2013 Summer Reading List

The following books are for all students. Please find your grade for assigned reading. All books must complete

the summer reading packet (downloadable as a separate “document” on the school website ) EXCEPT for The

Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens and AP classes (see attached assignments).

7th Grade

The Pigman by Paul Zindel

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Steven Covey

8th Grade

To Kill a Mockingbird or Where the Red Fern Grows

9th Grade

Speak by Laurie Anderson or Ready Player One by Cline

Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury

10th Grade

Choose one:

Rebecca by du Maurier

And Then There Were None by Christie

Jane Eyre

11th Grade—English

Choose one:

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

11th Grade-- AP English Language and Composition

Please see attached for assignments

11th Grade—AP US History

Please see attached for assignments

12th Grade—English

Choose one:

The Poisonwood Bible—Kingsolver

Girl with Pearl Earring—Tracy Chevalier

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close—J. S. Foer

12th Grade—AP English

Read ALL:

The Stranger by Camus

The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald

The Poisonwood Bible by Kingsolver

Poems

o “My Last Duchess” by Browning

o “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by Keats

Please see attached for assignments

12th Grade—U. S. Government

Read the U. S. Constitution

11th Grade AP English Language and composition

Summer Reading Assignment

Welcome to the Advanced Placement English program at St. Patrick Catholic High School! I look forward to a

productive, challenging, and intellectually stimulating year together. During the summer you will read a

minimum of three novels: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel

Hawthorne, and a nonfiction novel of your choice. We will intertwine social issues into our study and discussion

of these novels in order to begin preparation for the national test in AP English Language and Composition. The

assignments included in this packet are designed to serve as the basis for our discussions and activities at the

beginning of the school year. A complete copy of this assignment will be placed on the SPCHS website for access

as well as on my classroom website at: http://amberschoendorf.weebly.com. Once on the homepage, click on

“AP English Language and Composition” to find your class site. The summer reading assignment is divided into

three parts:

Part I: Reading of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (Assessments will occur during the first week of school) Part II: Reading of On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King Part III: Nonfiction Novel Book Review and Presentation

Each part is outline for you in this packet. Much of your summer assignments will be turned in through our class website at http://mrsbuckley-apenglish.weebly.com. Note: All work is expected to be completed on a computer. If one is not available to you, please know that our local libraries have computers and printers for public use.

All activities are also outlined again on this website, so it will become a vital part of your AP English Language journey this summer. Make yourself comfortable with the site because we will also use it heavily throughout the year. Note: Many college courses are now web-based, so becoming familiar with using a website to submit assignments and comments to forums will greatly enhance your ability to succeed in a college atmosphere. Please note: All written work is to be original. Do not work on these assignments together. Please be forewarned that phrases, sentences, and/or ideas copied from analytical sources (either paper or online) will result in no credit for the assignment. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in this course. Contact me via e-mail (aschoendorf@stpatrickhighschool.net) should you have any questions regarding the summer reading assignment. Please be patient if I do not respond right away. I will not be able to check my e-mail everyday over the summer months. Also, if you include references or direct quotations from the summer reading texts, you must use MLA format in order to cite your sources. For more information about documenting sources, please visit the class website at http://mrsbuckley-apenglish.weebly.com or explore the information at the Purdue Online Writing Lab at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/.

PART I: Summer Reading Novel: The Scarlet Letter

STEP 1: As you read The Scarlet Letter, you will complete the discussion questions found on the class website at http://mrsbuckley-apenglish.weebly.com. These questions will be in forum format so that you will be able to see others’ responses and to respond to those answers. Also, due to the fact that this novel is college-level material, you will also be able to ask me any questions for clarification on this forum. I will also participate in this class discussion forum. You will have until July 31 to respond to ALL discussion questions on the forum.

STEP 2: Near the end of the 2013-2014 school year, you will be encouraged to take the national AP test in the hope of earning 3 college credits. In order to prepare you for this exam, you will take an AP-style multiple-choice test on The Scarlet Letter. I will use this as a diagnostic test to measure your prior knowledge and readiness for the advanced placement program. Please do not collaborate on the test. This is a measure of your academic integrity. I will award you completion points for attempting the questions. Your actual score on the multiple choice test will not affect your grade in the class. Therefore, you should not feel the urge to collaborate with others. Please be aware that the types of questions you will encounter on the AP exam are much more difficult than what you have experienced in previous English classes. Do not be alarmed if you feel overwhelmed by the difficulty of the questions – this is a normal reaction. Simply try your best.

