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Pre-AP Sophomore English 2015-2016
Emily Johnson
emily.johnson@littlerockchristian.com
Dear students,
I have heard glowing remarks about you from your English teachers this year, and I’m
looking forward to this next year as we learn and grow together in our understanding
of literature, writing, and Christ. Over the course of the year, I hope that we all become
better thinkers, as we learn not only to pursue answers but to ask thoughtful questions.
The book chosen for this summer is To Kill a Mockingbird. This novel was one of the
books that resonated the most with me during high school and was as enjoyable to read
as to discuss. The novel itself was edgy and thought-provoking when it was released
and remains just as relevant to today’s society as it was then. As you read, please
consider the historical period, setting, and characters by attempting to view the events
of the novel and people involved through the lenses of their own motivations and
worldviews.
Allow To Kill a Mockingbird to transplant you back in 1930’s Maycomb, Alabama—a
small town that comes alive through its inhabitants. The newspaper served as their best
source of news, and your task is to create a newspaper in the flavor of a local, small
town newspaper from Alabama in the 1930s. Pay close attention to the events and tone
of the time, as these elements will need to shine in your own writing.
I am available to help you this summer by giving you feedback on your project: contact
me via email anytime. I look forward to your thoughtfulness and creativity, but I am
the most excited to see how you are able to learn more about God through this novel.
Have a wonderful summer!
Emily Johnson
Summer reading Projects are to be turned in to the high school from 9:00 a.m. until
12:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 4. (If necessary, contact me prior to the due-date for
other arrangements.) Late projects will receive a 10% reduction in points per day up
to three days. Projects more than three days late will not be accepted. Extenuating
circumstances will be appropriately considered. Completed projects can be placed in
my box in the downstairs teacher’s workroom if I am not available personally.
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Instructions for Sophomore Pre-AP Project
Please purchase a copy of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird-ISBN #9780446310789,
Edition Description: Reprint at Barnes and Noble.
STEP ONE: Read the book carefully. As you read, complete the attached novel notes
sheet which will require you to make note of characters in the novel, create a plot
summary of the novel, and answer specific questions about key moments, events,
and/or characters in the novel. Doing a thorough job on this part of the assignment
will not only benefit your grade on your summer project but will enhance your ability
to do well on future assignments on this book once you return to school.
Make sure you make note of page references as you read!
The proper way to cite an MLA in-text citation is “QUOTE” (Author’s last name page
number). For instance, “QUOTE” (Lee 94).
STEP TWO: Choose TWO of the characters listed below. Each will be the subject of a
1-2 page character analysis. For each character, you will analyze who he/she is. As
part of your analysis, incorporate your answers to the following questions:
(1) why do you think this character acts the way that he/she does?
(2) What motivates/drives him/her?
(3) Why is this character relatable?
(4) Is this character good, bad, or somewhere in between?
(5) What is this character’s worldview? Your answer to this question needs to be
supported by references to his/her view of himself/herself and treatment of
others.
** Please note: you need to use a minimum of one cited quote from the novel,
incorporated as support for your analysis.
Character Options:
Scout
Jem
Atticus
Boo Radley
Bob Ewell
Mayella Ewell
Tom Robinson
Requirements for each character analysis:
- 1-2 pages, double-spaced
- MLA format
- 3rd person (meaning no “I,” “we,” or “you”)
- minimum of one cited quote from the novel, incorporated as support for your
analysis
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STEP THREE: Upon completion of the book, choose two of the newspaper article
possibilities below and write an article in each of your chosen styles. The information
included in each article should be based on the novel’s plots and characters. For
example, if you chose to write a front page article, that article should focus on an
important event that happens in Maycomb (the novel’s town). Each article should be
written to reflect the 1930’s, a small town in Alabama, and your newspaper’s audience.
Please specify your choice at the top of your article’s page.
