English Department Summer Curriculum Ninth Grade As part of a unit on Library Orientation and How to Avoid Plagiarism, students will be required to submit their summer reading assignment on Turnitin.com within the first few weeks of school. Turnitin is an online plagiarism prevention system that is used worldwide in thousands of institutions. Students submit their work online and the system checks papers against an in-house database of previously submitted student work, as well as internet sources. Turnitin provides teachers and their students with a “Turnitin Originality Report” that indicates the percentage of the possibility of plagiarism within the paper. It serves as a tool for teachers in their instruction of writing, and for students to review their work, revise where necessary, and use proper citations. For more information about the program, please access the official website: http://turnitin.com/static/index.html By signing below, I acknowledge and understand the expectations regarding the English Department summer assignment. I also acknowledge and understand that the SBHS integrity policy and procedure, as found in the Student Handbook, concerning plagiarism and other issues of academic honesty apply to this assignment: “Students are expected to prepare and complete their own work with the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Plagiarism is the use of any source without proper acknowledgment.” Signed:_________________________ Date:__________ English I / English I with Lab RL.9-10.10: Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Objective: Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level in order to practice and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning. Reading Task and Assignment: Please read the FOUR short stories listed below and complete the corresponding reading guide questions found on the following pages. The reading guide questions will be collected on the first day of school and will also be used as part of an in-class assessment administered at the beginning of the school year. Summer Reading Short Stories: Each of the short stories may be accessed online. It is recommended that students print each of the stories out in order to take notes and talk to the text. • “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell http://whs.wsd.wednet.edu/Faculty/Zobel/documents/TheMostDangerGameTEXT.pdf Audio Version: http://www.sffaudio.com/?p=28737 • “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant http://www.bartleby.com/195/20.html • “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst http://whs.wsd.wednet.edu/Faculty/Zobel/documents/TheScarletIbisText.pdf Audio Version: http://www.miettecast.com/audio/Miette_Hurst1_loband.mp3 • “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry http://www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/Henry/Gift_Magi.pdf Audio Version: http://www.loudlit.org/audio/magi/pages/01_01_magi.htm Name: “The Most Dangerous Game” Reading Guide Questions Online Version: http://whs.wsd.wednet.edu/Faculty/Zobel/documents/TheMostDangerGameTEXT.pdf Audio Version: http://www.sffaudio.com/?p=28737 1. How do each of the characters feel about hunting? Whitney Rainsford Zaroff 2. Write a quotation from the story that shows the setting of the story? 3. List some details describing the outside of Zaroff’s house. What feelings does the description give the reader? 4. What does the reader learn about Rainsford from conversations with Zaroff? What does the reader learn about Zaroff? Rainsford Zaroff 5. What is the “animal” that Zaroff is hunting on his island? How does Rainsford feel about this? 6. What are the rules Zaroff has for his game with Rainsford? 7. Why doesn’t Zaroff kill Rainsford when he finds him in the tree on the first night? 8. Describe the three traps Rainsford sets for Zaroff. Malay Mancatcher Burmese Tiger Pit 9. At the end of the third day, how does Rainsford escape Zaroff? 10. Who wins the game? How do you know he won? Uganda Knife Trap Name: “The Necklace” Reading Guide Questions Online Version: http://www.bartleby.com/195/20.html 1. List two adjectives that describe Madame Loisel’s personality at the beginning of the story. 2. List one adjective that describes Mr. Loisel’s personality at the beginning of the story. 3. Why is Madame Loisel unhappy when her husband brings home the party invitation? 4. What does Mr. Loisel suggest to make Madame Loisel feel better? 5. What does Madame Loisel borrow from her friend, Madame Forestier? 6. How did Madame Loisel feel while at the party? 7. What does Madame Loisel realize when she gets home from the party? 8. What do Madame Loisel and her husband do to cover up the missing necklace? Does their plan work? 9. How do their lives change over the next ten years? 10. What does Madame Forestier tell Madame Loisel at the end of the story? Name: “The Scarlet Ibis” Reading Guide Questions Online Version: http://whs.wsd.wednet.edu/Faculty/Zobel/documents/TheScarletIbisText.pdf Audio Version: http://www.miettecast.com/audio/Miette_Hurst1_loband.mp3 1. Who is telling the story? 2. What is wrong with the narrator’s brother? Write a quotation from the story that supports your response. 3. Describe the narrator’s feelings towards his brother, Doodle, at the beginning of the story. 4. Why does the narrator teach Doodle to walk? 5. How does Doodle react when his brother starts pushing him to do more than just walk? 6. Describe how the scarlet ibis (the red bird) looks in the tree? What happens to the scarlet ibis? 7. How does Doodle react when he sees the scarlet ibis? 8. Why do you think Doodle reacts this way? 9. List two ways Doodle and the scarlet ibis are similar. 10. What happens to Doodle at the end of the story? Name: “The Gift of the Magi” Reading Guide Questions Online Version: http://www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/Henry/Gift_Magi.pdf Audio Version: http://www.loudlit.org/audio/magi/pages/01_01_magi.htm 1. What social class are Jim and Della a part of? List two details that support your response. 2. What problem does Della have? 3. What does this problem show about her feelings for her husband, Jim? 4. What is Jim’s prized possession? 5. What is Della’s prized possession? 6. What does Della decide to do to solve her problem? 7. What does Della buy with the money she receives? 8. What is Della worried about as she waits for Jim to come home? 9. What does Jim give Della as a present? 10. What is the author trying to teach readers about love? Academic English I RL.9-10.10: Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Objective: Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level in order to practice and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning. Reading Task and Assignment: Please read ONE of the choice books from the list and complete the Choice Book Reading Guide Packet. Then, complete the Literary Terms and Definitions Chart before reading the FOUR short stories listed. Complete the literary analysis questions found on the following pages. The summer reading packets will be collected on the first day of school and will also be used as part of an in-class assessment administered at the beginning of the school year. Summer Reading Choice Books (select one): The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian – Sherman Alexie Born Confused – Tanuja Desai Hidier Far North – Will Hobbs Homecoming – Cynthia Voigt Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind – Suzanne Fisher Staples Knights of the Hill Country – Tim Tharp The Compound – S.A. Bodeen In These Girls, Hope is a Muscle – Madeleine Blais Zeitoun – Dave Eggers Summer Reading Short Stories (read all four): Each of the short stories may be accessed online. It is recommended that students print each of the stories out in order to take notes and talk to the text. “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell http://whs.wsd.wednet.edu/Faculty/Zobel/documents/TheMostDangerGameTEXT.pdf Audio Version: http://www.sffaudio.com/?p=28737 “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant http://www.bartleby.com/195/20.html “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst http://whs.wsd.wednet.edu/Faculty/Zobel/documents/TheScarletIbisText.pdf Audio Version: http://www.miettecast.com/audio/Miette_Hurst1_loband.mp3 “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry http://www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/Henry/Gift_Magi.pdf Audio Version: http://www.loudlit.org/audio/magi/pages/01_01_magi.htm Name: Academic English I Choice Book Reading Guide Packet Book of Choice Novel Title: After you read one required work of literature from the SBHS Summer Reading list, complete this guided reading packet for the novel. This packet will be counted as a homework assignment and will be used for an in-class writing assessment at the beginning of the school year. Characters: Describe three significant characters in the novel, and explain why he or she is important to the story. 