English 1 Accelerated Summer Assignment
2015-2016
Below you will find detailed instructions for the completion of your summer assignment. You will be expected to turn in
the completed assignment on the first day of school. A large component of your assignment will be the required reading
of Fahrenheit 451, a science fiction novel by Ray Bradbury. We will use this text to jump start our curriculum.
Although this novel set in a dystopian society is most commonly linked with the idea of censorship, a closer analysis
unveils the strong presence of other thematic ideas: individuality vs. conformity, self-discovery, and rebellion. The
SpringBoard book we will be using is based on Coming of Age. Studying Fahrenheit 451 and its thematic ideas will serve
as a starting point for the various types of literature we will work with related to Coming of Age.
Below is a breakdown of your summer assignment components:
Read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Create at least five insightful discussion questions over the novel—due the first day of class
Write a literary analysis--due the first day of school
Be prepared to take a comprehensive test over the novel--during the first week of school
I will use this assignment to assess your abilities to analyze and think critically in regards to literary texts and your writing
abilities. Please put forth your best effort in the completion of this task, as it will be used as an indicator for the
compositions of my instruction and teaching.
Reading:
Please procure a copy of the novel and read it in its entirety. You may rent a copy from the local library, electronically
download the novel, or purchase one for your use.
**I suggest purchasing a copy, so you can make notes in the margins and have the ability to easily flip through the pages
to refer to those notes.
Discussion Questions:
Throughout the year, you will be expected to engage in rich class discussion. You need to create a minimum of five
discussion questions. The questions you and your peers create will facilitate our first classroom discussion. Please avoid
using basic questions that cannot spark thoughts and ideas. For example, "Who is the main character?” is far from
insightful and will not earn you full credit on this component of your summer assignment.
Literary Analysis:
Requirements and expectations for your essay are:
MLA format (Purdue Owl is a wonderful resource to use for instruction and examples on formatting)
In-text citations
Work(s) cited page
12 point font
Times New Roman or Calibri font
0 point space between paragraphs
Double space
5 paragraphs
Strong thesis statement that remains the focus of the essay
Topic and concluding sentences
Textual evidence – at least 3 direct quotes
Insightful analysis—do not simply state your point, provide an example, then move on…EXPLAIN the importance
Speaking of importance, do not add irrelevant filler. If it cannot be directly linked to the thesis, do not include it
Watch out for redundancy in word choice and in explanations
Use strong diction
Edit, review, revise, then edit some more…. Writing can always be better
Include varied sentence structure
Do not shift verb tenses. I suggest writing in present tense.
Avoid using too much summary. Only include what is necessary to make/explain your point.
Keep an academic tone throughout
Writing Prompt:
Reread the opening of F451.
IT WAS A PLEASURE TO BURN. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed. With
the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in
his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to
bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history. With his symbolic helmet numbered 451 on his stolid head, and his
eyes all orange flame with the thought of what came next, he flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging
fire that burned the evening sky red and yellow and black. He strode in a swarm of fireflies. He wanted above all, like the
old joke, to shove a marshmallow on a stick in the furnace, while the flapping pigeon-winged books died on the porch
and lawn of the house. While the books went up in sparkling whirls and blew away on a wind turned dark with burning.
Montag grinned the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame. He knew that when he returned to the
firehouse, he might wink at himself, a minstrel man, burnt-corked, in the mirror. Later, going to sleep, he would feel the
fiery smile still gripped by his face muscles, in the dark. It never went away, that smile, it never ever went away, as long
as he remembered.
Guy Montag is the epitome of a dynamic character. This is shown using both direct and indirect characterization. Trace
the changes in Montag throughout the novel and discuss how they fuel a major theme in the novel.
In this literary analysis, you are asked to focus on a dynamic character, direct and indirect characterization, and how this
changing character helps develop a theme. You must use Guy Montag as your character, but you can choose any theme.
I am looking forward to having you in class! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions:
codi.melton@kenton.kyschools.us.