Entering ESOL: Beginner to Intermediate
Reading Assignment
Students must read:
Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White
and one of the following:

Beezus and Ramona, Beverly Cleary

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Judy Blume

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle

Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery

Among the Hidden, Margaret Peterson Haddix
Assignment
1. Find and write 15 new words that you have learnt from your summer reading.
2. Find examples of slang. Make a list of slang examples which are familiar to you, and slang
examples which are unfamiliar.
Entering ESOL: Intermediate to Advanced
Reading Assignments
Students must read:
Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O’Dell
and one of the following:

Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck

The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane

Operation Redwood, S. Terrrell French (Amulet/Abrams)

Out of My Mind, Sharon M. Draper

A Separate Peace, John Knowles

100 Cupboards, N. D. Wilson

Little Women, Louisa May Alcott

The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros
Assignment
1. Find and write 15 new words that you have learnt from your summer reading.
2. Find examples of slang. Make a list of slang examples which are familiar to you, and slang
examples which are unfamiliar.
Entering Grade 6
Assignments: How do we face life’s challenges?
(Environments)
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity,
prosperity would not be so welcome.”
-Anne Bradstreet
Reading Assignment
Students must read two* of the following novels:

City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau

Redwall, Brian Jacques

The Book of Story Beginnings, Kristin Kladstrup

Where the Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls

The Infinity Code, E.L. Young
* Students taking Language A in Spanish, French, or German are not required to read a second text for
English, thereby limiting the total number of summer reading assignments to three written texts.
Viewing Assignment
Students must watch two of the following films, one from each list:
List One
List Two

Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

Land Before Time (1988)

Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

Finding Nemo (2003)

Remember the Titans (2000)

The Lion King (1994)
Assignment
Choose one assignment below to showcase your reading and understanding of the unit question, “How
do we face life’s challenges?” Be prepared to share your work and explain the creative choices you
made and how they connect to the unit question. This is your opportunity to be creative and have fun!
1. Select one of your English reading books to create an original movie poster for your novel. The
poster must include the book title and author, as well as connect to the unit question of how we
face life’s challenges. You may pull out a moment that addresses this question, or images
(symbols).
2. Using your two books and two movies create a collage of images, symbols, characters, and
words that incorporate how these selections addressed how their characters faced life’s
challenges. Remember in a collage the paper should be completely covered. The titles of the
books and movie should appear on the collage as well.
You may do this assignment in paper or electronic format. Whatever you do, make sure you are not
merely copying images from the internet; you should be using your own imagination to convey these
ideas.
Note: this formative assignment will prepare students for a summative assessment to be assigned once
school starts.
Entering Grade 7
Assignments: How do authors make us reflect on the changes in our world?
(Human Ingenuity)
“Books, I have found, had the power to make time stand still, retreat, or fly into the future.”
- Jim Bishop
Reading Assignment
Students must read:
Ender’s Game, Orson Card Scott
and one of the following:

Firestorm, David Klass (Warning: contains brief sexual references)

Whirlwind, David Klass (sequel to Firestorm),

Timelock, David Klass (sequel to Whirlwind),

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

Life as We Knew It, Susan Beth Pfeffer

The Dead and the Gone, Susan Beth Pfeffer
* Students taking Language A in Spanish, French, or German are not required to read a second text for
English, thereby limiting the total number of summer reading assignments to three written texts.
Viewing Assignment
Students must watch one of the following films:

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Back to the Future (1985)

E.T. (1982)

The Last Starfighter (1984)
Assignment
While reading Ender's Game, students will annotate (look for and mark with post-its or a pencil if the
book is owned) for science-related ideas brought up in each chapter. They will also answer two
questions from each chapter from the attached document. This will be completed on a word document
and brought to class on the first day of the second week of school. Students, who are not taking a
second native language, will select a second reading book from the list provided. All students will also
watch one of the science fiction movies on the list to participate and complete classroom tasks.
When we return to school, we will discuss plot and the genre of science fiction. Can’t wait to explore this
groundbreaking genre with you!
The students will be reading Call of the Wild* by Jack London and Macbeth* during the school year. We
would like students to have one of the book applications on their computer, in order to upload these
books.
*Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Classics editions are what are used in class
Download Ender's Game Questions
Entering English 8
Assignments: What compels a hero to go on a quest?
(Community and Service)
"A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous
forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious
adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man."
-Joseph Campbell
Reading Assignment
Students must read one of the following two novels:

Crossing the Wire, Will Hobbs

Copper Sun, Sharon Draper
and one* of the following:

Airman, Eoin Colfer

Wild Magic, Tamora Pierce

The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman

East, Edith Pattou

Eragon, Eldest, or Brisingr, Christopher Paolini
* Students taking Language A in Spanish, French, or German are not required to read a second text for
English, thereby limiting the total number of summer reading assignments to three written texts.
Viewing Assignment
Students must watch the following film:
The Princess Bride (1987)
Assignment
Truly it will take heroic efforts to return to school after a summer of relaxation! Coincidentally in English,
we will be focusing on the hero’s quest, specifically the question “What compels a hero to go on a
quest?” At the end of the summer reading unit, you will compare and contrast the hero’s quest from
one of your required summer reading books to either a character from one of the choice books or from
the hero of The Princess Bride.
To prepare for this epic assignment, you will keep a double entry journal over the summer. You may use
a spiral notebook or Word file (preferably). For each of the two books you read*, write down important
quotes about each character and his or her quest in the left column. Then, in the right column, write
down your thoughts about what this quotation reveals about the character or quest. You should have a
minimum 20 quotations or paraphrases and responses to those quotations or paraphrases for each book
(or movie; see below). Be prepared to turn in your double entry journal during the first week of school.
You should comment on either both books or, for students taking a second Language A, you will write
about one book and the movie.
* It may be worth consulting www.imdb.com for memorable quotes from the films you watched.
Entering English 9
Assignment: What does it mean to come of age?
(Health and Social Education)
“There is nothing I want to do / and too much / that has to be done / and momma's in the bedroom with
the door closed.”
-from “Hanging Fire,” by Audre Lorde
Reading Assignment
Students must read:
The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
and one* of the following novels or graphic novels:

The Panther in the Basement, Amos Oz

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, Julia Alvarez

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, Marjane Satrapi

Epileptic, David B.

Blankets, Craig Thompson

American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Lang
* Students taking Language A in Spanish, French, or German are not required to read a second text for
English, thereby limiting the total number of summer reading assignments to three written texts.
Viewing Assignment
Students must watch two of the following films:

My Girl

This Boy’s Life*

The Outsiders

Stand by Me*

The Breakfast Club*

Sixteen Candles

400 Blows

Rebel without a Cause

Harold and Maude

Finding Forrester

The Last Emperor

Empire of the Sun

King of the Hill

Fresh*
*These films are rated R; students should have parent permission to view them.
Reading/Viewing Assignment
1. As you read The Secret Life of Bees, annotate key passages, such as initial physical descriptions
of people and settings, thematic statements, important events, and/or especially impressive
uses of language such as figures of speech.
2. Using one of the films and one of the other novels, prepare mind maps/ brainstorms or outlines
for each one that show the following aspects of each text:
o
character development
o
key moments of the plot
o
conflict
o
setting
o
symbols or motifs
o
examples of ‘coming of age’ theme
Entering English 10
Assignments: What is the Role of the Individual in Society?
(Community and Service)
“What affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Reading Assignment
Students must read:
The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
and one* of the following:
A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
Snow Falling on Cedars, David Guterson
Catch-22, Joseph Heller
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey
The Heretics Daughter, Kathleen Kent
Angels in America, Tony Kushner
The Lathe of Heaven, Ursala LeGuin
The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison
The Jungle, Upton Sinclair
The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton
Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut
* Students taking Language A in Spanish, French, or German are not required to read a second text for
English, thereby limiting the total number of summer reading assignments to three written texts.
Viewing Assignment
Students must watch two of the following films, one from each list:
List One
List Two

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

The Color Purple (1985)

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Wall Street* (1987)

Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)

Glory* (1989)

A Place in the Sun (1951)

Roger & Me (1989)

On the Waterfront (1954)

JFK* (1990)

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Mississippi Burning* (1990?)

