SUMMER READING AND WRITING ASSIGNMENT (2015-2016)
College Prep World Literature & Honors World Literature
ALL students enrolled in World Literature must read the following:
All But My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
ALL students enrolled in Honors World Literature must read the following:
All But My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
OVERVIEW
Follow these directions to be successful:
1) Before you begin reading the books, choose ONE OF THE PROMPTS on the following page. You will answer
this prompt as you complete the summer reading assignment.
2) As you read the books, TAKES NOTES BASED ON THE PROMPT YOU CHOSE. Mark specific quotations that
relate to your prompt. You’ll use these quotations later when you fill in your graphic organizer.
3) After reading the books, COMPLETE ONE OF THE GUIDED THESIS STATEMENTS BASED ON THE PROMPT YOU
CHOSE. Your thesis statement must be argumentative; this means that it must be proving a point, not just
summarizing the books. Your thesis statement must include three different points that you’ll prove to be true.
4) Then, use your thesis statement as a guide as you complete the graphic organizer using all of the
quotations that you marked and notes that you took while reading the text.
-Your graphic organizer must include QUOTATIONS FROM ALL OF THE REQUIRED BOOKS.
-All PARAPHRASE, SUMMARY, and DIRECT QUOTATIONS should feature proper IN-TEXT CITATIONS.
-TEXT SUPPORT SHOULD RELATE ONLY TO THE PROMPT YOU CHOSE.
You may not use study aides, such as Spark Notes, Enotes, or Bookrags, for this assignment. This must
be your own work. Plagiarism will not be tolerated; an assignment that reflects plagiarism will not
receive any credit. Use Writers Inc. to learn more about plagiarism and how to avoid it.
5) As you complete your graphic organizer, be sure to address the prompt/answer your thesis statement.
-AVOID SUMMARIZING the readings; your audience is familiar with the books. Analyze the books
based on the prompt you chose/your thesis statement.
6) Be sure that you follow the guidelines in Writers Inc. for punctuation, grammar, in-text citation, Works
Cited, and MLA format.
7) Include a Works Cited page. This Works Cited page will features entries for the books that you read.
8) IN ORDER TO SUCCEED ON THIS ASSIGNMENT, YOU MUST CAREFULLY READ OVER THE RUBRIC. Take note
of what I will be looking for as I grade the assignment. If you ignore the rubric, you will most likely not do well.
The assignment is worth 100 points and is DUE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26TH). Ten points will be deducted
each day the paper is late.
REQUIREMENTS
-THE ASSIGNMENT MUST BE TYPED. HANDWRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED ANY UNDER
CIRCUMSTANCES. Type into the Word document and modify the size of the graphic organizer based on your
notes. There are no requirements for the length of the assignment.
-One Works Cited page
-Attach a copy of the rubric to the back of the graphic organizer. Attaching the rubric is worth 3 points.
-Be prepared to submit your work to turnitin.com as soon as the school year begins. I will give you an ID and
password to enroll in a class. Five points will be deducted if the paper is not submitted to turnitin.com after
the announced deadline. If the paper is never uploaded to turnitin.com, you will receive a zero.
-Do not use these words in your graphic organizer: I, YOU, YOUR, YOURSELF, ME, MY, MYSELF, THING,
EVERYTHING, NOTHING, SOMETHING, IT (without a proper antecedent), CONTRACTIONS (’), EXCLAMATION
POINTS (!). Each time you use one of the following words one point will be deducted from your total score.
[However, you will not lose points if these forbidden words are within direct quotations from the text.]
PROMPTS (1-3)
Directions: Choose ONE of the following prompts to guide your thesis statement and graphic organizer. This
thesis statement will relate to ALL books required for your course.
1. In a literary work, a contrasting character, often known as a foil character, possesses traits that emphasize,
by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the protagonist (main character).
For example, the ideas or behavior of the foil character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or
strengths of the main character. Analyze how a foil character in each work serves as a foil to the protagonist in
that work. Analyze how the relationship between the foil characters and the protagonists illuminate the
meanings of the works.
2. An author can use a minor character to affect a work in some major way. The minor character may create
a conflict, affect the plot, act as a confidant to a major character, or act in other important ways. No matter
what, a minor character has a significantly smaller role in the plot than the major character. Select one minor
character from each work. Remember, he/she must play a much smaller part in the novel than the
protagonist. Analyze the impact of a minor character in his or her respective work. Note: Each character does
not need to impact his or work in the same way as the other characters influence theirs.
3. Some of the most important themes in literature are sometimes developed in scenes in which a death or
deaths take place. At these moments, other characters can come to a new understanding about life. Select
one or several death scenes from each work. Analyze how these death scenes in each work help to illuminate
the meaning of each work.
Name:
Block:
Prompt #:
SUMMER READING: GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Directions: Read the following information to understand how to fill out each section of the graphic organizer. Read the
rubric to understand how the assignment will be graded. This assignment must be typed.
