English Department
Honors/AP Classes
Honors English 10
1. Reading between the Lions. Select a novel from the school-wide list and complete the schoolwide journal.
2. Read Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. When you have finished reading, create a
travel journal that reflects 10 important adventures or events in the novel. (Note: you can use
construction paper and do not have to buy a bunch of art supplies. I am far more interested in your
insight than your craftiness. Simple is OK).
The specifics:
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Journals should have at least 10 pictures (you can use pictures from the Internet, your own
travels) of various places in the journey. These are NOT to be snapshots of people, but of places,
and obviously you don’t actually HAVE to find those places exactly, but pictures that accurately
reflect how you conceive those places to be
In first person as Huck Finn, write a one two to three sentences caption to the journal in which
Huck discusses what happened at this place and how he feels about it.
Design a cover that represents Huck in some meaningful way.
Turned in with the journal should be a typed paragraph in which you explain what you
attempted to reflect about Huck in the journal and how you made the choices you did.
This will be due the first day of class.
Advanced Placement Literature and Composition for Juniors
1. 1. Reading between the Lions. Select a novel from the school-wide list and complete the
school-wide journal.
2.
Due July 15:
How To Read Literature Like a Professor – Purchase your
own copy. Highlight and annotate the chapters with important ideas. Two (2) posts
are required. For each post choose an idea from a chapter and discuss where you could
apply it to what you have already read. Do not use the examples already given in the
novel. Once an example is posted, you may not duplicate, so you will need to read
through the posts so you are not repeating the same idea from a work. This is to be
posted on Blackboard AP LITERATURE 2015/16. Blog your comments there.
Sample: In Chapter 12, Foster talks about how it may be difficult to recognize a symbol.
We often look at symbols as just objects or images, but they may also be events or
actions (p. 105) In The Great Gatsby, we have obvious symbols of the green light and
the “eyes” as objects in the novel. However, the parties are symbolic events that reoccur
in the novel. These parties not only symbolize how wealthy Gatsby has become; they
are symbolic of Gatsby’s hope. He Hopes that Daisy will come to a party. He hopes that
Daisy will be impressed with him. He hopes to get Daisy back.
3.
Due August 17/18:
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. This is
to be posted on Blackboard no later than the second day of class. Once a
student has used an example, it cannot be duplicated. Choose concepts from any 3
chapters from How to Read Literature Like a Professor and you will discuss how
you notice these concepts throughout Kingsolver’s novel. You should follow these steps:
a. Cite the chapter and brief description of what you are using from Foster’s book.
b. Cite lines/passages from The Poisonwood Bible (include page numbers). Explain
how these passages connect with the ideas you have cited from Foster’s book.
Explain how this helps you with the meaning of the novel as whole (meaning of the
novel as a whole is code for: theme)
***Note: You should use examples from beginning, middle, and end of BOTH works. Only using
examples from the beginning will not help to develop theme of The Poisonwood Bible.
Advanced Placement Language and Composition
1. Reading between the Lions. Select a novel from the school-wide list and complete the schoolwide journal.
2. Read Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. Create a graphic organizer with these three columns and
complete the following tasks for five passages that you feel develop sympathy for Perry Smith. Please
note, these passages must be dispersed throughout the novel for me to award full credit.
Passage
Copy of the passage from the
work and include page #
Context
Explain what is happening in
the novel at this point.
Craft
Quoting at least two specific
examples, explain how this
passage helps to create
sympathy for Smith. You can
look specifically at diction
(word choice), inclusion of
details, imagery,
similes/metaphors. Explain
why this passage is not merely
factual but helps to create
sympathy for a convicted
killer.
3. Look at famous Speeches.
B. Then select one of the following speeches from history for the assignment:
Malcolm X: “The Bullet or the Ballot Box”
Elie Wiesel : “ The Perils of Indifference”
Nelson Mandela: “An Idea for Which I am Prepared to Die”
Mother Theresa: “Love Begins at Home”
Using a credible source (please include MLA Works Cited), explain in what context this speech was
given. Give the historical background, as well as biographical background of the speaker. Use in-text
citations when using information gathered from your research and write a 1 paragraph analysis that
explains HOW context mattered in this speech.
Then, look at three lines from the speech that were essential to establishing that intention and explain
how each did so in a short paragraph response.