PSJA ISD
Pre-AP, AP, and AP/DC
HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH
SUMMER READING
PACKET
2013-2014
PSJA High School
Advanced Placement English and Dual Credit
Summer Reading Assignment 2012-13
To Whom It May Concern,
I have read the Pre-AP, AP, and AP/DC Summer Reading packet and I understand my
responsibilities and requirements to my class before the 2013-2014 school year begins.
I further understand that the Summer Reading Packet assignment will be an important part of my
1st Six Weeks grade and is due on the first day of class.
Therefore, Summer Reading is a REQUIRED component of Pre-AP, AP, and AP/DC English
programs at PSJA High School. All students who choose to take the course MUST complete
ALL assignments listed and explained in this packet.
Steps 1- 4 are the assignments YOU must complete and TURN IN the FIRST DAY of
school.
For Juniors and Seniors:
In addition, I understand that a requirement for this course is to sign up and pay the test fee for
the AP English Language and Composition or the AP Literature and Composition exam which
will be given in May. Failure to comply will result in removal from the course and the loss of the
weight that an AP course carries.
_________________________
Student Name (Please Print)
_________________________
Student Signature
We, the parents, have read the English Summer Reading Packet and understand the long term
benefits of the skills and the intellectual development offered by the course and supports my
child’s enrollment in this course. I understand that as a parent/or legal guardian I may contact the
instructor at anytime and am encouraged to confer about my child’s progress.
_________________________
_________________________
Parent/Guardian Name (Please Print)
Parent/Guardian Signature
This contract is endorsed and supported by the PSJA High School English Department and Mrs.
Rivas-Garza, PSJA High School Principal. Should you have any questions, please call 956-3542300.
______________________________
Terina G. Vazquez
English Department Chair
_____________________________
Mrs. N. Rivas-Garza
PSJA High School Principal
PSJA High School
Advanced Placement English and Dual Credit
Asignacion de Paquete de Verano 2013-2014
A Quien le Pertenece,
Yo e leido el paquete de Pre-AP, AP y AP/DC de Verano y entiendo my responsibilidades y requisitos de
mis clases antes del empiezo del año escolar de 2013-2014. Tambien entiendo que el Paquete de Verano
sera un grado importante del las primeras seis semanas y sera entregado el primer dia de clases.
Asi que, el Paquete Verano es un component requirido del Programa de Ingles Pre-AP, AP, e AP/DC en
PSJA High School. Todos los estudiantes que elijen no tomar la clase DEBEN completar TODOS las
actividades puestos y explicados en este Paquete Verano.
Pasos 1-4 son las actividades que TU debes completar y ENTREGAR el PRIMER DIA de escuela.
Para los Juniors y Seniors:
En addicion, Yo entiendo que un requisito para esta clase es enlistarme y pagar la cuota para el examen
de Ingles AP de Lenguage y Composicion o el de AP Literatura y Composicion que sera tomado en Mayo.
Fracaso de no cumplir resultara en la extraccion de el curso y la perdida the el peso que una clase de AP
dara.
____________________________
Nombre de Estudiante (Por Favor Escribir)
_____________________________
Firma de Estudiante
Nosotros, los padres, hemos leido el Paquete de Verano de Ingles y entendimos los beneficios de largo
plazo de las habilidades y el desarollo intelectual ofrecido por el curso que ademas apoya la inscripcion
de my hijo/hija en este curso. Entiendo que como padre/ o guardian legal yo puedo comunicarme con el
instructor al cualquier tiempo y soy animado a pedir conferencia sobre el progreso de my hijo/hija.
_____________________________
Nombre de Padre/Guardian (Por Favor Escribir)
______________________________
Firma de Padre/Guardian
Este contrato esta aprobado y soportado por el Departamento de Ingles de PSJA High School y Sra.
Rivas-Garza, Directora de PSJA High School. Si tiene preguntas, por favor llame 956-354-2300.
______________________________
Terina G. Vazquez
Lider del Departamento de Ingles
_______________________________
Sra. N. Rivas-Garza
Directora de PSJA High School
9th Pre-AP
Heroes,
Gods and
Monsters
10th Pre-AP 11th AP &
Of Mice and AP/DC
Men
Fahrenheit
451
12th AP &
AP/DC
Frankenstein
The following information is for all students in grades 9th-12th who will
be attending any high school in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school
district and enrolled in any Pre-AP 9th or 10th grade English or an 11th or
12th grade Advanced Placement/Advanced Placement-Dual Credit class.
Please note that incoming 9th grade students should ask their current
8th grade teachers for a pamphlet for further details of their
assignments.
We hope we can help any student who has questions or concerns about
the summer reading. Please contact the following teachers at any of
the high school campuses if you need any further instructions.
