To: Honors English 10 students and parents
From: Mrs. Lindsey Baxter; TK English Department
Re: 2009-2010 Honors English 10 course and summer work
Date:
In a few short months you will be sophomores, and our Honors English 10 course will
begin. I want to make very clear what the expectations are for the course before you leave
for the summer. PARENTS: Please review the attached summer assignments and
information with your son/daughter so you are also aware of the requirements and
expectations.
For this honors level course:
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We will have a demanding reading schedule that will begin during the summer.
We will read and discuss a variety of works that require a mature level of
understanding. You must be willing to read whatever is put in front of you
without grumbling and to contribute vibrantly to all class discussions. It is not my
goal to get you to “like” everything, but to help you explore a variety of genres
and themes.
You must be willing to thoroughly and thoughtfully read all of the texts we study
in this course. While study aids like “Sparknotes” or “Cliffsnotes” can help you,
they are NEVER an acceptable substitute for reading the novel!
You must complete the summer reading AND writing assignments. The
assignments will be due—printed out and turned in—on the first day of
classes. If the assignments are not completed as directed, you will receive a
grade of “0” on each assignment. There will also be in-class assessments and
activities centered on these pieces beginning the first week of class. These grades
will constitute your first major grades for the trimester. Come prepared!
With all of the above ideas in mind, next are your summer assignments. If you still have
further questions, please feel free to email me at lbaxter@tkschools.org. Don’t wait until
the day before school starts! Plan ahead!
Have a great summer and SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER! 
Mrs. Lindsey Baxter; Honors English 10 Instructor
Honors English 10
Summer Handbook
2009-2010
Thornapple Kellogg High School English
Department
Honors/AP English Program
Instructor: Mrs. Lindsey Baxter
What are the Benefits of Honors and
Advanced Placement (AP) Programs?
For Colleges and Universities:
 It identifies and attracts highly motivated students who have succeeded in rigorous,
honors and college-level courses and demonstrated their ability through demanding
national examinations.
 It provides admissions officers with an excellent predictor of student success in college.
 It enables students to diversify and deepen their college curriculum by placing them out
of introductory level college courses to which they have demonstrated competence.
For Students:
 AP classes can provide college credit for courses taken in high school.
 It develops the analytical and study skills required to succeed in college courses.
 It motivates students to undertake more challenging work in both high school and
college.
 It sets students on a more likely path to college graduation, double majors, and graduate
school.
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Overview of Advanced English Courses:
Successful Honors and AP English students are typically task oriented, proficient readers who
are able to set priorities with regard to time and responsibilities. Parent support of the program
also plays a key role in the success of these students.
Research has proven that reading comprehension is the best indicator of future success in
upper-level studies and college courses. The only way for that skill to develop is through
consistent practice; therefore, Honors and AP English courses require students to read many
works of literature each year.
Reading:
Students enrolled in the AP Literature course must complete the summer reading
assignments. These will constitute much of your first trimester grade. Failure to
complete summer work by the first day of school will result in a zero for the first
grades of the trimester. In addition, students and parents should know that reading
assignments for the school year are both strenuous and strict.
***Academic Dishonesty***
The student handbook defines plagiarism as the use of another person’s original
ideas or writing as one’s own without giving the other person credit. Examples of
plagiarism include discussing and/or copying answers to homework assignments
with other persons, copying or paraphrasing information found on the internet or in
another reference source without citing the information as coming from a secondary
source, and copying or paraphrasing research papers. Students guilty of plagiarism
or cheating are subject to level-two disciplinary action including
detention/suspension and a zero on the assignment for both parties.
To succeed, Honors and AP students must:
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Be able to read and comprehend very well
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Be confident in class discussion and oral expression
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Be able to listen and participate in the thoughtful exchange of ideas
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Take responsibility for reading and writing assignments without relying on
CliffNotes, internet summaries, and other available resources
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Be able to accept and to offer constructive criticism
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Be able to accept and to offer questions for which there are no clear answers
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Possess writing abilities which demonstrate control of mechanics, grammar, and
usage, organization, diction, and syntax
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Seek out challenges and new concepts; work independently
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Possess a respect and regard for literature, composition, and learning in general
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Be willing to go beyond the minimum requirements of any assignment
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Always submit his/her BEST work, on time.
