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Salpointe Catholic High School
Humanities II (Senior Year)
Program Introduction and Expectations
What is the Humanities Program?
The Humanities Program is a challenging two-year honors program offered to highly motivated students.
The Humanities Program fulfills preparatory requirements and recommendations. Established in 1978, the
program has been commended by the North Central Evaluation Team, as providing the integrated,
interdisciplinary, multi-cultural approach needed by students to become critical thinkers, life-long learners
and actively take part in their communities as well as a complex world. Options for Advanced Placement
courses are included in the Humanities offerings.
What are the components of the Humanities II Program?
A thematic approach based on the human experience throughout history unites the coursework of the Humanities II
program. Additionally, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is examined as a guiding document. The
curriculum poses the essential question: “To what extent does artistic and literary production inform and reflect the
universal human experience?”
The Courses
 Honors World Literature (one semester) or AP Literature and Composition (full year)
 Honors History of Art (one semester) or AP Art History (full year)
What are the expectations of a Humanities student?
1. It is a privilege to be a part of the Salpointe Humanities Program.
2. This is an honors program. It is a given that you have intellectual ability; however, there will be no tolerance
for anything less than your best effort.
3. As a young adult, you are responsible for your learning. As such, it is expected that you, rather than your
parents, deal directly with your teachers regarding any academic concerns.
4. Learning and understanding supersede grades. We expect that you maintain perspective and focus on the
process of learning rather than the result of grades.
5. All students are expected to be responsible, honest and demonstrate personal and academic integrity.
6. Remember that while you may be involved in co-curricular activities, you are a student first. Therefore,
academics take priority in your Salpointe experience over any out of class activity.
7. You are expected to treat teachers, fellow classmates and yourself with respect and dignity. Disrespect, crude
language, put downs or inappropriate comments or behavior will not be tolerated. The classroom is a positive
learning environment and will be treated as such.
8. It is expected that every student be prepared, attentive, actively engaged in the lesson/activity.
9. It is expected that all students strictly adhere to their individual teacher’s course and classroom expectations
and rules such as attendance, makeup work, etc.
10. Students are expected to complete all assignments. Assignments submitted after the due date will not receive
full credit.
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Senior AP and Humanities II World Literature Assignment
Summer 2013
You will turn in a hard copy of both parts of this summer reading assignment. You will also turn in a
digital copy of both parts of the summer reading assignment to turnitin.com. Save the two parts
separately as word documents, .RTF files, or .TXT files. The assignment is due on the first day of class.
Summer Reading Assignment: Part 1 - Sophie’s World Jostein Gaarder
Your assignment is to create a quotation journal for Sophie’s World. The final journal should be
typewritten. This quotation journal will be collected on the first day of fall classes.
A: For each of the following philosophers, choose a single quotation which you think best illustrates the
individual’s larger philosophical beliefs or theories. The quotation should be of significant length and
meaning. Be sure to note the page number after your quotation. Use correct MLA formatting rules for inline parenthetical citations.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Socrates
Plato
Aristotle
Locke
Descartes
6. Kant
7. Marx
8. Freud
9. Kierkegaard
10. Darwin
B. Using specific textual evidence to support your claim, explain how each of the above quotations
reflects the major beliefs/tenets of each philosopher/philosophy (150 words minimum).
C. Judge the importance of each philosopher above in regards to their influence on our present day
lives by ranking/prioritizing (1=most important; 10=least important). Justify each “rank” with a cogent
50 word minimum response. Justifications must be specific! Use this model to help. When justifying your
“ranks” make sure to refer to ACTUAL FACTS and CONTRIBUTIONS of the philosopher. Show
specific influences on other philosophers, on other major historical figures, and/or on historical events.
Finally, use specific examples from our everyday lives. How ideas of the philosopher influence the way
we currently view our relationships to our fellow human beings, our place in the universe, our social
institutions, our understanding of a spiritual world, our understanding of ethics and morality, etc.?
For example, Descartes might score near the top of the “rank” list because of his “Cartesian Model” of
mathematics which led to………………..which led to this way of thinking………………………that inspired
others who……………………………..and because of his breakthrough………………………….in the current
world, ………….. is seen……
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Summer Reading Assignment: Part 2 - Independent Reading
Your second summer reading assignment allows you to choose your own reading (sort of). You
may select one of the books below or any novel of equivalent literary stature.
All the King’s Men
All the Pretty Horses
Atonement
Beloved
The Blind Assassin
The Bonesetter’s Daughter
A Gathering of Old Men
The God of Small Things
The Grapes of Wrath
Invisible Man
A Lesson Before Dying
Light in August
Murder in the Cathedral
Native Son
No Country for Old Men
The Poisonwood Bible
Set This House on Fire
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
A Thousand Acres
A Thousand Splendid Suns
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Trial
Some Caveats: Your reading selection must be a novel. It must be a novel of literary merit that
you would feel comfortable writing about on a timed writing exam (such as AP or SAT). Do not
read a book that is in our World Literature or AP curriculum. Lastly, research the book to ensure
that the book substantively addresses the theme of “a search for justice.” (You will see why this
is important a little further on.)
