Summer Reading Assignment English II Honors
Part One – Read the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles.
Part Two (to be done at the same time as Part One) - Using sticky notes or writing on loose-leaf
paper, annotate (supply with critical or explanatory notes) the text for the following items:
1. Literary devices/ figurative language
2. Characterization (sections that help us get to know a character)
3. Interesting/ important events
4. Changes in characters as they mature
5. Examples/ ideas of themes from the novel
6. Personal comments
7. Questions/ Visualizations/ Evaluations/ Clarifications/ Predictions/ Connections
8. Your favorite lines or paragraphs that seem meaningful to the ideas of the novel
Regardless of whether you use post-it notes or loose-leaf paper, you will want to write the chapter
number and the page number at the top of each note. (Think of this activity as “talking back to the
book.”)
If you would like to type notes after you have created them (and label accordingly with
chapter numbers and page numbers), that is a welcome alternative.
We expect a minimum of 30 notes (on post-its or on loose-leaf) with comments that reflect
the above items.
Part Three - Additionally, you should make a note at the end of each chapter summarizing and
reflecting on the events of the chapter. Doing so will help you remember what each chapter was
about when we are discussing the book in class. Ways you could complete this part of the
assignment might be by posting a sticky note at the end of the chapter or writing it on loose-leaf
paper.
If you would like to type summaries/ reflections (and label accordingly with chapter
numbers), that is a welcome alternative.
Scoring – Annotations and chapter reflections will be assessed based on thoroughness of notes.
Did you annotate for items 1-8 listed above? Did your reflections show that you actually read and
understood the novel?
Point breakdown:
30 post-it notes (consider the eight items outlined in Part two) = 2 points each = 60 points
13 chapter summaries/ reflections  4 points each = 52 points total
TOTAL = 112 POINTS
Your summer reading assignment is due on the first day of school.
If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Schmidt: schmidt_d@westcler.org.