Pre-AP English 9 Summer Assignment Pre-AP English 9, Mr. Paulette

Pre-AP English 9 Summer 2013 Assignment

Springboard is the College Board’s program for all students interested in Pre-Advanced Placement and Advanced Placement work. The program is designed to offer students advanced studies in the various course offerings, while also preparing students for Advanced Placement, college-level material.

Successful completion of this summer assignment is required for the course; it will be the first test grade of your nine weeks’ grade. Late work is not accepted.

Format Use a spiral bound notebook or a small three-clasp folder for all your work. No 3-ring binders, please. Paper should be standard size (8 ½” x 11”) and be attached. No loose pages will be accepted. If you choose to hand-write your assignments, your penmanship must be neat, and you must use standard blue or black ink. Write on every line, but be sure to leave margins of about one-inch on either side. If you prefer to compose your work at the computer, use font-size 12, one-inch margins, and double-spacing. Punch holes in these pages and secure them in the folder. Be certain your name is neatly on the front of the notebook/folder.

Deadline The entire summer work portfolio is due on the first day of school (date is Monday, August 12, 2013) for all students, regardless of term. Simply put: if you don’t have class until the Spring 2014 semester, you still need to meet this deadline. This work is a pre-requisite for the course, so it needs to be delivered prior to the first day of school in order to grant entrance into the program.

Absence does not excuse you from submitting work – have someone deliver the work by proxy, or you may submit early. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about this deadline.

- 1 - Part I – Edith Hamilton’s Mythology

Our first unit in class will be an examination of Greek mythology. Because it can be a bit confusing and possibly overwhelming, this first assignment will give you a foundation for what we study next year. Please read the actual text provided, and do not attempt to substitute Cliffs Notes, Spark Notes, etc. for the actual reading of the text. Any forms of plagiarism will earn a zero.

1) Read the following excerpted packet from Edith Hamilton’s Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and . Please consult The Theoi Project (http://www.theoi.com/) for reference on the names of any gods and goddess who are unfamiliar. a. Introduction to Classical Mythology (“The Mythology of the Greeks” and “The Greek and Roman Writers of Mythology”). b. Chapter 3 – “How the World and Mankind Were Created”  Since this packet is photocopied from the text, please highlight, annotate, and otherwise provide yourself with useful marginalia/notes on the text itself or in your notebook during your reading. NOTE: These sets of notes and annotations do not need to be included in your notebook, but it certainly could be.

2) Include the following tasks in your notebook. a. Make a list of ten (10) unknown or interesting words you encounter. o First, copy the sentence in which the word appears and cite the page number. o Next, define each word and provide the part of speech. o Finally, pick five (5) words from your list of ten and, using either a dictionary or a web resource, provide details on the word’s etymology (the word origin/derivation of the word’s meaning). . You may use these resources for assistance:  Etymology Online: http://www.etymonline.com  Dictioanry.com: http://www.dictionary.com  Merriam-Webster Online: http://www.merriam-webster.com b. Write a list of ten (10) questions that could serve as a study guide for the reading, and then provide a quotation and cite the page number from which the answers can be surmised.

- 2 - o Make sure the questions are a) substantially engaged with the reading, and b) avoid statements of fact. The questions should be of the how and why variety. They should not be of the who, what, and where variety.