PART II: Summer Reading Novel: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Have you ever wondered: “Did the author mean to do that?” King’s book, which is subtitled A Memoir of the Craft, provides an excellent response to that question. As King states in the introduction to this book, “What follows is an attempt to put down, briefly and simply, how I came to the craft, what I know about it now, and how it’s done.” In this book, you will learn that writers do indeed make deliberate choices about diction, syntax, details, and other elements as they compose their work. (This analysis is a major component of the work we will do in AP Language.) The book is divided into four sections: C.V., Toolbox, On Writing, and On Living: A Postscript. Your assignments will, likewise, be divided into four sections. For each assignment below, please include MLA in-text and post-text documentation for the passages discussed. Submit your assignment via the class website by July 31, 2013.

Task # 1: C.V. This is a non-fiction text, but it often reads like a novel. To tell his story, King uses literary elements and techniques (i.e., imagery, dialogue, figurative language) which we often associate with fictional pieces. Identify three passages in which King uses such elements/techniques effectively. Explain the elements/techniques he uses and why they are effective.

Task # 2: Toolbox Create a writer’s toolbox for yourself. Identify 7 rules of writing that King discusses (include the page number), which you think are important or interesting. Then, add an additional 7 rules of writing which you have either practiced or been taught throughout your school career. Example: Don’t begin a sentence with “and.” In class, we will discuss the merit of these various “rules.”

Task # 3: On Writing How does King feel about writing? How do you know? Choose three key passages from this section in which King defines writing, either directly or figuratively. In your own words, restate King’s point about writing in the passage and why you think this point is interesting or important.

Task # 4: On Living: A Postcript This task does not pertain to just this section of the book. Rather, explain your opinion of King as both a writer and a person. Would you consider reading one of his books now, for example? (If you have read his books prior to this assignment, has your opinion of the author changed? If so, how?) What do you think King’s purpose was in writing this book? Support your answers to both prompts with evidence from the text.

PART III: Nonfiction Book Analysis and Presentation

The AP English Language and Composition course suggests a strong emphasis on nonfictional texts. Because most of the selections that you are required to read during the school year are fictional novels, we are asking you to read, review, and present a nonfiction work. Nonfiction includes the following genres: autobiography, biography, memoir, and all other accounts that are true. Assignment: Choose a full-length, nonfiction work by an American author. Read it, and then complete a book analysis and Photo Story presentation (instructions to follow). When you return from summer break, you will present your novel to the class in the form of a Photo Story. Below is a list of suggesting nonfiction novels by American authors. In order to confirm your book choice, you MUST go to http://mrsbuckley-apenglish.weebly.com and type your name and book choice into the “comments” section of the Summer Reading Forum. You may not choose a book that another student has already posted in the forum. In other words, if someone else has already posted the book, you must choose another! You may also find an American nonfiction novel of your choice, but you must email me at aschoendorf@stpatrickhighschool.net in order for it to be approved. Please remember, this is a college-level program. Therefore, your book selection should be appropriate for a college-level course. Below is a list of suggested nonfiction novels:

(Please note: Some of these novels include mature language and adult content) Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer The Overachievers by Alexandra Robbins Escape by Carolyn Jessup The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs Beautiful Boy by David Sheff Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand A Child Called “It” by Dave Pelzer A Million Little Pieces by James Frey* Electroboy by Andy Behrman Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt She Said Yes by Misty Bernall Teacher Man by Frank McCourt Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale Tweak by Nic Sheff The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman The Innocent Man by John Grisham Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi In Cold Blood by Truman Capote How Starbucks Saved My Life by Michael Gates Gill

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson* The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger A Little Bit Wicked by Kristin Chenoweth Miss O’Dell by Chris O’Dell In a Heartbeat by Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey Your Father’s Voice by Lyz Glick Fighting Back by Deena Burnett Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen A Devil in the White City by Erik Larson The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch Lucky by Alice Sebold My Friend Leonard by James Frey Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich Sutton by J.R. Moehringer* All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein, Bob Woodward The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood by Jane Leavy Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power by Richard Carwardine I Beat the Odds by Michael Oher I Never Had It Made by Jackie Robinson, Alfred Duckett

*The authors of these novels have released disclaimers that some of the information provided in the novel is not truthful and/or embellished.

