Summer Reading for Pre/AP English II --- 2015-2016
ASSIGNMENT ONE: A Separate Peace by John Knowles/Dialectical Journal
Part one: As you read A Separate Peace, use a highlighter to highlight passages from the novel with
recurring symbols. If you do not own your copy, you can annotate using sticky-notes. A symbol is a
person, place, object, or activity that has a concrete meaning in itself but also stands for something
outside itself; it takes on this meaning through the context of the literature. Highlight the following
symbols: the tree, Devon River, marble staircase, pink shirt, the war, blitzball, summer,
winter, Phineas, and Leper. You may want to assign a different color for each symbol. As you
mark passages, consider what these symbols represent. Write your impressions in the margin of
the book along with your highlighting. Highlighting only will result in a grade of no higher than a 50.
Part Two: After you have read and marked your book, transfer 15 significant quotations (at least
one from each category) to a dialectical journal where you write an explanation of what each
symbol represents. Set up your journal in the following manner:
●
●
●
●
Divide your paper into three columns. You may find it easier to use unlined paper and turn
it sideways.
Label the first column on the left QUOTATION, label the next column SYMBOL, and label the
third column EXPLANATION.
Place your quotations related to the symbols in the left column. Write out the exact words of
the text to which you are responding and include the page number. DO NOT JUST WRITE
OUT THE PAGE NUMBER! WRITE OUT THE EXACT WORDS!! The quotations used should be
spaced equally throughout the entire novel. (You cannot have all of them from the
beginning of the novel. You must use an equal number from the latter part of the book.)
As you copy quotations, identify the symbol in the symbol column. Then write your
explanation in the explanation column. Explanations must be in complete sentences. Be
specific!!
For example:
Quotation
“I jounced the limb” ( 52 ).
Symbol
Explanation
tree
In this single moment, jumping from
the tree became something more than
an initiation into manhood, but rather,
a show of Gene's silent anger toward
his unknowing friend.
Make a cover sheet:
Name
Date
Pre AP English II
A Separate Peace Journal
******************************************************************************************
What is a Dialectical Journal?
A dialectical journal is another name for a double-entry journal or a reader-response journal. A
dialectical journal is a journal that records a dialogue, or conversation, between the ideas in the text
(the words that you are reading) and the ideas of the reader (the person who is doing the reading). In
your journal, have a conversation with the text and with yourself. Write down your thoughts,
questions, insights, and ideas while you read. The important part is that you, the reader, are reading
something and then responding to it with your feelings and ideas!
HERE IS AN EXAMPLE:
Quotation
“The line(s) from the text in
quotation marks”. (citation)
“…and taking hold of my elbow
literally forced me from the car.”
(Ch. 1, p. 28)
Dialectical Journal
Example from The Great Gatsby
Lit. Element/Commentary/Questions
Your comments should be a specific analysis, understanding,
and/or connection to the quote, or advance the thought of the
author. It should not repeat or restate what the author wrote.
DICTION: The word force has a violent connation. Tom doesn’t
ask Nick if he wants to accompany him. He gives Nick no choice.
The purpose of the dialectical journal is to encourage you to actively engage in a meaningful
conversation with the text individually and comparatively. The journal provides you with two
columns that are in dialogue with one another, not only developing a method of critical reading but
also encouraging habits of reflective questioning.
Procedure:
 Draw a vertical line in the middle of a page in your journal notebook
 At the top of the left column, write the heading Quotation
 At the top of the right hand column, write the heading Literary Element/
 Commentary/Questions.
 While you read or after you read a section, record Act/Scene/line numbers of the quotation in the
left column.
 In the right column, write your ideas, questions, and comments, related to the notations on the left.
As you keep taking notes, you should regularly re-read your previous pages(s) of notes and
comments drawing any new connections in a right-column summary before starting another page of
note taking and note-making. The journal is important because you “own” the new facts by putting
them in your own words or by raising your own questions. Writing is a way to possess or own new
knowledge as you attempt to do interpretative phrasing. Regular practice with the journal promotes
high critical thinking and builds confidence in the individual and group participation. The journal
facilitates real learning in the sense that you are discovering your own meaningful connections that
do take longer but they last longer than if you just took a test on the work.
Write when:
 You see something you didn’t see before.
 You recognize a pattern-overlapping images repetitions of idea, details, colors that make a
connection
 You discover that the story is about something different from what you originally thought it was
about.
 Something puzzles you or confuses you
 You agree or disagree with an observation by the narrator or a character’s action
 Certain details which seem important to you
 You notice something specific about the author’s style-authentic dialogue or shifting perspective
or effective poetic devices.
Make certain you are specific in your observations.
By individually completing your journal, you will learn to read carefully, to record quotes you have
evaluated as pertinent, to summarize, and to do most of your thinking by making valid connections
that you can easily substantiate by referring to your specific notes.
