2015-2016 English II Honors Summer Reading Requirements and Project Requirements
Teachers: Samantha Argondizzo and Kristian Hunter
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
All students taking the honors level of English II at Camden High School will be required to read the
following books over the summer:
Virals by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs.
This is a part of the One Book, Everyone Reads program. It is not necessarily for your English
class, but all students are expected to read it. Students will take an assessment on this in the fall that
will count as a minor grade in their second block class. Teachers from different disciplines will also be
using the book as discussion or connection points in their classes.
And BOTH of the following classics:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (annotation not required, but strongly encouraged)
Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead and subject to the cruel regime at
Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity. She takes up the
post of governess at Thornfield, meets the mysterious Mr. Rochester, and is faced with difficult choices
in a story that transcends melodrama to portray a woman's passionate search for a wider and richer life
than Victorian society traditionally allowed.
(Excerpt from Good Reads)
Lord of the Flies by William Golding (annotation not required, but strongly encouraged)
William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary young boys marooned on a
coral island has become a modern classic. At first, it seems as though it will all be great fun; but the fun,
before long, becomes furious, and life on the island turns into a nightmare of panic and death. As
ordinary standards of behavior collapse, the whole world the boys know collapses with them—and
another world is revealed beneath, primitive and terrible. Lord of the Flies remains as provocative today
as when it was first published in 1954, igniting passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of
human nature.
(Excerpt from Good Reads)
(Note: Projects will be due during the first week of school for all honors students, regardless of the
semester in which you are enrolled in English. If you are enrolled second semester and do not know
your teacher assignment, you may submit your project to either Mrs. Argondizzo or Mrs. Hunter.)
How to Annotate a Book
Annotating a text will help students with the text analysis and give a deeper connection with the text. It
will also help students find key information in the text they may need at a later time, such as preparing
for class discussions, writing assignments, and assessments on each novel. By practicing annotating texts
during the summer reading process, it will give students a sense of how to read deeply for meaning, and
this is a skill that can be applied to all areas of the curriculum.
It helps if you own your own copies of the books, but even if you do not have a hard copy of the texts,
you can still annotate with pen/paper or word processor.
Tools: The book(s), highlighter, pen/pencil, post-it notes
Technique(s):
As you read, have your tools in hand (or close by). If you read something that you find important,
highlight it. Use your pen/pencil and make a note in the margin about why you think the passage you
highlighted was significant or important.
In the inside front cover of your text, make a legible list of key information, along with page references.
Your key information may include some of the following elements:
 Character development
 Themes or motifs
 Passages that relate to the book’s title
 Quotes from the text that you deem important or special
 Important scenes
 Key words or vocabulary
 Setting development
 Stylistic devices used by the author (could include figurative language but should also include
particular sentence structures frequently used by the author)
 Symbolism
 Imagery
If you do not own your book or are reading off an e-reader, keep a pad of paper with you and note
pages and passages. You may create a double-entry journal of sorts, where you type up the
quote/passage from the text in one column and then write your thoughts about the passage and its
significance in the second column.
Both texts for Honors English II are fiction, and you will find all of the key elements above. You are not
required to annotate any of these texts, but you will probably find that the annotations help you with
your project work and that they will come in handy when you are preparing for class discussions, writing
assignments, and the assessments on each novel. Assessments on each novel will be given during the
first week of school.
HONORS ENGLISH II Summer Reading Project
DUE AUGUST 21, 2015!
Technical Requirements:
1. All assignments should be completed in Times New Roman size 12 black font with 1”
margins, single-spaced.
2. Your project must be printed out in a binder with tabs separating each tier.
3. Your project must be based on either Jane Eyre or Lord of the Flies.
THIS PROJECT IS A MAJOR GRADE OF 100 POINTS!
Tier C:
To earn a grade of “C,” you must complete assignments in this tier adding up to 80 points. You
must complete ALL points for Tier C before you will receive credit for any work completed in
Tier B or Tier A.
Each assignment choice in Tier C is worth 15 points; select FIVE of the assignments below.
(Cover page and Table of Contents do NOT count towards your five assignments!)
Points
Tier C Assignment Choices
_____