Thesis Statement:
-Fill in ONE of the guided thesis statements. Use this thesis statement to guide you as you complete the graphic
organizer.
Arguments:
-These arguments will come from the three arguments that you make in your thesis statement. The first
argument should be the first prong of your thesis statement, etc.
-Arguments should be written as complete sentences. They should be one to two sentences in length.
Text Support:
-Include at least two direct quotations per argument.
-Include proper MLA in-text citation for each quotation.
-Before the quotation, list the speaker’s name. The speaker may be the narrator.
-Be sure to put quotation marks around direct quotations.
-Quotations should not exceed five sentences. Use an ellipsis to shorten a quotation.
Analysis:
-List at least two insights about this point. Use your text support to help shape these insights.
-Insights should be written using complete sentences. They should be one to two sentences in length. Use the
literary present tense when discussing the novels.
-These insights should relate to the thesis statement and the argument you are making.
Works Cited
-Using Writers INC., type a Works Cited entry for each novel. Include these entries at the end of the graphic
organizer. Follow MLA format when typing the Works Cited entries.
FILL IN THIS THESIS STATEMENT FOR PROMPT #1:
In All But My Life, __________ serves as a foil character to __________. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, __________ serves
as a foil character to __________. [Honors: In A Separate Peace, __________ serves as foil character to __________.
These foil characters (1)__________ (2)__________ , and (3) __________.
--OR-FILL IN THIS THESIS STATEMENT FOR PROMPT #2:
In All But My Life, __________ is a minor character. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, __________ is another minor
character. [Honors: In A Separate Peace, __________ is also a minor character. These minor characters (1) __________,
(2)__________ , and (3) __________.
--OR-FILL IN THIS THESIS STATEMENT FOR PROMPT #3:
In All But My Life, __________’s death affects __________. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, __________’s death affects
__________ . [Honors: In A Separate Peace, __________’s death impacts __________. The deaths of these characters,
(1)__________ (2)__________ , and (3) __________.
Name:
Block:
Prompt #:
THESIS STATEMENT:
NOVEL
ARGUMENT #1
TEXT SUPPORT
ANALYSIS
1.
1.
2.
2.
1.
1.
2.
2.
1.
1.
2.
2.
All But My Life
A Thousand
Splendid Suns
Honors: A Separate
Peace
NOVEL
ARGUMENT #2
TEXT SUPPORT
ANALYSIS
1.
1.
2.
2.
1.
1.
2.
2.
1.
1.
2.
2.
All But My Life
A Thousand
Splendid Suns
Honors: A Separate
Peace
NOVEL
ARGUMENT #3
TEXT SUPPORT
ANALYSIS
1.
1.
2.
2.
1.
1.
2.
2.
1.
1.
2.
2.
All But My Life
A Thousand
Splendid Suns
Honors: A Separate
Peace
Works Cited
Directions: Type a Works Cited entry for each novel here. List the entries in alphabetical order.
Name:
Date:_______________
Summer Reading and Writing Assignment RUBRIC (2015-2016)
College Prep World Literature & Honors World Literature
Category
MLA FORMAT
-Typed using 11 or 12 pt. font
Points
1 2
THESIS STATEMENT
-Reflects one of the guided thesis statements
-Clear and meaningful with parallel structure
-Guides the text support and the analysis of the graphic organizer
1 2 3 4 5
TEXT SUPPORT
-Use of meaningful quotations to support each argument (at least two
per argument per novel)
-Speaker is listed for each quotation
-Quotations are not merely summary, but prove a point or serve as an
example
-Correct MLA citation of direct quotations and paraphrase
-Quotations do not exceed 5 sentences
ARGUMENTS/ANALYSIS
-Clear arguments that relate to thesis statement
-Strong analysis that relates to each argument and the various novels
-Analysis connects back to thesis statement
-Written as clear, cohesive, complete sentences
-Ideas are creative, captivating
WORK CITED
-Correct MLA Work Cited page
-In-text citations have corresponding entries in Works Cited and
entries in Works Cited have corresponding in-text citations
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31 32 33 34 35
MECHANICS AND GRAMMAR
-Punctuation, capitalization, sentence structure, grammar
-Consistent use of the “literary present”
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CLEAR EVIDENCE OF PROOFING/REVISING/EFFORT
1 2 3 4 5
SUBMITTED RUBRIC
1 2 3
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Deductions:
-Forbidden Words Deduction (-1 point per use)
-I, YOU, YOUR, THING, EVERYTHING, NOTHING, SOMETHING, IT, CONTRACTIONS (’), EXCLAMATION POINTS (!)
-Incorrect spelling of names, titles, authors, characters, or any other words (-1 each time)
-Missing turnitin.com deadline (-5)
-Missing deadline (-10 each day late)
_________ / 100
Comments/Writing Goals: