Name___________________________
English Language Arts 12 -Summer Reading
Enclosed in this packet you will find your summer assignments. By signing up for the ELA 12 course you have
agreed to complete these assignments by the due dates listed. This is the first of many tasks requiring you to
demonstrate your responsibility and commitment to academic excellence.


2” binder
dividers


Course Supplies
2 marble composition
books
loose leaf paper


copious amounts of
sticky notes
pink/green/blue
highlighters
The Assignments
Summer Assignment #1:
1. ALL: Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich.
Read Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich and complete the
optional study guide to assure preparedness for class discussions and the book test on the second day of
school. Purchase or borrow the book ($10 or less on Amazon.com). You will also need to have this
book with you in class for the first 2-3 weeks of school.
HONORS: In addition to the above reading and optional study guide completion, ELA12 Honors students must
complete this short research project. Please be certain to include a Works Cited Page with proper MLA citation
for sources used and include a typed summary of and reaction to the results. APPENDIX A
Summer Assignment #2:
2. ALL: CHOOSE ONE: Senior Writing Tasks
Writing workshops will be held if you want assistance:
Norristown Public Library: 7/24 12pm-3pm; Phoenixville Public Library: 7/28 12pm-3pm
A. Choose from one of the 6 prompts to begin your college essay. APPENDIX B
*If you are choosing to do this, it is due in Google Classroom ja4elpx by AUG 1st
OR
B. Write the outline for your senior project paper. APPENDIX C
*If you are choosing to do this, it is due in Google Classroom ja4elpx by AUG 1st
OPTIONAL Summer Assignment #3:
3. Optional choice novel and assignment extra credit APPENDIX D
*If you are choosing to do this, it is due in Google Classroom ja4elpx by AUG 28th.
*All assignments should be typed and in proper MLA format (heading, pagination, double-spacing, 12 pt
Times New Roman font, etc.).
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APPENDIX A
Then (~2001): Record this information from the novel.
Location
Job/Wage
Rent- studio or 1
bedroom
Key West, Florida
Portland, Maine
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Now (2015): Research this information on your own.
Location
Job/Wage
Key West, Florida
1. National Fast Food
_________/ $
/hr
2. Grocery Store
_________/ $
/hr
3. Waitress / Waiter
_________/$
/hr
Portland, Maine
1. National Fast Food
_________/ $
/hr
2. Grocery Store
_________/ $
/hr
3. Waitress / Waiter
_________/$
/hr
Minneapolis,
Minnesota
1. National Fast Food
_________/ $
/hr
2. Grocery Store
_________/ $
/hr
3. Waitress / Waiter
_________/$
/hr
Philadelphia, PA
1. National Fast Food
_________/ $
/hr
2. Grocery Store
_________/ $
/hr
3. Waitress / Waiter
_________/$
/hr
(City of your Choice)
1. National Fast Food
_________/ $
/hr
2. Grocery Store
_________/ $
/hr
3. Waitress / Waiter
_________/$
/hr
Rent- studio
or 1 bedroom
Type a brief summary/reaction to your findings.
*Be certain to cite your sources in MLA format on a Works Cited page
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Other $ amounts / Gas Price
Other $ amounts / Gas Price
APPENDIX B
*If you are choosing to do this, it is due in Google Classroom ja4elpx AUG 1st
A. College essay: You will create an outline and intro paragraph for one of the 6 essay options. I have
included the complete assignment below so you can see all of the requirements. However, please
remember, you only need to do the outline and intro paragraph if you choose to do this task!
Please write an essay of 250 – 500 words on ONE of the options listed below. Please indicate your topic by
checking the appropriate box. This personal essay helps colleges become acquainted with you as a person and
student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will also demonstrate your ability to
organize your thoughts and express yourself.
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application
would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you
experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same
decision again?
4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research
query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to
you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, which marked your transition from childhood to
adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
6. Write an essay explaining the impact your senior project, Allied Health, Teacher Academy, Costa Rica Service
Trip or similar experience had on you. Be sure to explain how this experience has shaped you into a student who
is prepared for the collegiate experience.
Avoid the most common mistakes by looking at the feedback checklist:
____There is no “hook.” I’m not immediately interested in reading your essay.
____DO NOT INTRODUCE YOURSELF. They can see who you are on the application half a page up.
____Word choice is too simple.
____Does not tell anything about your character. How has this thing you’ve talked about help shape who you
are today, and why does that make you a good candidate for their college campus?
____ Not a great choice for this section.
____Other Comments:
OR
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APPENDIX C
Create an outline for your senior project paper.
*If you are choosing to do this, it is due in Google Classroom ja4elpx AUG 1st
B. Senior Project: Student community service hours need to be completed by 8/15. Students are
encouraged to create an outline for the senior project paper/presentation. If students submit a senior
project paper outline by August 1st, the Senior Project Coordinator will provide feedback so that the
student can proceed with the paper’s rough draft. Be sure to include the following information.