1. 2. 3. Character Development: How does the main character change and develop over the course of the novel? Conflicts: List and explain three conflicts the main character faces in the story (character vs. self, character vs. character, character vs. society, and character vs. fate/nature). 1. 2. 3. Theme: What theme (message about life) is the author trying to convey in his/her work? LITERARY TERMS Antagonist Conflict: Character vs. character Conflict: Character vs. fate/nature Conflict: Character vs. self Conflict: Character vs. society Descriptive Language Direct Characterization Dynamic Character Figurative Language Flat Character DEFINITIONS LITERARY TERMS Foreshadowing Imagery Indirect Characterization Irony (situational) Mood/atmosphere Motif Plot Structure: Exposition Plot Structure: Inciting Incident Plot Structure: Rising Action Plot Structure: Climax Plot Structure: Falling Action DEFINITIONS LITERARY TERMS Plot Structure: Resolution Point of View: 1st person Point of View: 3rd person limited Point of View: 3 person omniscient rd Protagonist Round Character Setting Static Character Suspense Symbolism Theme DEFINITIONS “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry 1. Plot Structure – Identify the stages of plot development by noting the part of the story that corresponds to each stage. Exposition: Inciting Incident: Rising Action: Climax: Falling Action: Resolution: 2. Setting – What is the setting? Make sure you include both the place and time (approximate year). 3. Conflict – Identify the most prominent conflict type in the story. 4. Theme – What is the theme of the story? Answer in a complete sentence, stating the intended message of the author. “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant 1. Plot Structure – Identify the stages of plot development by noting the part of the story that corresponds to each stage. Exposition: Inciting Incident: Rising Action: Climax: Falling Action: Resolution: 2. Conflict – Identify the most prominent conflict type in the story. 3. Characterization – Answer the questions below: Is Madame Loisel a round or a flat character? Explain your reasoning. Is Madame Loisel a dynamic or static character? Explain you reasoning. Find one example of direct characterization. Include the quotation. Find one example of indirect characterization. Include the quotation. 4. Symbolism – What is symbolic in the story? What is the object and what does it represent? 5. Situational Irony – Identify two ways in which the ending of the story is ironic. “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst 1. Conflict – Identify the most prominent conflict type in the story. 2. Symbolism – What is symbolic in the story? What is its significance? 3. Point of View – What type of point of view is used in the story? What is the benefit of using this particular point of view? 4. Imagery – Give three examples of imagery in the story. Include quotations for each. 5. Motif – Identify one motif in the story and give two examples that demonstrate this motif. 6. Theme – What is the theme of the story? Answer in a complete sentence, stating the intended message of the author. “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell 1. Conflict – Identify the most prominent conflict type in the story. 2. Mood/Atmosphere – What is the mood/atmosphere of the opening scene of the story? Identify particular words that create this mood. 3. Foreshadowing – Locate two quotations that foreshadow events in the story. Include the quotations. Tell what events each quotation foreshadows. 4. Suspense – Locate two quotations that build suspense in the story. Include the quotations. Tell how each quotation builds suspense. Honors English I RL.9-10.10: Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Objective: Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level in order to practice and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning. W.9-10.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or text, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Objective: To draft a theme statement and support/defend it through highly developed ideas and content, organization, and paragraph development. Reading Task #1: Please read Silas Marner by George Eliot. Writing Task #1: Create and support a theme statement for Silas Marner. Be sure to use textual support, specific examples and analysis to develop and prove this theme. Do not summarize plot. Use the rubric found on the next page as well as the South Brunswick School District’s 6-12 Writing Guide as a guideline for writing, revising, and editing your paper. You must include a works cited page. In addition, your teacher will require you to post your work on turnitin.com within the first week of school. Reading Task #2: Please read one of the following novels: Middlemarch – George Eliot Emma – Jane Austen Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë Great Expectations – Charles Dickens Writing Task #2: As you read this second novel, take notes on character development, theme and literary devices. These notes must: • follow MLA format (www.mla.org/style) • be typed • incorporate textual support Notes will be collected on the first day of school. There will be a timed writing on the second book within the first week of scheduled class. English Honors I Essay Rubric Skill 5: Highly Proficient 4:Proficient Thesis Stated clearly at the appropriate place; presenting an insightful argument with sophisticated structure Support, Content, and Analysis Develops ideas clearly and fully, effectively integrating and elaborating on specific textual evidence. Provides advanced analysis with a thorough and insightful understanding of author technique Stated clearly in the appropriate place, presenting a strong argument. May not use advanced structure. Develops ideas, incorporating and explaining specific textual evidence. Provides analysis with an understanding of author technique Organization Skillfully establishes and maintains single focus that proves thesis. Exhibits logical and coherent structure, adhering to conventions of organization. Makes skillful use of transitional ideas, phrases, topic and closing sentences Embedded Quotations All quotations are properly embedded in a sophisticated manner Writing Conventions (Grammar, Usage, Mechanics, Spelling) Language (word choice and fluency) 3: Limited Proficiency Stated, but is either vague or simplistic. 2: Needs Improvement Unclear, difficult to locate or understand, or off-topic. May be missing. Develops some ideas, incorporating and explaining some textual evidence. Attempts analysis, but does not fully understand author’s use of elements or technique Does not develop most ideas and lacks explanation and significant textual evidence. May or may not attempt analysis, and does not fully understand author’s use of elements or technique Does not consistently maintain focus. Lacks coherence of claims, evidence, organization, and interpretations. Does not use basic transition words, phrases, topic and closing sentences Effectively establishes and maintains focus that proves thesis. Exhibits logical and coherent structure, adhering to conventions of organization. Makes effective use of transitional ideas, phrases, topic and closing sentences All quotations are properly embedded Establishes but fails to consistently maintain focus on basic thesis. Lacks coherence of claims, evidence, and interpretations. Makes an inconsistent attempt to use some basic transition words, phrases, topic and closing sentences Many quotations are properly embedded Demonstrates advanced control of writing conventions with no errors, even with sophisticated language Demonstrates control of the conventions, exhibiting occasional errors only when using sophisticated language Stylistically advanced and sophisticated, using language that is precise and engaging with notable sense of voice and awareness of audience and purpose. Effectively incorporates a range of varied sentence patterns to reveal fluency Uses language that is fluent and original with evident awareness of voice, audience, and purpose. Incorporates varied sentence patterns Demonstrates partial control of the conventions, exhibiting occasional errors that do not hinder comprehension Uses appropriate language, with some awareness of audience and purpose. Makes attempt to include different sentence patterns but with awkward or uneven success Quotations are not properly embedded Demonstrates emerging control of the conventions, exhibiting frequent errors that may hinder comprehension Relies on basic vocabulary, with little awareness of audience or purpose. Reveals limited ability to vary sentence structure English Department Summer Curriculum Tenth Grade By signing below, I acknowledge and understand the expectations regarding the English Department summer assignment. I also acknowledge and understand that the SBHS integrity policy and procedure, as found in the Student Handbook, concerning plagiarism and other issues of academic honesty apply to this assignment: “Students are expected to prepare and complete their own work with the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Plagiarism is the use of any source without proper acknowledgment.” Signed:_________________________ Date:__________ English II RL.9-10.10: Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Objective: Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level in order to practice and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning. W.9-10.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or text, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Objective: To draft a theme statement and support/defend it through highly developed ideas and content, organization, and paragraph development. Reading Task: Please read Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher. Writing Task: Complete the corresponding reading guide found on the following pages. The reading guide will be collected on the first day of school and will also be used as part of an in-class assessment administered at the beginning of the school year. Whale Talk Assignment English II This book is written by ________ __________ 1. List three of TJ’s physical traits and personality traits: 1.______________________ 1. ______________________ 2. ______________________ 2. ______________________ 3. ______________________ 3. ______________________ 2. List three (3) of TJ’s main conflicts: 1. 2. 3. 3. Who is Mike Barbour’s enemy and why? 4. Why do TJ and Rich Marshall become enemies? 5. What is T.J.’s goal for the swim team and why is this goal important to him? 6. List the Coach and then all 7 members of the swim team. Then give a brief description of each character. Swim Team Member Description of the Swim Team Member 7. What happens to T.J.’s father at the end of the novel? 8. What advice does his father give T.J. at the end of the novel? 9. Who does T.J. meet for the first time at the end of the novel? 10. A “protagonist” is the main character of a book, usually the “good” character. An “antagonist” is the “bad” character who goes against the protagonist. Who is the protagonist?__________________________________ Who is the antagonist?___________________________________ Academic English II RL.9-10.10: Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Objective: Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level in order to practice and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning. Reading Task #1: Please read The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck, including the introduction to the book. This novel is a fictional allegory simulating some of the events that occurred during World War II. Students are encouraged to take notes as they read as preparation for an in class assessment on the reading and comprehension of this novel. Reading Task #2: Please read one of the following novels: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers The Good Earth - Pearl Buck The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd The Glory Field - Walter Dean Myers The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath A Northern Light - Jennifer Donnelly The Things They Carried – Tim O’Brien The Pilgrim at Tinker Creek – Annie Dillard We Have Always Lived in the Castle – Shirley Jackson Assignment: Using The Moon is Down and your second choice novel, synthesize a four paragraph essay responding to ONE of the following essential questions. Use the rubric found on the next page as well as the South Brunswick School District’s 6-12 Writing Guide as a guideline for writing, revising, and editing your paper. 1. How does literature shape or reflect society? 2. What makes American literature American? 3. What is the American dream and what purpose does it serve in an individual’s life? 4. What are the human issues and social themes that transcend time and place? THIS WILL BE GRADED ACCORDING TO THE HSPA WRITING RUBRIC AND SUBMITTED TO PERFORMANCE MATTERS. New Jersey Registered Holistic Scoring Rubric - HSPA In Scoring, consider the grid of written language Inadequate Command Limited Command Partial Command Adequate Command Strong Command Superior Command Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 • May lack opening and/or closing • May lack opening and/or closing • May lack opening and/or closing • Generally has • Opening and closing opening and/or closing • Opening and closing • Minimal response to topic; • Attempts to focus uncertain focus • May drift or shift focus • Usually has single focus • Single focus • Single focus • Sense of unity and coherence • Key ideas developed • Single, distinct focus • Unified and coherent • Well-developed • No planning evident; disorganized • Attempts organization • Few, if any, transitions between ideas • Some lapses or flaws • Ideas loosely in organization connected • May lack some • Transition evident transitions between ideas • Logical progression of ideas • Moderately fluent • Attempts compositional risks • Logical progression of ideas • Fluent, cohesive • Compositional risks successful • Details random, inappropriate, or barely apparent • Details lack elaboration, i.e., highlight paper • Repetitious details • Uneven development • Details appropriate and varied • Several unelaborated of details details • Details effective, vivid, explicit, and/or pertinent Usage • No apparent control • Severe/ numerous errors • Numerous errors • Errors/ patterns of errors may be evident • Some errors that do not interfere with meaning • Few errors • Very few, if any, errors Sentence Construction • Assortment of incomplete and/or incorrect sentences • Excessive monotony/ same structure • Numerous errors • Little variety in syntax • Some errors • Some errors that do not interfere with meaning • Few errors • Very few, if any, errors Mechanics • Errors so severe they detract from meaning • Numerous serious errors • Patterns of errors evident • No consistent pattern • Few errors of errors • Some errors that do not interfere with meaning • Very few, if any, errors Content & Organization Honors English II RL.9-10.10: Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Objective: Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level in order to practice and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning. W.9-10.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or text, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Objective: To draft a theme statement and support/defend it through highly developed ideas and content, organization, and paragraph development. Reading Task: Please read My Antonia by Willa Cather and at least one of the following novels: A Farewell to Arms – Ernest Hemingway The Good Earth – Pearl Buck The Heart is a Lonely Hunter – Carson McCullers The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath Uncle Tom’s Cabin – Harriet Beecher Stowe The Light in the Forest – Conrad Richter Washington Square – Henry James The Last of the Mohicans – James Fenimore Cooper Writing Task: Write a paper that compares My Antonia and the second novel of your choice. Be sure to consider some of the following literary elements when demonstrating, analyzing, and supporting your comparison: settings, characters, conflicts, themes, narrative style, literary style. The paper must include textual evidence in MLA format and a works cited page. Use the rubric found on the next page as well as the South Brunswick School District’s 6-12 Writing Guide as a guideline for writing, revising, and editing your paper. This will be collected on the first day of class. Students will also complete a timed writing on the summer reading requirements during the first week of school. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS LITERARY ANALYSIS WRITING RUBRIC SKILL AREA 5 Responses at this level: 4 Responses at this level: 3 Responses at this level: 2 Responses at this level: Content and analysis: the extent to which the writing exhibits sound understanding, interpretation, and/or analysis of the writing task and text(s) • convey an accurate and indepth understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose for the writing task • offer insightful interpretations of the text(s) with analysis that goes well beyond a literal level • convey an accurate and complete understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose for the writing task • offer clear and explicit interpretations of the text(s) with analysis that goes beyond a literal level • convey a partly accurate understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose of the writing task • offer few or superficial interpretations of the text(s) with a tendency to retell instead of analyze • convey a confused or largely inaccurate understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose for the writing task • offer unclear interpretations of the text(s) and no attempt to analyze • provide no evidence of understanding the writing task or topic • make no interpretations of the text(s) • develop ideas clearly and fully, effectively integrating and elaborating on specific textual evidence • reveal a thorough and insightful understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • develop ideas clearly and consistently, incorporating and explaining specific textual evidence • reveal an understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • convey an accurate although somewhat basic understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose for the writing task • offer partially explained and/or somewhat literal interpretations of the text(s) with some analysis • develop some ideas more fully than others, using relevant textual evidence • reveal an implicit understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • develop ideas briefly or partially, using some textual evidence but without much elaboration • reveal a vague or limited understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • completely lack development and do not include textual evidence • reveal no awareness or understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • skillfully establish and maintain consistent focus on a clear and compelling thesis • exhibit logical and coherent structure with claims, evidence and interpretations that convincingly support the thesis • make skillful use of transition words and phrases • are stylistically sophisticated, using language that is precise and engaging, with notable sense of voice and awareness of audience and purpose • effectively incorporate a range of varied sentence patterns to reveal syntactic fluency • demonstrate control of the conventions with essentially no errors, even with sophisticated language and sentence structure • effectively establish and maintain consistent focus on a clear thesis • exhibit a logical sequence of claims, evidence, and interpretations to support the thesis and effectively used transitions • make effective use of transition words and phrases • use language that is fluent and original, with evident awareness of audience and purpose • incorporate varied sentence patterns that reveal an awareness of different syntactic structures • establish and maintain focus on a clear thesis • exhibit a logical sequence of claims, evidence, and interpretations but ideas within paragraphs may be inconsistently organized • make some attempt to use basic transition words and phrases • use appropriate language, with some awareness of audience and purpose • make some attempt to include different sentence patterns but with awkward or uneven success • establish but fail to consistently maintain focus on a basic thesis • exhibit a basic structure but lack the coherence of consistent claims, evidence, and interpretations • make an inconsistent attempt to use some basic transition words or phrases • attempt to offer some development of ideas, but textual evidence is vague, irrelevant, repetitive, or unjustified • reveal a confused understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • establish a confused or irrelevant thesis and fail to maintain focus • exhibit an attempt to organize ideas into a beginning, middle, and end, but lack coherence • make little attempt to use transition words and phrases • rely on basic vocabulary, with little awareness of audience or purpose • reveal a limited awareness of how to vary sentence patterns and rely on a limited range syntactic structures • use language that is imprecise or unsuitable for the audience or purpose • reveal a confused understanding of how to write in complete sentences and little or no ability to vary sentence patterns • use language that is incoherent or inappropriate • include a preponderance of sentence fragments and run-ons that significantly hinder comprehension • demonstrate control of the conventions, exhibiting occasional errors only when using sophisticated language (e.g., punctuation of complex sentences) • demonstrate partial control, exhibiting occasional errors that do not hinder comprehension (e.g., incorrect use of homonyms) • demonstrate emerging control, exhibiting frequent errors that somewhat hinder comprehension (e.g., agreement of pronouns and antecedents; spelling of basic words) • demonstrate lack of control, exhibiting frequent errors that make comprehension difficult (e.g., subject verb agreement; use of slang) • illegible or unrecognizable as literate English Support: the extent to which ideas are supported using specific and relevant details and/or textual evidence Organization and focus: the extent to which the writing establishes a clear thesis and maintains direction, focus, and coherence Language and style: the extent to which the writing reveals an awareness of audience and purpose through word and stylistic choices, and sentence variety Grammar: the extent to which the writing exhibits conventional spelling, punctuation, paragraphing, capitalization, and grammar 1 Responses at this level: 0 Responses at this level: • fail to include a thesis or maintain focus • complete lack of organization and coherence • make no attempt to use transition words or phrases English Department Summer Curriculum Eleventh Grade By signing below, I acknowledge and understand the expectations regarding the English Department summer assignment. I also acknowledge and understand that the SBHS integrity policy and procedure, as found in the Student Handbook, concerning plagiarism and other issues of academic honesty apply to this assignment: “Students are expected to prepare and complete their own work with the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Plagiarism is the use of any source without proper acknowledgment.” Signed:_________________________ Date:__________ English III RL.11-12.10: Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Objective: Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level in order to practice and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning. Reading Task and Assignment: Please read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. While reading, students are expected to respond to the attached Study Guide Questions in complete sentences. These questions will be collected on the first day of school for a grade worth 30 points. In addition, students will be given a test on the first day of school on the novel's characters and plot events, so students should use the Study Guide Questions to further familiarize themselves with the contents of the test. Name: ______________________________________ Date: _______________ English III: Summer Reading Assignment Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Directions: As you read the novel, answer the guided reading questions below in complete sentences. In addition to being collected for credit, these questions will help to prepare you for a test on the novel the first day of school. 1. How is Melinda feeling on the first day of school? What event over the summer causes her to have difficulty speaking? 2. How do Melinda’s friends act towards her on the bus? Find a quote to support this. 3. What categories or “cliques”, does Melinda put her fellow classmates into? 4. What does Rachel mouth to Melinda in the hall on the first day of school? 5. Who sits next to Melinda in the auditorium? Why is she not upset with her like the other students? 6. What “clique” does Melinda try to identify with? 7. Which teacher singles Melinda out as a trouble maker and which class does she consider a “sanctuary”? 8. What is the name of the boy in Mr. Neck’s class that helps Melinda? How does he help her? 9. What nickname has Melinda given Andy? Why? 10. Why are Melinda’s lips scabbed? What makes her do this? 11. Where does Melinda hide in the senior wing? What does she like about this place? 12. What is the subject of Melinda’s year long art project? What forms the foundations of her art work? 13. Describe Melinda’s relationship with her parents. Give a specific example. 14. What happens at the final showdown with Andy Evans? Be specific. 15. How do Melinda’s friends react to what happened? How does the school year end for her as a result? Find a quote that shows how Melinda feels at the end of the novel. Academic English III RL.11-12.10: Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Objective: Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level in order to practice and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning. W.11-12.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or text, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Objective: To draft a theme statement and support/defend it through highly developed ideas and content, organization, and paragraph development. Reading Task: Read any TWO of the books from the following list in order to complete the writing task that follows: The Namesake –Jhumpa Lahiri Pomegranate Soup –Marsha Mehran Purple Hibiscus–Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Ceremony–Leslie Marmon Silko Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood–Marjane Satrapi Our Twisted Hero–Yi Munyol Butterfly in the Wind–Lakshmi Persaud The Handmaid’s Tale–Margaret Atwood Writing Task: Choose ONE of the prompts below on which to respond. You must use BOTH literary works to support your ideas. In your response, you are REQUIRED to incorporate properly cited, textual evidence from both literary works (please consult http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ for instructions on embedding, formatting, and citing textual evidence according to MLA standards). Your response must not exceed two typed pages, double spaced using Times New Roman 12 point font. Use the rubric found on the next page as well as the South Brunswick School District’s 6-12 Writing Guide as a guideline for writing, revising, and editing your paper.. This writing task will be counted as a homework assignment included in the first marking period grade. Be prepared to post your response to turnitin.com during the first week of school. Prompt 1: Think carefully about the quotation and assignment below: "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots." - Marcus Garvey Assignment: Does one’s culture determine one’s identity or can a person successfully create an identity separate from and regardless of his culture? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your two chosen readings. Prompt 2: Think carefully about the quotation and assignment below: "Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely." - Auguste Rodin Assignment: Do people really benefit from every event or experience in some way? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your two chosen readings. Points Style Focus Comprehension Analysis Textual Evidence Delivery 5 Strong handle on language. Completes response with no errors, proper MLA format, embedded quotations, sophisticated style, and clear organization of thoughts Clear focus on a narrow topic with appropriatelyrelated, concisely-made points Interesting and insightful interpretation of the piece and a clear understanding of the literature Logical, specific, and thorough analysis of the literature in the context of the prompt Strong use of textual evidence which clearly supports the student’s interpretation and relates directly to the question that is being addressed Evidence of a nuanced understanding of the prompt and task and a thoughtful connection between the literature and the prompt Apparent handle on language. Completes response with few errors, proper MLA format, embedded quotations, professional style, and clear organization of thoughts. Focus on a narrow topic with appropriatelyrelated points Interesting interpretation of the piece and an apparent understanding of the literature Logical, specific, and adequate analysis of the literature in the context of the prompt Relevant use of textual evidence which supports the student’s interpretation and relates clearly to the question that is being addressed Evidence of an understanding of the prompt and task and an obvious connection between the literature and prompt Handle on language. May display a pattern of errors which, in some cases, impedes reader’s understanding of the response Topic is relatively broad or examples only display a vague relation to topic Logical interpretation of the piece and a basic understanding of the literature Logical analysis of the literature in the context of the prompt, but somewhat vague Use of textual evidence in an attempt to support the student’s interpretation which exhibits some sort of relation to the question that is being addressed Only a surface-level understanding of the prompt and task and/or connections between the literature and prompt are hard to identify or decipher Difficulty with language. Displays a pattern of errors which affects clarity of argument Topic is too broad or examples are unrelated. Focus often strays Inadequate or somewhat inaccurate interpretation of the piece Flawed analysis of the literature displaying misunderstanding or a lack of effort through only vague reference to the text or summary Lack of adequate textual evidence or evidence used does not support interpretation or relate to the question Evidence of a struggle with understanding the prompt and task and/or a lack of a clear connection between the text and the prompt Significant difficulty with language. A pattern of errors that dramatically affects clarity of the response A complete lack of focus and organization Poor, inaccurate, or inadequate interpretation of the piece No attempt at analysis— primarily summary or discussion of broad topics Lack of textual evidence. Student uses only vague references Disregard for task and prompt or no attempt to connect literature to prompt 4 3 2 1 Honors English III RL.11-12.10: Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Objective: Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level in order to practice and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning. W.11-12.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or text, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Objective: To draft a theme statement and support/defend it through highly developed ideas and content, organization, and paragraph development. Reading Task: Read Dune by Frank Herbert. For our discussion of the novel during the first weeks of school, I will be using the mass market paperback edition, ISBN 0441172717. Viewing Task: Watch ONE of the following films: Avatar, directed by James Cameron; Wall-E directed by Andrew Stanton; Dreamland, directed by ÞORFINNUR GUÐNASON & ANDRI SNÆR MAGNASON (available on YouTube). Writing Task: Choose one of the following topics: gender and power, sexism, prophecy, sorcery/ mysticism, ecology/natural resources, technology, or imperialism/economic exploitation. Then write an analytical essay that compares how this topic is depicted and developed in both Dune and your selected film. Please note: the book and the film do not need to agree on the topic; in fact, a contrast of stances will probably yield a richer discussion for you and your essay. Make sure to provide embedded textual support from the book AND the film. All ideas should be your own; cite ALL outside materials. Use MLA format to cite your source(s), which means including a Works Cited page. The essay, not including the Works Cited, should not exceed four typed pages (double-spaced with one-inch margins, using 12-point, Times New Roman font). Use the rubric found on the next page as well as the South Brunswick School District’s 6-12 Writing Guide as a guideline for writing, revising, and editing your paper. The assignment will be due on the first full day of school. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS LITERARY ANALYSIS WRITING RUBRIC SKILL AREA 5 Responses at this level: 4 Responses at this level: 3 Responses at this level: 2 Responses at this level: Content and analysis: the extent to which the writing exhibits sound understanding, interpretation, and/or analysis of the writing task and text(s) • convey an accurate and indepth understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose for the writing task • offer insightful interpretations of the text(s) with analysis that goes well beyond a literal level • convey an accurate and complete understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose for the writing task • offer clear and explicit interpretations of the text(s) with analysis that goes beyond a literal level • convey a partly accurate understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose of the writing task • offer few or superficial interpretations of the text(s) with a tendency to retell instead of analyze • convey a confused or largely inaccurate understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose for the writing task • offer unclear interpretations of the text(s) and no attempt to analyze • provide no evidence of understanding the writing task or topic • make no interpretations of the text(s) • develop ideas clearly and fully, effectively integrating and elaborating on specific textual evidence • reveal a thorough and insightful understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • develop ideas clearly and consistently, incorporating and explaining specific textual evidence • reveal an understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • convey an accurate although somewhat basic understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose for the writing task • offer partially explained and/or somewhat literal interpretations of the text(s) with some analysis • develop some ideas more fully than others, using relevant textual evidence • reveal an implicit understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • develop ideas briefly or partially, using some textual evidence but without much elaboration • reveal a vague or limited understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • completely lack development and do not include textual evidence • reveal no awareness or understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • skillfully establish and maintain consistent focus on a clear and compelling thesis • exhibit logical and coherent structure with claims, evidence and interpretations that convincingly support the thesis • make skillful use of transition words and phrases • are stylistically sophisticated, using language that is precise and engaging, with notable sense of voice and awareness of audience and purpose • effectively incorporate a range of varied sentence patterns to reveal syntactic fluency • demonstrate control of the conventions with essentially no errors, even with sophisticated language and sentence structure • effectively establish and maintain consistent focus on a clear thesis • exhibit a logical sequence of claims, evidence, and interpretations to support the thesis and effectively used transitions • make effective use of transition words and phrases • use language that is fluent and original, with evident awareness of audience and purpose • incorporate varied sentence patterns that reveal an awareness of different syntactic structures • establish and maintain focus on a clear thesis • exhibit a logical sequence of claims, evidence, and interpretations but ideas within paragraphs may be inconsistently organized • make some attempt to use basic transition words and phrases • use appropriate language, with some awareness of audience and purpose • make some attempt to include different sentence patterns but with awkward or uneven success • establish but fail to consistently maintain focus on a basic thesis • exhibit a basic structure but lack the coherence of consistent claims, evidence, and interpretations • make an inconsistent attempt to use some basic transition words or phrases • attempt to offer some development of ideas, but textual evidence is vague, irrelevant, repetitive, or unjustified • reveal a confused understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • establish a confused or irrelevant thesis and fail to maintain focus • exhibit an attempt to organize ideas into a beginning, middle, and end, but lack coherence • make little attempt to use transition words and phrases • rely on basic vocabulary, with little awareness of audience or purpose • reveal a limited awareness of how to vary sentence patterns and rely on a limited range syntactic structures • use language that is imprecise or unsuitable for the audience or purpose • reveal a confused understanding of how to write in complete sentences and little or no ability to vary sentence patterns • use language that is incoherent or inappropriate • include a preponderance of sentence fragments and run-ons that significantly hinder comprehension • demonstrate control of the conventions, exhibiting occasional errors only when using sophisticated language (e.g., punctuation of complex sentences) • demonstrate partial control, exhibiting occasional errors that do not hinder comprehension (e.g., incorrect use of homonyms) • demonstrate emerging control, exhibiting frequent errors that somewhat hinder comprehension (e.g., agreement of pronouns and antecedents; spelling of basic words) • demonstrate lack of control, exhibiting frequent errors that make comprehension difficult (e.g., subject verb agreement; use of slang) • illegible or unrecognizable as literate English Support: the extent to which ideas are supported using specific and relevant details and/or textual evidence Organization and focus: the extent to which the writing establishes a clear thesis and maintains direction, focus, and coherence Language and style: the extent to which the writing reveals an awareness of audience and purpose through word and stylistic choices, and sentence variety Grammar: the extent to which the writing exhibits conventional spelling, punctuation, paragraphing, capitalization, and grammar 1 Responses at this level: 0 Responses at this level: • fail to include a thesis or maintain focus • complete lack of organization and coherence • make no attempt to use transition words or phrases Advanced Placement English III Students are required to complete both assignments listed below. RI.11-12.6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text. Objective: To analyze and evaluate how an author advances the theme or purpose of a work. W.11-12.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or text, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Objective: To draft a theme statement and support/defend it through highly developed ideas and content, organization, and paragraph development. Reading Assignment #1: East of Eden by John Steinbeck Critically read East of Eden with a focus on Steinbeck’s use of structure. Take notes on the organization patterns Steinbeck uses throughout the novel. These notes will be used for an in-class essay the first few weeks of school. No written work is due. There will be an objective test on the entire novel the FIRST FULL DAY OF CLASS. Reading and Writing Assignment #2: Twenty-Five Great Essays edited by Robert DiYanni Critically read Twenty-Five Great Essays, any edition, including the Preface and Introduction. Highlight the text as you read. Evaluate and classify each of the 25 essays according to the four modes of discourse persuasion, exposition, narration, and description. For each essay, define its mode of discourse and include two pieces of proof (quotations) from the essay which support your choice. Briefly (two to three sentences, no more!) explain why the proof collectively validates your mode of discourse selection. Next, choose any four essays from the text and write a three to five page essay (MLA format) synthesizing how the four essays are united through the use of one rhetorical, stylistic or thematic element. Avoid analyzing the obvious and look for a unique connection and insight among the works (no clichés). This work is due the FIRST DAY of class. English Department Summer Curriculum Twelfth Grade By signing below, I acknowledge and understand the expectations regarding the English Department summer assignment. I also acknowledge and understand that the SBHS integrity policy and procedure, as found in the Student Handbook, concerning plagiarism and other issues of academic honesty apply to this assignment: “Students are expected to prepare and complete their own work with the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Plagiarism is the use of any source without proper acknowledgment.” Signed:_________________________ Date:__________ English IV RL.11-12.10: Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Objective: Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level in order to practice and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning. W.11-12.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or text, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Objective: To draft a theme statement and support/defend it through highly developed ideas and content, organization, and paragraph development. Reading Task: Please read at least one of the following books: Amen, Amen, Amen – Abby Sher Basketball Junkie – Chris Herron and Bill Reynolds Breaking Night – Liz Murray Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival – Norman Ollestad Funny in Farsi – Firoozeh Dumas The Glass Castle – Jeannette Walls I’m Down: A Memoir – Mishna Wolff A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier – Ishamael Beah Lost in Place – Mark Salzman Lucky Girl – Mei-Ling Hopgood Never Tell Our Business to Strangers: A Memoir – Jennifer Mascia Please Stop Laughing at Me – Jodee Blanco A Question of Freedom – R. Dwayne Betts Three Little Words – Ashley Rhodes-Courter Writing Task: Choose TWO of the essential questions below to answer based on the book you read. Write a minimum two-paragraph response for each question. Be sure to include examples, textual support and evidence for your ideas from the book you read. Use the rubric found on the next page as well as the South Brunswick School District’s 6-12 Writing Guide as a guideline for writing, revising, and editing your paper. This writing task will be counted as a homework assignment included in the first marking period grade. 1. How do we find a balance in our own lives between the expectations of family or society and maintaining our individuality? 2. What challenges arise in the process of discovering one’s self? 3. What happens when our reality or belief systems are challenged or altered? 