Summer Assignments
Summer assignments are an integral part of any Honors or Advanced Placement English
course. You will be reading one full-length work from a college recommended reading
list and completing a reader’s log and well as preparing a book talk. All of the novels
listed tie in some way to other works we will read this year. You may purchase your book
online from Amazon.com or other online booksellers, or get it from Barnes & Noble or
other retail booksellers. You may also check out the local libraries to borrow a copy.
While you may check out your book for a limited time, it is highly recommended that
you purchase your own copy of the novel to make notes in and highlight (annotate).
Instructions on how to annotate a text properly are attached.
Due Date: All assignments are due on the first day of class, at the beginning of the hour.
NO EXCEPTIONS!!! Please have everything printed out and ready to go before you
walk in the door. Problems with “technology” (printer out of ink, file won’t save, etc.) is
never an acceptable excuse for not getting your work turned in on time in this class. Plan
ahead in case your technology poses a problem at the last minute.
1. Please do NOT send summer work to me electronically (via email), but be
sure your work is saved and available electronically.
2. From this point forward, I suggest you ALWAYS print an extra hard copy of
any papers or large works! This will ensure that if one gets “lost,” you have a
backup!! If your technology “fails,” you have a backup! SAVE your work!
3. Unless noted otherwise, all work assigned is individual work. Plagiarized
papers or work will ALWAYS receive a “zero” for the assignment and twopart disciplinary action. You may not be allowed to remain in the course or
take Advanced Placement courses if you cheat or copy and call it your own
work at any time.
What you need to do by the first day of class:
1.
Choose a novel from the list below. There are excerpts and reviews available
at www.amazon.com or www.allreads.com to aid you in your choice. I
encourage you to research the options and discuss your choice with your
parents.
2.
Fill out the “Summer Reading Choice” form, have your parents sign it,
and turn it in to Mrs. Baxter before you leave for the summer (BY June
5th).
3.
Read the novel of your choice thoroughly—at least once, annotating your
text or making notes as necessary. A guide to annotation is attached.
4.
Keep a reader’s log during your reading. Make at least 5-7 entries.
Directions and a sample reader’s log are attached.
*Your readers log should be typed in a word processing
document (and saved electronically.) If you must, you may hand
write your reader’s log. It must be very neat and written in blue or
black pen.
5.
Prepare a Book Talk. When class begins, you will present your book to a
group of students. In this book talk, you are proving that you read and
understood the book, and that you can discuss a book from an academic point
of view. A directions sheet is attached.
Cliff’s Notes, SparkNotes, or any film versions are not acceptable alternatives to reading
the book. Some of our first assignments of the year will depend on your thorough
reading and deep understanding of your book of choice! We will be discussing, writing,
and doing other analytical activities based on your reading, and it will become very
evident if you didn’t complete your reading.
6.
I also recommend reading and additional 2-3 books (or more!) over the
summer. I, too, make it a personal goal to read several books, some
professional, and some for fun. The more you read, the better you read and
write, and the more culturally literate you become.
List of Summer Reading Choices-Choose one of the following
Note: underlined titles are those that I have copies available for you to borrow.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn-Betty Smith
Catcher in the Rye-JD Salinger
A Separate Peace-John Knowles
Grapes of Wrath-John Steinbeck
House on Mango Street-Sandra Cisneros
The Bean Trees-Barbara Kingsolver
A Farewell to Arms- Ernest Hemingway
The Secret Life of Bees-Sue Monk Kidd
A Lesson Before Dying-Ernest Gaines
Invisible Man-Ralph Ellison
The Natural-Bernard Malamud
The Scarlet Letter-Nathaniel Hawethorne
Touching Spirit Bear-Ben Mikaelson
The Bluest Eye-Toni Morrison
Rumblefish-SE Hinton
Cannery Row-John Steinbeck
The Jungle-Upton Sinclair
Into Thin Air- Jon Krakauer
Peak-Roland Smith
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings-Maya Angelou
Fahrenheit 451-Ray Bradbury
***If there is another title that you feel strongly about reading for the Honors Summer
Work, please make an appointment with Mrs. Baxter and your request will be considered.
Email Mrs. Baxter at lbaxter@tkschools.org
Annotating Texts: A “How To” for you!
ANNOTATING simply means marking the page (of your personal copy of the novel!)
as you read with comments and/or notes. This is a common expectation for Honors, AP
and college reading.
*DO NOT WRITE IN TK BOOKS! If you have a school copy, we suggest you
annotate using “sticky notes”.