PSJA High School – English Department
9th Grade Pre-AP: Vanessa Castillo
[email protected]
Cynthia Olivarez
[email protected]
th
10 Grade Pre-AP: Annalee Sanchez
[email protected]
11th Grade AP: Marisol Gonzalez
[email protected]
11th Grade AP/DC: Minerva Vasquez
[email protected]
th
12 Grade AP & AP/DC: Terina Vazquez [email protected]
PSJA Memorial High School – English Department
9th Grade Pre-AP: Claudia Flores
[email protected]
th
10 Grade Pre-AP: Sandra Valverde
[email protected]
11th Grade AP & AP/DC: Yolanda Guerrero
[email protected]
Catherine Zamora
[email protected]
12 Grade AP & AP/DC: Carmen Perez
[email protected]
Paul Perez
[email protected]
PSJA North High School – English Department
9th Grade Pre-AP: Narcisa Del Carmen Puente [email protected]
10th Grade Pre-AP: Gabriel Cerda
[email protected]
Kristina Zepeda
[email protected]
11th and 12th Grade AP & AP/DC:
Caleb Camacho
[email protected]
Diana Cardenas
[email protected]
Ernesto Gonzalez
[email protected]
Barbara Mahan
[email protected]
Armando Palomin, Jr. [email protected]
Pamela Reyes
[email protected]
Aracelli Serrano
[email protected]
PSJA Southwest Early College High School – English Department
9th Pre-AP: Cassandra Loya Peterson [email protected]
10th Pre-AP: Cynthia Rivera
[email protected]
11th & 12th AP & AP/DC:
Consuelo Hinojosa Guerra
[email protected]
Yolanda Molina
[email protected]
Ruben H. Moreno
[email protected]
PSJA Thomas Jefferson T-STEM Early College High School
9th & 10th Pre-AP:
Maria Duran
[email protected]
th
th
11 & 12 AP & AP/DC:
Kristy Perez
[email protected]
Vasthi Rodriguez
[email protected]
Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome to the PSJA ISD High School Early College, Pre-Advanced, Advanced Placement, and Advanced
Placement/Dual Credit programs for English. This program is designed to give interested students a
rigorous academic education with the opportunity to earn college credits before graduation from high
school. For more information, log on to AP Central (www.apcentral .com). You can download practice
exams, create parent and student accounts, and sign up to receive emails.
Your summer reading has been selected by English teachers who are part of the Early College, Pre-AP
and AP Vertical Team at PSJA to help your reading skills and your background knowledge. We also
encourage you to reading anything else you are interested in, as reading is the primary and most
essential skill for any Early College, Pre-AP, AP, or AP/DC class in any area.
Every grade level has one book assigned to read this summer before school starts. You are responsible
for buying your book or checking it out from a library. It is recommended that you buy your book so that
you can make notes in the margins or use post-its.
The book for each grade level for the 2013-2014 school year are as follows:
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9th Grade – Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of the Greek Myths by Bernard Evslin
(ISBN# 978-0-553-25920-9)
*All middle schools should have copies of this pamphlet to give to 8th grade students.
10th Grade – Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (ISBN # 978-0749717100)
11th Grade – Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (ISBN #978-1451673319)
12th Grade – Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
(ISBN #978-0141439471)
There are assignments connected to your summer reading. Purchase a 70 page spiral notebook to
complete the assignments listed below. Incoming 9th grade students have the option of typing out these
assignments. The directions for the Activities 1-4 are also included. These assignments are a prerequisite for entering any Early College, Pre-AP, AP, and AP/DC class in the fall. If you do not wish to
read the book and complete the assignments, please register for regular classes. We will begin
discussion over your reading and requesting assignments the first day your class meets.
Here is an overview of your assignments for your summer reading:
Activity 1) Dialectical Journals – Directions for this assignment are attached
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9th Grade: Must complete reaction journal entries
10th Grade: Must complete 25 dialectical journal entries
11th Grade: Must complete 35 dialectical journal entries
12th Grade: Must complete 45 dialectical journal entries
Activity 2) Movie - Watch a film that goes along with your summer reading.
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9th Grade: The Clash of the Titans (the 1981 version)
10th Grade: Of Mice and Men (the 1992 version)
11th Grade: Fahrenheit 451 (the 1966 version)
12th Grade: Edward Scissorhands (the 1990 film)
Activity 3) Answering the 10 Movie Guide Questions
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The 10 questions for each grade level are listed below
Please note: 9th grade does not have any movie guide question but will be quizzed on
first class meeting
After you complete your dialectical journals in your spiral skip one page and answer
your Movie Guide Questions on this page
Activity 4) Writing a response to a question about your reading
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After you finish answering your 10 Movie Guide Questions skip another page in your
spiral and write a response to the questions that applies to the book assigned.
