelled to find food and shelter, the boys first try to build a community but then revert to primitive/ animalistic behavior. No book does a better job of exploring the innate evil in all our souls--riveting and thought provoking.

Before reading, check out the abundant information, especially the video podcasts, on http://www.port206.com.

IN ADDITION, students enrolled in Honors SOPHOMORE English must ALSO read 1984 by George Orwell.

(#) 1984 by George Orwell
“Thought police, Big Brother, Disinformation, Orwellian” are all words which have entered our vocabulary from the publication of 1984. One purpose of this novel was to warn against a future where the government spies on the people, where independent thought is forbidden and where people are forbidden to love. While Orwell initially was writing about the Communist and Socialist regimes that have since fallen, the novel's issues and ideas are pertinent today throughout the world. A novel for anyone concerned about his/her world today.

A (#) next to a title means the book may contain either profanity or moderate adult situations.
Students enrolled in Regular JUNIOR English must read Warriors Don't Cry: Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock by Melba Pattillo Beals.
NOTE:                  Check for ISBN:               978-0-671-86639-6            OR         0-671-86639-7
Do not select the simplified, children's version.

Warriors Don't Cry: Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock
by Melba Pattillo Beals      
Beals, one of the nine black students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, AR, in 1957, tells an incredible story of faith, family love, friendships and strong personal commitment. Drawing from the diaries she kept, the author puts readers into her shoes as she struggles against those people in both the white and black communities who do not approve of her actions to end segregation. In this non-fiction account, the author brings to life the significance of the Supreme Court's passage of Brown v. Board of Education.

Students enrolled in Honors JUNIOR English must read The Crucible by Arthur Miller AND Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Written by one of America's best playwrights to protest the McCarthy Congressional trials of the 1950s, this play remains a fiercely powerful work of American theater. On the surface, it is the story of the teen-aged girls of Salem, Massachusetts, who, in 1692, accused members of their community of witchcraft. As the hysteria took over the region, the destruction and tragedy of the false accusations destroyed the town, reputations and, indeed, lives. As relevant today as it was when it premiered, this play vividly depicts one of the great American tragedies.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451 casts a dystopian vision of the future in which control of the masses by media, mindless entertainment and censorship is a reality. In this new world, firemen burn houses, books are considered evil, and critical thinking and questions are forbidden.  People live without reminders of history or appreciation of the past but instead experience life via television, which has replaced the common perception of family. Individuality, conversation and intellectual pursuits are viewed as anti-social. This book gives a warning of what a society that devalues reading and relationships could become.

Students enrolled in Regular SENIOR English must read either Brave New World by Aldous Huxley OR Night and Dawn by Elie Wiesel.

(#) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Enter a society where “soma” (marijuana?) is the drug of choice to navigate life, where mind-less activities entertain (video games and Internet surfing?), where babies are grown in laboratories (test-tubes?). This was Huxley's prediction of society—only he wrote it in 1930. Compared by some to The Matrix, this novel is both science fiction and successful adventure. This is a classic that is eerily relevant today.

Night and Dawn by Elie Wiesel
This pair of brief, but not easy, works are about the Holocaust and man's questions about man's inhumanity to man. Night is largely autobiographical and deals with Wiesel's guilt at having survived the Holocaust that destroyed his family. It is his search for God and for the strength to continue living in the aftermath of unspeakable horror. One might expect Dawn to present the hopeful continuation. Unfortunately, that is not so. Dawn is the fictional story of a man of faith and principle who is ordered to murder another. It is the story of how trauma and suffering can shape a life. Night was a choice of the city of Chicago's “One Book One Chicago” program.
SENIORS enrolled in any AP English must read TWO of the following books:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Orphaned as an infant, Jane Eyre is first raised by relatives and then placed in an awful boarding
school, Lowood. After finishing her education, Jane secures a job as a governess for the ward of Edward Rochester. The mystery woman in the tower, the battle between love and integrity, and Jane's development as an independent young woman help speed the pace of this marvelous Gothic romantic mystery.

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Cry, the Beloved Country has been called the most famous and important novel in South Africa's history. It is an impassioned novel about a black man's country under a white man's law; a social protest against the structures of the society that would later give rise to apartheid. The deeply moving story of Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son, Absalom, is set against the background of a land and people torn apart by racial injustice. Kumalo fears that strict Zulu moral traditions, based on family unity, may be breaking down completely. It is a classic work of love, courage, endurance, redemption and hope.