_____

(Required – 3 points) Create a cover page for your project that includes your
project title, book title, your name, class, teacher, due date, and an image
relating to the project. You may use custom fonts, colors, and sizes for your
cover page.
(Required – 2 points) Create a Table of Contents for your project for all tiers.
Select FIVE assignments from the choices below:
 Write a study guide of ten questions (written by you and answered in complete
_____
sentences) about the novel’s plot and characters.
_____

Write a mock interview of one of the novel’s main characters (requirement: one
page).
_____

Write a one-page biography of the novel’s author. Include a Works Cited page.
_____

Write a poem about the plot of the novel or about one of the characters. The
poem must rhyme, must contain at least 15 lines of 4+ words each, and must
include at least four poetic devices.
_____

Find a newspaper or online article about a topic related to the novel. Write a
one-page summary of the article. Include a Works Cited page.
Tier C Assignment Choices
Points
_____

View a film version of the novel. Write an essay comparing and contrasting the
novel and the film.
(requirement: one page)
_____

Draw a representation of one of the novel’s main characters on a full sheet of
8.5”X11" unlined paper. Your drawing must be in color and must include the
character in a background location from the novel.

Rewrite an important scene from the novel using a different style of language.
(For example, if the novel is written using older language, rewrite it in more
modern language; if the novel is written in modern language, rewrite it using
older writing styles.) (requirement: one page)
_____

Compare and contrast the novel with a text that you have read in a previous
course. (requirement: one page)
_____

Write a journal entry or letter from the point-of-view of the novel’s author. In
the journal or letter, explain, using first-person perspective, the author’s
thoughts and feelings about a character or theme from the text.
_____
Tier B:
To earn a grade of “B,” you must complete 80 points in Tier C and 10 points in Tier B. You
must complete ALL points for Tiers C and B before you will receive credit for any work
completed in Tier A.
Each assignment choice in Tier B is worth 10 points; select ONE of the assignments below.
Points
Tier B Assignment Choices
_____
Write a five-paragraph essay about one of the following topics:
 Choice A: Three symbols found in the novel, the meanings of each symbol, and
how they impact the text
 Choice B: Three characters from the novel, their characterization, and how
they change throughout the novel
 Choice C: Three themes from the novel, how these themes are revealed in the
novel, and why these themes are important to us today
Tier A:
To earn a grade of “A,” you must complete 80 points in Tier C, 10 points in Tier B, and 10
points in Tier A. You must complete ALL points for Tiers C and B before you will receive credit
for any work in Tier A.
Each assignment choice in Tier A is worth 10 points; select ONE of the assignments below.
**NOTE: You may select one of the electronic project choices, but you must save your file to a
disc or a flash drive and submit it with your project. If you do not have this capability, please
select one of the paper project choices.**
Points
Tier A Assignment Choices
_____

Using Windows MovieMaker or iMovie, create a “movie trailer” for the
novel. Your trailer must be at least one minute long and must contain text,
images, and music related to the novel without giving away the novel’s ending.
_____

Using digital cameras/tablets and Windows Movie Maker or iMovie, recreate an
important scene from the novel using student actors. Include props and
costuming to make your video more authentic. Your video must be at least one
minute long.
_____

Create a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation about the novel’s plot. Your
presentation must include a description of the five-part plot sequence of the
novel and images related to the novel.
_____

Illustrate the five-part plot sequence of the novel by using an online comic
creator or by drawing a five-panel comic strip. Each panel of the comic strip
must completely fill an 8.5”X11” unlined piece of paper and must be in color.
_____

On poster board, create a poster for the novel in the style of a movie
poster. Include a collage of images related to the book’s setting, characters,
and themes. Your poster must be in color and must include color images.
(Note: Projects will be due during the first week of school for all honors students, regardless of the
semester in which you are enrolled in English. If you are enrolled second semester and do not know
your teacher assignment, you may submit your project to either Mrs. Argondizzo or Mrs. Hunter.)