Microsoft Photo Story Presentation Featuring your selected nonfiction novel

Step 1. Please visit the following website to download your free Photo Story 3 for Windows: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/PhotoStory/default.mspx Follow the online instructions for downloading the program. Although the program claims that it is only compatible with Windows XP, it will work with Windows 7 (I tried it myself). You may use iMovie if you are more comfortable with a Mac, but your video should include mainly photos. Step 2. You may wish to familiarize yourself with the program prior to completing the project. A step-by-step tutorial can be accessed online at: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/tips/firststory.mspx. Why not practice using the program to showcase your own pictures from a family vacation, prom, or other memorable event? Step 3. To meet minimum requirements, 20 pictures must be used to feature your nonfiction novel. Create a folder and save various pictures from the Internet or digital camera. Follow the directions in the tutorial to create your presentation. Your presentation should be approximately 5 minutes in length (no longer). Step 4. Text and/ or voice must be added to narrate your presentation. Be sure the text you include is clearly visible. If you have the capabilities to add voice narration, you will eliminate the need to speak directly to the class as part of your presentation. If you do not include voice narration, prepare note cards so you may effectively speak to the class while your Photo Story is being presented. Also, add music to your presentation by either selecting a song that has relevance to the novel or by creating your own musical accompaniment (see tutorial). Step 5. Save your presentation to a flash drive or CD for submission on the first day of class. You may e-mail the presentation to your instructor if you do not have access to either of these storage devices. If you choose to e-mail the presentation as an attachment, I will confirm receipt of your presentation. Print my response as verification that the file was successfully received.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS Your Photo Story Presentation MUST:

Identify title and author

Establish setting (time and place)

Introduce major characters and provide brief description of each

Briefly narrate story (don’t give away the ending)

Provide author’s background information

Identify author’s purpose (reason for writing) and tone (author’s attitude)

Comment on author’s writing style (word choice, sentence structure, organization, use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, etc.)

This assignment is worth 40 points. You must complete all of the requirements in order to earn full credit. Additionally, the overall quality and organization of the presentation will be assessed. Remember to bring the presentation with you on the first day of school.

AP English Language Nonfiction Book Analysis Answer the following questions pertaining to the nonfiction novel that you choose to read. Respond to each question in a short paragraph comprised of 5-8 sentences. The book analysis is worth 20 points (2 points per question). You will be assessed on the quality and thoughtfulness of your responses, in addition to the conventional rules of writing. Please type the questions above each response. Submit your answers to the class website by July 31, 2013. 1. What is the significance of the title, and what can we conclude from the title before opening the text? 2. What is your visceral reaction to the text and why did you react this way? 3. What is the most important event or passage in the text and why? 4. What parts distract from the work’s overall effectiveness and why? 5. What dominant themes permeate the text? 6. What patterns have you discovered in the text? 7. What confuses you or makes you wonder about the text? 8. What questions do you have after reading the text? 9. Would you read another book by this author? Why or why not? 10. What effect does the book have on your beliefs, thoughts, and/or theories? Explain. A deduction will be taken for writing that does not follow the standard conventions of written English. If you use examples from the novel, make sure to use MLA documentation.

11th

AP US History

Dear 2013-2014 APUSH Students,

Congratulations on accepting the invitation and challenge to take the 2013-2014 Saint Patrick Catholic

High School APUSH course. I hope that you are excited for a challenging year in which you will grow

to appreciate the rich culture, heritage, and history of our nation and improve your reading, writing,

study, and organizational skills as a student in our preparations for the APUSH exam in May of 2014.

As you will judge from the summer assignment, this course will be taught on a collegiate level;

however, recognizing that you are high school juniors, adequate support will be provided to you as you

develop your writing and reading skills. This class will be challenging, but it will help you to grow as a

student. As always, you must do your own work – cheating is never tolerated.