3) Choose one (1) of the following tasks to complete for your notebook: a. Explore how different cultures/religions view the creation of the world and compare their ideas with how the early Greeks thought the world was created. o Research the creation explanation for one of the following major religions: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, or Buddhism. You may need to use the Internet for this if you cannot find books in the library. o Take notes on your findings and provide book titles and/or website titles of your research. Please cite page numbers using MLA style citation – e.g.: (Hamilton 65). Use the OWL at Purdue to help with the formatting (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/) o Convert the notes into a chart or visual aid that compares your discoveries with that of the Greeks’ notion of creation. The chart may include: how the solar system was formed; how mankind came into being; how animals came into being; etc. o Be prepared to present this material in class. OR b. Re-read the story of Prometheus and Epimetheus and their creation of man(Hamilton 71-74). o Write a two-to-three page script wherein you imagine the conversation between Prometheus and Epimetheus as they named creation. Remember to reflect the role and personality of each god in your depiction. o Be prepared to present this material in class. OR c. Re-read the story of Pandora and her infamous box of evils (Hamilton 74). o Pretend you are Pandora and you are on the witness stand, testifying for yourself in front of a jury of the gods with Zeus as the judge. What is your best defense for opening the box of evils, despite being told not to? Why did you do it? What do you have to say for yourself?

- 3 - This should be about a page to a page-and-a-half in length. o Be prepared to present this material in class. OR d. Re-read Hamilton’s account of the Races of Man (Hamilton 71- 72). o Using an 8.5”x11” sheet of material – any material at all, but limited to those dimensions – depict the five races of man in a visually memorable way. Keep in mind, this material may contain a three-dimensional representation rather than simply being a drawing. The main requirements are that it a) must all fit on the dimensions listed above; and that b) each race must include their descriptive haiku listed below. Please include your representation with your notebook, or separately as necessary. o Provide an original haiku (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku) written to describe each race. Please follow the five-seven-five syllables- per-line format for each haiku, and provide these haiku in your notebooks. o Be prepared to present this material in class.

- 4 - Part II – Other Reading

To encourage summer reading of all types, you are allowed to choose one (1) novel from the list on page seven. You may purchase your book or check it out from a library. These books were chosen because they represent themes, literary genres, and objectives with which we will be challenged in this course.

Select your book because you are interested in it. Do not choose based on length (not that you would ever do such a scurrilous thing). You are much more likely to make a meaningful connection and engage in your reading, if you pick wisely. It is your responsibility, along with your parents, to select and procure the book. A few books may have language or situations that could be offensive to some. Thus, it is wise to do some preliminary research. You may go to Amazon.com to see summaries, short excerpts (for some), and reviews of any book, or you can just do a Google search for the title – some might even come up in Google Books. There are plenty of summaries and reviews online. Once you have selected your book, please sign the Book Approval Form (provided below)noting your parent/guardian’s approval of the content of the book and submit it with your assignment.

Do not attempt to substitute Cliffs’ Notes, Spark Notes, etc. for the actual reading of the book.

Any forms of plagiarism will earn a zero.

The Assignment

1. Provide a detailed analysis of the plot (of about one (1) page in length) of your novel, breaking down the events into the following five sections: o Exposition – Which events set up the characters, the conflict, and the overall direction the narrative takes? Who is the primary protagonist, antagonist, et cetera? What is at stake in the novel? o Rising Action – Which events add complication, tension, development, and detail to the novel? (Note: This should be the longest section of your novel.) o Climax – What is the event that the entire novel has been building towards? What is at stake? How does it get resolved? o Falling Action – Which events are a direct result of the events of the Climax? How do the characters react, how do they feel, what do they do after the main action of the novel is completed? o Dénouement – Which events wrap up the narrative? What is the final fate of the characters introduced back in the Exposition?

- 5 - How are the protagonist and antagonist changed by the events in the novel?

2. Quote two (2) memorable passages from the book of about half a page or a page in length. Copy these passages and cite the page number. Then, for about a half-page per passage, explain a) what makes the passage memorable to you as a reader, in the context of the novel; then b) explain what effects the author’s writing had on you as a reader; finally c) speculate as how you think the author tried to achieve those effects.

3. Write a page-and-a-half summary detailing a coherent response to the literary significance of the novel. o What, if any, discoveries did you make while reading the novel? o In what way did the book affirm or reject your views of life? o What was the author’s intended message, and how successful was the author in conveying that message to you as a reader?

