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Mandatory Summer Reading John Adams

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Mandatory Summer Reading John Adams Mandatory Summer Reading for rising 11th & 12th grades John Adams by David McCullough (ISBN: 978-0743223133) Overall Goal: The overall goal of the high school summer reading program is to provide a venue for students to engage in academic and intellectual pursuits during the summer that have multiple positive benefits for the students including vocabulary enrichment, critical thinking opportunities, and valuable reading and writing experience. Summer Reading Objectives: A thorough and thoughtful completion of the reading guide during the summer will be essential for class discussion and other assignments on the selection during the first two/three weeks of school. In addition to reading comprehension, real world application allows us to exercise our newly acquired knowledge for the sake of developing mastery over a given concept. Directions: 11th-12th Grade will have two options to choose from in regard to their interaction with David McCullough’s John Adams. Option 1: Book & Character Journal Students will read John Adams by David McCullough and keep a “Character Journal” of their interactions with the book as they read. • After reading each chapter, the student will sum up the occurrences and events that took place within the chapter in about one paragraph. • In the second paragraph of the journal entry the student will discuss the virtues and vices revealed in the life, character and relationships of John Adams (page numbers should be properly cited). • Finally, the student will make personal application of the virtues and vices discussed. In other words, the student will journal about the aspects of Adams’s life that he read about in the chapter that he would most like to see manifested in his own life (i.e., courage, tenacity, patience, wisdom, etc…). Or, conversely, the student may write about aspects of Adams’s life that he may want to steer clear of (i.e., stubbornness, loss of temper, impatience, lack of mercy, etc…). Option 2: Miniseries, Character Journal & Discussion Questions Students, with the permission of their parents, will watch the HBO miniseries based on David McCullough’s, John Adams. This critically acclaimed 8+ hour series stays true to the main ideas and spirit of the book. • After each episode, the student will follow the same guidelines as in option 1 to create a “Character Journal.” • The student will also be responsible for answer the discussion questions for each episode listed below in a word document separate from the journal activity. 1 Character Journal Rubric (for options 1 & 2) 4 3 2 1 The student response The student response The student response The student response ACCURATELY ACCURATELY PARTIALLY DOES NOT demonstrates with demonstrates: demonstrates: demonstrate: HIGHER LEVEL: □ Understanding of text □ Understanding of text □ Understanding of text □ Understanding of text □ Relevant Details □ Relevant Details □ Relevant Details □ Relevant Details COMPREHENSION □ Specific text-based □ Specific text-based □ Specific text-based □ Specific text-based & SUMMARY examples and citations examples and citations examples and citations examples and citations □ Support of reader’s □ Support of reader’s □ Support of reader’s □ Support of reader’s examples/position examples/position examples/position examples/position □ Awareness of task, □ Awareness of task, □ Awareness of task, □ Awareness of task, purpose, audience purpose, audience purpose, audience purpose, audience DEVELOPMENT □ Effectively applies key □ Effectively applies key □ Effectively applies key □ Effectively applies key OF IDEAS vocabulary vocabulary vocabulary vocabulary □ Clear reasoning □ Clear reasoning □ Clear reasoning □ Clear reasoning □ Logical organization □ Logical organization □ Logical organization □ Logical organization □ Ability to understand the □ Ability to understand the □ Ability to understand the □ Ability to understand the PERSONAL virtues and vices virtues and vices virtues and vices virtues and vices exemplified in the reading exemplified in the reading exemplified in the reading exemplified in the reading APPLICATION in order to make a personal in order to make a in order to make a in order to make a application. personal application. personal application. personal application. □ Ability to write clearly & □ Ability to write clearly & □ Ability to write clearly & □ Ability