I invite you to keep a couple of things in mind as you prepare yourself for class this autumn:

Explore history – If you take a vacation, see if you can stop at a historical marker along the way. Or, do

a little research about the place you are visiting. Take the time to start thinking historically. History is all

around you, if you can see it.

Read – Try to read several books over the course of the summer. You will do a fair amount of reading in

this class this year and if you are not in the habit of turning pages (or swiping them, as the case may be)

it will be much more difficult for you to adjust. Read fiction, if that is your choice, but try picking up a

historical book as well. There are some really wonderful page-turners about American history.

Write – Keep a journal for the summer, or try writing a short story. The more you write, the easier it is to

write well. You will write quite a bit in this class. The more comfortable you are with writing, the more

successful you will be.

Become an informed Junior Citizen – Read the newspaper. Watch CSPAN. Try to keep updated on the

world’s events. Develop an opinion. Most of what we learn in this class will directly relate to what is

happening in the world today.

Explore your family history – Stuck for a conversation started at the Fourth of July BBQ? Ask your

parents about what it was like growing up. Or ask a grandparent or elderly friend about the Vietnam Era,

or World War II.

Finally, enjoy your summer – Preparing for this class should not consume all your free time. Go climb a

tree, take a swim, or go for a run. You will wish for that free time during the year.

Never stop exploring!

Mr. Orin Eleuterius

APUSH Teacher, 2013-2014

Required Assignment One: Letter of Intent

Rationale: It is essential that you and your family recognize the time commitment that will be expected

of you as an APUSH student this year.

Summer Task: Write a paragraph letter in your own handwriting explaining your intent to take the

APUSH class for the 2013-2014 school year and in which you promise to dedicate the time necessary to

read, reflect, write, and prepare for both this class and the exam in May of 2014. Please also identify that

the class will be challenging at times, and that you accept this challenge. Your parents should write a

similar note to be included with yours. Please mail this letter to the address below:

Mr. Orin Eleuterius, APUSH Teacher

C/o Saint Patrick Catholic High School

18300 Saint Patrick Road

Biloxi, MS 39532

Your letter must be postmarked on or before June 30, 2013.

Required Assignment Two: Geography Activity

Rationale: It is essential as an American citizen to have a firm grasp of the political and physical

geography of the United States. Moreover, the history of the United States will be more comprehensible

to students who can locate places within their minds. Such knowledge will assist students in responding

to questions or eliminating distractor responses because they will have a geographical frame of

reference.

Summer Task: Study the locations of the 50 states, various cities, and geographical features distributed

as a packet at our pre-summer meeting. The blank maps must be completed to be turned in on the first

day of school. You are free to use any one of a number of resources on the Internet to complete this

packet neatly. There are also a number of on-line resources where you can take practice tests on this

essential material.

On the first day of school, students should be prepared for an assessment in which students will have to

identify the location of several of the locations in the geographical packet. Students should be prepared

to be assessed on this material at any time during the academic year.

Required Assignment Three: Presidents of the United States of America

Rationale: As an American citizen, a student should know the political leaders who shaped the United

States with their ideas, policies, and decisions. Moreover, having a grasp of the chronology of the

American presidents will assist students in contextualizing the progress of American history and key

terms. This will better enable students to answer Multiple Choice Questions and incorporate relevant

information into essays.

Summer Task: Memorize the Presidents of the United States in chronological order. It is suggested to

memorize them in groups of three.

On the first day of school, students should be prepared for an assessment in which students will have to

list the presidents in chronological order. Students should be prepared to be assessed on this material at

any time during the academic year.

Required Assignment Four: Handwritten Outlines of Chapters 1-3 of

Pathways to the Present

Rationale: It is essential that college-bound students learn to interact with text in a positive and

productive manner. Learning to identify key information in a text is a skill that will serve any student of

the social studies for years to come. Over the course of this year, students will become expert at reading

many pages of text and organizing key information into an outline format of their choosing.

Moreover, the APUSH exam is incredibly thorough, and students are often tested on both popular and

obscure knowledge of American History. Since it is logistically impossible for me to teach you all of the

material that you will need to know to do well on the test, it is essential that you carefully read your

entire textbook over the course of the year in addition to the Preparing for the US History Exam book,

affectionately known as “the Flag Book” resource.