DIRECTIONS FOR ACTIVITES 1-4
ACTIVITY 1) THE DIALECTICAL READING JOURNAL
Reading journals are metacognitive reaction records you keep while reading. They are not complicated
and will help you keep track of important points in the text as you read, saving review time later. Your
goal is to make notes about points in the text that you thought were important, interesting, sad,
cathartic, funny, ironic, confusing, etc. during your reading. The notes then serve to prompt your
responses during discussions and to help you study for tests over the text.
Sometimes you will do reading journals for an entire work but more often for only one section or various
parts of the whole. You will need to purchase a 70 page spiral notebook or looseleaf paper for your
journal because periodically you will turn in parts of the journal for a progress and or grade check.
Please set up the format in your notebook this way:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Divide a page in your notebook in half longways.
Label each chapter or page # as a heading.
Highlight key sections so that they are easy to find.
On the left, label the column QUOTES FROM TEXT.
On the right, label the column MY REACTIONS.
As you read, quote (copy verbatim) important points in the text in the left
column. Note the PAGE NUMBERS also.
7. As you copy the quotation, note in the right column your reaction—does a
character seem mean, nice, wicked? Has the story taken an unexpected
turn? Have you found an important part of the author's message? Have
you identified some of the symbols, archetypes, motifs, irony, satire, or
themes?
8. Define ONE word and pose ONE question per chapter.
9. Add your own art and doodlings as you see fit.
10.Make a cover to your journal which includes: Your name, the title of the
book, the author, and some graphic depiction which goes with the meaning
of the work as a whole.
11.Secure your journal together with some sort of binding other than a paper
clip.
Here are a few areas to look for to get you started:
Setting
Main Characters
Minor Characters
Point of View
Tone
Symbols
Conflict
Mood
Irony
Foreshadow
Simile
Metaphors
Personification
Diction
Plot
HERE IS HOW IT SHOULD LOOK AND SOUND:
Example:
QUOTES FROM THE TEXT:
MY REACTIONS:
"The pigs did not actually work, but directed and
supervised the others. With their superior
knowledge
it was natural that they should assume the
leadership…" (p.35)
Hmmm…sounds like the pigs are getting ready to
put one over on the other animals. How can the
others be so stupid and gullible? The pigs have
said everyone should work, but they aren't
working. So everyone on this farm already isn't
equal. This reminds me of the stupid crowds of
commoners in Julius Caesar. Are uneducated
people really fit to govern themselves? It doesn't
look that way here.
"He (Napoleon) had seemed to oppose the
windmill, simply as a maneuver to get rid of
Snowball, who was a dangerous character…The
animals were not certain what the word meant,
but…the three dogs who happened to be with him
growled so threateningly, that they accepted his
explanation…"
Sounds like Napoleon revises the truth, a
dangerous practice—lets N. have power, if he is
the only one who knows what is going on, And
those dogs…they sound like the Gestapo. Is N.
preparing to use force to get his way?
(p. 62)
Vocab: maneuver
to get in a good position to accomplish a task
Q: How did the pigs get their superior knowledge?
Suggestions:
The double-entry dialectical journal combines note-taking with comment. It provides two
columns in dialogue with one another. Its purpose is to encourage careful reading and response. As you
read, write your personal responses to the work. State your feelings, thoughts, reactions, and questions
about situations, characters, ideas, actions, settings, details. Write about what you like or dislike, what
seems confusing or unusual. Tell what you think something means. Relate plot, characters, setting to
your personal experience of to people you know—in life or in literature. Use colloquial, everyday
language—write down reactions as they occur to you. So long as your responses are honest, they
cannot be wrong.
Possibilities for comment:
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I wonder what this means…
I don't understand this because…
I like/dislike this because…
This character reminds me of…
This part is confusing because…
this description make me feel…
The setting gives the effect of…
This detail seems out of place/effective/important because…
I didn't expect the characters to do this because…
The ideas here remind me of…
The author's tone reminds me of…
The author seems to think …
This part is particularly effective/depressing/surprising because…
I need to know more about…
Sometimes I feel just like…
This makes me think that maybe…
Your responses should be thorough and developed enough so that there is a clear
and meaningful observation of at least 50 words per quote.
ACTIVITY 2
Watch a movie that goes with your book!
Pop some popcorn and grab the remote!
9th Grade – Clash of the Titans (1981 version) – 10 Movie Guide Questions
Please note: 9th grade does not have any movie guide question but will be
quizzed on first class meeting.
10th Grade – Of Mice and Men (1992 version) – 10 Movie Guide Questions
During, or after, you watch the movie that goes along with your assigned reading respond to
the following questions. Answer these in your 70 page spiral notebook. Skip one page after your
last dialectical journal and start there!