This second part of the summer reading assignment has 2 parts:
1. Read your novel and complete the attached “Reader’s Guide” (on next page)
2. Write a fully developed essay that responds to the following prompt. (Read the “Essay Scoring
Guide” (on following pages) closely to see what the standards are for a successful essay.)
In a novel by William Styron, a father tells his son that life “is a search for
justice.”
Choose a character from a novel or play who responds in some significant way to
justice or injustice. Then write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the
character’s understanding of justice, the degree to which the character’s search
for justice is successful, and the significance of this search for the work as a
whole.
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Independent Reading - Reader’s Guide
(Your responses MUST BE TYPED and SAVED
so they can be submitted to turnitin.com)
1. Describe and explain the SETTING of your novel. Location(s) and time(s). What does the setting
reveal about the characters and conflict in the novel? (25+ word) (You will need to come back
to this prompt to address any substantive changes in setting of the novel) ______/25
2. Introduce and comment on ONE LIKEABLE character. Include at least one direct quote from
the novel that reveals likeable characteristics of the character. (35+ words). ______/35
3. Introduce and comment on ONE NOT-SO-LIKEABLE character. Include at least one direct
quote from the novel that reveals not-so-likeable characteristics of the character. (35+ words)
______/35
4. Discuss TWO conflicts (problems a character faces) and how each is resolved in the story.
A.
The first on should be from the middle of the book and 50+ words. ______/50
B.
The second one must be from the end of the book and 50+ words. _______/50
5. Discuss a MORAL DILEMMA in this novel. A moral dilemma is a problem that calls into
question one’s ethics-rules by which he/she lives life. What was a substantial choice the
character was faced with? What decision did s/he make? Was it the right one? Explain. (50+
words) ______/50
6. Summarize the end of your novel. Provide concrete details which answer who, what, where,
when, why and how the story was resolved. You must cover at least the last 25 pages or the
chapter. (150+ words) _____/150
7. Evaluate the end of the novel. Was it appropriate for the story? Did it work? Was it logical, a
let-down, what? Explain. Provide commentary. (50+ words)_____/50
8. Would you recommend this novel to a friend? Why? What not? Be specific. (25+ words)
______/25
9. Re-title this novel. What would you rename it and why? Just saying you would change it = zero
points. (25+ words)______/25
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Assignment #2 – Independent Reading Essay – Scoring Guide
9–8
These essays offer a well-focused and persuasive analysis of a literary character’s understanding of
justice, the degree to which the character’s search for justice is successful, and the significance of the
search for the work as a whole. Using apt and specific textual support, these essays analyze how the character
responds in a significant way to justice or injustice. Although they may not be error-free, these essays make a
strong case for their interpretation and discuss the literary work with significant insight and understanding. Essays
scored a 9 reveal more sophisticated analysis and more effective control of language than do essays scored an 8.
7–6
These essays offer a reasonable analysis of a literary character’s understanding of justice, the degree to
which the character’s search for justice is successful, and the significance of the search for the work as a
whole. They analyze how the character responds in a significant way to justice or injustice. Although these
responses have insight and understanding, their analysis is less thorough, less perceptive, and/or less specific in
supporting detail than that of the 9–8 essays. Essays scored a 7 present better developed analysis and more
consistent command of the elements of effective composition than do essays scored a 6.
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These essays respond to the assigned task with a plausible reading, but they tend to be superficial or thinly
developed in analysis. They often rely upon plot summary that contains some analysis, implicit or explicit.
Although these responses attempt to discuss how a character understands justice, the degree to which the
character’s search for justice is successful, and the significance of the search for the work as a whole, they
may demonstrate a rather simplistic understanding of the character or the idea of justice in the work, and support
from the text may be too general. Although these essays demonstrate adequate control of language, they may be
marred by surface errors. These essays are not as well conceived, organized, or developed as 7–6 essays.
4–3
These lower-half essays fail to offer an adequate analysis of a character’s understanding of and search
for justice in a novel or play. The analysis may be partial, unsupported, or irrelevant, and the essays may reflect
an incomplete or oversimplified understanding of the character’s response to justice or injustice. They may not
develop an analysis of the significance of the search for justice for the work as a whole, or they may rely on plot
summary alone. These essays may be characterized by an unfocused or repetitive presentation of ideas, an
absence of textual support, or an accumulation of errors; they may lack control over the elements of college-level
composition. Essays scored a 3 may contain significant misreading and/or demonstrate inept writing.
2–1
Although these essays make some attempt to respond to the prompt, they compound the weaknesses of
those in the 4–3 range. Often, they are unacceptably brief or are incoherent in presenting their ideas. They may be
poorly written on several counts and contain distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. Remarks may be
presented with little clarity, organization, or supporting evidence. Essays scored a 1 contain little coherent
discussion of the text.
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These essays do no more than make a reference to the task.
These essays are either left blank or are completely off topic.
© 2011 The College Board.