TITLE
I. Introduction
Attention Getter (Interesting fact or statistic)
Background (Why did I choose this topic? Expand on the problem)
Thesis Map: State the project goal, where I volunteered & brief outcome. (What did I hope to accomplish?)
II. Procedure and Discussion
A. First, Project Procedure and Results
What were my goals and objectives for this project?
Explain the project plan and implementation.
What problems did I encounter?
How did I resolve these problems?
How did I apply my high school course work?
Did I integrate Core Values?
Was I able to meet the goal?
B. Second, Interaction with Others
Describe and give examples of the effects that this project has had on me.
How was I affected (positively and negatively) by the people involved in this project?
Describe/give examples of the effects that I have had on the people with whom I interacted during the project?
What have they learned from me?
C. Third, Personal Growth
What life lessons have I learned as a result of being involved in this project?
If I were to begin the project over again, would the topic be the same? Why?
What would I have done differently?
III. Conclusion:
Did I meet my goal?
Did I accomplish my objectives?
Summarize personal reflections.
Additional reminders about the finished product:
3-5 Page Paper, Typed-12 Point Times New Roman, Double Spaced w/1” Margins, Works Cited-MLA Format
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APPENDIX D
Optional Summer Assignment #3: Extra Credit Opportunity
In addition to the required reading, Nickel and Dimed, students entering twelfth grade may choose one of
these free-choice titles. Reading the book and completion of the assignment is for extra credit. “Extra
credit” earned is one additional “oops pass” (24 hour extension pass). This Golden “Oops! Pass” is
special because it may be used during any trimester. *Please note that while the novel choices are the
same, the assignment for on-level students differs from the honors assignment.
The Year We Disappeared by Cylin
Busby (nonfiction)
The extraordinary true story of a family, a brutal shooting, and the
year that would change their lives forever. When Cylin Busby was nine
years old, she was obsessed with Izod clothing, the Muppets, and her pet
box turtle. Then, in the space of a night, everything changed. Her police
officer father, John, was driving to work when someone leveled a shotgun
at his window. The blasts that followed left John’s jaw on the passenger
seat of his car—literally. Overnight, the Busbys went from being the
"family next door" to one under 24-hour armed guard, with police escorts
to school, and no contact with friends. Worse, the shooter was still on the
loose, and it seemed only a matter of time before he’d come after John—or
someone else in the family—again. With their lives unraveling around
them, and few choices remaining for a future that could ever be secure, the
Busby family left everything and everyone they had ever known…and
simply disappeared.
World War Z by Max Brooks
The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max
Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand
experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across
the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated
cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most
remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of
men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the
living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the
result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully
conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of
resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.
The Statistical Probability of Love at
First Sight
by Jennifer E. Smith
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley
Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding,
which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that
Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's
cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat
18C. Hadley's in 18A.
Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about
family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hourperiod, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds
you when you're least expecting it.
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A Lucky Child by Thomas
Buergenthal (nonfiction)
Thomas Buergenthal, now a Judge in the International Court of Justice in
The Hague, tells his astonishing experiences as a young boy in his memoir
A LUCKY CHILD. He arrived at Auschwitz at age 10 after surviving two
ghettos and a labor camp. Separated first from his mother and then his
father, Buergenthal managed by his wits and some remarkable strokes of
luck to survive on his own. Almost two years after his liberation,
Buergenthal was miraculously reunited with his mother and in 1951
arrived in the U.S. to start a new life.
Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S.
King
Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not
to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a father who never
got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their
dysfunctional family is fine. And he didn't ask to be the target of Nader
McMillan's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.
But Lucky has a secret--one that helps him wade through the daily
mundane torture of his life. In his dreams, Lucky escapes to the war-ridden
jungles of Laos--the prison his grandfather couldn't escape--where Lucky
can be a real man, an adventurer, and a hero. It's dangerous and wild, and
it's a place where his life just might be worth living. But how long can
Lucky keep hiding in his dreams before reality forces its way inside?
The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
(nonfiction)
Boy 21 by Matthew Quick
Two kids named Wes Moore were born blocks apart within a year of each
other. Both grew up fatherless in similar Baltimore neighborhoods and had
difficult childhoods; both hung out on street corners with their crews; both
ran into trouble with the police. How, then, did one grow up to be a Rhodes
Scholar, decorated veteran, White House Fellow, and business leader,
while the other ended up a convicted murderer serving a life sentence?
You can lose yourself in repetition--quiet your thoughts; I learned the
value of this at a very young age.
Basketball has always been an escape for Finley. He lives in broken-down
Bellmont, a town ruled by the Irish mob, drugs, violence, and racially
charged rivalries. At home, his dad works nights, and Finley is left to take
care of his disabled grandfather alone. He's always dreamed of getting out
someday, but until he can, putting on that number 21 jersey makes
everything seem okay.
Russ has just moved to the neighborhood, and the life of this teen
basketball phenom has been turned upside down by tragedy. Cut off from
everyone he knows, he won't pick up a basketball, but answers only to the
name Boy21--taken from his former jersey number.
