Brentwood High School’s 11th GRADE Summer Reading Project
This summer, at each grade level, students will be reading one required novel. Each novel and its corresponding activities have been carefully selected and designed to encourage your independent reading and critical thinking skills in order to gain a deeper understanding of the text. ***Please purchase a copy of this novel (specifically ISBN #978-0-545-27453-1 OR ISBN #0-545-27453-2) from your local bookstore so that you may be able to complete the annotation assignments in this reading project. You may also borrow a copy of the book from your local library and keep a journal with page #’s and annotation notes. In September, after having completed the assignment, you will be able to fully participate in the classroom lessons, activities and assessments your teacher has planned for the novel. We are certain that you will enjoy the selection and its timeless themes.
We wish you all an enjoyable summer and good reading!
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“Well, life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of the community.”
–Gordy in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie (ISBN# 978-0-545-27453-1) is a coming-of-age story told and illustrated by a young man who is struggling with life on a Native American reservation. When Junior throws his geometry book at his teacher, little does he know the chain of events that will follow! The chapters are short, the dialogue is clever, and the illustrations tie it all together for the reader. This unusual book will shock you, make you laugh, and may even break your heart—by the end of this summer, you will know why!
As an 11th grader, all the literature you read and discuss in English class will focus on the influence of society on the individual. That is the BIG IDEA you will be considering as you read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, and everything else you will read throughout your junior year.
In order to assess your viewpoints on the themes of the novel and to deepen your connections to and understandings of the work, consider the following Essential Questions before, during and after reading:
§ Does society embrace the “individual”, or exclude them?
§ How does labeling and stereotyping influence how we look at and understand the world?
§ What turning points determine our individual pathways to adulthood?
Be an ACTIVE reader!
As you read the novel, you are expected to annotate, or take notes. This will help you during the class discussions, activities, assignments and assessments—based on the novel—that your teacher will conduct in the first weeks of school. If you are using a copy of the book you purchased, you may write your notes directly on the pages themselves. If you are using a borrowed copy of the book, post-it notes or a dollar-store marble notebook can be used instead. Highlighting is not annotating! Think of questions or observations about the author, the author’s style, the language being used, the audience being addressed, and the message or issue being conveyed. Reread passages, for understanding or pleasure, as necessary.
Let’s Get Started!
Anticipation Guide:
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Directions: Where do you stand on the statements below? Be prepared to defend and support your opinions with specific examples.
1. The truth should be revealed, even when it is horrifying.
2. Pictures and drawings are more effective forms of communication than words.
3. Communities, such as neighborhoods, inspire personal responsibility.
4. If you go against the beliefs of your “community” you are a traitor.
5. All teenage boys are immature.
6. Friends should not be competitive.
7. Friendships disintegrate when friends spend time away from each other.
8. Individuals become the products of the communities they are raised within.
After reading the text, compare your opinions on those statements with the author's implied and/or stated messages.
Assignment:
To meet the summer reading requirement, you will complete two tasks: A during reading activity, and an extension project.
The goal of summer reading is to allow you the opportunity to READ and ENJOY a book that you can find relatable or inspiring. Many sections of this text are powerful. While reading, engage with the text!
During Reading Activity:
Identify passages you find memorable and significant. The passages can be interesting, funny, confusing, surprising, tragic…anything! Once you identify a passage, cite the page number, and paragraph number. Then, write a summary of the selection and explain your reason(s) for selecting this portion of the text. You will complete this assignment on a separate sheet of paper (or in a journal/marble notebook).
Requirements:
§ Choose 3-5 passages of any length from the text
§ Your written response to each selected passage must be 7-10 sentences in total. This includes both your summary AND reasoning.
Model (using We Beat the Street, by The Three Doctors):
Example Passage #1:
Page 87, paragraphs 8 and 9:
Summary: In this section of the book, Rameck has just sprayed his teacher with silly string. A moment of immaturity and poor decision making may have just ruined his chances for a “better life.” A life his mother and grandmother made great sacrifices for. He is disappointed in himself, and scared of the consequences.
Reason for Selecting: This section is significant for me because it highlighted a defining moment for Rameck. If I were Rameck, I would have felt terrible because I just broke the hearts of my family! This section was effective because sometimes me and my friends do stupid things without thinking about who it might hurt, or what might happen.
Some sentence starters for you to use:
§ What this means to me is…
§ I think this represents…
§ One question that this text answers is…
§ This reminds me of…
§ I experienced this once when…
§ I can relate this to other readings because…
§ So, the big idea is…
§ A conclusion that I’m drawing is…
§ This is relevant to my life because…
§ This author is trying to make me (see, feel, know, do) …
§ This could be more effective if…
§ The most important message here is…
§ One big difference between this and ___ is…
Extension Project:
An important component of enjoying literature is connecting it to your interests. After reading, choose one of the following activities to complete. This will demonstrate a deeper understanding of the book and will allow you to be creative and thoughtful while making text-text, text-world or text-self connections.
Choose ONE of the following:
§ Identify and replicate Native American artwork (all mediums: watercolor, pottery, etc.)
§ Produce ONE piece
§ Have a copy of the original (photo is fine) to accompany your piece.
§ Research a sports team that has a Native American team name or uses a Native American-themed mascot. Write a speech defending or condemning the team’s use of Native American references.
§ Be sure to use persuasive techniques (rhetoric) in your speech.
§ Speech must be at least four paragraphs long.
§ Research Junior’s medical condition and prepare a doctor’s report for parents of children with a similar condition.
§ Must use first-person point of view.
§ Must include the causes and effects of the condition.
§ Film a trailer for your upcoming movie about you titled: The Absolutely True Diary of… (fill in the blank!).
§ Your film must be classroom appropriate!
§ Minimum of 2 minutes in length.
§ Interview a family member (over the age of 50) who can tell you about your heritage.
§ Conduct the interview using pen and paper, or documentary-style, using video.
§ Minimum of eight questions and the questions should be open-ended
§ Be sure to include your own reflection on the interview
§ Create a pamphlet for incoming students, reflecting life as a student in Brentwood High School.
§ Include photos and text representing areas of academics, sports, arts, etc.
§ Go to a sports event, and capture—either in writing, photos, or on film—the experiences of both players and spectators.
§ You may choose an amateur or professional sporting event to attend.
§ Writing: descriptive writing to “show” the reader the experiences of the athletes and the fans.
§ Visual: images of the players/fans that reflect emotional responses of their participation in the event. NO SELFIES!
§ Attend the Pow Wow at the Shinnecock Reservation on Long Island. Document your experience.
§ Pow Wow is held September 4th -7th. Visit the Shinnecock Reservation website for details.
§ Your project must include at least five pictures with captions.