1. Where and when does the movie take place?
2. Does the actor portray the character of Lennie differently from what you
imagined from the reading?
3. How is the movie a flashback?
4. What is gained by making the film a flashback as opposed to the way it is
presented in the book?
5. What does the director imply is the reason for George and Lennie being chased
by dogs and people with shotguns?
6. Since the filmmaker cannot use language to create metaphors, how does he
create the comparison of Lennie and a dog when Lennie drinks from water?
7. What is different in the movie compared to the book about how Lennie killed
the pup?
8. Seeing Curley react to his wife’s death is different from reading about it. What is
strange about the way Curley reacts?
9. How does the director make a connection between George and Candy when
Carlson is going out to shoot the dog?
10. How would you have ended the movie if you were the director?
11th Grade – Fahrenheit 451 (1966 version) – 10 Movie Guide Questions
During, or after, you watch the movie that goes along with your assigned reading respond to the
following questions. Answer these in your 70 page spiral notebook. Skip one page after your last
dialectical journal and start there!
1.
Consider at least three differences you noticed between the novel and the film adaptation, and
write clearly about why you believe these changes were made in the film. Make sure to expand
your answer fully.
2. Place yourself in the shoes of an award winning modern day film director, and write about one
major change you would make from the 1966 version of Fahrenheit 451 when producing a new
2013 version. Be specific and explain clearly why you would make these changes.
3. Many readers consider the novel to be an example of dystopian literature depicting a bleak
future wherein countless of people in society have ceased to be individuals. How does the film
reinforce this idea “visually”? Be clear and expand your answer fully.
4. Choose one specific scene from the film and consider the following elements: décor, costuming,
lighting, colors, and/or camera angles. How do some of these elements affect audience
response? Be clear and expand your answer fully.
5. In 1967, the film was awarded the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation in the genre of
science fiction. Identify and explain one scene from the movie that you believe proves that the
film indeed was well deserving of this award.
6. Explain the depiction of the book people at the end of the film and how this image might
possibly bring a more optimistic message and ending to Fahrenheit 451 in contrast to the novel.
7. Both the novel and film show how “Bradbury advocates the idea that men should think for
themselves, not let the government or the television do their thinking for them.” Explain how
this is true of the both the novel and the film.
8. After having read Fahrenheit 451, most readers will have a clear image of both Montag and
Clarisse as developed through their characterization in the novel. Do the characters of Montag
and Clarisse in the film fulfill your expectations of the characters from the novel?
9. Consider why the film director may have chosen to have the movie credits spoken at the
beginning of the film. Explain how this detail adds to the overall message or argument conveyed
by both the novel and film.
10. Explain why the film director might have chosen the same actress, Julie Christie, to play both
Linda Montage (Mildred from Book) and Clarisse in the film? Be clear and expand your answer
fully.
ACTIVITY 4 – WRITTEN RESPONSE
12th Grade – Edward Scissorhands (1990 version) – 10 Movie Guide Questions
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When and where does the story take place?
Who created Edward and for what purpose?
What common interest does The Inventor from the film share with Victor Frankenstein?
How does Edward win over the citizens?
What does Edward do to incur the wrath of those same citizens?
Describe the overall tone and mood of the movie. How does the director illustrate tone
and mood?
What is Kim’s relationship with Edward in the beginning of the movie different from the
end?
What attributes do Edward and The Monster share?
Identify how the director portrays the theme of vanity in the film?
What is the purpose of the novel and movie ending tragically?
ACTIVITY 4 – WRITTEN RESPONSE
9th Grade – Of Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths
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Please note: 9th grade does not have a response question but will need to
complete reaction journals by first class meeting.
10th Grade – Of Mice and Men
After reading the novel, consider the following question. Write an 8-10 line response using
short answer/open ended format. Be sure to included embedded quotations and manipulate
text as needed. Be thoughtful in your response.
Given what the two characters of Lennie and George go through in the novel, are
George’s actions at the end justified as a merciful or a selfish deed?
11th Grade – Fahrenheit 451
After reading the novel, consider the following question. Write an 8-10 line response using
short answer/open ended format. Be sure to included embedded quotations and manipulate
text as needed. Be thoughtful in your response.
Granger compares humanity to the mythical Phoenix, but says that humanity has an
advantage over the Phoenix in that it can remember its mistakes and therefore is not
doomed to repeat them. Do you think this is true in the world of Fahrenheit 451? What
about in the real world?
12th Grade – Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus
After reading the novel, consider the following question. Write an 8-10 line response using
short answer/open ended format. Be sure to included embedded quotations and manipulate
text as needed. Be thoughtful in your response.
Identify the significant differences between the relationship Victor Frankenstein has
with the monster and the relationship Victor has with Robert Walton. What message do
these relationships convey about responsibility and consequence?