to write clearly & WRITING legibly legibly legibly legibly □ Command of Grammar □ Command of Grammar □ Command of Grammar □ Command of Grammar MECHANICS □ Command of Vocabulary □ Command of Vocabulary □ Command of Vocabulary □ Command of Vocabulary □ Command of Spelling □ Command of Spelling □ Command of Spelling □ Command of Spelling Discussion Questions Rubric (for option 2) 4 3 2 1 The student response The student response The student response The student response ACCURATELY ACCURATELY PARTIALLY DOES NOT demonstrates with demonstrates: demonstrates: demonstrate: HIGHER LEVEL: □ Ability to address each □ Ability to address each □ Ability to address each □ Ability to address each question and all its parts question and all its parts question and all its parts question and all its parts COMPREHENSION thoroughly thoroughly thoroughly thoroughly & SUMMARY □ Specific examples from □ Specific examples from □ Specific examples from □ Specific examples from the episode that support the episode that support the episode that support the episode that support their answers their answers their answers their answers □ Awareness of task, □ Awareness of task, □ Awareness of task, □ Awareness of task, purpose, audience purpose, audience purpose, audience purpose, audience DEVELOPMENT □ Effectively applies key □ Effectively applies key □ Effectively applies key □ Effectively applies key OF IDEAS vocabulary vocabulary vocabulary vocabulary □ Clear reasoning □ Clear reasoning □ Clear reasoning □ Clear reasoning □ Logical organization □ Logical organization □ Logical organization □ Logical organization □ Ability to write clearly & □ Ability to write clearly & □ Ability to write clearly & □ Ability to write clearly & WRITING legibly legibly legibly legibly □ Command of Grammar □ Command of Grammar □ Command of Grammar □ Command of Grammar MECHANICS □ Command of Vocabulary □ Command of Vocabulary □ Command of Vocabulary □ Command of Vocabulary □ Command of Spelling □ Command of Spelling □ Command of Spelling □ Command of Spelling 2 Episode Discussion Questions (for Option 2): • Episode 1: “Join or Die” TV-14 | 71 minutes 1. Why had British troops been stationed in the colonies? 2. What did John Adams refer to the ‘Boston Massacre’ as? 3. Why did Adams take the Captain Preston case? 4. According to Captain Preston, why did the soldiers fire? 5. What do you learn about the relationship between John and Abigail in this episode? 6. How did Adams’s role in the trial impact his practice? • Episode 2: “Independence” TV-PG | 92 minutes 1. Where and when did the First Continental Congress meet? 2. What events took place in Massachusetts during 1775? 3. What was the major issue debated at the Second Continental Congress? 4. What was Benjamin Franklin’s advice to John Adams about the ‘politics of persuasion’? 5. Who was the elected leader of the Continental Army and why? 6. Why was Jefferson selected to pen the Declaration of Independence? • Episode 3: “Don’t Tread on Me” TV-14 | 69 minutes 1. Compare and contrast the differences in style and personality between Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. • Episode 4: “Reunion” TV-PG | 66 minutes 1. What do you learn about the relationship between John and Abigail in this episode? 2. What position was Adams appointed to by Congress? 3. What was the nature of the disagreement between Adams and Jefferson, regarding the proper form of government? 4. How did Adams feel about his position in Britain? • Episode 5: “Unite or Die” TV-PG | 64 minutes 1. What did Adams want to name the President and why was it scoffed at by the Senate? 2. Why was Adams frustrated with his position as Vice President? 3. What was the difference between Hamilton and Jefferson’s view of central government (especially of the treasury)? • Episode 6: “Unnecessary War” TV-PG | 79 minutes 1. What issues began to divide the relationship between Jefferson and Adams? 2. Why were the Alien and Sedition Laws passed? 3. What was Charles Adams dealing with and how did John Adams feel about the situation? 4. How did Adams feel toward Jefferson when he left office? • Episode 7: “Peacefield” TV-14 | 62 minutes 1. What allegations began to surface about Thomas Jefferson? 2. What attitude did John Adams have regarding his historical legacy? 3. What did Abigail Adams die from? 4. What criticism did John Adams have for John Trumbull’s painting, “Declaration of Independence, July 4th 1776”? 5. What were Adams’s last words? 3 .
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