English Department
Summer Curriculum
Twelfth Grade
Students may 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 IVB
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.11-12.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Objective: To apply the grades 9-12 reading standards to literature and literary non-fiction in order to draw evidence
from the reading as preparation to support an analysis essay on the text.
Reading Task: Read Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar in order to complete the task that
follows.
Task: Complete the charts on the following pages. This assignment is worth 12 points.
Throughout literature characters experience a “Quest,” which is a journey toward a goal that involves
challenges. The main character may travel to different places, meet new people, face obstacles, and
experience many joys, all while trying to reach a goal.
While reading the book, find examples that identify the novel as a hero’s quest based on the above
description. In 3-4 sentences, explain how each of these examples supports the elements of the hero’s quest.
List your six examples on the following form including the page number(s) where you found textual
evidence to support this example. The evidence should come from throughout the novel.
Example: The following is an example from the play Macbeth. Use this as a model for your own responses:
Elements of the Hero’s Quest
Page(s)
1. Example:
3
Macbeth is successful in battle and is rewarded with the title Thane of Cawdor.
Explain how this example is part of a hero’s quest.
This example shows Macbeth facing an obstacle (fighting in a war) and experiencing a joy (being rewarded
with a title for his efforts on the battlefield). This event begins his quest of gaining the title King of Scotland
Name:
English IVB Summer Reading
Novel:
Author:
Elements of the Hero’s Quest
1. Example:
Explain how this example is part of a hero’s quest.
2. Example:
Explain how this example is part of a hero’s quest.
3. Example:
Explain how this example is part of a hero’s quest.
Page(s)
4. Example:
Explain how this example is part of a hero’s quest.
5. Example:
Explain how this example is part of a hero’s quest.
6. Example:
Explain how this example is part of a hero’s quest.
Page(s)
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.11-12.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Objective: To apply the grades 9-12 reading standards to literature and literary non-fiction in order to draw evidence
from the reading as preparation to support an analysis essay on the text.
Reading Task: Read ONE memoir from the following list in order to complete the writing task that follows:
Basketball Junkie – Chris Herron and Bill Reynolds
Breaking Night – Liz Murray
Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival – Norman Ollestad
The Glass Castle – Jeannette Walls
Lost in Place – Mark Salzman
Three Little Words – Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Task: Complete the chart on the following pages. This assignment is worth 10 points.
In Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, he states, “The real reason for a quest is
always self-knowledge” (3). The basic elements of the hero’s journey, which often includes a companion,
consist of searching for a goal, encountering obstacles, suffering a wound, and a descent into darkness. The
hero is changed after this descent into darkness and often finds that the object of the quest is not what he
expected it to be. This is where the self-knowledge is achieved.
Select one of the memoirs from the English IV Summer Reading list. While reading the book, find examples
that identify the memoir as a hero’s quest based on the above description. In 3-4 sentences, explain how each
of these examples supports the elements of the hero’s quest. List your ten examples on the following form
including the page number(s) where you found textual evidence to support this example. The evidence
should come from throughout the memoir.
Example: The following is an example from the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Use this as a model for
your own responses:
Elements of the Hero’s Quest
Page(s)
1. In her desire to find “the sweet things of marriage,” Janie decides that she needs to go in search of
true love (24). “She hung over the gate and looked up the road towards way off” (25). This decision
defines her as a hero on a quest and so begins her journey.
25
Name:
English IV Summer Reading
Memoir:
Author:
Elements of the Hero’s Quest
1.
2.
3.
4.
Page(s)
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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.11-12.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Objective: To apply the grades 9-12 reading standards to literature and literary non-fiction in order to draw evidence
from the reading as preparation to support an analysis essay on the text.
Reading Task: Read any TWO memoirs from the following list in order to complete the writing task that
follows:
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
A House in the Sky: A Memoir – Amanda Lindhout
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier – Ishmael Beah
This Boy’s Life – Tobias Wolff
Task: Complete the charts on the following pages. This assignment is worth 20 points.
In Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, he states, “The real reason for a quest is
always self-knowledge” (3). The basic elements of the hero’s journey, which often includes a companion,
consist of searching for a goal, encountering obstacles, suffering a wound, and a descent into darkness. The
hero is changed after this descent into darkness and often finds that the object of the quest is not what he
expected it to be. This is where the self-knowledge is achieved.
Select two memoirs from the Academic English IV Summer Reading list. For each memoir, complete a
double-entry journal that identifies ten properly cited examples which demonstrate various elements of the
hero’s quest based on the above description. In 3-4 sentences, explain exactly how the textual evidence
creates and enhances meaning for the reader. Your evidence should come from throughout the memoir.