Your outlines must be handwritten in a pen with black or blue ink. I suggest the Harvard or Cornell style

of outlining. You are encouraged to find the style that best suits you. Outlines for each chapter should be

at least two pages (front and back = one page) in length, but not more than three.

Summer Task: Read and take notes in outline form on the first three chapters of Pathways to the Present

in accordance with the directives listed in the rationale section. Focus on key terms.

These outlines are due on the second day of school. You will also have a test over these three chapters

on this day. Excellent test-prep material may be found on-line via phschool.com and in the text itself.

Required Assignment Five: Summer Essay

Rationale: Writing well is arguably the most important skill that a student can acquire. Being able to

write clear, organized, and effective papers is essential for further success in high school, college, and

beyond. Moreover, this APUSH class will demand a large amount of writing from each student. The

course will focus on persuasive and expository writing, and students will need to answer three essay

questions on the APUSH exam in May (two “Free Response: and one “Document Based”).

Summer Task: Write one two-three page paper that answers one of the following questions, which is

based on your textbook reading. This response is due on the first day of school.

1. Describe the impact of Europeans on Native American cultures and the impact of native cultures

on Europeans. Then, explain why it was or was not a good thing that European cultures

prevailed.

2. Select any combination of two of the three colonial settlement areas (South, New England,

middle) and compare and contrast them. Focus on the motives of their founders, religious and

social orientation, economic pursuits, and political developments.

Your paper must be typed in Times New Roman 12 point, double-spaced, justified, with1-inch margins

and include a title page and a works cited page. You might check out www.aresearchguide.come for

assistance.

You must use – and cite – your textbook and two to three other sources in your paper. Sources could

include a book you choose to read about the topic, one (and only one) film that you watch about the

topic, magazine/journal article, etc. You must use MLA style footnotes to cite your sources, not

parenthetical citations. Please place the full citations on a separate page at the end of your paper. This

page does not count for the overall page total.

Optional Assignment One: Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis (248 pages)

ISBN# 0-375-40544-5

Paperback cost new: about $10.50

* You could also buy this for Nook or another e-reader

Rationale: Students of history must be comfortable with reading a variety of primary and secondary

sources. For students to themselves be good historians and good writers of history, they must also read

and work with the secondary texts of other historians.

Summer Task: We will be discussing this book towards the end of August. I would strongly suggest

reading it over the summer. You could do this during the school year, but it could become burdensome

with your other school work. There are focus questions for each of the chapters that must be answered in

hand-written paragraphs. The result I am looking for is a clear understanding of the arguments made by

the author and how they relate to the study of the material. Some students will need a more detailed

approach to this assignment than others. A skill that you must develop this year is the ability to judge the

degree of rigor at which you must work to achieve the outcome you desire.

Each of the questions, found in Appendix A, deserves a minimum of a one paragraph response that

includes specific references (cite page numbers appropriately in parenthetical form) from the book. I

suggest reading this book one chapter at a time, answering the questions as you go. This is a popular

history, but can be weighty at times. Looking things up on the web is a good idea to get an

understanding.

Optional Assignment Two: Purchase and Organize a Three-ring Binder

Rationale: It is essential the every student learn good organization techniques foe success. I recognize

that it is more than a little weird to ask students to organize their notes, papers, etc. in a specific fashion;

however, I believe that this system will not only help you stay organized. Having a location where all

returned papers and major assignments are kept will allow students to review their work while reviewing

for exams.

Summer Task: Visit an office supply store and purchase a three-ring binder and set of “index tabs” to

create four sections: Handouts, syllabus; returned papers and major assignments; notes/outlines from

textbook chapters; and lecture/class notes. You will also need at least 250 sheets of loose leaf paper.

Extra Practice Work:

There are practice tests available through the College Board website. These former APUSH exams will

provide you with a sense of the language, complexity, and breadth of the multiple choice and essay

questions.

There is a practice test book for preparing for the APUSH exam. Again, this should give you a sense of

the language, complexity, and breadth of the multiple choice and essay questions.