As their final year of high school brings these two boys together, a unique
friendship may turn out to be the answer they both need.
6
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.
Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast
spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred
years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber
would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into
the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer
malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the
spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her
parents will be next.
Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her
list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future
leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
For his first case, Harry is called in to consult on a grisly double murder
committed with the blackest of magic. At first, the less-than-solvent
Harry's eyes light up with dollar signs. But where there's black magic,
there's a black mage. Now, that black mage knows Harry's name. And
things are about to get very...interesting.
Saving Gracie by Carol Bradley
(nonfiction)
This touching narrative uses the poignant makeover of Gracie, a sickly
Cavalier King Charles to tell the story of America's hidden puppy millscommercial kennels that breed dogs in horrific living conditions and churn
out often-diseased and emotionally damaged puppies for sale. Saving
Gracie chronicles how one little dog is transformed from a bedraggled
animal worn out from bearing puppies into a loving, healthy member of
her new family; and how her owner, Linda Jackson, is changed from a
person who barely tolerated dogs to a woman passionately determined not
only to save Gracie's life, but also to get the word out about the millions of
American puppy mill dogs who need our help.
The majority of the events of this book are located in Chester County and
the surround area.
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On-Level Assignment to Go with Extra-Credit Novel
Read the book you have selected from above. Do ONE of the 12 assignments listed in this section below.
Written assignments should be 1-2 pages, typed and double spaced with an MLA header.
1. Compare and /or contrast one of the major characters to a character in another book that you have read.
2. Write a poem/song that was inspired by the book.
3. Write a prequel and/or sequel to the book (what do you think happened before and after the events in the
book?).
4. Write 3‐5 paragraphs in which you state and then support your opinion of whether this book should (not) be
read by students in your class.
5. Imagine that you have been given the task of conducting a tour of the town in which the book you read is set.
Draw a map and write 3‐4 descriptions of the homes of your characters or the places where important events in
the book took place. Be creative!
6. Imagine that the book you are reading has been challenged by a special interest group. Write a letter
defending the book, using specific evidence from the book to support your ideas.
7. Create a sculpture of a character. Use any combination of soap, wood, clay, sticks, wire, stone, old toy pieces,
or any other object to create your sculpture. Then write an explanation of how this character fits into the book.
8. Design an advertising campaign to promote the sale of the book you read. Include each of the following: a
poster, a radio or TV commercial, a magazine or newspaper ad, a bumper sticker, and a button.
9. Draw a portrait of the main character and write an explanation to accompany your sketch.
10. Create an advice column (Dear Abby) and give the characters in the story advice on how to handle their
problems/dilemmas.
11. As a literary agent, write a letter to the publishing company designed to persuade them to publish this book.
12. You are the reporter. Write a front page news story or a report live from the scene.
o Enjoy reading your books and thinking about what they mean to you.
o You are encouraged to read as many books as you can in addition to the required basic reading.
o This assignment will be collected on the second day of school in August. Reading the book and completion of
the assignment is for extra credit. “Extra credit” earned is one additional “oops pass” (24 hour extension pass).
This Golden “Oops! Pass” is special because it may be used during any trimester.
o Have a great summer!
8
Honors Assignment to Go with Extra-Credit Novel
Honors students are to read a book selected from the list above, and then complete both assignments (A
and B) below. Type and double space all written activities.
A. Write a total of 5 journal/reader’s log entries (include at least one from the beginning, middle, and end of the
book). Each journal entry should include the following:
• a quotation from the book that inspires your response
• the page where the quotation appears
• a 3‐5 sentence reaction to the quotation showing why the quotation is significant
AND
B. Illustrate one important scene from the same book.
• Include the page number where this scene appears.
• You may draw, cut out pictures, and/or use computer art.
• You might want to design a collage.
• Write a caption that explains what the illustration is about.
o Enjoy reading your books and thinking about what they mean to you.
o You are encouraged to read as many books as you can in addition to the required basic reading.
o This assignment will be collected on the second day of school in August. Reading the book and completion of
the assignment is for extra credit. “Extra credit” earned is one additional “oops pass” (24 hour extension pass).
This Golden “Oops! Pass” is special because it may be used during any trimester.
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MATERIALS FOR Nickel and Dimed
BACKGROUND INFORMATION - BIOGRAPHY
Barbara Ehrenreich was born on August 26, 1941 and is best described as a social critic. She did her
undergraduate work at Reed College and then went on to receive the Ph.D. in Biology from The Rockefeller
University in New York City. However, instead of pursuing a career in biology, Ehrenreich began a writing
career focused on social change. She has written for such publications as Time, The Progressive, New York
Times, Mother Jones, The Atlantic Monthly, Ms., The New Republic, The Atlantic Monthly, Z Magazine, In
These Times, and Salon.com. Ehrenreich has also taught a graduate writing seminar at The University of
California Berkeley. In addition to essays, Ehrenreich has written fiction and non-fiction books.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The impetus for this book is the welfare reform that took place in the 1990s. Before welfare reform, welfare
money was distributed by a program called “Aid to Families with Dependent Children” (AFDC). However,
during the 1980s and the 1990s, this program received much criticism for too freely distributing money to those
who did not really need it. Some people believed that many welfare recipients were cheating the system by
having more children to receive more money, or not working as hard as they could.