Close Reading and Annotating of Texts
Annotate words, phrases, and passages that strike you. Perhaps you like an idea, a phrase, a
character, or an image, or perhaps you are struck by a section of dialogue, or maybe you are puzzled
or mystified by a passage. Underline, bracket, circle, or highlight any such item.
Also, in the margins, make notations for:
Questions that a passage raises for you
Analytical comments – what you think about a passage?
Summaries of what a passage is saying
Connections that a passage suggests with anything else you have read, thought about, or experience.
"I never know what's important. How do I do this?"
1. Finish reading a "chunk" (paragraph/page/chapter) before you mark
2. Be selective
Marking everything does not help
Too much on a page is hard to review and ascertain the important facts.
1. Use your own words--don't try to be fancy. Remember, this is for you.
2. Be systematic. Just marking without a system is the same as just highlighting an entire book. Circle
new words, underline repetitive ideas, use post-it notes, or try a sentence or two at the beginning of
the chapter to sum up the main ideas.
 Underline a word or phrase which puzzles you.
 Circle a word or phrase you like. Perhaps you like the language, style, diction or image it
evokes.
 Mark visual images, grammatical patterns, or repetitions of words or images.
 Once you discover themes, track them throughout the text.
 Note figurative language throughout the text. Mark similes, metaphors, personification, and
other examples of figurative language.
 Keep a list of questions you encounter while reading; you may want to bring them up during
class discussion.
 Follow the passage of characters throughout the novel. You may want to choose a color for
each character and mark passages/events significant to the development of that character.
 Note things you like and dislike, what seems confusing or unusual, or what predictions or
reactions you may make.
 Make connections: I noticed that . . . Why does . . . This scene reminds me of . . . I now realize or
think that . . . The setting is important because . . .
ASSIGNMENT TWO: Speech Analysis
Part One:

You will choose a speech given by a prominent leader during World War II. Here are
few people you can choose from:








Winston Churchill
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Joseph Stalin
Adolf Hitler
Eleanor Roosevelt
General George S. Patton
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Go to www.americanrhetoric.com to help you find a copy of a speech given by your
chosen individual.
Part Two: Read and analyze the speech following the steps listed below.
Note: all notations must be written in blue or black ink; do not use pencil. For any step that requires
highlighting on the passage, highlight your corresponding marginal comments in the same color. (The
highlighters listed below are required supplies for the class; failure to come to class prepared may
result in a reduced grade.)
1. In the space at the top of the passage (or on the back), answer the following:
● What is happening at this point in the text? (Provide the context - - this may mean the
historical context)
● Make sure to include the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when, why)
2. Circle unfamiliar words and define in the margins using a dictionary and/or context clues.
Remember the definition you write down must be useful. Avoid copying directly from the
dictionary if you are unclear about what it is saying.
3. In pink, highlight 10 meaningful examples of diction (word choice) in the passage. Comment in
the margin on these highlighted words, considering:
● What connotations/associations (suggested meanings based on how the word is being
used) do you glean from specific word choices?
● What conflicts or connections (similarities) do you understand through specific word
choice?
[In general, marginal comments will take the form of a phrase such as: “conveys _____”. “shows
____”,”suggests ____”, or “significant because ____”] Highlight comments in pink.
4. In green, highlight evidence of at least THREE language devices. Label the device marginally and briefly
comment on its effect. Highlight comments in green.
LANGUAGE DEVICES
Allusion
Analogy
Parallelism
Repetitions
Rhetorical Questions
Simile
Point of View
Tone
Irony
Cause/Effect
Compare/Contrast
Problem/Solution
5. In blue, draw brackets around two 5-10 line blocks (no more/no less) of text within the passage; for
each, choose an appropriate tone word. (You may reference your sheet on tone words). In the margin
briefly justify each tone word you selected. Highlight your comments in blue.
6. In orange, highlight the one sentence that is the closest to expressing either the author’s purpose or
theme of the piece. In the margin, write one complete sentence of what the purpose or theme is and
highlight the comment in orange.
How to Turn In:
Here’s how I’d like you to turn in your reading assignment and speech:
●
Acquire a folder with pockets (it doesn’t have to be a fancy folder. It can be a paper folder)
●
On the front of your folder, write the following information:
●
Your Name
My Name
Pre-AP English II
Date
Place your reading log in one pocket and your speech in the other pocket
The dialectical journal and the speech analysis are due on the first day you are required to attend
Pre AP English II. Also, before school begins, make sure you get a copy of The Oedipus Cycle of
plays by Sophocles. Your copy should include Oedipus Rex and Antigone. THIS IS VERY
IMPORTANT: You need to read Oedipus Rex before the first week of school. We will start the second
week of school with Oedipus Rex. It would be to your benefit to already have this tragedy
read/annotated.
If you have any questions or concerns please come by room 204, before the end of the school year.
You may e-mail me throughout the summer with any questions.
Have a Great Summer!
Mr. Logan
Pre AP English II
[email protected]