Summer Work

Stickel

English 10A

Congratulations! I look forward to working with you next year, but first… the dreaded summer work. Argh! I am asking you to do two things that shouldn’t completely destroy your summer fun.

1. You are to read two novels. The first is Tracks by Louise Erdrich, and as you read it, create an extensive dialectical journal that will help you in writing an essay. It should have a minimum of 25 entries, which include the passage, citation, and response. It may be either handwritten or typed; if it is handwritten, it should look nice and must be legible. This will be due the first day of class and will be used to begin the year in 10A. The second book to read will be a book of your choice from The College Board: 101 Great Books reading list, which can be found at this web-site: and there is a link to it from my homework web page. Also, write 25 dialectical journals for this book as well. *** Keep in mind that we will be reading Antigone, Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in class.

Reminder: A dialectical journal is another name for a double-entry journal or a

reader-response journal. A dialectical journal is a journal that records a dialogue, or conversation, between the ideas in the text and the ideas of the reader. Write down your thoughts, questions, insights, and ideas while you read. You may also include literary devices such as symbolism, foreshadowing, characterization, point of view, setting, theme, and figurative language like personification, metaphors, and similes.

2. You will need to write me a personal letter that tells all about you. I want to know who you are, what you like, what your goals are, and all that good stuff, so I have a better idea of who you are as we start the year together. Feel free to hand write it and be casual (don’t get stressed out about it). Send it to Mr. Stickel 6694 Rutgers Drive, Sebastopol, CA 95472. IT MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN SATURDAY, AUGUST 11.

*** Summer work is a major portion of your first semester grade. ***

Tracks by Louise Erdrich

Tracks alternates between two narrators: Nanapush, a jovial tribal elder, and Pauline, a young girl of mixed heritage. In Nanapush’s chapters the point-of-view is that of Nanapush telling stories to his grand-daughter, Lulu, several years after the main events in the novel occur. Pauline's narratives deal with her own personal story and also provide a second perspectives on many of the same events described by Nanapush. When Lulu was ten years old, her mother, Fleur Pillager, sent her away to a government school. Because of this, Lulu is now estranged from Fleur. Nanapush, therefore, attempts to reconcile mother and daughter by telling Lulu about the events between 1912 and 1924 that led Fleur to her decision.

Summary courtesy of wikipedia.com