Honors American Literature and Composition
Summer Assignment
Welcome to Honors American Literature and Composition! This course is intended to educate students about the impact American literature has had on our society. The summer assignment is meant to encourage students to begin thinking about America and exploring literature. There are two components to this project that must be completed BEFORE classes commence in the fall. If you have questions, email me at .
Reading Requirement:
-Students will create a Goodreads account (see below).
-Students must “friend” me (I’m Ariel Uppstrom) so that I may view your updates.
-Select an influential American and find a biography or historical fiction about that person. For example, maybe you are interested in nuclear science. You could choose to read a biography about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project. Or maybe you are a strong supporter of Gay Rights and want to read about Harvey Milk. There are any number of ways you can go with this selection, so please choose something relevant to you.
-DO NOT CHOOSE TO READ THE FOLLOWING
-Things They Carried, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Joy Luck Club, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
-You will need to update your progress while reading the book at least 4 times. These updates should do the following:
-Update your page number progress.
-Include a comment regarding a trait of the individual that made them influential
-Include a comment on how the individuals are facing conflicts and what you think about them.
-Once you finish the book,click “update” and then “I’m finished” and you will get a larger text box to answer the following questions:
-What is the summary of the text? Give an overview of events in the text.
-How did this person impact American culture or society?
-What is the theme of the text? What evidence do you have to support this conclusion?
-Would you recommend this text? What makes you recommend or not recommend the text?
Road Trip:
-It is important for students to be familiar with their home country and all the wonderful things that there are to see. Therefore you will tell us about your summer travels (or lack there of) and how it is “American.” For example, maybe you visit your cousins in Texas. Tell us about that visit and what you saw. Then connect it to how it shows something about Americans or the American Spirit. Attached is a sample of a written version.
Requirements:
-Describe the places you went to make us feel like we were there
-Explain who was there
-Explain what you found surprising or interesting about the place you went
-Explain what you think shows that this place is connected to America or American society
Goodreads Guide
Each student will create a goodreads account online and friend everyone in the class (including me, I’m Ariel Uppstrom). You will update your status as you go through your novels and include reviews of each book you finish.
How To:
-Go to goodreads.com
-Click register at the top right corner of the page
-Use information that you will REMEMBER!
-Once you’ve logged in, up at the top right corner it will say your name. If you hover over that, it will drop a box that says “my profile” and “my account”.
-“My account” allows you to fill in information about yourself. Fill that out and include a picture of yourself.
-To add books you’re reading, go to the top menu and click find books
-Type in book titles and you can select the book you’re reading
-It allows you to show your progress, rate the book, and review at the end.
-Mess around to get a feel for it.
How To Update:
-Once you’ve added a book, it will show up in the leftcolumn of your home page.
-Next to the date added, you will see “update status.” Click that to update the page number you are on and the small updates.
How To Do the Final Review:
-When you finish the book, click “update status” and then “I’m finished.” You will get a large box to write your full review.
Ariel Uppstrom
Ms. Uppstrom
H. American Lit.
17 August 2017
Road Trip
Who knew there would be so many interesting things to do in Dallas, Texas? As I pulled into the city, all I saw were crisscrossing highways! It was insane! Thank goodness for GPS. It was a pretty hot day as I climbed out of the cool comfort of my car. The 106 degree temperature was not the best feeling as the sun beat down on my head, but at least it wasn’t humid like Ohio. I strolled down the curved streets with neatly kept trees to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is dedicated to the life and death of John F. Kennedy. I had forgotten that he was shot in Dallas, so this museum was really interesting and educational. They give you a headset for the audio tour, which is really informative and gives you information about JFK’s life and rise to the place of president. Then they discuss the life of Lee Harvey Oswald and what led him to kill JFK. They also talked about the different theories people have on his assassination such as the mafia’s involvement, the CIA, or the Russians. I felt so bad for his wife and children having to experience that. I got to see where Oswald stood looking at the parade ground and planning his actions.
After Dealey Plaza I decided to get some Texas barbecue! I’m not a huge fan of barbecue, but I figured it’s a must in Texas. I asked some locals where they thought I should go and they said the Pecan Lodge. It was an interesting place run by a family. They smoke their barbecue, which gives it a nice caramel taste. I had the “Hot Mess” which was delicious and spicy. I followed that up with the Homemade Peach Cobbler with nice melty ice cream! They had live music playing while people ate. That was neat. It was a band called Raised Right Men, which was a nice honky tonk style of music. They had a nice blues kind of sound too, which I really enjoy.
Texas just screams America to me. It’s big (like all American things) and naturally beautiful. I always think of how America has so many pretty landscapes and this is captured in Texas with its cactus fields, beach front areas, and cities. The music I hear is also very American. The songs are about being proud and standing up for yourself, which is a very American ideal.