4. What is the significance of storytelling as part of the human experience? POINTS 4 3 2 1 0 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • SCORING RUBRIC CRITERIA Clearly demonstrates understanding of the task. Completes all requirements (2 paragraphs for EACH response). Provides an insightful explanation/opinion that links to or extends aspects of the text. Includes support from both the story and from the writer’s experiences or mind. Shows evidence of synthesized thinking; offers related facts and opinions. Uses at least one direct quotation in EACH paragraph (one from each book). Has a strong opening which includes the focus question and has a strong closing. Well-organized paragraph(s) with well-constructed sentences. No errors: title/author, 3rd person, MLA, transitions, diction, grammar, & mechanics. Demonstrates an understanding of the task. Completes all requirements (2 paragraphs for EACH response). Provides some explanation/opinion using situations or ideas from the text as support. Uses at least one direct quotation in EACH paragraph (one from each book). Has an opening which includes the focus question and has a relevant closing. Well-organized paragraph(s) with well-constructed sentences. Few errors: title/author, 3rd person, MLA, transitions, diction, grammar, & mechanics. Shows a partial understanding of the task and may address all of the requirements. Uses text incorrectly or with limited success resulting in an inconsistent or flawed explanation. Opening and/or closing may be weak. Focus may drift. Some errors may exist; a pattern of errors may exist. Demonstrates minimal understanding of the task. Does not complete the requirements. Provides only a vague reference to or no use of the text. Mostly opinion. May be missing an opening or a closing. Sentences may appear unrelated to the ones before them. Errors may interfere with meaning. Irrelevant or off-topic. Does not even sound like it answers the same question. No opening or closing. A non-sentence or “I don’t know” answer. English IV College Composition RI.11-12.6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text. Objective: To analyze and evaluate how an author advances the theme or purpose of a work. W.11-12.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or text, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Objective: To draft a theme statement and support/defend it through highly developed ideas and content, organization, and paragraph development. Summer Reading Assignment #1 - 1984 by George Orwell Critically read 1984 by George Orwell. Be sure to read the Appendix on “The Principles of Newspeak”. An objective test on the entire text will be given on the FIRST FULL DAY OF CLASS. Subsequent assignments will occur regarding the text. Summer Reading and Writing Assignment #2 - Fifty Great Essays (Fifth Edition only) edited by Robert DiYanni Critically read Fifty Great Essays (Fifth Edition), including the Preface and Introduction (see selected essay reading list). Highlight as you read. Classify each essay according to the four modes of discourse – persuasion, exposition, narration, and description and include two pieces of proof (quotations) from the essay to support your choice. Briefly (two to three sentences, no more!) explain why both proofs collectively validate your mode of discourse. Hand in these notes on the first day of class. Next, choose any three essays you read and write a three to five page essay (MLA format, 12 point type), synthesizing how the three essays are united through the use of one rhetorical, stylistic or thematic element. Avoid analyzing the obvious and look for a unique connection and insight among the works (no clichés). Use textual proof to validate and explain your points. THIS ESSAY IS DUE THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS. Reading list from Fifty Great Essays (Fifth Edition only) edited by Robert DiYanni (40 essays) Gloria Anzaldua – “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” James Baldwin – “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me What Is” Dave Barry – “Road Warrior” Roland Barthes – “Toys” Sven Birkerts – “Into the Electronic Millennium” Judy Brady – “I Want a Wife” G. K. Chesterton – “The Fallacy of Success” Judith Oriz Cofer – “Casa: A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood” Bernard Cooper – “Labyrinthine” Joan Didion – “On Self-Respect” Mark Doty – “Souls on Ice” Brian Doyle – “Joyas Voladoras” Ralph Ellison – “Living with Music” Malcolm Gladwell – “The Tipping Point” Ellen Goodman – “The Company Man” Michael Hogan – “The Colonel” Barbara Holland – “Naps” Zora Neale Hurston – “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” Stephen King – “Why We Crave Horror Movies” Barbara Kingsolver – “Stone Soup” August Kleinzahler – “The Dog, The Family: A Household Tale” John McPhee – “Silk Parachute” Herman Melville – “The Advocate” Laura Miller – “Cat People vs. Dog People” Horace Miner – “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema” George Orwell – “Some Thoughts on the Common Toad” Scott Russell Sanders – “The Men We Carry in our Minds” David Sedaris – “Me Talk Pretty One Day” Lee Seigel – “The World Is All That Is the Case” Leslie Marmon Silko – “Landscape, History, and the Pueblo Imagination” Susan Sontag – “A Woman’s Beauty: Put-Down or Power Source?” Elizabeth Cady Stanton – “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” Paul Theroux – “On Being a Man” Lewis Thomas – “Crickets, Cats, Bats, and Chaos” Sojourner Truth – “Ain’t I a Woman?” Mark Twain – “Reading the Mississippi River” Alice Walker – “Beauty : When the Other Dancer Is the Self” David Foster Wallace – “Consider the Lobster” Geoffrey Wolff – “The Duke of Deception” Mary Wollstonecraft – “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” Academic English IV RL.11-12.10: Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Objective: Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level in order to practice and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning. W.11-12.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. Objective: To draft a personal essay and support it through highly developed ideas and content, organization, and paragraph development. Reading Task: Please read TWO of the following books in preparation for a timed writing essay to be administered during the first week of school. Amen, Amen, Amen – Abby Sher Basketball Junkie – Chris Herron and Bill Reynolds Breaking Night – Liz Murray Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival – Norman Ollestad First Darling of the Morning – Thrity Umrigar The Glass Castle – Jeannette Walls Hardcore Zen – Brad Warner I’m Down: A Memoir – Mishna Wolff A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier – Ishamael Beah Lost in Place – Mark Salzman Never Tell Our Business to Strangers: A Memoir – Jennifer Mascia A Question of Freedom – R. Dwayne Betts Three Little Words – Ashley Rhodes-Courter Writing Task: Compose a personal essay of no more than 650 words on one of the options listed. It should clearly and effectively demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself. 1 Consult http://www.academictips.org/acad/write_scholarship_essays2.html for guidance on approaching your essay. 1. Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn? 3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? 4. Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you? 5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family. Be prepared to post your response on turnitin.com during the first week of school. 1 Prompts courtesy of The Common Application for Undergraduate College Admissions which can be accessed at https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.aspx Honors English IV RL.11-12.10: Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Objective: Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level in order to practice and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning. W.11-12.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or text, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Objective: To draft a theme statement and support/defend it through highly developed ideas and content, organization, and paragraph development. Reading Task: Read The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch AND Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick Feel free to use the ebook versions of either of these books. Writing Task: In Walden Henry David Thoreau writes, "Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth,” because to him, truth is the most important thing in the world. But as we can tell from the above readings, truth is often hard to define. Prompt: Based upon the various ways that truth is represented in these texts, write an essay that demonstrates your understanding of what truth or reality is. (Hint: this will require you to define the term. Avoid using a dictionary definition; instead, develop your own based on how truth is depicted in these books.) Make sure to provide embedded textual support from BOTH readings. Use MLA format to cite your sources, which means including a Works Cited page. The essay, not including the Works Cited, should not exceed four typed pages (double-spaced with one-inch margins, using 12-point, Times New Roman font). Use the rubric found on the next page as well as the South Brunswick School District’s 612 Writing Guide as a guideline for writing, revising, and editing your paper. The assignment will be due on the first full day of school. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS LITERARY ANALYSIS WRITING RUBRIC SKILL AREA 5 Responses at this level: 4 Responses at this level: 3 Responses at this level: 2 Responses at this level: Content and analysis: the extent to which the writing exhibits sound understanding, interpretation, and/or analysis of the writing task and text(s) • convey an accurate and indepth understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose for the writing task • offer insightful interpretations of the text(s) with analysis that goes well beyond a literal level • convey an accurate and complete understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose for the writing task • offer clear and explicit interpretations of the text(s) with analysis that goes beyond a literal level • convey a partly accurate understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose of the writing task • offer few or superficial interpretations of the text(s) with a tendency to retell instead of analyze • convey a confused or largely inaccurate understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose for the writing task • offer unclear interpretations of the text(s) and no attempt to analyze • provide no evidence of understanding the writing task or topic • make no interpretations of the text(s) • develop ideas clearly and fully, effectively integrating and elaborating on specific textual evidence • reveal a thorough and insightful understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • develop ideas clearly and consistently, incorporating and explaining specific textual evidence • reveal an understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • convey an accurate although somewhat basic understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose for the writing task • offer partially explained and/or somewhat literal interpretations of the text(s) with some analysis • develop some ideas more fully than others, using relevant textual evidence • reveal an implicit understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • develop ideas briefly or partially, using some textual evidence but without much elaboration • reveal a vague or limited understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • completely lack development and do not include textual evidence • reveal no awareness or understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • skillfully establish and maintain consistent focus on a clear and compelling thesis • exhibit logical and coherent structure with claims, evidence and interpretations that convincingly support the thesis • make skillful use of transition words and phrases • are stylistically sophisticated, using language that is precise and engaging, with notable sense of voice and awareness of audience and purpose • effectively incorporate a range of varied sentence patterns to reveal syntactic fluency • demonstrate control of the conventions with essentially no errors, even with sophisticated language and sentence structure • effectively establish and maintain consistent focus on a clear thesis • exhibit a logical sequence of claims, evidence, and interpretations to support the thesis and effectively used transitions • make effective use of transition words and phrases • use language that is fluent and original, with evident awareness of audience and purpose • incorporate varied sentence patterns that reveal an awareness of different syntactic structures • establish and maintain focus on a clear thesis • exhibit a logical sequence of claims, evidence, and interpretations but ideas within paragraphs may be inconsistently organized • make some attempt to use basic transition words and phrases • use appropriate language, with some awareness of audience and purpose • make some attempt to include different sentence patterns but with awkward or uneven success • establish but fail to consistently maintain focus on a basic thesis • exhibit a basic structure but lack the coherence of consistent claims, evidence, and interpretations • make an inconsistent attempt to use some basic transition words or phrases • attempt to offer some development of ideas, but textual evidence is vague, irrelevant, repetitive, or unjustified • reveal a confused understanding of the author’s use of literary elements and techniques • establish a confused or irrelevant thesis and fail to maintain focus • exhibit an attempt to organize ideas into a beginning, middle, and end, but lack coherence • make little attempt to use transition words and phrases • rely on basic vocabulary, with little awareness of audience or purpose • reveal a limited awareness of how to vary sentence patterns and rely on a limited range syntactic structures • use language that is imprecise or unsuitable for the audience or purpose • reveal a confused understanding of how to write in complete sentences and little or no ability to vary sentence patterns • use language that is incoherent or inappropriate • include a preponderance of sentence fragments and run-ons that significantly hinder comprehension • demonstrate control of the conventions, exhibiting occasional errors only when using sophisticated language (e.g., punctuation of complex sentences) • demonstrate partial control, exhibiting occasional errors that do not hinder comprehension (e.g., incorrect use of homonyms) • demonstrate emerging control, exhibiting frequent errors that somewhat hinder comprehension (e.g., agreement of pronouns and antecedents; spelling of basic words) • demonstrate lack of control, exhibiting frequent errors that make comprehension difficult (e.g., subject verb agreement; use of slang) • illegible or unrecognizable as literate English Support: the extent to which ideas are supported using specific and relevant details and/or textual evidence Organization and focus: the extent to which the writing establishes a clear thesis and maintains direction, focus, and coherence Language and style: the extent to which the writing reveals an awareness of audience and purpose through word and stylistic choices, and sentence variety Grammar: the extent to which the writing exhibits conventional spelling, punctuation, paragraphing, capitalization, and grammar 1 Responses at this level: 0 Responses at this level: • fail to include a thesis or maintain focus • complete lack of organization and coherence • make no attempt to use transition words or phrases Advanced Placement English IV RL.11-12.10: Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Objective: Read developmentally appropriate materials at an independent level in order to practice and apply personal reading strategies that were most effective in previous learning. W.11-12.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or text, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Objective: To draft a theme statement and support/defend it through highly developed ideas and content, organization, and paragraph development. Assignment #1: Please read Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Using the Conrad novella, write a paper that discusses how the author’s use of diction and imagery supports the novella’s theme. This assignment is due the first day of class and will be part of the first marking period grade. Papers must be clear and concise – no more than three typed pages, double spaced, 12-point font. Assignment #2: Please read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Be prepared to complete a timed writing analyzing a passage during the first two weeks of class. Assignment #3: Poetry Study Read Perrine’s Sound and Sense (10th Edition). Read each chapter and keep a journal of all key literary terms and concepts. Then, for each chapter, select one poem and respond in detail to the questions that follow. You are expected to read your selected poems several times to understand them on a deeper level. Then, select four additional poems from anywhere else in the anthology and respond to those questions as well. Please note: You may have already read some of the poems in this volume. If so, please respond to poems that are new to you. You should also select one poet whose life and work you would like to explore more deeply as a part of the first marking period’s Poet Study assignment. Please see Mr. Honig in A205 for copies of Sound and Sense, as well as the other books, if needed (although you are encouraged to acquire your own copies of the prose works so that you can make any notations as you read). A GENERAL REMINDER: You should rely on your own ability to comprehend and analyze text since you will not have outside sources available on the A.P. Exam. However, should you consult additional sources, you MUST cite your sources in MLA format. Plagiarism is a serious integrity violation.