American Literature 2015 Summer Reading
In preparation for 2015-2016 American Literature (Grade 10), all in-coming sophomores are
required to complete summer reading assignments that are designed to promote greater exposure
to literature and literacy skills. Summer reading will build reading speed and fluency. Summer
reading will increase comprehension and enlarge vocabulary. Summer reading will improve
writing, enlarge knowledge base, and improve thinking skills. These are all skills necessary for
success in any area of chosen interest. In addition, being responsible is one of the primary assets
you will need to succeed in any endeavor. These are skills that cannot be turned on or off – Start
practicing today!
Summer assignments will be assessed Quarter One and will be utilized the entire school year.
Scores for the summer reading assignments will account for 10% the first quarter final grade and
will influence the semester grade. In addition, your summer reading will be part of a larger
project completed in your American Literature class. If a student chooses not to participate in
summer reading, they will not be eligible for group projects. Students who do not complete their
summer reading will work on their own to complete the final group project.
Materials to be Completed and Turned in by ALL American Literature Students:
_____ Literary Terms and Rhetorical Devices
_____ Reading American Literature – Novel
_____ Reading American Literature – Short Story
_____ Reading American Literature – Poem
Materials to be Completed and Turned by Accelerated American Literature Students
Only:
_____ Accelerated Literary Terms and Rhetorical Devices
_____ Reading American Literature – Non-Fiction
(Pamphlet, Speech, Essay, etc.)
_____ Reading for College Readiness
Attention: American Literature and Accelerated American Literature will have a variety of
differentiating requirements; consequently, an ‘A-form’ will be used in American Literature.
This will create an opportunity for those students to go ‘above and beyond’ average. If you have
enrolled in American Literature and would like to ‘A’chieve, it is strongly recommended that
you get a head start during summer and begin work on additional reading, terms, etc. (see
Accelerated American Literature summer reading). These may be used for ‘A-form’
assignments.
American Literature students will read some or all of the following novels during the 2015-2016
school year:
 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.
 A Raisin in the Sun by Loraine Hansberry.
 Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt
 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
 The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
 The Crucible by Arthur Miller
 A Separate Peace by John Knowles
 Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
 Huck Finn by Mark Twain
 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Expectations:




Read the novel and related reading prior to the first day of school in September 2015.
Complete required steps for each text prior to the first day of school in September.
Be prepared to take a novel test, discuss, write about, and/or participate in presentations
during the first month of American Literature.
Complete your own work. Plagiarism will result in a zero on the assignment, and you
will no longer be eligible to participate in group work.
American Literature Literary and Rhetorical Devices
Please write all answers by hand – NOT typed. We will continue to add to this list with
additional terms and examples as the year progresses, but you will need to have completed all
definitions and be able to match the definition to the literary term when the school year begins.
We will have an assessment of literary terms and their definitions at the beginning of the school
year.
Define each of the following terms. If you understand the term well, you may include examples
from your summer reading. Throughout the year, the terms will guide literary discussion
(determining how and why an author uses these techniques to enhance his/her overall message,
themes, motifs, etc.) and shape your own writing. These terms and their definitions will also be
quiz and test material.
Allegory
Definition:
Example:
Apostrophe
Definition:
Example:
Catharsis
Definition:
Example:
Consonance
Definition:
Example:
Dramatic Unities
Definition:
Example:
Epithet
Definition:
Example:
Epiphany
Definition:
Example:
Ethos
Definition:
Example:
Idiom
Definition:
Example:
Logical Fallacy
Definition:
Examples:
Red Herring
Faulty Analogy
Ad Hominem
Misuse of Humor
Begging the Question
Circular Reasoning
Past Belief
Incorrect Fact
Quote out of Context
Quick Fix
Either/Or
Ad Populum
Contrary to the Fact (Time Machine)
False authority
Appeal to Pity
Appeal to Ignorance
Plain Folks
Snob Appeal
Hasty Generalization
Bandwagon
Straw Man
Non Sequitur
Post Hoc
Oversimplification
Composition
Division
Two Wrongs Make a Right
Logos
Definition:
Example:
Metaphor
Definition:
Example:
Extended Metaphor
Definition:
Example:
Meter
Definition:
Example:
Pathos
Definition:
Example:
Propaganda
Definition:
Example:
Prose
Definition:
Example:
Quatrain
Definition:
Example:
Social Context
Definition:
Example:
Syntax
Definition:
Example:
Understatement
Definition:
Example:
Accelerated American Literature Literary and Rhetorical Devices
Please write all answers by hand – NOT typed. We will continue to add to this list with
additional terms and examples as the year progresses, but you will need to have completed all
definitions and be able to match the definition to the literary term when the school year begins.
We will have an assessment of literary terms and their definitions at the beginning of the school
year.
Define each of the following terms. If you understand the term well, you may include examples
from your summer reading. Throughout the year, the terms will guide literary discussion
(determining how and why an author uses these techniques to enhance his/her overall message,
themes, motifs, etc.) and shape your own writing. These terms and their definitions will also be
quiz and test material.
Alliosis
Definition:
Example:
Anadiplosis
Definition:
Example:
Anaphora
Definition:
Example:
Anastrophe
Definition:
Example:
Antistrophe/Epistrophe
Definition:
Example:
Antithesis
Definition:
Example:
Aphorism
Definition:
Example:
Asyndeton
Definition:
Example:
Climactic Order
Definition:
Example:
Distinctio
Definition:
Example:
Exemplum
Definition:
Example:
Hyperbaton
Definition:
Example:
Hypophora
Definition:
Example:
Isocolon
Definition:
Example:
Metabasis
Definition:
Example:
Metonymy
Definition:
Example:
Parallel Structure
Definition:
Example:
Polysyndeton
Definition:
Example:
Rhetorical Question
Definition:
Example:
Synecdoche
Definition:
Example:
Reading American Literature – Novel
You will choose an American novel (written prior to 1990) from a decade that holds an interest
to you (maybe this is the year your family roots were first laid down on American soil…or
maybe you always thought you should have been born in different time period and would make a
good flapper, cowboy, revolutionary . . .). Your novel will need to be selected from the
thousands of options that do not include the books we will be reading in class next year;
however, if you would like to get a head start on next year’s reading, you are more than welcome
to begin those books this summer! When you complete the novel you will address the five
following areas:
Paper Requirements: You will need to address each of the following five sections with at least
one fully developed paragraph. This is not a research paper, so no Works Cited page is needed;
however, it should be your own work. Any plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment.
A.
Themes/Philosophies: What are the major themes in the author’s writing? Do these
themes create a sense of philosophy from the author on how we should handle life? (Example:
think about how Hemingway’s works created the “Hemingway Code.”)
B.
Characters: What are the typical kinds of characters the author uses in his/her writing?
Look at both protagonists and antagonists.
C.
Setting: Time periods, places (city, rural, other worldly), etc.
D.
Style: What is the author’s style of writing? What sort of literary techniques do they rely
on to get their ideas across? Some important literary concepts include: plot, setting, narration
(point of view), characterization, symbol, metaphor, genre, irony/ambiguity, historical context,
social/political/economic contexts, ideology, multiple voices, literary theory, literary motif.
E.
Biography: How did the author’s own life influence his/her writing? (Think about the
Themes/Philosophies section.) This element needs to be linked to the author’s writing. Do not
bring up issues concerning the author’s life if they do not apply to his/her writing; this is NOT a
book report.
Reading American Literature – Short Story
Find a short story from the same decade as your novel – read and analyze your short story. Your
short story may be by the same author as your novel.
Character Exploration Guide
Character
Role
Description
(Include physical,
emotional, and
psychological
details.)
Quotations
Provide sentences that reveal something
significant about each character’s
personality. Record page #.
Plot Exploration Guide
Plot Analysis: Write story DETAILS that fulfill each element of the plot.
Exposition
(Include protagonist,
setting, and inciting
incident.)
Complications
(The protagonist
takes action to solve
the main problem and
meets complications.)
Rising Action
(At least three
obstacles or problems
that make the conflict
difficult to resolve.)
Climax
(The event where the
audience understands
how the main conflict
is being resolved.)
Resolution
(What happens to the
main characters after
the climax?)
Theme Exploration Guide
Possible Themes
Specific Evidence -- include page #(s)
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Miscellaneous Items
Significance of Title?
What religious or classical
connection might the piece
incorporate?
Connect the piece to another
work.
Setting Quotation
Record a sentence or two that
presents setting description or
that reveals something unique
about the particular setting.
Record page #.
Setting Analysis
Explain the significance of the
setting or the influence the
setting has on plot and
character.
Reading American Literature—Poem
Choose a poem written in the same decade as your novel and short story. When you find your poem, you
will need to paraphrase the poem, note possible themes, and explain how the poetic devices that you
identified develop meaning. During the school year, you will use this information to write a literary
analysis essay. Finally, memorize at least 10 lines of the poem to present to the class. (The lines you
memorize do not need to be consecutive, but make sure the 10 lines form a coherent thought.)
Paraphrasing the Poem: Restate each line of the poem, using more literal language and familiar words.
(You may use this chart, or you may print out the poem and complete the tasks on that sheet.)