All the President’s Men (1976)

Erin Brockovich* (2000)

Network* (1976)

Good Night and Good Luck (2005)

Norma Rae (1979)

Thank You for Smoking* (2006)

Frost/Nixon* (2008)

W. (2008)
*these films are rated R; you must have parent consent before watching them
Writing Assignment
After you return to school in August, you will have a writing assignment on these required texts (the two
books and the two films). The primary focus of this assignment will be your own informed and
thoughtful take on the question, “What is the role of the individual in society?” To prepare for this
assignment, you will need to read and view with this question in mind. Annotate the books for examples,
passages, and quotes that seem to address the topic and take notes as you watch the films, noting
scenes, moments, and quotes* that also address the topic. (It may help to consider other questions
related to this overarching question, such as: What responsibility does society have to its people? How
do we know when it’s time to challenge authority? What difference can one person make in her
environment?)
Come to class on the first day of school with an annotated list of at least three specific aspects from
each of the four texts. (In other words, for each quote, scene, etc. that you list, write a few sentences
that explain the significance you found to the topic of the individual in society.) These will inform our
discussion and will help prepare you for your summative assignment.
*It may be worth consulting www.imdb.com for memorable quotes from the films you watched
Entering Grade 11, English A: Literature
Reading Assignment
Students must read selections from:

How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas Foster C. (ISBN-13: 978-0060009427)

The Complete Works, Flannery O’Connor (ISBN -13:9780374515362)
Read five of the following stories from O'Connor's collection:

The River

Good Country People

A View of the Woods

Everything That Rises Must Converge

Revelation

Parker’s Back

A Good Man is Hard to Find

The Life You Save May Be Your Own
Writing Assignment
As we prepare to travel through the world of literature, we will start here at our home. After you return
to school in August, we will begin a short unit on Flannery O’Connor’s writing and how she uses various
literary techniques to convey her attitude towards the American South. At the end of the unit, you will
have an oral presentation on one or more of these stories. First you should "read" Thomas Foster’s How
to Read Literature like a Professor. (Please note: This is not the kind of book one just "reads" from cover
to cover. You might look through the table of contents and start with some topics that interest you. You
might start a chapter and get Foster's basic idea and then skim through the rest of the chapter. You
must have an academic knowledge of the entire text. Make annotations about what ideas you find
particularly interesting, questions you still have, and any “ah-ha” moments you have about prior books
you’ve read.
Then, keeping in mind aspects from Foster’s book, read five of the eight O’Connor stories above.
Annotate for examples, passages, and quotes that seem to address topics covered in Foster’s book.
Finally, write three short responses to the literature you’ve read. They should range between 300-500
words each. For each response you should first choose a chapter(s) from How to Read Literature Like a
Professor. Then apply the ideas in that chapter(s) to one of O’Connor’s short stories. Consider the
following questions: In what ways do Foster’s ideas apply to this story? How can Foster’s ideas enhance
or change your reading of the story? Do his ideas not apply in this story? Why? For all responses,
please use specific examples from Foster and O’Connor. These responses should be typed in MLA
format. In total, you will have three responses on three different O’Connor short stories. These will be
due at end of the first week of school.
Download Example Response
Entering Grade 11, English A: Language and Literature
Assignments: What is the Role of Language in Society?
“Whoever controls the words controls the world.”
–Terry Pratchett
In Language & Literature, you don’t just learn to read and analyze books. You learn to read and
analyze the world. The class is focused around several key concepts:

Language are shaped by the cultures that produce them. And when a language is marginalized,
its culture gets marginalized too.

Languages can also shape cultures. The words and images we use to express our ideas can free
OR limit the way that we think.

Language is more than just words we speak and write. There are visual languages everywhere,
such as in the portrayal of races and genders. If the “dominant narrative” told in that language is
too restrictive, it can severely limit people’s roles in society.

Language equals power. Understanding a language empowers you to shape and manipulate
society.
Reading Assignment
If your Language A is French, Spanish, or German, choose one of the following:
If your Language A is English, choose two of the following:
Ogilvy on Advertising, David Ogilvy ***
Bossypants, Tina Fey
A, Race Manners, Bruce Jacobs
Mother Tongue, Bill Bryson
Viewing Assignment
If your Language A is French, Spanish, or German, watch two of the following films, based on which
book you read:
If your Language A is English, watch two of the following films, one for each book you read:
For Ogilvy on Advertising (pick one)

Thank You For Smoking (2005)***

The Insider (1999)***

Bob Roberts (1992)***
For Bossypants (pick one)

Miss Representation (2011)

Billy Elliot (2000)

Pleasantville (1998)
For Race Manners (pick one)

Crash (2004)*** NOT the 1996 David Cronenberg film!

