May 12, 2015

Dear Future PreAP English 10 Student:

Congratulations! PreAP and AP courses are fun and rewarding. They prepare you for college better than regular courses. They challenge you to grow as a student. PreAP and AP English students are required to complete summer reading activities. In order to enroll in PreAP English 10, you must read the assigned books, complete the activities, and be prepared for a test on the books during the first week of school. The books are examples of the type of reading you’ll do in PreAP and AP English. The books are available at the library. You can also usually find inexpensive used copies online. If you choose not to complete the summer reading, you will not be allowed to take PreAP English 10. Do not attempt to complete the assignments and pass the tests by simply reading online summaries of the books.

Read: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

Test: During the first week of school, be prepared to take a test over the plots, characters, themes, and settings of the books. The test will include multiple choice and short answer questions. You will also be asked to match characters’ names to quoted passages from the books.

If you have questions about summer reading or PreAP English 10, feel free to email Mrs. Lucero-Carrillo at .

Sincerely,

Mrs. Lucero-Carrillo

Honors English 10: All Quiet on the Western Front Summer Reading Essay

Essay Requirements:

-Write a complete, well developed essay on one of the questions below.

- Your essay has to have a (1) well developed intro with a defined thesis statement, (2)

body paragraphs that support your main idea, and (3) a conclusion that summarizes

and sustains your main point(s).

- Make sure that you provide "textual evidence" from the story to back up your main

point.

- Please note before your first sentence the number of the question you are answering.

Questions:

1) In All Quiet on the Western Front the stories protagonist Paul Bäumer goes through a journey of self-discovery as he changes throughout the story. Chronicle, discuss and define the changes that we see in the character. What knowledge of the human condition does he acquire throughout this journey? How does he change as an individual? Things to consider: What is Paul like as a character? Has the brutality of war completely stripped away his humanity, or does he retain vestiges of his old self? Explore Paul’s character and his maturation process throughout the book. How does Paul evolve as a result of war? USE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES (TEXTUAL EVIDENCE) from the story to argue your point.

2) In All Quiet on the Western Front, civilians and infantry soldiers saw war as completely different things. The civilians saw war as glorious and simple, whereas the infantry soldiers involved in war saw it as distressing and horrible. Discuss the conflicting views of war as portrayed in All Quiet on the Western Front.USE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES (TEXTUAL EVIDENCE) from the story to argue your point.

English Dialectical Journal Assignment for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The term dialectic means using the process of question and answer to investigate the truth of a theory or opinion. The dialectic was the method Socrates used to teach his students how to be actively engaged in the struggle to obtain meaning from an unfamiliar and challenging work. A dialectic journal is a written conversation with yourself about a piece of literature that encourages the habit of reflective questioning. You will use a double-entry format to examine details of a passage and synthesize your understanding of the text.

In this process, you will NOT collaborate with other students. Any assistance from the internet, movies, or secondary sources such as Sparknotes, Cliff Notes, or Wikipedia is cheating. If you have questions about format, e-mail your teacher. (Mrs. Byrd: ; Mrs. Lucero-Carrillo: )

Instructions:

  1. Purchase a spiral or composition book; on the cover, write your name, the book title and author, the number of chapters in the book, and the number of pages in the book.
  2. Fold each page used in half
  3. Labe the left column TEXT and the right column RESPONSE
  4. In the TEXT column, copy passages verbatim from the book, including page numbers
  1. Choose 1 passage from each chapter. If your book does not have chapters, choose 1 passage per 20-25 pages.
  2. Choose passages that:
  1. The details in the passage seem important to you
  2. You have an epiphany
  3. You learn something significant about a character
  4. You recognize a pattern (recurring images, ideas, colors, symbols, descriptions, details, etc)
  5. You agree or disagree with something a character says
  6. You find an interesting or potentially significant quotation
  7. You notice something important or relevant about the author’s writing style
  8. You notice effective use of literary devices
  9. You think that the passage contributes to or reveals a theme in the book
  1. In the RESPONSE column, reflect upon and write about passages. DO NOT MERELY PARAPHRASE THE TEXT!
  1. Raise questions about the beliefs and values implied in the text
  2. Give your personal reactions to the passage, the characters, or the situation
  3. Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of the author or character
  4. Compare the text to other characters or literature
  5. Write about what it makes you think or feel
  6. Write about questions you have or details that confuse you and why
  7. Argue with or speak to the characters or author
  8. Make connections to any themes that are revealed to you
  9. Make connections among passages or sections of the work
  10. Make a prediction about the characters’ futures
  1. Write down your thoughts, questions, insights, and ideas while you read so the information is fresh.
  2. As you take notes, you should regularly re-read your previous pages of notes and comments
  3. First person writing is acceptable

IMPORTANT: Always explain why you think something or like something or do not understand something.

Grading:

A (90-100): Meaningful passages, thoughtful interpretation and commentary about the text, comments about literary devices such as theme, narrative voice, point of view, imagery, conflict, symbols, etc., and how each contributes to the meaning of the text. Makes insightful personal connections and asks thought-provoking questions. Coverage of text is complete and thorough. Journal is neat, organized, and professional looking; student has followed all directions in creation of journal.

B (80-89): Less detailed, but significant, meaningful plot quote selections. Some intelligent commentary; addresses some thematic connections. Includes some literary devices, but less on how they contribute to the meaning. Some personal connections; asks pertinent questions. Adequately addresses all parts of reading assignment. Journal is relatively neat and readable; student has followed directions in the organization of the journal.

C (70-79): Few significant details from the text. Most of the commentary is vague, unsupported, or paraphrased. Some listing of literary elements; virtually no discussion of meaning. Limited personal connections; asks few, or obvious questions. Addresses most of the reading assignment, but is not very long or thorough. Journal is relatively neat, but may be difficult to read. Students did not follow all directions for organization.

D (60-69): Hardly any significant details from the text. All notes are paraphrases. Few literary elements, virtually no discussion of meaning. Limited personal connections; no good questions. Limited coverage of the text. Much too short. Did not follow directions in organizing journal; difficult to read or follow. No page numbers.

F: (50-59): Did not complete or plagiarized.

(1) Points will be deducted on the TEXT side for failing to document accurately and completely according to the directions.

(2) Points will be deducted on the RESPONSE side for superficial and/or incomplete responses.