Highlight and Label Poetic Devices
Poem (Typed or Handwritten)
Paraphrase (Handwritten)
Theme(s):
1.
2.
3.
Poetic Devices: Write a brief explanation about how the poetic devices that you identified (at least 5)
create meaning or help establish the poem’s theme.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Reading American Literature – Non-fiction
(Accel. Only)
In addition to reading a novel, short story and poem from the same decade, you will need to seek
out a piece of non-fiction (pamphlet, speech, essay, etc.).
Critical Summary
In two paragraphs:
1. Summarize the piece based on what you have learned about summaries in class.
2. Analyze the piece’s effectiveness, offering your own critique
The purpose of this assignment is to give you practice working with different types of writing and backing your own
opinions, integrating textual evidence, and citing specific moments in the text that are important to your thesis
statement.
Paragraph 1: Summary (with Thesis statement)
Review summary information and write a summary of the piece. Mention author’s name and title of work
in the introduction. Using your own words, present the author’s thesis and other main ideas in 4-6
sentences. Remember: when you summarize you will not quote directly from the piece. Do not give your
opinion or interpretation of the material you are summarizing. Omit all references to the supporting
examples and details in the selection. Your goal is to simply provide an overview (without your
interpretation or opinion) of the article. Use ‘sumarizing’ language (i.e. the piece argues, states, suggests, .
. . .).
After you are finished with your 4-6 summary, you will provide your reader with a thesis statement tha
encapsulates you answer to the question: Do you find the piece convincing and effective? Your thesis
should include evaluative language (effective, imparts, confirms, considers, advances, affects, achieves,
documents, etc.)
Paragraph 2: Critique
This is where your opinion comes in! In approximately 6-10 sentences, discuss you
evaluation/interpretation/critique of the effectiveness of the piece. In other words, answer the questions: Do you
find the piece to be convincing? Why or Why not? The author’s methods, tone, style, purpose, organization,
structure, treatment of audience, etc. are all fair game for critique. Use evaluative language (Fitzgerald misses the
point when he … OR Fitzgerald demonstrates his brilliance with …). You are REQUIRED to use at least three
direct quotes from the piece, when appropriate, to support your points. Also, make sure you include persuasive
explanation, explain how that quote supports your assertion. End this paragraph with an appropriate concluding
sentence (conclusion).
How do I quote from a piece? Blend Quotes!
NOT: The millennial generation have an entirely different relationship with ‘the Establishment’. “They are the
most threatening and exciting generation since the baby boomers brought about social revolution, not because
they’re trying to take over the Establishment but because they’re growing up without one” (Stein 2).
This is an example of a “sandwich quote”, which places a quote all by itself in its own sentence. Instead, you want
to blend or incorporate quotes into your own sentence.
Do: Many boomers may argue that Millennials are “taking over the establishment;” according to Stein, though, they
are “growing up without one” (Stein 2).
This is a blended or incorporated quote, and it is a properly constructed citation.
Reading for College Readiness List (Accel. Only)
Read at least one book from the College Board Advanced Placement Summer Reading List.
After reading this book, students will need to complete an book report to be developed into an
AP style essay. (Please reference online reading list.)
American Literature -- Book Report
You have selected a 200+ page book from the College Board Advanced Placement list. Please
answer the following prompts using complete sentences and appropriate literary terms.
Title of Book:
Author:
Date Published:
Brief description of Main Characters:
Number of Pages:
Summary:
What is the tone of the writing (mischievous, scary, thriller, humorous, dramatic, mysterious,
etc.)? Does the author pull it off well, or are they not as good as someone/something else you
have read? Who or What?
Word Work: Select at least two words from your reading that offer a unique or recurring
perspective.
Word
Definition
Sentence
Graphic
Describe your favorite moment of the book in vigorous detail!
Find at least one quote from the book that you liked. How does it illustrate the writing style,
tone, and/or sense of voice?
Universal Themes: This is the interpretation section – a little philosophizing and evaluating on
the purpose of life as the story shows it, as the character(s) sees it, as you see it.
What are some of the motifs used in the story? Name at least two explain what they mean.
How does the author use diction to reveal details about the characters or situations in the story?
Provide an example quote to aid in your explanation.
Are there any allusions or homages present in the story? Name them and explain what is being
alluded to or what they are honoring.
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Explain!
Connections: What does the text remind you of in your own life, in movies or books, in history,
in human concerns or issues…? What did you wonder about when…? Were you reminded of
anything…? If you had been there, what would you have done…?
Illustrate your favorite scene from the story, using color, shadow, perspective, style to illustrate
the tone of the scene.