2014 Summer Reading Tasks

Northside College Prep High School English Department 2014 Summer Reading Tasks

Before the first day of school, complete the tasks listed for your English class(es) this fall. Links have been provided whenever possible.

Survey of Literature: Please watch the film Gattaca and read the following myths from Bulfinch’s Mythology: 1. Prometheus and Pandora 2. Pyramus and Thisbe 3. Juno and her Rivals, Io and Callisto 4. Midas 5. Pygmalion 6. Venus and Adonis 7. Echo and Narcissus 8. Minerva and Arachne 9. Perseus and Medusa 10. The Sphinx 11. Medea and Æson 12. Hercules 13. Dædalus 14. Bacchus 15. Orpheus and Eurydice

Humanities: Read/reread Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Read "Dehumanized" by Mark Slouka Watch Gattaca

American Literature: Read Part I (to page 96 in most editions) of All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy; watch the movie The Searchers.

British Literature: Read Watership Down by Richard Adams and watch the movie Children of Men.

(continued….) World Literature: Read Anne Lamott’s essay, “Shitty First Drafts,” on page 47 of our text Subject and Strategy, distributed at summer registration. A PDF of the reading is also available here. Also, read “Gogol,” by Jhumpa Lahiri, found here.

Advanced Placement Language and Composition: from The Language of Composition textbook, which should be given out during orientation, read the following excerpts from Chapter 13: Politics.

1. Read the introduction and answer one of the questions posited in the piece. Two pages, double-spaced, proper MLA heading.

2. Read Jamaica Kincaid's essay "On Seeing England for the First Time." Consider question 4 in Suggestions for Writing and be prepared to discuss the "universality of power and prejudice."

Listen to This American Life's episode 81, part one, Sarah Vowell's "NRA vs NEA" available here: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/81/guns?act=1 . Be prepared to discuss how Vowell also confronts the universality of power and prejudice in both the Constitution (first and second amendments) and her own family. How do these two pieces differ in tone?

Advanced Placement Literature: Read Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, and Plato's "Allegory of the Cave,"; watch the movie The Matrix.

Film Studies: Read The McGraw-Hill Film Viewer’s Guide [http://www.mhhe.com/HumanitiesStudio/8/FilmGoersGuide.pdf]. Focus on “How to Watch: Developing Memory and Taking Notes” on page 11 and “Writing About Films: The Screening Report” on pages 13-14 of the guide. Then watch Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. Take notes and write a 1-2 page Screening Report (see page 13) on the film.

Creative Writing: 1. "Why the Best Kids' Books are Written in Blood" Sherman Alexie (http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/06/09/why-the-best-kids-books-are-written-in-blood/)

2."Everything You Need To Know About Writing Successfully - in 10 Minutes", Stephen King (https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/135/King_Everything.html) Also, watch the movie Big Fish before the first day of class.

Topics in Literature: Experimental Literature: Read Part I of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis graphic novel. We will also be working with Part II, so you can either obtain these volumes separately or as the combined volume.

Journalism: No assignments