Honors Senior English (EH4)
Summer Reading Assignment
School Year 2013-2014
Reading Selections
You are to read both selections.
Slaughterhouse-Five
Kurt Vonnegut
How to Read Literature like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines
Thomas C. Foster
Annotated Reading Assignment
One of your major tasks as an Honors student is to practice the art of active reading. Active reading is an essential practice for anyone
who wants to become a more successful student or simply a better reader.
Why is active reading so important when reading a book?
First, it keeps you awake—not merely conscious but wide awake.
Second, it allows you to remember the important scenes, characters, images, themes, etc. of the book.
Third, writing your reactions down helps you to remember the thoughts of the author.
Throughout this course you will be asked to annotate a variety of readings. If you develop the habit of reading actively, you will not
only become a better reader but a better thinker as well. It is also important to note that active reading is a technique that crosses into
other subjects and is essential for success at the college level.
Objective and Instructions
Actively read both selections taking copious, insightful, and thorough reading notes.
Annotated Reading Format
Inside Back Cover: Themes, allusions, images, symbols. Be sure to indicate location of these references with page numbers.
Bottom and Side Page Margins: Interpretive notes, questions and/or personal remarks. Markings or notes should tie in with
information on the inside cover.
Top Margins: Plot-a few words or phrases that summarize what happens (useful for quick references).
Underlining: done while or after reading to help locate important passages. Good for finding examples for discussions or essays.
****You do not need to write on every page.****
Grading
Your copies of the books will be collected on the first day of class. Annotation grades will be based on thoroughness, clarity,
neatness, and effort. Annotations will count as substantially weighted quiz grade—approximately 10% of your first marking period
grade. An in-class timed write will be given on an excerpt from the novel.
Annotative Reading Assignment: Honors English IV
Teacher Name: Mr. Patterson
Student Name:
________________________________________
9-10
7-8
5-6
3-4
0-2
Inside Front
Cover
Literary devices
and key scenes
are clearly
referenced with
page numbers.
The notes are
very neat and
well organized.
Literary devices
and key scenes
are referenced
with page
numbers. The
notes are neat
and organized.
Some literary
devices and key
scenes are
referenced with/
without page
numbers. The
notes are
somewhat neat
and organized.
Few literary
devices and key
scenes are
referenced
without page
numbers. The
notes are difficult
to read and lack
organization.
Notes on the
inside front cover
are incomplete
or not done.
Bottom and
Side Margins
Contains
interpretive
notes, questions
and/or personal
remarks that are
very neat and
well-organized.
Markings clearly
tie in with
information on
the inside cover.
Contains
interpretive
notes, questions
and/or personal
remarks that are
neat and
organized.
Markings tie in
with information
on the inside
cover.
Contains
interpretive
notes, questions
and/or personal
remarks that are
somewhat neat
and organized.
Markings tie may
or may not tie in
with information
on the inside
cover.
Contains
interpretive notes,
questions and/or
personal remarks
that are not neat
or organized.
Markings tie do
not tie in with
information on
the inside cover.
Notes on the
bottom and side
margin are
incomplete,
illegible or not
done.
Top Margins
and
Underlining
Contains a few
words or
phrases that
clearly
summarize the
action on the
page. Important
passages are
neatly
underlined.
Contains a few
words or
phrases that
summarize the
action on the
page. Important
passages are
underlined.
Contains a few
words or
phrases that
vaguely
summarize the
action on the
page. Important
passages may
or may not be
underlined.
Contains a few
words or phrases
that do not
summarize the
action on the
page. Important
passages are not
underlined.
Notes on the top
margins are
incomplete,
illegible or not
done. There is
no underlining.
The annotation
has almost no
distracting
errors,
corrections or
erasures and is
easily read. It
appears the
student worked
hard on it.
The annotation
is fairly readable
but the quality is
not too good on
some parts. It
looks like the
student ran out
of time or didn't
take care of it.
The annotation is
messy and hard
to read. It looks
like the student
threw it together
at the last minute
without much
care.
The annotation is
incomplete,
illegible or not
done.
CATEGORY
Neatness and The annotation
has no
Effort
distracting
errors,
corrections or
erasures and is
easily read. It
appears the
student spent a
lot of effort
getting things
just right.