All choices must contain two instances of cited, paraphrased information from the
book, two cited, direct quotes carefully interwoven into your writing, or a combination
of cited quotes and cited paraphrases. If outside sources are used, those citations, if
applicable, must be here as well. Do not plagiarize. Creativity is welcome!
OPTIONS FOR ARTICLES:
Front Page Article
Obituary
Entertainment or Style Page Story
Letter to the Editor
Religion Page Story
Sports Page Story
Editorial
Requirements for each original newspaper article:
- a minimum of 1 page, double-spaced
- minimum of two cited quotes or paraphrases from the novel
Additional notes of advice:
**Please make sure that your tone and style is appropriate for the type of article you’ve
chosen to write. For example, a letter to the editor might be a little less formal and use
more emotional language than a front page article, which would be objective and
informative. If you are unsure about the tone and style of a specific type of article, look
in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette or at articles from online publications, such as
nytimes.com.
**If you feel you need additional information as to newspapers, events, or people
during this era, carefully cite, using MLA format, each place you visit and from which
you obtain material. Even, if you just view a site, you must list the site in the
bibliography for your project. If you view, you cite. Please remember that both direct
quotes and paraphrased material must be cited. The project’s bibliography should
consist of an MLA alphabetical listing of each item you viewed or used. The following
resource will provide you with MLA requirements and examples of citations.
(Resource http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/)
STEP FOUR: Using one of the “newspaper article analysis” sheets in your packet,
carefully analyze the characteristics of each article you have written. Your analysis will
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provide evidence that you have written an article in the appropriate style and tone of
the type of article you chose. NOTE: You are required to have one analysis sheet per
article (two in all).
STEP FIVE: Everything must be completed and turned in to me in a folder with brads
in the following order: project title page containing the following information centered
and double spaced on the page.
Sophomore Pre-AP English Summer Project
Mrs. Johnson
Student’s first and last name
4 August 2014
Honesty statement placed at the bottom with your signature: I have carefully read the
assigned book and completed the writing assignments myself with no outside help. If I
read or looked at outside sources regarding the time period for additional information
for the newspaper stories, those sources are carefully cited and included in the
bibliography, the last page of the project.
Student’s Signature____________________________________________
FORMATTING INSTRUCTIONS:
The character charts are placed next, the newspaper articles and each one’s analysis is
next, and your original articles last. Any bibliography should appear as the last page.
Follow these instructions carefully! All portions of the assignment must be in a 12
point readable font, double spaced. Be sure you include your name and page number
at the top of each page (header).
This project is worth 100 points. Please see the attached rubric for specific grading
considerations. Please do keep the entire project within a 20 page limit.
Important Notice: There will be a detailed comprehensive test given over
the book sometime during the first three weeks of school. This test will
also ask you about characters that you do not have to write about.
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Rubric for To Kill a Mockingbird Project
Requirement
Points
Possible
Characters List fully completed, with
at least three character traits properly
cited
Chronolog fully and accurately
completed
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Key Points in the Novel section fully
completed, utilizes quotes and/or
details (properly cited) when
requested
Character analysis 1
20
-
Meets page requirements
Answers all four listed questions
At least one (properly cited)
quote used to support analysis
Character analysis 2
-
Meets page requirements
Answers all four listed questions
At least one (properly cited)
quote used to support analysis
Two student created newspaper
articles (one for each type of article
chosen from step two) containing at
least two quotes or paraphrase from
book cited accurately and
appropriate tone/style for the type of
article chosen
MLA style and parenthetical citation
format, with 12 point and readable
font
Example: ” . . . mockingbird” (6).
These must be at least one full page
in length.
Carefully edited for punctuation/
grammatical errors
Complete a Newspaper Analysis
Sheet for each article created
10
15
15
30
Points
Earned
Comments
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Newspaper Analysis Sheet 1
1. What type of article is it?
2. What is the lead (title)?
3. Does it contain just the facts? Give an example of a fact from your article.
4. Does the article contain opinion? Give an example of opinion from your article.
5. What kind of information is found in the article?
6. Who is the intended audience?
7. What is the tone of the article? How did you create this tone in your article?
8. Record the best sentence from your article.
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Newspaper Analysis Sheet 2
1. What type of article is it?
2. What is the lead (title)?
3. Does it contain just the facts? Give an example of a fact from your article.
4. Does the article contain opinion? Give an example of opinion from your article.
5. What kind of information is found in the article?
6. Who is the intended audience?
7. What is the tone of the article? How did you create this tone in your article?
8. Record the best sentence from your article.
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Novel Notes
Characters:
Identify who the following individuals are, along with any defining characteristics that
you believe are important. You must have at least three properly cited character traits
per character.
- Protagonist:
- Her brother:
- Their father:
- Their aunt:
- Their housekeeper:
- Their friend:
- Their neighbors:
- The Radleys:
- Across the street:
- Mean old lady:
- Neighborhood gossip:
- Local families:
- Cunninghams:
- Robinsons:
- Ewells:
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- Dolphus Raymond:
- Her teachers:
Chronolog:
Complete the sentence to create a plot summary of the novel. Your answers need to
make grammatically correct sentences.
Part I
1. Jem and Scout meet _________________________________________________________.
2. Jem raids (explores) ________________________________________________________.
3. Scout starts ________________________________________________________________.
4. Jem and Scout find _________________________________________________________.
5. Nathan Radley shoots ______________________________________________________.
6. Nathan Radley seals ________________________________________________________.
7. Fire destroys _______________________________________________________________.
8. The community criticizes ____________________________________________________.
9. Atticus shoots _____________________________________________________________.
10. Mrs. Dubose teaches Jem about _____________________________________________.
Part II
1. Aunt Alexandria comes ____________________________________________________.
2. Scout’s innocence prevents __________________________________________________.
3. Jem, Scout, and Dill attend __________________________________________________.
4. Atticus cross-examines ______________________________________________________.
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5. Tom Robinson reveals ____________________________________________________.
6. The jury decides __________________________________________________________.
7. Bob Ewell threatens ________________________________________________________.
8. Atticus reports _____________________________________________________________.
9. Mr. Underwood compares ___________________________________________________.
10. Bob Ewell harasses ________________________________________________________.
11. Bob Ewell attacks _________________________________________________________.
12. Boo Radley kills ___________________________________________________________.
13. Scout meets ______________________________________________________________.
14. Heck, Atticus, and Scout decide _____________________________________________.
15. Scout views the world from ________________________________________________.
Key Points in the Novel
For this section, please explain fully. Page references are given for each item. You are
expected to re-read the page so you can answer intelligently.
1. Contrast Burris Ewell with Chuck Little. How does each treat Miss Caroline? Be
specific (don’t just say “he’s nice” or “he’s not nice.”) What can you infer from each
child’s behavior about how he’s been taught at home? Give specific, cited details to
support your answer.
Burris Ewell’s treatment of Miss C.
Chuck Little’s treatment of Miss C.
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How has he taught at home?
How has he been taught at home?
2. When Scout describes their neighborhood, she says that the unanimous
neighborhood opinion of Mrs. Dubose is that she is “the meanest old woman who ever
lived” (46). Considering how mean she is, why would Atticus make Jem read to her?
What does Atticus want Jem to learn from that experience? Use a specific cited quote or
paraphrase to support your answer.
3. To Kill a Mockingbird has been a banned book, in part due to its use of racial slurs
against African-Americans. What does Atticus explain to Scout about the use of racial
slurs (especially the “N” word)? Cite your response!
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4. Mayella Ewell is a complicated character. In the chart below, indicate how she is
the same and/or different from other members of her family according to the listed
characteristics.
Characteristic
Personal cleanliness
Care of her home
Social Relationships (how she interacts
with others in society)
Honesty
Ability to act appropriately in public
settings (such as a courtroom)
Same/Different from Family: Explain
How