In 1996 President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation Act of 1996. This
welfare reform bill changed many aspects of welfare. One important change was the time limit imposed on
welfare recipients—someone could only collect welfare for five years. The AFDC was replaced by “Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families” (TANF) and supplemented with the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which
attempts to reduce or even eliminate taxes paid by low-income workers.
GENRE
Nickel and Dimed is a non-fiction work that can be described as an ethnography or investigative journalism.
“Ethnography” is a scholarly term for the anthropological study of human cultures. Ethnographies are based on
fieldwork, in which the ethnographer collects data through first-hand experience.
A less-scholarly way of describing this research is as investigative journalism. When a journalist undertakes
this type of a project, he or she typically works undercover gathering first-hand information. While
ethnography seeks to evaluate human cultures, investigative journalism may describe broader phenomena that
do not necessarily center on human beings.
It is important to note the differences between non-fiction writing such as Nickel and Dimed and novels. A
novel is a fictional narrative in which literary elements such as exposition, rising action, climax, denouement,
and characterization are essential elements. Nickel and Dimed is an account of true events and does not contain
the same literary elements. However, the reader should be aware that there are fictive elements to many nonfiction works, because the author must re-create scenes and decide how he or she wants to frame the data.
STRUCTURE ANALYSIS
When examining a piece of non-fiction writing, the reader should always be concerned with methodology. An
author’s methodology is the way he or she constructs the argument. This includes the sources the author uses as
well as the way he or she presents the argument—what evidence the writer includes and the order in which the
evidence is presented. The main reason for evaluating methodology is to consider the author’s methodological
assumptions and to decide for oneself if the argument is convincing.
Barbara Ehrenreich has decided to include three case studies, which she has undertaken herself, to prove that it
would be virtually impossible for a single mother and her children to survive on a low-wage salary with no
additional aid. She frames her experience with secondary literature, statistics, and newspaper articles. Therefore,
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Ehrenreich makes the assumption that her personal experience is a valid way of estimating what a low-wage
lifestyle is like. She assumes that in framing her experience with other literature, she will bolster her argument.
Ehrenreich could have presented her evidence topically; for example, she could have discussed each of the
single mothers she met along the way, each housing experience she had, each manager she met. However, she
presents her evidence chronologically. She probably does this because it better develops her narrative style—
she recounts her journey as a story. Ehrenreich also could have presented herself as a scholar who was writing
a book and conducted interviews. However, her story becomes more provocative if she goes undercover. She is
also able to present a more vibrant narrative if she can populate the story with her own impressions, aches and
pains, and difficulties.
SETTING
During the course of this investigation Ehrenreich visits three places: Florida, Maine, and Minnesota. She
begins her research in Florida because it is close to home. She goes to Maine because there is a virtually allwhite low-wage workforce. She chooses Minnesota more or less at random; although she finally decides to go
because she in under the impression that there is an abundance of jobs and homes there.
CHARACTER LIST
Barbara Ehrenreich - Ehrenreich is the author of this work. She attempts to find out if single mothers could
make ends meet with low-wage jobs and no Welfare assistance.
Lewis Lapham- The editor of Harper’s, with whom Ehrenreich develops the idea for her investigation.
Gail - Gail is the “middle-aged wiry waitress” from the Hearthside; she is responsible for training Ehrenreich.
Billy - Billy is a cook at the Hearthside. He has a temper and is frequently mean to the female servers.
Lionel - Lionel is the Haitian busboy at the Hearthside.
Timmy - Timmy is the fourteen-year-old white busboy at the Hearthside.
Joan - Joan is the “svelte fortyish hostess” at the Hearthside.
Phillip - Phillip is a manager at the Hearthside.
Stu - Stu is a cook at the Hearthside.
Joy - Joy is “a plump, blowsy woman in her early thirties”; she is a manager at Jerry’s.
B.J. - B.J. is the other manager at Jerry’s. She is mean and disliked by the employees.
Nina - Nina is “a tattooed twenty-something” waitress at Jerry’s.
Ellen - Ellen is a waitress who once managed a restaurant in Massachusetts but will not try to manage at Jerry’s
because she does not like ordering people around.
Lucy - Lucy is in her fifties and easygoing. She is a waitress at Jerry’s.
George-A nineteen-year-old Czech dishwasher at Jerry’s who has been in the country for only a week when
Ehrenreich meets him.
Millie - Millie is the housekeeping manager.
Carlotta - Carlotta is a “middle-aged African American woman” who trains Ehrenreich in housekeeping.
Linda - Ehrenreich’s supervisor at the nursing home in Maine. She is “a kindly-looking woman of about thirty.”
Pete - Pete is one of the cooks at the nursing home. He quickly befriends Ehrenreich, taking cigarette breaks
with her in his car.
Ted - Ted is Ehrenreich’s boss at Merry Maids; he owns the franchise where Ehrenreich is employed.
Tammy - Tammy is the office manager at Merry Maids.
Liza - Liza is the leader of the one of the teams Ehrenreich cleans with while working at Merry Maids.
Rosalie - Rosalie is a fellow “maid.” She is fresh from high school, and Ehrenreich pesters her about eating
healthy food.
Pauline - Pauline is another Merry Maids employee. She owns her own home, but sleeps on the couch because
her grown children and grandchildren live with her and fill up the bedrooms.
Maddy - Maddy, who works for Merry Maids, is “a single mom of maybe twenty-seven or so”; she has
difficulties with child care.
Holly - Holly is the leader of another team Ehrenreich cleans with while working at Merry Maids.
Roberta - Roberta is a “bustling platinum-haired woman of sixty or so” who works in personnel at Wal-Mart.
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Caroline - Caroline is the aunt of Ehrenreich’s friend. Ehrenreich talks with her about what it is really like to
live a low-wage lifestyle.
Todd - Todd conducts the group interview at Mountain Air.
Melissa - Melissa works with Ehrenreich in ladies’ wear. She has only been at Wal-Mart for a few weeks
longer than Ehrenreich.
Ellie - Ellie is “[g]ray-faced and fiftyish.” She is another Wal-Mart employee.
Howard - Howard is an assistant manager at Wal-Mart. Ehrenreich is not fond of him because he is typical of
management.
Rhoda - Rhoda is a “bossy and self-satisfied” Wal-Mart employee.
Isabelle - Isabelle supervises Ehrenreich at Wal-Mart.
VOCABULARY
Svelte- slim, slender; graceful outline
Transgression- violation of a rule or law
Rebuke- to reprimand
Insurrection- revolt against authority or organized government
Loathsome- offensive, arousing disgust
Altruistic- selfless, concerned with the wellbeing of others
Interject- to insert between other elements
Infraction- a violation
Glossolalia- a meaningless speech
Regress- to move backward, literally or figuratively
Metronomic- unvarying, mechanical rhythm
Decorum- propriety, appropriate behavior
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13. When the going gets too rough for Barbara, she admits she will
use ____________ to get by.
Study Guide- Optional
1. For what magazine does the author of Nickel and Dimed work
when she is beginning her assignment?
14. What does Barbara not want to mention when she is out in her
new working life?
2. Barbara makes the common that the ____________ is too low
and that someone used to more should try to live with it.
15. Barbara promises to spend a _________ in each location in
order to get a sense of the area.
3. Who is Barbara Ehrenreich's editor, the one who assigns her
the story that became this book?
16. Barbara will give up completely on the project if it seems she
will be ___________, if only for one night.
4. Having spent her life with ____________ struggling people, the
author is not happy about getting the assignment.
5. Barbara does not want to live a life of _________ or discomfort
when it comes to this new assignment.
17. Barbara is concerned that her biggest challenge will be to hide
her _____________, even though this does not turn out to be an
issue.
6. Barbara certainly does not want to do hard ________ labor
when she is working at her new jobs.
18. Barbara begins to realize that when she is a maid, she is not
____________ to be a maid. She really is a maid.
7. The author also doesn't want to live in an _____________
building when she is off on her assignment.
19. Barbara begins to realize that minimum wage workers are no
less ____________ or intelligent than she is.
8. Barbara says that she will not rely on her superior
______________ to support herself.
20. At what publication does the editor who assigns the story to
Barbara work?
9. Barbara is also not willing to make up a _____________ in order
to pad her resume as she is going off to find jobs.
21. Barbara states, "Someone ought to do the old-fashioned kind
of ________ - you know, go out there and try it for themselves."
10. Barbara will take the ____________ paying minimum wage job
she can find when she's off on assignment.
22. Barbara notes that her sister constantly complained about the
hopelessness of being a ____________.
11. Barbara will keep driving a beat up ____________ car, though
she knows many minimum wage workers cannot.
23. Barbara's father had been a _____________; her uncles and
grandfathers worked in the mines or for the Union Pacific.
12. Barbara realizes that her use of a car is different as many
minimum wage workers have to use _________ to get around.
24. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, in 1998,
the hourly wage necessary to afford a one bedroom apartment was
_________.
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her ruse, realizing that it was probably because people's notion of
__________ is different than she thinks it should be.
25. The Preamble Center for Public Policy noted that the odds
against a typical welfare recipient's landing a job at a ______ were
about 97 to 1.
37. __________ is a city in which Barbara is afraid she might be
recognized, so she looks for work in a nearby city.
26. What is Barbara's PhD in, according to her own admittance?
38. At the ____________, the interviewer Barbara meets warns her
about labor organizers, to avoid them.
27. Barbara notes that she made a rule that she had to work hard
at her jobs to keep them, not go off on ________ rants or sneak off
to read novels in the ladies' room.