4. Finally, choose one (1) of the following tasks to complete: a. Pick a character who is NOT the protagonist, main character, or narrator. Write an imaginary diary entry from the perspective of this character outlining a) a significant moment from the rising action, and b) this character’s thoughts and feelings towards the protagonist. Make sure this diary entry is about one (1) single- spaced page.

OR

b. Imagine you are the casting director for the film version of the novel. Pick five (5) characters and cast the characters using actors from film and television shows which you know. (Use the Internet Movie Database [http://www.imdb.com] if you need some assistance in remembering actor’s names.) For each character, provide an explanation for why you picked this actor, and how you think this actor would best embody the character. This analysis should be about half-a-page to three-quarters-of- a-page total.

- 6 - The List

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines A Separate Peace by John Knowles A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt Anthem by Ayn Rand Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin Death, Be Not Proud by John Gunther Dune by Frank Herbert Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz Genesis and Job from The Bible Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides Hiroshima by John Hershey Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis My Antonia by Willa Cather Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Spilling Clarence or The Disapparition of James by Anne Ursu or I Am The Cheese by The Color Purple by Alice Walker The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter The Glory Road by Walter Dean Myers The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin The Life of Pi by Yann Martel The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold The Road by Cormac McCarthy The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd While I Was Gone by Sue Miller Wicked: The Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

- 7 - Book Approval Form

I have checked the content of this title, and I approve my student’s choice of ______for Part II of the Pre-AP English 9 Summer Reading Assignment, and I have included my signature and my student’s signature below.

______Parent/Guardian Signature

______Student Signature

- 8 - Final Words of Wisdom Take time and concerted effort regarding these assignments. They are the bulk of your first six weeks’ grade, and the objectives are the foundation from which we will build. In addition, please follow these guidelines: o Submit each part separately. Do not use clear, plastic binders with removable spines. Be certain each assignment/part is clearly labeled with your name, class (Pre-AP English 9), and due date. o Follow the directions for each section. o Neatness counts. Use a word processor as much as possible and definitely when it is required. o Do not plagiarize. It will result in loss of trust and a zero. o Absolutely no late work is accepted – the above is a pre-requisite for the course. Work must arrive on time and on the due date regardless of the term the course is to be taken. If you are absent on a due date, that fact is not an exception. Have someone drop off your assignment at school.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I look forward to seeing each and every one of you next year.

Russell Paulette Pre-AP English 9 Instructor [email protected]

- 9 - Summer Work Part 1 Rubric Name ______Pre-AP English 9, Mr. Paulette Date ______Block __ Mythology – Summer Work Part I

Scores Developing Meets Exceeds 1 2 3 4 5 Vocabulary & Etymology Provided a minimum of ten (10) interesting words; provided the source and citation for each; provided five (5) etymologies. Study Questions Provided the required ten (10) study questions from the Traits material; questions were “how” and “why” questions. Optional Assignment Provided one of the optional assignments and met requirements. Mechanics Exhibited proper spelling, punctuation, comma usage, capitalization, and other mechanical conventions.

Score: ______/20 points Comments:

- 10 - Summer Work Part 2 Rubric Name ______Pre-AP English 9, Mr. Paulette Date ______Block __ Independent Reading – Summer Work Part II

Scores Developing Meets Exceeds 1 2 3 4 5 Plot Analysis Provided a detailed analysis of the plot of the novel; analysis was broken into the five elements of plot. Reflection Answered each question provided in a thorough, coherent manner. Quotations Provided two quoted passages from the text Traits verbatim; gave a thorough evaluation explaining the literary significance of each. Character Analysis/ Casting Provided an imaginary diary entry from a secondary, non- protagonist character/ provided an analysis of five characters from the novel, using references to film and television actors, and providing support for these choices. Mechanics Exhibited proper spelling, punctuation, comma usage, capitalization, and other mechanical conventions.

Score: ______/25 points Comments:

- 11 - Pre-AP English 9 Summer Work Sign-Up

Student Name Date Received Check for Both Packets 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

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