(#) For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
One of Hemingway's best-known works, this novel examines love, war, dying well and living well. Robert Jordan, the tragic hero, is about to blow up a bridge during the Spanish Civil War. His emotions and thoughts over the course of three days conclude that all mankind is related: what happens to one happens to all. Analyzing war is now, and always has been, an occupation of the thoughtful, human mind.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston
Almost every major African-American woman author credits Hurston with being her inspiration. Lost to the literary world from the 1950s until the mid-70s, Hurston burst back onto the scene with the help of Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker. The novel follows the growth and liberation of Janie, an African-American woman, through three marriages, many friendships, much pain and finally happiness. Capturing the cadence and rhythms of the southern vernacular, Hurston earned a solid place in the American literary scene with this novel.

A (#) next to a title means the book may contain either profanity or moderate adult situations.

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Social Studies Department Summer Reading Project

In an effort to expose students to a wider variety of scholarly materials and to prepare them for college, the Social Studies requires students to read a selected book that will be used during the study of history this year. All students are required to read a book, even if they are taking their history class second semester.

Students who are taking an AP class will be notified of their summer reading assignment after they have received confirmation that they will be enrolled in the AP class. Students in AP classes will read different material than the other classes.

In response to the book, the student will write a response paper that meets the following requirements:

This reading assignment will be listed on the student's transcript as a PASS/FAIL grade, stating whether they have met the requirements of the paper. It will not count directly toward the students' grade in history class, however, if a student doesn't complete the assignment, they will not be able to receive credit for their history class, which will mean not receiving a passing grade for their history class.

The criteria for evaluation and the grade rubric are included in this packet, and student papers that do not meet the standards for a "passing" grade in any of the areas will be asked to revise their papers until they meet the standards.

Finally, there will be an in-class discussion during the first week of school where students will share observations from their reading and the class will discuss and analyze the book.

If you have any questions, please email your student's assigned history teacher
(email is firstname.lastname@wheatonacademy.org) or Kori Hockett, Social Studies Department Chair at Kori.Hockett@wheatonacademy.org.

Summer Reading Essay

Excellent Strong Satisfactory Does not meet expectations

Evidence of reading

Excellent Strong Satisfactory Does not meet expectations

Analysis

Excellent Strong Satisfactory Does not meet expectations

Writing Style

Excellent Strong Satisfactory Does not meet expectations

Comments:

Total:

Freshmen (taking Ancient History) will read excerpts from the Old Testament. Students should read Genesis, Exodus, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, Ezra, and Daniel.

PURPOSE: This will provide the foundation for studying the ancient near eastern people groups who interacted significantly with the Israelites. Students may read any version of the Old Testament that they wish.

QUESTIONS -- (Answer BOTH – your thesis statement should be driven by your answer to question 2, and then throughout the essay you should address question #1):

Sophomores (taking Modern World History or Honors Modern World History) will read:
All Quiet on the Western Front, byErich Maria Remarque.
PURPOSE: This book will provide the foundation for the study of World War I. This is the premier piece of literature about World War I, and in class, students will compare their reading of the book to the movie.

Question – (Choose one OR the other)

Juniors (taking US History, Honors US History or AP US History) will read:
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Purpose: This book is an engaging story of the battle of Gettysburg. While it is historical fiction, Shaara is a premier author on U.S. military history. Shaara does a great job of showing both the Northern and Southern perspectives of the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War in general. Various issues are brought to the surface: slavery, faith in God, and the causes of the Civil War. Also Shaara does a fabulous job of portraying the leaders of the Civil War.  This will correspond with the study of the Civil War.

Question – (Answer TWO of the three)
After reading the book and looking out for these issues, please answer the two of the
following questions:

Seniors (taking Government and Current Issues) will read:
Hardball by Chris Matthews
Purpose: This book introduces students to the "lessons" of politics through the study of past political figures. It is considered to be a modern day version of Machiavelli's The Prince. This book will lay the foundation for the questions of the class relating to ethics and politics. Although the author of the book may or may not reflect the student's political attitudes, the book is intended to be a study of how politics works, and hopefully students will read critically to find areas with which they both agree and disagree.

Question - Please answer both questions in your paper:

We are very excited to expose students to these works that have made a profound impact on the study of history.