39. Many of the businesses in town seem to place ads in the paper
____________ so as to always have applicants.
28. Barbara admits that at the end of the project, she did break
down and ____________, stealthily, though, and never within
hearing of management.
29. What did Barbara fear employers would think she was if she
were to put the PhD on her resumes and applications?
40. The businesses place ads in the paper so they can always have
a pool of __________ from which to hire at any time.
41. What is the name Barbara uses for the family restaurant
where she chooses to work first in Florida?
30. Barbara admits she has two things going for her as a minimum
wage worker - she is ________ and she is a native English speaker.
42. A middle aged waitress named __________ takes Barbara
under her wing when she first begins her new job.
31. Barbara ruled out areas like LA and New York as the working
class consists mainly of people of _______ and she might look out
of place.
43. Gail reveals that she had to live in _______ and pee into a
plastic bottle after her boyfriend she lives with suddenly dies.
32. Barbara feels to truly replicate the experience of a minimum
wage worker, she would need to have a few __________ in tow too.
44. Barbara is surprised that she feels a strong urge to ________
the patrons who she meets.
33. Barbara does admit that she modified her __________ when
she was new at the job and wanted to fit in.
45. Barbara lets a sewer repairman spend a few minutes cooling
off with a ________________ before taking his order.
34. Barbara began to realize that the only thing that made her
special and separate from others at her workplace was her lack of
__________.
46. What is the name of the cook who occasionally throws meat
against the wall during his shift?
47. The management at the restaurant try to keep Barbara
__________ at every moment of her shift, even when it's slow.
35. What would Barbara use in order to document her daily
experiences after her shifts were done for the day?
48. One manager threatens to take the _______________ privilege
from the employees even though this is their only hideout to smoke
36. Barbara wondered why there wasn't more indignation about
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or eat.
60. What does Jerry's restaurant close off to employees since they
don't want other employees lingering there during breaks?
49. When the drug testing is supposed to begin, the employees
speculate that it is _________ who is guilty of the drug issue.
61. What is the 'dream job' that Barbara lands in addition to her
restaurant job, taking on both when in Florida?
50. Some of the coworkers have to pay $60 a night for a hotel room
because they cannot save up the ___________ for a first and last
month rent payment.
62. Who is the tiny busy woman who teaches Barbara the rules of
the next job she takes on at the hotel adjacent to the restaurant?
51. Barbara realizes she will need ____________ in order to pay
for her apartment.
63. When Barbara is paired up with Carlie on her first shift,
Carlie is angry they have 19 _________ to swab down in just one
shift.
52. The other restaurant that Barbara works at during her time in
Florida is called ___________, a chain with huge food and calorie
packed dishes.
64. How long do Carlie and Barbara work before they take a
break from their housekeeping work?
53. When a manager sees Barbara having a little __________
during her shift, she is scolded, but instead of fighting it, she walks
out.
65. What are they listening to at full volume as they are cleaning
each of the hotel rooms?
54. The author most dislikes the visible __________ at the
restaurant where she works since they complain and never leave
good tips.
66. The other staff of the hotel refuses to exchange _________ with
the housekeepers or show any sort of respect.
67. What does Ehrenreich discover about her uniform when she is
heading over to her second job?
55. Barbara cannot afford gas money because of the $30 she has to
spend on a ___________ for her restaurant job.
56. What is the name of the young Czech dishwasher who Barbara
befriends when she is working at the restaurant?
68. As Barbara downs coffee, who does she notice is looking
haggard when she shows up for her next job?
57. What is Barbara punished with when she points out that a
manager is calling one of his employees by the incorrect name?
69. The manager, ________, yells at Barbara for a confused
breakfast and a yuppie customer complains too.
58. What area of the restaurant is locked up when it is assumed
that the dishwasher is stealing from the restaurant?
70. When Barbara walks out of the restaurant, she feels _______
instead of feeling enraged, as she expects to.
59. Since Barbara is far from any grocery store, she needs to live
on __________ when she eats.
71. Barbara asks the manager of her trailer park to donate her
security deposit to ________.
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84. The Maids calculate their wages by ________, which makes it
difficult to know what a person is being paid.
72. Later it is rumored that Stu was guilty of stealing money to
support his __________ habit.
85. The Maids say the work they do will be easy because cleaning
is in our __________, notes Barbara.
73. What city in Maine does Barbara choose for her next working
location during her assignment?
86. What is the title of the job Barbara takes at the Woodcrest
residential facility, an elder care facility?
74. Barbara thinks the fact she is __________ will help her since
she will not stand out from others.
75. Where does Barbara rent a room until she is able to find
housing that will work for her?
87. Linda wants the author to think of her work at Woodcrest as
__________ work, though the customers wear diapers.
76. A look at the local free magazine reveals very little _________
Barbara can afford in the area where she is staying.
88. Who is the diabetic that sneaks donuts at the Woodcrest
residential facility where the author works her second job?
77. Working class people are driven to live in ____________ since
rents are so high in the areas where they work.