Hollywood Shuffle (1987)***

Do the Right Thing (1989)***
For Mother Tongue (pick one)

Lost in Translation (2003)***

I Learn America (2013)

Dances With Wolves (1990)
***These texts/films are R-rated; get parent consent before viewing them.
Writing Assignment
Part I of the class, Language in a Cultural Context, is an introduction to a variety of concepts that you
may study in college (Gender Studies, Ethnic Studies, Queer Studies, Media Studies, etc.). To get a first
taste, you will choose two of the following topics. For each topic, read the prescribed text and watch
one of the prescribed movies.

As you watch, take note of what each piece is saying about the roles of language in society.

You may also research what other critics have said about the texts, but be sure to use relevant
and reliable sources.

Use your notes to write two essays, each on a different topic below in response to one pair of
movie & book.
Essay Topic One: How does language equal power? How can visual and verbal language be used to
manipulate an audience?
Essay Topic Two: How do these texts address the relationship between our visual & verbal languages
and the gender roles in society?
Essay Topic Three: How do these texts address the relationship between our visual & verbal languages
and racial identities in society?
Essay Topic Four: How do these texts show that language is tied to cultural identity? What happens to
one culture when another culture’s language is predominant?
Essay Guidelines

Each essay should have an intro with a clear thesis statement, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

Each essay should be 800-1000 words.

Each essay should include evidence from the texts WITH in-text citations.

Each essay should include a Works Cited page.

Each essay should address the book and the film as equally as possible.

All essays are due by the beginning of your second scheduled class of Lang-Lit--not the second
day you happen to show up, the second day in the AIS rotation. If you’re not in class that day,
email it.

If you do not email or hand in a copy by the beginning of the second class, it gets a zero.
If you have any questions about your texts or the essay assignments, feel free to email us at
tharrington@aischool.org or rdale@aischool.org.
Entering Grade 12, English A: Literature HL & SL
I. Drama Study
Reading Assignment
To prepare for our study of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the fall, you will need to get some more
experience with reading, attending, understanding, and analyzing dramatic works. To this end, you will
need to read one of the required plays listed below as well as attend a live performance of a play of your
choosing.
Read a Play
Choose one of the plays from the following list to read and analyze. Be sure, as you read, to consider
not only the literary elements of the story but also the dramatic elements of the story as a
performance. Consult trusted English and Theater teachers for recommendations in this list.

Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman

The Real Thing,Tom Stoppard

Glengarry Glen Ross,David Mamet

August: Osage County, Tracy Letts

A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams

The Piano Lesson, August Wilson

Cloud Nine, Caryl Churchill

The Melancholy Play, Sarah Ruhl

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Edward Albee
See a Play
We read in English class, but to be able to better understand how to read a play, you must go see a
play. I know many of you have seen (and/or been in) plays at AIS. However, please make a point this
summer to go out and see a professionally staged play. If you’re going to be in Atlanta, there are
performances that you might want to check out from the list below. However, if you’re going to be out
of town all summer, make a point to see what’s playing wherever you are.
Here are the stipulations:

You must see a play during the summer months—between the end of school in June and the
beginning of school in August.

You must bring back evidence of the play—a ticket stub or program, for example.

No musicals.

