COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY SUMMER READING
(10TH GRADE HUMANITIES)
Summer, 2015
For your summer reading you must read two texts: one from the English book list
and one from the History book list. In addition to reading the two texts, you must
complete the following two assignments, due the first day of class. For each day
late, 10% will be deducted from the grade, not to exceed 30%.
1. Multi-media assignment – for English
2. Historical book assignment – for History
10th Humanities: English (choose one)
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
King Lear by William Shakespeare
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s Sonnets (Folger Shakespeare Library) by William Shakespeare
The Penguin Book of Renaissance Verse: 1509-1659 edited by Norbrook and
Wouldhuysen
A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
Utopia by Sir Thomas More
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
10th Humanities: History (choose one)
1493 by Charles Mann (Columbian Exchange)
A World Lit Only By Fire by William Manchester (Middle Ages into the Renaissance)
The Cheese and the Worms by Carlo Ginzburg (Italian popular culture in the
Reformation)
The Great Cat Massacre by Robert Darnton (cultural history of the Enlightenment)
The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior by Paul Strathern (Da Vinci, Machiavelli,
Borgia)
Brunelleschi’s Dome by Ross King (Renaissance architecture)
Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling by Ross King (Renaissance art and politics)
The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir (English monarchy and the Reformation)
Longitude by Dava Sobel (astronomy and navigation)
Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel (Scientific Revolution & religion)
A More Perfect Heaven by Dava Sobel (Copernicus)
A Book Forged in Hell by Steven Nadler (Spinoza)
Enlightening the World by Philipp Blom (Encyclopedia)
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY SUMMER READING
(10TH GRADE HUMANITIES)
Summer, 2015
ASSIGNMENTS for the SUMMER READING TEXTS
MULTI-MEDIA ASSIGNMENT
for the ENGLISH BOOK CHOICE
from the main character’s perspective
8-10 entries
an original photo to accompany each entry
Google Blogger is easy to use for first-timers
CREATE
a
BLOG

CREATE
a
GLOG

CREATE
a
MOVIE

5-10 minute documentary or mockumentary that deals with a
theme presented in the text
WRITE
a
SONG

Write a song based on the text, or a theme from the text
The song must be at least 5 stanzas; no more than two can be
the chorus
Type a copy of the song, and spell check it
Perform the song, or have someone perform it
Record the performance (video, sound, or both!)









For each significant person in the text
Include pictures, descriptions, what the person does,
significant quotes, personality, etc.
www.glogster.com
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY SUMMER READING
(10TH GRADE HUMANITIES)
Summer, 2015
HISTORICAL BOOK ASSIGNMENT
for the HISTORY BOOK CHOICE
Goal: Your goal is to provide an interesting summary of the book you read to
present to the class.
Project Choice: Please choose one of the following for your historical book
assignment:
1. Create a short video clip about the book: You can create an interview
type show where you interview important people in the book, create a short
movie trailer for the book, or actually have people act out portions of the
book. The video clip should be approximately 10 minutes and should be
shared with Dr. Littlefield
Resources: following are online tools that allow you to create short movie
clips (you are not limited to these resources) Creaza http://creaza.com
Kerpoof http://kerpoof.com
Xtra normal text to movie http://xtranormal.com
2.
Create a digital timeline of events of the book: The timeline should
consist of at least 15 events. You can add photos, video, audio and text to your
timeline to support telling the events sequentially. Themes, colors, backgrounds,
and background music can be added to further personalize the timeline. Timelines
should be shared with Dr. Littlefield.
Resource: (you are not limited to this resource)
Capzles http://capzles.com is an interactive timeline creator.
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY SUMMER READING
(10TH GRADE HUMANITIES)
Summer, 2015
Multi-Media Project Rubric- ENGLISH
Criteria
Excellent
Good Job
Almost There
Understanding of
Text
□ Project demonstrates
a deep and sophisticated
knowledge of the text
□ Project
demonstrates a
strong
understanding of
the text
□ Project
demonstrates a good
understanding of the
text, but at times it is
superficial
□ Project demonstrates
little understanding of
text; not accurate or
exceedingly superficial
□ Compelling and
creative interpretation
of text
□Engaging
interpretation of
text
□ Interpretation lacks
punch and originality
□ Little original thought
in interpretation of text
□Very detailed,
thoughtful, and unique
□Detailed and
thoughtful
□Some attention to
detail evident
□Vague, cliché
□ Very attractive, welldesigned, organized,
clear
□ Attractive and
well-designed
□ Parts are
disorganized, unclear,
or distract from the
content
□ Multimedia distracts
instead of supports your
interpretation of the text
□Correct grammar and
spelling
□Few grammar
or spelling errors
□Several grammar or
spelling errors
□ Many grammar or
spelling errors
□Speaks audibly;
engages audience; very
professional
□Professional;
holds audience’s
attention most of
the time
□Some parts hard to
understand;
sometimes loses
audience’s attention
□Many parts of
presentation difficult to
understand or not
professional
□Answers
questions
accurately
□Struggles to answer
some questions
□Incorrect or no answers
□Project is
missing 1
requirement
□Project is missing 2
requirements
□Project is incomplete
(missing 3 or more parts)
Originality /
Creativity in
Interpretation
Aesthetics /
Graphics of
Multimedia
Mechanics
Presentation and
Question /
Answer
Following
Directions
/ Meeting
requirements
□Answers questions
insightfully and with
ease
□Project meets all
requirements listed on
assignment sheet
Needs Improvement
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY SUMMER READING
(10TH GRADE HUMANITIES)
Summer, 2015
Historical Book Assignment Rubric - HISTORY
Criteria
Almost
There
Needs
Improvement
Demonstrates an
adequate
understanding of
the author’s
message and
summarizes the
main themes and
ideas
Demonstrates some
understanding of
the author’s
message but only
gives a minimal
summary of the
main themes and
ideas
Demonstrates very
limited/no understanding
of author’s
message. Provides no
summary OR summary
takes over entire review.
Covers topic indepth with details
and examples.
Subject knowledge
is excellent.
Includes essential
knowledge about
the topic. Subject
knowledge appears
to be good.
Includes essential
information about
the topic but there
are 1-2 factual
errors.
Content is minimal OR
there are several factual
errors.
Organization
Content is well
organized using
headings or
bulleted lists to
group related
material.
Uses headings or
bulleted lists to
organize, but the
overall
organization of
topics appears
flawed.
Content is logically
organized for the
most part.
There was no clear or
logical organizational
structure, just lots of
facts.
Originality
Product shows a
large amount of
original thought.
Ideas are creative
and inventive.
Product shows
some original
thought. Work
shows new ideas
and insights.
Uses other
people\'s ideas
(giving them
credit), but there is
little evidence of
original thinking.
Uses other people\'s
ideas, but does not give
them credit.
Makes excellent use
of font, color,
graphics, effects,
etc. to enhance the
presentation.
Makes good use of
font, color,
graphics, effects,
etc. to enhance to
presentation.
Makes use of font,
color, graphics,
effects, etc. but
occasionally these
detract from the
presentation
content.
Use of font, color,
graphics, effects etc. but
these often distract from
the presentation content.
Understanding
of Text
Content
Attractiveness
Excellent
Good Job
Demonstrates
advanced
understanding of
the author’s
message and
thoroughly
summarizes the
main themes and
ideas