89. Ruthie decides to pour _____________ on Barbara's breakfast
and jokes again and again that Barbara should be called Barbara
Bush.
78. Barbara doesn't even apply for ___________ since she knows
she doesn't have the clothing for this type of work.
90. What is hurting Barbara as she is filling up the dishwasher
with dishes and carrying away the dirty items?
79. Barbara notes she feels like a fugitive on this assignment,
becoming obsessed with the few __________ she's brought along.
91. Why is it strange that the author decides to go to a religious
revival meeting on her night off?
80. Nobody seems to make eye contact, Barbara notes, when she
applies at _____________, which strikes her as weird.
92. Barbara is horrified to see that The Maids use very little
_________ when they are cleaning.
81. At the Wal-Mart job fair, Barbara fills out a long test which
seems to push her into claiming total ___________ and complete
obedience.
93. _______ used in the bathroom are also going to be used in the
kitchen, according to the instruction of The Maids.
82. What is the name of the test Barbara fills out when she is apply
at The Maids job during the hiring process?
94. The workers at The Maids get free ________ when they arrive
at work in the morning, but have to wear uniforms.
83. Because of the low wages that are paid in the area, people who
are working at minimum wage are expected to ____________.
95. Given that The Maids are paid _______, Barbara doesn't
understand why they need to rush through their duties.
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96. One young girl named ____________ refuses to eat and she
grows paler each day as a result, obviously she is ill.
108. Marge and Holly talk about how low wage ____________
even look down on maids when they are out.
97. The workers have troubles coming up with two dollars to buy a
new ___________ when one is left behind at the office.
109. What city in Minnesota does Barbara choose in order to find
a new job in her assignment?
98. The author meets a prissy woman who tracks her baby's
_______________ with the help of a chart.
110. What does Barbara have to care for when she stays in a
friend's house at the beginning of her adventure in Minnesota?
111. What is interesting about the test Barbara takes when she
applies at Wal-Mart again?
99. What does Ted say Barbara has an allergy to when she
complains about having a rash on her hands?
112. Who does Barbara have to talk about when it comes to the
result of her test?
100. Despite the miraculous vacuum cleaner, Lori and Pauline's
__________ are ruined and wrecked.
113. What does the author have to do once she is done with the
testing process at Wal-Mart?
101. Rosalie worked so hard as a _____________ in her childhood
that her rotator cuff is damaged, though she continues to work
through the pain.
114. What drug is Barbara afraid might skew the results of a drug
test she might have to take?
102. The thing Barbara hates to clean most of all is _________ in
the bathrooms of their customers.
115. What is the next place Barbara goes to in order to try to avoid
drug testing and get more money?
103. Frequently, owners of homes will set up ___________ to keep
an eye on the housekeeping help that are in their homes
116. According to the ACLU, the process of drug testing
___________ improve the chances of screening out addicts.
104. _____________ has to support her husband and an elderly
relative on 30 to 50 dollars each week.
117. The _____________ market proves to be a challenge in the
city Barbara moves to in Minnesota.
105. What does Marge suspect about Holly and this is confirmed
when she will not answer the question?
118. _____________ is a woman who simply picked up and moved
to Florida because she heard the rents were better than New
Jersey.
106. What does Barbara accidentally shatter in her efforts to help
Holly not have to work as hard?
119. What is the first thing the woman in #118 found in order to
help her get started in her new life?
107. Barbara describes a feeling of hopeless __________ in her
position as a maid, even when she is in public in her uniform.
120. What does Barbara have to surrender when she goes in for
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her drug test at the hospital?
133. The author concludes that the hiring process is designed to
____________ workers down and make them agree to anything.
121. What does Barbara continue to look for since she does not
know the result of her drug test?
134. What costs $10 to use when she is staying at the Clearview
Inn before her apartment will be ready?
122. What does one company want her to sell, promising her $1650
for doing 54 two hour appointments?
135. ___________ is a Christian with a working husband and
grown children, some of who have had major problems in their
life.
123. The obvious __________ of the sales company is a breath of
fresh air for the author compared to the false concern from WalMart.
136. In what department does Barbara find she will work when
she is as employee for Wal-Mart?
124. What is the made-up name for the apartments that Barbara
finally finds in Minnesota?
137. Barbara thinks she is supposed to _____________ on her
shift, but no one else on her shift does.
125. What is the one thing Barbara will be able to avoid a bit more
from her new apartment's location?
138. It is Wal-Mart's policy to ____________ clothing in order to
make the shopping experience slightly different.
126. What is one of the things Barbara is NOT handed when she
goes back to Menards?
127. Which department is Barbara placed into when she goes back
to Menards to find out about the job?
139. When Barbara returns to her home in Clearview, she finds
out that __________ is covering the floor of her room, requiring
her to move to a new one.
128. What are employees to think of themselves as when they are
working for Wal-Mart?
140. What does Barbara have to leave in her disgusting hotel
room, even though she does not want to?
129. What are managers to think of themselves as when they are
working at Wal-Mart?
141. Barbara begins to realize that she is acting like an unhappy
__________ when she argues with another worker at Wal-Mart.
130. Wal-Mart contends that _______ take money from workers
and risk the wages of workers
142. Where does the author eventually stay when she realizes she
will not be able to find a place with the money she is making?
131. When any employees does something for his or herself instead
of for the store, Wal-Mart calls them a ____________.
143. Barbara notes that Wal-Mart is a __________ system and
when one is working there, one forgets there is an outside world.
132. How long does the shift at Menards turn out to be when they
call again the next day before she goes to work?
144. Who does Barbara have to hide from when she is trying to
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make a last ditch effort to find a place to stay when in Minnesota?
spent on food for a small family, which doesn't quite give the
whole picture.
145. Barbara notes that none of the unskilled jobs comes
____________ to her, in her time on this assignment.
157. Wealthier people get a sort of housing _____________ and
deduct thousands of dollars on their mortgage interest payments.
146. Barbara is able to do the work she is supposed to do in the
allotted time, but not _________ and not professionally.
158. Normally a ____________ of workers creates demand and
allows workers the chance to ask for more money.
147. One serious challenge of work is finding out the society and
_________ aspects of the job, who to trust, etc.
159. The rate of poverty hasn't changed because in many years
because _________ prices are also held down by the government.
148. From the bottom of the heap, the information about how to
________ in a job is hard to discover.
160. Reports suggest that the work of unskilled workers is more
___________ today, so they should be earning more money than
before.
149. Low wage workers have to change jobs frequently and get to
understand a new __________ culture in a short period of time.
150. Low wage workers need to be quick and ___________, but not
too good, according to the author.
161. Barbara notices many companies are willing to offer
___________ like free meals in order to create value in the
workplace.
151. Low wage workers should not set a _________ or a higher
standard for others, so the author finds.
162. Employers would rather offer free things than to pay
employees more because these appear to be ________.
152. Barbara now knows from her experiment that she has to be
more in touch with her __________ and know how to work
through it sometimes.
163. Barbara notes it's a lot harder to convince a worker to take a
__________ than to give up their free donuts or other goodies.
153. In the department of ____________, Barbara doesn't do so
well during the course of this assignment.
164. The poor have trouble getting around to _____________,
which makes it harder for them to find new jobs.
154. While she liked Blue Haven Motel, when the rates would have
gone up during the busy ___________, she would have had to
leave.
165. Changing jobs can also cause ____________ issues for some
people, which can prevent people from looking for new jobs.
166. Businesses and society itself discourages people from
comparing their ____________.
155. Prosperity and the _________ success has meant that housing
is more expensive in certain areas of the country.
167. Some companies illegally _________ people who reveal what
hey make and cause others to ask for raises.
156. The government judges ____________ rates on the amount
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168. The companies Barbara encounters seem to convince workers
that everyone is striving together for a __________ goal.
180. Reagan seemed to convince the American people that those
who work hard can ____________.
169. Many companies require workers to surrender their
_________, freedom of speech, and personal freedom.
Enjoy your summer, including the super-awesome literature you
have been asked to read. We look forward to seeing you, and the
fruits of all your hard work, in August! We’ll be sending out those
college applications in no time!
170. Test questions on tests given to employees which relate to
one's personal _________ and attitude serve to humble the worker.
171. The law does not actually guarantee the right of workers to
__________ about the formation of unions.
172. Corporations are able to __________ workers for talk or
gossip and prevent them from forming unions.
173. The treatment of low wage workers, Barbara believes, creates
a dictatorship and causes the workers they are ___________.
174. One study about monkeys notes that monkeys who had to
suppress good moods became so ___________ they wouldn't even
defend themselves in a fight.
175. The many managers who are in these low wage working
situations function to keep others _____________.
176. The author notes she never meets a ___________ in any of the
time she spends in her various jobs.
177. The author's hear breaks when she sees how hard many of
these people _________ to do their jobs well.
178. The cruelty exhibited by business owners seems to spring
from class and race prejudice and __________ of the workers,
according to the author.
179. Barbara notes that most __________ nations are able to make
some kind of basic healthcare, public transportation, subsidized
housing and childcare help available to all.
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Student Name:
For the 2015/2016 school year:
I have read the attached assignment for my rising 12th grade English Language Arts student and I am
aware that he/she is responsible for reading the REQUIRED book Nickel and Dimed, completing the
optional study guide, and research assignment (this is for Honors only). I am also aware my rising senior
has the choice of which writing assignment will be submitted for feedback this summer: (1.) College essay
or (2.) senior project paper outline. Finally, there is an extra credit opportunity associated with a “freechoice” novel. By signing up for the ELA 12 course the student has agreed to complete the reading and
associated assignments by the due dates listed.
I am also aware that the materials needed for ELA 12 class are:
2” binder, dividers, loose leaf paper, 2 marble composition books, copious amounts of sticky notes, and
highlighters.
Student Signature:
Parent Signature:
This signed form is due to your current ELA teacher for a homework grade.
Due date:
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