The principle reason you should annotate your books is to aid in understanding. When
important passages occur, mark them so that they can be easily located when it comes
time to write an essay or respond to the book. Marking key ideas will enable you to
discuss the reading with more support, evidence, and/or proof than if you rely on
memory.
ANNOTATING MAY INCLUDE:
o Highlighting key words, phrases, or sentences
o Writing questions or comments in the margins
o Bracketing important ideas or passages
o Connecting ideas with lines or arrows
o Highlighting passages that are important to understanding the work
o Circling or highlighting words that are unfamiliar
SPECIFIC ITEMS FOR ANNOTATION MIGHT INCLUDE:
o Character description
o Literary elements (symbolism, theme, foreshadowing, etc.)
o Figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification, etc.)
o Plot elements (setting, mood, conflict, etc.)
o Diction (effective or unusual word choice)
o Vocabulary words
HOW TO ANNOTATE A TEXT:
HIGHLIGHTING/UNDERLINING-This stands out from the page and allows you to
scan a page quickly for information. Be careful not to mark too much—if everything is
marked, then nothing becomes important!
BRACKETS [ ]-If several lines seem important, place a bracket around the passage, then
highlight or underline only key phrases within the bracketed area. This will draw
attention to the passage without cluttering it with too many highlighted or underlined
sentences.
ASTERISKS *-This indicates something unusual, special, or important. Multiple
asterisks indicate a stronger degree of importance.
MARGINAL NOTES- Making notes in the margin allows you to: ask questions, label
literary elements, summarize critical elements, explain ideas, make a comment, and/or
identify characters.
The Dialectical Journal
(Aka. Reader’s Logs)
A reader’s log is an effective way to keep a record of your reading responses-positive or
negative, sure or unsure. It offers a chance to respond personally, to ask questions,
wonder, predict, or reflect on the characters, events, literary elements, or language of a
text. Do not summarize! Instead, record your textual observations.
Instructions for keeping a reading log are as follows:
 Use notebook paper (one-side only) or you may type it
 Must have two columns (divide the page in 1/2)
 Title the column on the left “Quotations from the Text”
 Title the column on the right “Commentary/Responses to the Text”
Responses may start:
 “The imagery reveals…”
 “The setting gives the effect of…”
 “The author seems to feel…”
 “The tone of this part is…”
 “The character(s) feel(s)…”
 “This is ironic because…”
 “The detail seems effective/out of place/important because…”
 “An interesting word/phrase/sentence/thought is…”
 “This reminds me of…”
 “Something I notice/appreciate/don’t appreciate/wonder about is…”
 Or you may start with something else you feel is appropriate
 Record details you find relevant, passages you find well written (or poorly written),
observations on human nature with which you agree or disagree, vocabulary words
with which you are unfamiliar (and then of course discovered their meaning).
 As you log develops, you may begin to see a pattern or be able to formulate
generalizations based on repeated patters or common ideas you observed.
 Generally each response should be long enough to include your thorough analysis of
the literary techniques present in the quotations, the author’s attitude, purpose or
tone, and relation to personal experience. To be more specific:
1. State what it is (the literary element or technique)
2. Explain it in more detail—how and why does the author use it?
3. Discuss HOW it contributes to the whole (or the meaning), tone, etc.
4. Explain how it affects the reader, or what connections you make
personally, to the world other works or anything else.
 AVOID PLOT SUMMARIES!!!!! Your entries must respond to the author’s style
and craft, allusions you note, figures of speech, etc. and the effect these details have
on you as a reader. You should then connect events and comments by the author to
your personal experience or to other works of literature which you have read and
thought about. You can only write about plot events if you connect them to the
effect the work has on you.
 Show me that you have read the entire book by responding to the novel from the first
to the last page. You must have a total of 5-7 entries. Make sure that you note the
page number for the quotes.
How will I be graded? I will look for the following:
1. Entries that are connected to the text
2. detailed, meaningful selections
3. thoughtful interpretations of the text
4. avoidance of clichés
5. insightful, earnest commentary
6. Honors/AP level vocabulary and sentence structure and grammar
7. Look at the excellent model you are given! How does your compare in style and
depth?