There are a number of wonderful applications for i-phone, i-pod, i-pad, and other devices. The free

Preparing for the APUSH Exam Reference application is very comprehensive. The application icon

shows George Washington’s portrait with the stars and stripes in the background. There is also a set of

flashcards ($2.99) as an application. These 600 easy to study cards allows you to mark cards as

correct/incorrect to help keep track of progress and mastery of different terms from throughout the

course.

Extra Credit Assignment: Experience History

Take a photograph of yourself visiting a historical site, museum, or landmark concerning American

history. Be sure to hold something in the photograph to authenticate the date as from the summer of

2013. Submit this printed picture on the first day of school as well as one paragraph about what you saw

and the significance of that landmark, site, etc. to the study of American history.

Appendix A: Founding Brothers Questions

Introduction

1. What distinguished the American Revolution from other revolutions?

2. Why does Ellis think this difference is significant?

3. Whom does Ellis identify as the eight most important figures in the early republic?

4. What common themes does he argue their lives illuminate (there are four)?

The Duel

5. How did the characters and the duel represent political developments of the early republic?

6. When Ellis refers to “the supercharged political culture of the early republic,” what does he mean?

7. Why did the duel matter?

The Dinner

8. What was the dinner, who attended, and what did they talk about?

9. Why did it matter?

10. Who do you feel gained the most from the dinner?

The Silence

11. To what does “the silence” refer? How do the players in this chapter use God’s will?

12. What did the American Revolution mean for the institution of slavery?

13. According to pro-slavery forces, what practical impediments precluded abolition?

The Farewell

14. Why does Ellis think the farewell is important in the history of the early republic?

15. What did the farewell have to do with foreign policy?

16. Identify each of the following: Jay’s Treaty, Whiskey Rebellion, and Shays Rebellion.

17. How does each figure into the significance of the farewell?

18. After reading this chapter, what do you think about George Washington?

The Collaborators

19. How does Ellis argue these collaborators shaped the history of the early republic?

20. How did foreign policy figure into the collaborations and their significance?

21. What were the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions? What significance do they hold in the history of the

early republic?

The Friendship

22. What was the friendship? When was it formed? How did it change over time? Why?

23. What significance for the history of the early republic does Ellis attribute to the friendship?

24. How did the friendship illuminate issues related to the meaning of the American Revolution? Put another

way, what did the revolution mean to whom?

25. How did the dialogue, as it unfolded from 1812 to 1826, illuminate issues critical to the early republic?

12th AP English Literature

Memorandum

Date: May 8, 2013

To: 2013-2014 AP English Students

From: Mrs. Sutherlin

Re: AP English

Advanced Placement English is a rigorous college level course with two goals: (1) to work diligently, through

discipline, to amass the knowledge and skills required of all students of scholarship-in depth study of reading

and writing; (2) to gain university level credit while in high school through the successful completion of the

AP exam. The course is largely self-directed learning. There is a tremendous amount of reading required,

and there will be numerous writing assignments. Regular quizzes will help ensure reading is completed.

Each student will be assigned a collection of poems and will be asked to write poetry responses on some of

these. I will also ask you to keep up with Novel/Play/Short Story Sheets for each of the works we cover, so

that at the end you will be able to quickly review before the exam.

In addition to reading for class discussion, each student must complete 600 pages of supplemental reading

each term and complete a “book talk” for each book. A book talk is an oral book report in which you

convince me that you have read the book. There will be a folder in the front of the room for you to schedule

your book tasks.

Over the summer, you are to read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Stranger by Albert Camus,

and The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, and the poems “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning and

“Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats. As you read keep a notebook, and write down any vocabulary with

which you are unfamiliar, make notes on the characters, the setting, the plot, and any symbolism you find.

You should have at least three pages per book. List the main character on one side and the minor characters

on the other side. List and briefly describe the conflict of each novel and whether it is internal or external.

Write a page on existentialism and how it applies to The Stranger. Write a page on symbolism and how it

applies to The Great Gatsby. For each of the poems write a response. What is interesting in each of them?

What do you notice about the imagery and sound devices? You will turn in this notebook on the first day of

class, and we will have tests on each of these works during the first two weeks of school.

During the year, the additional texts we will be reading are: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Twelfth

Night by Shakespeare, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad,

and at least three others.

We will be taking AP Practice Tests, so you will need to keep up with these.

You will have a critical analysis due the fourth quarter.