The more Shakespearean, the better.
Here are a few things playing this summer in Atlanta:

As You Like It , William Shakespeare, (Georgia Shakespeare In the Park June 4-8; Georgia
Shakespeare, June 14-29)

Antony and Cleopatra, William Shakespeare, (Shakespeare Tavern, June 7-June 29)

Richard Bean, One Man, Two Guvnors (Georgia Shakespeare, July 9-27)

Beyond that, you should check the AJC and Creative Loafing so you have a better idea of what is
playing when. (Mme. Cornez, Mr. Warren, and Mr. Shaw-Smith are some excellent sources of
Atlanta theatre knowledge—they can likely give good recommendations.)
Writing Assignment
When you return in August, you will be required to write a response to these two plays. Make sure,
therefore, to make thoughtful notes and annotations in the play you read as well as good notes on your
observations from the play you attended. The focus of this written assignment will be on the theatrical
elements of plays: how these are conveyed/implied in the written form of the play you read and how
these are realized in the live performance of the play you attended. Pay attention, therefore, to actions,
staging, blocking, acting, lighting, sound, costuming, timing, etc.
II. Literary Terminology
We still have on our Google site the work you all did on Literary Terminology back in December and
January. You are still expected to be familiar with these words and be able to use them effectively and
intelligently in your literary analysis. During the first trimester, you should expect quizzes on many of
these terms. Because of this, you are strongly encouraged to purchase a more specialized literary
handbook (Hard copy or electronic). Additionally, the AIS library has several copies of these handbooks,
and they can also be found at local libraries.
Some suggestions:

Abrams, M.H., ed. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 10th ed. New York: Wadsworth, 2011.

Baldick, Chris, ed. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms 3rd ed. New York: Oxford,
2009.

Cuddon, J. A., ed. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. 4th ed. New
York : Penguin, 2000.

Harmon, William and C. Hugh Holmon, eds. A Handbook to Literature. 12th ed. New Jersey:
Prentice Hall, 2011.
Entering Grade 12, English A: Language and Literature
Language and Literature/Part 2 Language and Mass Communication
During our first semester in Language & Literature of your 12th grade year we will be covering Part 2
(language and mass media) and some of Part 3 (literature—texts and contexts). To prepare for this, you
will have a variety of reading assignments and independent media-based research projects. The focus of
Part 2 is to “consider the way language is used in the media,” such as newspapers, magazines, social
networking sites, radio, and film. The goal is to examine the connections between the production and
reception of language and the medium in which this language is used.
You will have two parts to the summer assignment: one is reading assignment with two texts (one book
and one web source), and the other is your independent research on a topic of your choice as it is
presented in the various media.
Reading Assignment
Students must read the following book and the following Wikibooks page:

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, Neil Postman

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Survey_of_Communication_Study/Chapter_8__Mass_Communication
Assignment
You should annotate your written texts actively and should take thorough notes (and possibly do some
extra on-line research) on your readings.
Also, due in August, you should research a concept, idea, current or past event (see below for
suggestions) in order to examine how it is presented in the mass media. You should consult newspapers,
magazines, reputable blogs, etc., and you should attempt to find multiple perspectives as presented in a
variety of sources on your topic. You must consult a minimum of FIVE sources.
By the end of the first cycle of the school year, you will need to be prepared to present your topic in 10
minutes; in your presentation you should do the following:

Give a thorough description of the topic you have researched;

Explain the different forms of media you have examined (print, web, newspapers, etc.)

Offer how different sources have given different meanings and interpretations to the topic, and
how different political or ideological positions may have influenced the media (consider the type
of media: public service broadcasting, political campaign material, propaganda, blog, journalism,
etc.)

Show how the different media use language and image to inform, persuade, entertain, or
withhold information (consider also the type of audience you think the media source is
targeting); BE SURE TO INCORPORATE TERMINOLOGY AND CONCEPTS FROM POSTMAN AND
FROM THE WIKIBOOKS SITE.

Prepare and turn in a bibliography of your media sources, and a one-paragraph summary of your
findings.
Suggested possible topics to research:

Environmental policies

Climate change

Energy policies

Fast food

Genetically modified food

Political and election debates

Health and wellness issues

The beauty industry

World political affairs

Politics and social issues of World Cup

Any other news or current event story
Some aspects of your assignment to consider:

Use a variety of sources

How does each medium (print, web, news, advertisement, radio, etc.) try to reach its audience
in different ways?

What kind of language is used? Consider how the language used is dictated by the medium.

Clear textual biases? How do we detect and give evidence of biases?

Is there deliberate manipulation of emotion? If so, how is this achieved through language usage?

Is satire used? If so, how do you know it is satire?

Is censorship an issue in your media sources? If so, you must give evidence to support your
claim or your suspicion.

How do style and register differ in each media source?