Gibbs High School
2017-2018 Summer Reading
English II Honors
Instructor:
NIKKI CRISTY
Contact Information:
[email protected]
Assignments Due Date:
Friday, August 18, 2017 - regardless of which semester you
take the class!
Overview
You will be reading three novels for English II Honors: Lord of the Flies, 1984, and a Young Adult
(Fiction) Novel of your choice. You will have assignments associated with each piece of literature. (A
detailed explanation follows.) All written work must be compiled in a single folder (two-pocket with
prongs) and the folder must be organized as indicated below:
1) Your Lord of the Flies essay should be placed in the front pocket of the folder and
clearly labeled along with your Reading Pledge.
2) Your Lord of the Flies Reading Journal should be placed in the prongs of your folder
(in the middle).
3) Your reaction to 1984 and notes should be placed in the back pocket of your folder
and clearly labeled.
Additional activities may be conducted in the classroom. See Mrs. Cristy in room 202 before school ends
if you need to check out Lord of the Flies or 1984, as copies are limited.
Be sure to follow MLA Guidelines (a copy is attached to this packet or can be found on the OWL-Purdue
website) and submit assignments that meet the expectations of an Honors class.
Most importantly, I expect you to complete your assignments independently. Do NOT use Cliff’s Notes,
Spark Notes, internet sites, movie versions, etc., because I want to know YOUR thoughts and interactions
regarding this novel, rather than another scholar’s criticism. Plagiarism will not be tolerated! I have
included a “Reading Pledge” with this packet that must be submitted, for a grade, with your Summer
Reading Folder.
Lord of the Flies by William
Golding
William Golding’s classic tale about
a group of English schoolboys who
are plane-wrecked on a deserted
island is just as chilling and relevant
today as when it was first published
in 1954. At first, the stranded boys
cooperate, attempting to gather food,
make shelters, and maintain signal
fires. Overseeing their efforts are
Ralph, “the boy with fair hair,” and
Piggy, Ralph’s chubby, wisdomdispensing sidekick whose thick
spectacles come in handy for
lighting fires. Although Ralph tries to impose order and delegate responsibility, there are many in their
number who would rather swim, play, or hunt the island’s wild pig population. Soon Ralph’s rules are
being ignored or challenged outright. His fiercest antagonist is Jack, the redheaded leader of the pig
hunters, who manages to lure away many of the boys to join his band of painted savages. The situation
deteriorates as the trappings of civilization continue to fall away, until Ralph discovers that instead of
being hunters, he and Piggy have become the hunted: “He forgot his words, his hunger and thirst, and
became fear, hopeless fear on flying feet.” Golding’s gripping novel explores the boundary between
human reason and animal instict, all on the brutal playing field of adolescent competition.—Jennifer
Hubert [Review from Amazon.com]
Parental Advisory: This novel is presented as a microcosm of society and illustrates the potential pitfalls
of mankind. The novel contains some violence and mild language.
1984 by George Orwell
Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell's chilling prophecy about the future.
And while the year 1984 has come and gone, Orwell's narrative is timelier than
ever. 1984 presents a startling and haunting vision of the world, so powerful
that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the power
of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or
the resiliency of its admonitions-- a legacy that seems only to grow with the
passage of time. [Review from Amazon.com]
It is probable that no other such work of this generation has made us desire
freedom more earnestly or loathe tyranny with such fullness. 1984, the most
contemporary novel of the year and who knows of how many past and to come,
is a great examination into the dramatization of Lord Acton’s famous
apothegm, “power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” –
Books of the Century; New York Times review, June 1949 [Review from
Amazon.com]
Parental Advisory: This novel contains adult situations, some violence, and mild language.
Assignment #1- Part A (Five Parts)
Read Lord of the Flies and keep a detailed Reading Journal of the novel as
described below.
Keeping a journal as you read is one of the best ways to explore a piece of
writing. With this process, you can integrate reading and writing and find
that you can interact with the work more fully. Take in every detail, every
description. Try to avoid hasty analysis, because it can prevent you from
understand the meaning of the novel as a whole. Remember, to analyze
anything fully, you must have a complete understanding of it.
You will have four sections in your Reading Journal. Your entries should be
written on notebook paper in ink or you may type the entries. I would also suggest that your entries be
written after the reading of each chapter. All sections and sub-sections should be clearly labeled. The
purpose of this journal is to assist you when we begin our discussion in the classroom.
