Summer and Fall ReadingAssignment
Reader’sJournal 2017
For all English and EnglishHonors classes, youmustcompletea Reader’s Journal about the book youread. Advanced Placementclasses haveseparate assignments, found onthe SLHS websiteunder Parents &Students.
WHATISAREADER’SJOURNAL?
Areader’sjournalisa logofyourreadingthathelpsyoureflectpersonallyandthoughtfullyasyouread. Fromthislog,yourteacherwillevaluateyourwriting,criticalthinkingskills,andqualityofwork.
REQUIREMENTSFORREADINGJOURNAL- You may choose your own book from the list provided.
Yourjournal/logshouldhavetwocolumns.(seesample)
Typingisencouraged;legiblehandwritingisallowed.
Each entry will containallof thefollowing items.
A. Heading
oPlaceHeadingintopleftcorner
YourName
Titleof book
Entry# Date
Pagesreadforthisentry
B. Summary
LEFTSide:
Writetheword“Summary.”
RIGHTSide:
Writea summaryofyourreadingin completesentences.
Thisisa literalinterpretationofthesepages.
Includejustthehighlights:the who,what,when,where,whyandhowof theaction.
- 7-10 sentences
C. Quote/Passage Analysis
LEFTSide:
Copyameaningfulpassageanditspagenumber citation.
Thispassageshouldshowsomethingimportanttoatheme,acharacter’s
development,plotline,oryourpersonalexperience.
RIGHTSide:
Writeyourresponsetothequote’ssignificance.
Analyze how thispassageisimportantormeaningful. How it connects to other ideas of the book and / or connections to the real world.
- 5-7 sentence analysis
D. Reflections(3)
Eachentryshouldhavethreereflectionsonthatsection.2-3 sentences.
Choosefromthesuggestedpromptsbelow. Do not repeat a prompt.
LEFTSide:
Copydowntheprompt.
RIGHTSide:
Answertheprompt.
WRITINGPROMPTSTOCHOOSEFROM...
Make sure your answer consists of a minimum of 2-3 sentences.
What would be your prediction of the next chapter or ending of the story.
Several (HOT) questions that I have are …..
Find an imagery– explain what the imagery demonstrates and explain its purpose…
Writedownwordsyoudon’tknow. Include definitions and synonyms for each.
Tryarguingwiththeauthor, come up with a counter argument that you would express to him/her.
IfIwere(nameofcharacter)atthispoint,Iwould...
IfIcouldchangeanythinginthisstory,Iwouldchange because….
Theauthoriscreatingconflictbetween and by...
I thinkthesettingisimportantbecause...
I thinktherelationshipbetween and isinterestingbecause...
Thissceneremindsmeof ...(myownlife,movie,TVshow,anothercharacterinanothernovel) because. . .
SomethingInoticed(appreciate,don’tappreciate,wonderabout)is.. . because. . .
Give your opinion about the central character’s motive at this time.
Explain how the central character has changed so far in the story?
The most important event in this story so far is . . . because. . .
HOWSHOULDI DIVIDEMYREADINGINTOENTRIES?
Dividethenumberof pagesinyourbookby5(thenumberofentriesrequired).Thisis thenumberofpagesyoushouldreadbeforestoppingtowriteinyourreader’sjournal. Ideally,foranapproximately250pagebook,youwillread15 pagesbeforeyoustoptorecordyour thoughts.Ifyouareinthemiddleofachapter,feelfreetofinishthechapterthenrecordyourthoughts. Thelengthofeachjournalentrywillvary.
Submission requirements: Please turn your reading assignment into your 2016-2017 ELA (English) Instructor. August’s pre-writing will connect to your summer reading.
Readings:
Moby Dick Herman Melvin
Abridged version Count of Monte CristoAlexandre Dumas
Chocolate War – Robert Cormier
Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebee
Annilation – Jeff Vandermeer
The Naming – Allison Croggon
A Child Called It – Dave Pelzer
Like Water for Chocolate – Laura Esquirrel
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer – James L. Swanson
The Last Bastion of the Living – Rhiannon Frater
And I Darken – Kiersten White
Don Quijote- Miguel De Cervantes
Tess of the D’Uberville – Thomas Hardy
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austin
*Verify book content with parents and get their approval!
SampleEntry
SampleEntry
JoeEagle
ToKillaMockingbird
Entry#2
July14,2012
Pages57-112
SampleEntry
Summary
September arrives, and Dill leaves Maycomb to return to the town of Meridian. Scout, meanwhile, prepares to go to school for the first time, an event that she has been eagerly anticipating. Once she is finally at school, however, she finds that her teacher, Miss Caroline Fisher, deals poorly with children. When Miss Caroline concludes that Atticus must have taught Scout to read, she becomes very displeased and makes Scout feel guilty for being educated. At recess, Scout complains to Jem, but Jem says that Miss Caroline is just trying out a new method of teaching.
Miss Caroline and Scout get along badly in the afternoon as well. Walter Cunningham, a boy in Scout’s class, has not brought a lunch. Miss Caroline offers him a quarter to buy lunch, telling him that he can pay her back tomorrow. Walter’s family is large and poor—so poor that they pay Atticus with hickory nuts, turnip greens, or other goods when they need legal help—and Walter will never be able to pay the teacher back or bring a lunch to school. When Scout attempts to explain these circumstances, however, Miss Caroline fails to understand and grows so frustrated that she slaps Scout’s hand with a ruler.
SampleEntry
Quote/Passage
SampleEntry
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing
but makemusic forus to enjoy… but sing their hearts outfor us. That’s why it’s asin to kill a mockingbird” (Harper Lee 90).
This is where thebook’stitle comes from. It
also seems importantto theme.TomRobinson
is like a mockingbird-innocent and yet is on trial for something hedidn’t do. That’swhy Atticus has to defend him-itwould bea sin not to.
SampleEntry
Reflections
SampleEntry
1. I thinkthesettingis important . ..
2. I really like Atticus. . .
3. I wonder about . . .
1.because itshows the way people acted in
Southduringthe 30’s and . . .
2. becausehe seems like he would bea really cool dad to have due to . . .
3. WhyAtticuscallsMrs.Dubosebrave? Isit brave to overcomeanaddiction?Maybesinceeverybody makesmistakes,theimportant thing ishowwereact after wemessup. . .