Example: The following is an example from the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Use this as a model
for your own responses:
Evidence of Elements of the Hero’s Quest
Analysis of Quotations
1. “She hung over the gate and looked up the road
towards way off” (25).
In her desire to find “the sweet things of marriage,” Janie decides that
she needs to go in search of true love (24). This decision defines her as
a hero on a quest and so begins her journey. The road “way off” is the
symbol for her future. The image of her hanging over the gate and
looking up the road represents her active decision to begin this
journey.
Name:
Academic English IV Summer Assignment
Memoir 1:
Author:
Evidence of Elements of the Hero’s Quest
1.
2.
3.
4.
Analysis of Quotations
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Memoir 2:
Author:
Evidence of Elements of the Hero’s Quest
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Analysis of Quotations
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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.11-12.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Objective: To apply the grades 9-12 reading standards to literature and literary non-fiction in order to draw evidence from the
reading as preparation to support an analysis essay on the text.
Reading Task: Read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and at least one of the following books:
Autobiography of a Face – Lucy Grealy
Girl, Interrupted – Susanna Kaysen
Hardcore Zen – Brad Warner
Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius – Dave Eggers
Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest – Cheryl Strayed
Task: Complete literary analysis journals for each work. This assignment is worth 20 points.
In Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, he states, “The real reason for a quest is
always self-knowledge” (3). The basic elements of the hero’s journey, which often includes a companion,
consist of searching for a goal, encountering obstacles, suffering a wound, and a descent into darkness. The
hero is changed after this descent into darkness and often finds that the object of the quest is not what he
expected it to be. This is where the self-knowledge is achieved.
For each book, complete ten text analysis journal entries which focus primarily on how the literary elements
of the hero’s quest may appear in real life stories. Your analysis must address the development of the
author’s character based on the obstacles he or she encounters while on his or her quest for self-knowledge.
It is important to note that text analysis involves more than just summarizing the plot or offering a personal
observation about the hero’s quest. Analysis involves a close reading of how the author uses language to
create meaning.
Each journal entry should be at least a paragraph in length, must be typed, must be written in third person,
and must include properly embedded and cited textual evidence that supports your analysis of how the
author’s story represents a real-life hero’s quest. The paragraph must also address specifically how and why
this analysis leads to a more complex understanding of the memoir.
Example: The following is an example from the novel Brave New World. Use this as a model for your own
responses:
“Bokanovsky’s Process is one of the major instruments of social stability!” (Huxley 8)
The World State uses the Bokanovsky Process to clone people in order to create and maintain the caste system. Since the castes
are used to erase people's identity and individuality, the Bokanovsky Process, as the Director says, "is one of the major
instruments of social stability." As World State's motto at the beginning of the novel establishes, maintaining stability is the
highest concern in this society. It is difficult to imagine a greater obstacle to a hero than a world of clones in which all signs of
exceptionality are erased. This, couple with the World State's dogged demand for conformity (think, "COMMUNITY, IDENTITY,
STABILITY") creates the perfect crucible for a hero.
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.
E-mail Mr. Ziminski if you have questions about either assignment (mark.ziminski@sbschools.org)
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”
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: Read Dubliners by James Joyce.
As you read, keep an informal reading journal. This should be 1-2 paragraphs per story and may include
questions, connections, key passages, etc. This will be collected on the first day of class.
Be prepared to complete a timed writing and an objective test on Dubliners during the first two weeks of
class.
Assignment #2: Select one short story collection (or set of collections) from the following list:
Cosmicomics and T-Zero – Italo Calvino
Everything that Rises Must Converge – Flannery O’Connor
Our Story Begins – Tobias Wolff
In Our Time and The Snows of Kilimanjaro – Ernest Hemingway
Collected Stories – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Open Secrets – Alice Munro
Lost in the City – Edward P. Jones
Go to http://tinyurl.com/sbhsaplitsummerreading to make your selection. No more than three students will be
allowed to read the same author. Make selections by June 26.
As you read, keep an informal response journal for each story (see Assignment 1, above). Then, write an
essay in which you show how the author’s style develops meaning in the stories. Consider the author’s use of
diction, tone, structure, imagery or other literary elements. Use specific passages from at least three of the
stories to support your discussion. Essays must be clear and concise – no more than three pages. This essay is
due by August 20. Type the essay on Google Drive and share it with peter.honig@sbschools.org This will be
part of the first marking period grade.
Assignment #3: Poetry Study
Read Perrine’s Sound and Sense (10th Edition). Read chapters 1-16 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.
Please note: You may have already read some of the poems in this volume. If so, select poems that are new
to you.
Please see Mr. Honig in A205 for copies of Sound and Sense and Dubliners.