The first section will focus upon the individual chapters of the novel. Be sure to label each chapter
entry with its title and include the following:
1) Summary of the chapter,
2) Vocabulary words and definitions (even if you think you know them all, include
some unfamiliar words and limit yourself to ten words),
3) Questions that you have after reading each chapter (you must have some), and
4) Your favorite passage or scene from each chapter, (you must have at least one).
The second section is a list of both minor and major characters (including descriptions and how they
change throughout the novel.) Save room for notes from class discussions.
The third section will focus on the setting. Take about a page of notes on the different aspects of the
setting and how those aspects affect the characters, the plot, and the theme.
The fourth and last section will focus on theme. Your page of notes here should reflect the different
themes presented and how they develop within each chapter.
For each of these sections, you should include evidence from the text.
Assignment #1 Part B (One Part)
Find adjectives that describe the setting of the novel.
The novel’s setting is significant in terms of helping to develop the main ideas of the novel. List 5-6
adjectives, which describe the setting and give at least one quote, with page number, to substantiate
the presence of each characteristic.
Assignment #1 Part C (One Part)
Write an essay (500-750 words) about the theme of the novel. Incorporate the adjectives from Assignment
#1 Part B to show how the setting helps develop a theme of the novel. Make sure you have a thesis
statement with a subject and focus. Be sure each body paragraph has a topic sentence. Include specific
examples that tie in with the examples in your thesis. This essay must be typed and double-spaced.
Follow MLA Guidelines for structure and incorporating quotes.
Assignment #2-Part A
Read 1984 and take a minimum of three pages of notes on the novel, along
the way. Jot down significant quotes and passages (with page numbers)
that you find to be significant. You will be discussing the following
questions: What can we understand about Winston Smith and the society
he lives in based on the descriptions George Orwell includes in the novel?
What is the correlation between the novel and today’s society?
Assignment #2- Part B
After reading, take some time to reflect on the novel. Then, handwrite your
reaction to the novel. Your reaction essay should be three paragraphs in
length. Be sure to write in pen and follow the MLA Guidelines for essays
and incorporating quotes. NOTE: No plot!
Assignment #2- Part C
Complete the attached handout about 1984 vs. Today.
Assignment #3 Part A
Read a novel of your choice from the Young Adult Fiction genre. It should be at least 150 pages in length
and appropriate for the classroom. You may NOT choose a novel that has been made into a movie. Please
check the content of the novel before you read, to determine if it is appropriate for you.
Please pay attention to the definition of “Young Adult Literature” when selecting your novel: Books specifically written for young adults, ages
thirteen to sixteen, where the protagonist is usually a teenager. If you have any questions, please come by room 202 to see me or email me.
Assignment #3 Part B
Create a Summer Reading Collage on your novel. Instructions are below.
1. Use half of a regular-sized poster board and create a collage which correlates directly with your
novel. The board must be completely covered with no white showing! Dimensions of your poster
board should be 14” x 22”.
2. Write a short review of the novel (on white, unlined paper no larger than 5” x 7”) and place it on
the collage, where it can be easily seen. Your review should be typed. Include “Read It!”
(meaning it’s a great summer read) or “Shelf It!” (meaning it should stay on the bookshelf and
collect dust!) at the top and then provide the title, the author, the number of pages, a brief
summary (no more than one paragraph), and your review (one to two paragraphs). Examples may
be found in Mrs. Cristy’s classroom during the school year only.
Reading Pledge Statement
English II Honors – Mrs. Cristy
Printed Name: _______________________________________________________________________
1. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Pledge: I have read the entire version of this book, and I have not used any reading
aids (Cliff’s Notes, Spark Notes, internet sites, etc.) to complete my summer reading
assignment.
____________________________________________
Signature
_______________
Date
2. 1984 by George Orwell
Pledge: I have read the entire version of this book, and I have not used any reading
aids (Cliff’s Notes, Spark Notes, internet sites, etc.) to complete my summer reading
assignment.
____________________________________________
_______________
Signature
Date
3. YA Title_____________________________________________________________
YA Author___________________________________________________________
Pledge: I have read the entire version of this book, and I have not used any reading
aids (Cliff’s Notes, Spark Notes, internet sites, etc.) to complete my summer reading
assignment.
____________________________________________
Signature
_______________
Date