Anderson High School
2016 Summer Reading/Thinking Assignment for Incoming 10th Graders
Why do we have a summer reading assignment?
The key to being a great reader is to read extensively, and the key to being a great writer is exposure to great writing. Reading is not something that we want you to do just during the school year; life-long learners are also life-long readers. Summer provides time to enjoy uninterrupted reading and allows students to digest ideas prior to discussing and interpreting writing techniques in class. It also reinforces the skills students learned and keeps them in touch with great literature.
Directions: Choose ONE of the books listed below and complete the following assignment.
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
- The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
- Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
- Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
- Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
Note: If you foresee any difficulty in purchasing a copy of the book, please talk to your English teacher before the end of the year—we have a limited supply of copies that we can loan to students. The Austin Public Library may also have copies of the book for you to check out.
The Assignment
Part 1: Dialectical Journals
In a composition book, you will write six dialectical journals (T-Charts). Each journal will include: a thematic statement (at the top of the page), a concrete detail (direct quote) to exemplify the thematic statement, and 5 sentences of commentary to explain the significance of the quote in terms of theme (no plot summary).
Part 2: Related Materials
- Find one piece of related material that connects thematically to your book (but is not about your book). Look for art, music, poetry, short stories, television shows, articles, or movie clips.
- In your composition book, write a two-chunk Schaffer paragraph (or APE-PE paragraph) connecting your book to your related material. If possible, include a copy of the related material.
What should I be looking for while I read?
Take notes or mark in your book as you read. Consider passages that:
- reveal a truth about a character, the theme of the novel, or life in general.
- indicate a major change in the character, plot, or tone.
- demonstrate the writer’s craft (consider major literary devices).
- strike a chord in you or grab your attention, for whatever reason.
When and how will I be assessed? There will be a reading quiz the first week of school. You will be asked to create a timeline of 5 significant events and explain their contribution to the plot. You may use your composition book on the quiz!
Do you have any questions?
If you have any questions over the summer about this assignment, we want you to contact a 10th grade teacher for assistance.
Lord of the Rings: Example Dialectical Journal #1
Thematic Statement: The true nature of an object can sometimes be masked by a beautiful appearance.
Quotation / Identification of Theme & Author’s Purpose(How the Devices Reveal Theme)
Quot Quotation: “The gold looked very fair and pure, and Frodo t Frodo thought how rich and beautiful was its colour, how perfect was its roundness. It was an admirable thing
and altogether rather precious” (Tolkien 59).
Remember to ALWAYS cite the author’s name followed by the page number at the end of the quote. The period goes after the parenthesis, not inside the quotation marks. / Commentary: The connotation of the words “rich” and “precious” show that this ring is a great treasure and a person would find it hard to ignore its beauty. The ring is also described as “fair and pure” and “perfect”, words we use to describe things that are innocent and good, not evil and corrupting. In the hands of Sauron, the ring could be used to enslave all of Middle Earth. It hides its true nature behind beauty and innocence, showing that one cannot trust something on its looks alone. This quote foreshadows that Frodo will have a difficult time destroying the ring because he’s so enamored with its beauty.
Related Materials Example Paragraph:
The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald share the theme that appearance sometimes does not match reality, often leading to a problematic future. In Fellowship of the Ring, at Gandalf’s insistence, Frodo examines the One Ring and sees that it “[looks] very fair and pure, and [he thinks] how rich and beautiful [is] its colour,” believing that it is “an admirable thing and altogether precious” (Tolkien 59). The words “fair” and “pure” make the ring seem untainted and safe, and the “rich and beautiful” color portrays the ring as valuable and splendid. Frodo, like many people bewitched by glamorous objects, is blinded to the true nature of the ring, unaware that it will bring about the destruction of Middle Earth. Similarly, in The Great Gatsby, Gatsby admits to Daisy, "You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock";however, after his plans with Daisy fall apart, he realizes "the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever...Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one" (Fitzgerald 93). His objectification of the green light represents the obsession that Gatsby felt for Daisy, but as he realizes his idealized version of Daisy doesn't fit with reality, the light loses its power over him. Gatsby is blinded by Daisy's beautiful appearance, realizes the truth too late, and is unable to protect himself from her self-serving character.