Nacogdoches High School: English I PreAP Summer Reading 2017-18

In preparation for English I PAP at Nacogdoches High School, we ask you to read the one of the following titles and complete the attached assignment.

Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario
“Enrique’s Journeyrecounts the unforgettable quest of a Honduran boy looking for his mother, eleven years after she is forced to leave her starving family to find work in the United States. Braving unimaginable peril, often clinging to the sides and tops of freight trains, Enrique travels through hostile worlds full of thugs, bandits, and corrupt cops. But he pushes forward, relying on his wit, courage, hope, and the kindness of strangers.”

The Short Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs
“When author Jeff Hobbs arrived at Yale University, he became fast friends with the man who would be his college roommate for four years, Robert Peace. Robert’s life was rough from the beginning in the crime-ridden streets of Newark in the 1980s, with his father in jail and his mother earning less than $15,000 a year. But Robert was a brilliant student, and it was supposed to get easier when he was accepted to Yale, where he studied molecular biochemistry and biophysics. But it didn’t get easier. Robert carried with him the difficult dual nature of his existence, trying to fit in at Yale, and at home on breaks.”

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeanette Walls Amazon.com “The Glass Castleis a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette’s brilliant and charismatic father captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn’t want the responsibility of raising a family.”

Your assignment is designed to ensure that you have something to read this summer and to show your understanding of reading and analysis, especially plot elements and characterization. The work will be a major grade in the first six weeks’ grading period. In addition, you will use your book to continue discussion and analysis in class. Ideally you will want to own a copy of the book for annotation; however, the high school has some copies of some titles to lend. They may not be written in. We encourage your parents to read the book with you so that you can have meaningful conversations about portions that might be confusing or troublesome.

A second assignment is to write a letter of introduction to your teacher. Here is your chance to inform your teacher of your accomplishments, your favorites, your skills, your weaknesses. We teachers may be especially interested in you as a reader and writer. Share your hopes and fears about high school so that we may anticipate and assist you on your path at Nacogdoches High School. Please put this into a friendly letter format. This is a daily grade for completion and turning it in on time and following the format. Submit this as a hard copy typed or handwritten. It does not have to be on your jump drive. The letter will be due Wednesday, August 30.

Have a wonderful summer, and we will see you in August.

Assignment:

  1. Timeline Entries: [70 points]Select a minimum of10 events from the story to tell about.

Each entry of 150-200 words must contain the following:

  • A description of the event and how it fits into the story line.
  • Page number location.
  • Short explanation of why this is a notable event for the character.
  • Short explanation of how this event has affected the character and conflict.
  • Entries must be from all parts of the book and be presented in order
  • More than one entry may be done on one page
  1. Character Discussion:[30 points]Determine which person was most influential in the protagonist’s life and explain why in a well-developed short essay of 250-300 words.
  • Construct a thesis to introduce who the influential person is and how he/she generally fits into the protagonist’s life.
  • Give two specific examples of when/how the person influencesthe protagonist
  • Explain the immediate effects of the character’s influence in each example
  • Conclude with your opinion related to what helps any person develop into a successful person and connect it with your reading.

Presentation: Create one document with Timeline and Character Essay in it. Do not do two documents.

type all entries in 12 point Times New Roman font

double space your text

include a cover page with name, date, subject

staple all pages together or place in a report cover

The entire assignment is due, hard copy and electronic copy,by Tuesday, September 5

The timeline entries and character discussion must be typed AND SAVED ON A USB OR FLASH DRIVE and be a single document. Your work must be your own and will be checked for originality through a plagiarism website.

THIS IS DUE Tuesday, September5,2017.

Student Name
September 5, 2017

Summer Reading: Book Title

TIMELINE ENTRY # Sample

Date section was read: ______Page number(s) ______

Type your paragraph for your timeline entry using Times New Roman 12 font. Be sure to have your text set on double spacing (2.0) even though you don’t want to. You may do more than one entry on a page. Try to have each entry to be completely on a page and not split between two. Make sure that you develop your ideas. Proofread your work please.

TIMELINE ENTRY # Sample 2

Date section was read: ______Page number(s) ______

So you see that your work can be typed without necessarily using ten pages for the timeline. Develop your ideas to meet the approximate word count.

Timeline Rubric

EXCELLENT / GOOD / POOR / UNACCEPTABLE
Description of Events and Notability
(30 points total;
3 points per entry) / Descriptioncorrectly identifies and consistently focuses onthe importance of the chosen event.
3 points / Descriptioncorrectly identifiesand mostly focuseson the importance of the chosen event.
2 points / Although the student’sdescription correctly identifies an event, the studenthas not adequately given reason for the event to be of importance.
1 point / NO RESPONSE or the student’s reaction DOES NOT correctly identify and focuson the importance of the event.
0 points
Effects on Character
(30 points total;
3 points per entry) / Analysis of the event’s effect is substantial and shows penetrating insight.
Analysis thoroughly explains why the event is powerful,meaningful, or important.
Ideas and opinions show thoughtfulness and originality.
3 points / Analysis of the event’s effect is sufficient and shows some insight.
Analysis adequatelyexplains why the event is powerful, meaningful, or important.
Ideas and opinions show some thoughtfulness.
2 points / Analysis of the event’s effect is minimal and superficial.
Analysis shows a limitedunderstanding of what makes the event powerful, meaningful, or important.
Ideas and opinions show little or no thoughtfulness.
1 point / Faulty or illogical analysis;
No analysis
0 points
LANGUAGE AND
CONVENTIONS
(10 points total;
1 point perentry) / Purposeful and precise word choice;
Consistent command of
grammar and conventions;
Effective sentence
construction
1 point / Mostly clear and specific word choice;
Adequate command of
grammar and conventions;
Adequate sentence
construction
1 point / General and imprecise word choice;Some distracting errors in
grammar and conventions;
Weak sentenceconstruction
0 points / Serious errors in grammar and conventions
0 points.

CharacterEssay Rubric

Criteria / Excellent / Good / Poor / Unacceptable
Introduction/Thesis / Description correctly identifies and consistently focuses onthe influential person.
5 points / Description correctly identifies and mostly focuseson the influential person.
3 points / Although the student correctly identifies a person, the studenthas not adequately given focus on theinfluential person.
2 points / NO introduction or the student’s DOES NOT correctly identify and focuson an appropriate person.
0 points
Examples + Effects / Analysis and description of the event’s effect is substantial and shows penetrating insight.
Analysis thoroughly explains why the event is powerful,meaningful, or important.
Ideas and opinions show thoughtfulness and originality.
10 points / Analysis and description of the event’s effect is sufficient and shows some insight.
Analysis adequatelyexplains why the event is powerful, meaningful, or important.
Ideas and opinions show some thoughtfulness.
8 points / Analysis and description of the event’s effect is minimal and superficial.
Analysis shows a limitedunderstanding of what makes the event powerful, meaningful, or important.
Ideas and opinions show little or no thoughtfulness.
5 points / No analysis
0 points
Conclusion / Clear opinion expressed with insight and connecteddirectly with the textlinking to a life truth.
10 points / Clear opinion expressed with details and loosely connected with the text. Life truth is present.
8 points / Opinion expressed vaguelyand unconnected with the text. Truth is missing.
5 points / No opinion expressed
0 points
Conventions / Purposeful and precise word choice;
Consistent command of
grammar and conventions;
Effective sentence
construction
5 points / Mostly clear and specific word choice;
Adequate command of
grammar and conventions;
Adequate sentence
construction
4 points / General and imprecise word choice;
Some distracting errors ingrammar and conventions;Weak sentence construction
3 points / Serious errors in grammar and conventions
2 points.