AIS English II Honors

Summer Reading Assignment

Oedipus the King Sophocles

The following assignment is required for all AIS Honors English II students and strongly recommended for standard-level students as well (standard-level students will receive an extra credit grade for completing the project). It needs to be turned in by Monday, August 25 (even students who do not have English until second semester).

Part 1: Literary Term notecards(20-percent of overall project grade)

The following is a list of rhetorical devices you need to master in English II.

  1. Theme
  2. Apostrophe
  3. Allegory
  4. Text Structure/

Organizational patterns

  1. Archetype
  2. Rhyme Scheme
  3. Alliteration
  4. Objective (unbiased, not goal)
  5. Thesis
  6. Hook
  7. Concession
  8. Refutation
  9. Call to Action
  10. Parallelism
  11. Motif
  12. Author’s purpose
  13. Point of view (1st, 3rd, omniscient, etc.)
  14. Point of view (perspective)
  15. Tone
  16. Repetition
  17. Setting
  18. Epithet
  19. Diction
  20. Metaphor
  21. Simile
  22. Stanza
  23. Speaker
  24. Imagery
  25. Anaphora
  26. Symbol
  27. Personification
  28. Rhetorical question
  29. Syntax
  30. Allusion
  31. Persona
  32. Juxtaposition
  33. Conflict (internal & external)
  34. Irony (verbal, situational, dramatic)
  35. Satire
  36. Tragic hero & tragic flaw
  37. Mood
  38. Oxymoron
  39. Connotation & denotation

We will work on these devices over the semester. To prepare for this, you will need to get your literary term notecards started this summer. I will collect these the first week of school.

  • Each device/device pair gets its own 4X6 or 5X7 index card
  • ON THE FRONT of the notecard, put the following information.
  • The device (spelled correctly, written neatly and fairly large)
  • The device’s definition, in words that you understand
  • Do not put anything on the back of the cards at this point. We will do that in class.

Part 2: Read and Mark Up the Play (40-percent of overall project grade)

Read and mark up the playOedipus the King. Mark interesting words, words you do not know, questions you have, etc. Mark examples of literary terms you defined on your cards. Mark! Mark! Really dive in. This must be more than just underlining and highlighting. It should look like a conversation with the text. I will be checking your plays the first week of school.

Part 3: Creative choice (40-percent of overall project grade)

After reading the play, please create your own project that shows the depth of your experience. You can choose from the options below, or you can develop a creative project of your own. Have fun with this.

  • Create a movie of the play. This should clearly show characters, plot, themes. Be creative. You can join with others from the class to create a group movie.
  • Write a three page letter to a character, giving him or her advice. Relate in any way you can and then try to help them.
  • Write a 3-5 page sequel, using conventions of drama genre, to the play. Take it in any direction you want and have fun!
  • Write and/or conduct a mock trial, trying one of the characters. Include both the defense and prosecutor’s opening statements, witnesses and questions, closing arguments and the jury’s decision.
  • Write a children’s book. Take the same theme and characters and make them simpler. This is no easy task, given the content of the play…the book should be appropriate for children. Don’t forget illustrations!
  • Artistic response – make a painting, a woodcarving, stained glass, a sculpture, something with photography, or just about any other artistic expression. It needs to relate to the book somehow and have a lot of effort and time put into it. PS – no shoeboxes!
  • Make a board game that relates to the book. Have the “end” represent what you think the characters are striving for.
  • Create a soundtrack for the book you have read. You can use songs from other artists or create your own. Include a cover. Also write a paragraph for each song, explaining why you chose it and how it relates to the book.
  • Research the historical facts surrounding the time the novel you read was written. What was occurring in the country where the author lived? What was life like then? How are these things reflected in the book? Display this any manner you wish.
  • Write an interview with the main character. As the interviewer, make sure you ask questions that reveal their personality, morals, beliefs, and any other “issues” they may have. 3-5 pages
  • Create a newspaper that would be delivered to one of the characters in the novel you read. You should include want ads, advertisements, sports section, business, lifestyle, crossword puzzles, horoscopes, etc. Make sure to write three major stories and include graphics.