Remember, Reading Logs Should:
 Be thoughtful, insightful, and original
 Show understanding of the characters, setting, themes, and the WORK AS A
WHOLE
 Be thorough and complete
o Each commentary entry must be written in the present tense
o Quotations should feature proper punctuation and the page reference in
parentheses as above
(Generic Reading Log Scoring Guide)
Successful-Synthesis and evaluation of the text
 Features detailed, meaningful passages and quote selections
 Coverage of text is complete and thorough
 Journal is neat, organized, and professional looking; student has followed directions for
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organization of the journal
Uses thoughtful interpretation and commentary; avoids clichés
Makes insightful personal connections
Asks thought-provoking and insightful questions
A strong interest in the material as evidenced through an awareness of levels of meaning
Judgments are textually and experientially based
Predications are thoughtful and keenly observed
Character analysis is consistent with the material presented
Show an understanding of character motivation
Comparisons and connections are found between text and other literary and artistic works
Recognizes the author’s writing choices and reasons for those choices
Recognizes the energy and deliberateness of the writing process
Awareness that their own personal beliefs may differ from those expressed in the text
Demonstrates an awareness of point of view
SAMPLE “READER’S LOG”
(With appreciation to Katie V., former TK student, for letting us
use her work as an example)
Jane Eyre; by Charlotte Bronte
Quotations from the Text:
1. “”I like Thornfield, its antiquity, its retirement,
its old crow-trees and thorn-trees, its gray
façade…””(148)
2. “’She stood there by that beech trunk—a hag
like one of those who appeared to Macbeth on the
heath at Forres.”’ (149)
3. “The second, Louisa, was taller and more elegant
in figure; with a very pretty face, or that order the
French term minois chiffonne…” (179)
Commentary/Responses to the Text:
Author Charlotte Bronte utilizes the rhetorical
device, anaphora, in her description of Thornfield
and Mr. Rochester’s partiality to it. The repetition
of “its” followed by the trait of Thornfield,
demonstrates the parallel structure found in
anaphora. “Its antiquity, its retirement, its old crowtrees…” is a list of the many characteristics of
Thornfield Hall that Mr. Rochester enjoys. By
using his literary device, Bronte illustrates the
extent of Mr. Rochester’s love of his home in the
form of a continuous descriptive list. Not only does
the reader deduce the partiality of the owner, but
also the appearance of the estate itself.
In his discussion with Jane Eyre, Mr. Rochester
alludes to the infamous Shakespearean play,
Macbeth. (Mr. R and Charlotte Bronte made a
connection to a literary work, as I am supposed to
do in these logs!)
This comparison of the
appearance of the woman to an old hag from
Macbeth helps the reader to picture how the woman
by the tree looks. Having already read Macbeth, I
can see the old hag’s disheveled appearance, with
long, scraggly hair, old wrinkled skin and tousled
clothing. Applied to the woman at Thornfield as
Mr. Rochester suggests, I can now picture her
disheveled appearance. The connection to a wellknown play and character helps to describe an
unknown character in this story.
As French is an elegant language and the context
surrounding the italicized phrase has a positive
connotation, I can assume that “minois chiffonne” is
a compliment to the woman. However, as I do not
know French, I do not know the meaning of this
phrase and many other phrases in this novel. French
is used by Adele, Sophie, Jane and at times by Mr.
Rochester.
Complete translations of their
conversations are never given and I can only infer
their meaning from the surrounding English
sentences. This is tedious and not very accurate. I
feel “out of the loop” and wish that someone would
tell me what these French phrases mean so that I
could fully engage in the characters’ conversations.
I feel like I am missing vital information that lends
to both the characters and the story.
Book Talks
Task: When you finish your independent novel, you will prepare a book talk to share
with classmates during the first week of school.
Procedures:
 First state the title and author of your book, along with the number of pages.
 Describe the major characters in the book, the setting, and when the book was
actually written.
 Give an in-depth summary of the story, including important events, conflicts and
plot highlights.
 Discuss the themes of the book. Use specific passages as evidence (make sure
these are marked and easily accessible for you to share.)
 Discuss connections you made (TS, TT, TW) to the story. Use specific
examples.
 Discuss the “so-what” of the story. Why is this book worth reading or sharing?
 State whether or not you would recommend this novel to other students and
why/why not.
Grading: You will be graded on how well you understand the book as well as how
thorough you are in presenting your book talk. All aspects listed above should be
discussed, as well as any other information or analysis you can add to it.
Although you are not writing a formal paper, I will be collecting your notes. Make sure
your notes, including all the above areas, are clearly written or typed.