English IV/SOAR
Summer Reading Assignment
In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote
OR
Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America and American in Iran, by Azadeh Moaveni
OR
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, by Ishmael Beah
Assignment: As you read the novel, you are to keep a double entry journal in which you will record passages
that relate to themes and archetypes presented in your novel, as well as identify, define, and use vocabulary
words that are unfamiliar to you. You must complete both parts of the assignment to receive full credit. This
assignment is due on the first day of class (August 12, 2013) and will count as an extra credit grade for the
first quarter. Late assignments will not be accepted.
Double Entry Journal: In the journal you will record passages that relate to one of the themes and/or
archetypes listed below, and then write comments in which you explain the link between the passage and the
theme and/or archetype. To create your journal, you can use the Word template provided or, if you don’t have
Word, create a similar document in the program you use.
You may use any of the following themes as many times as you want in order to complete the 15 entries:
o Struggle
o Journeys
o Survival
o Death and Rebirth
o Identity
o The Outcast
o Fear
o Crossroads
o Loss of Innocence
Double Entry Journal Requirements:
o Must have at least 15 entries
o Entries must be drawn from all parts of the novel.
o Must record page number from which the passage is pulled from.
o Explanation must be focused on linking the passage to the chosen theme and/or archetype, not summary
of passage.
o Must list the theme you are linking the passage to before your explanation.
Example Double Entry Set-up:
Pg #
3
Passage
We were tethered to our parents’ fears: that we might consort
with “street children” – which I later realized meant normal
kids who were allowed to play outside – or that some terrible
fate might befall us in this as yet foreign country.
Theme: Explanation
Fear: This quote shows the fear of
the parents for their children’s
safety as well as the corruption of
their children by the American
culture.
Vocabulary: Choose 15 words from your book. Look for words that seem familiar or that you’ve heard
before, but that you couldn’t define on your own. Then complete a word chart for each one. Make sure you
include the page number where you found each word. To create your own chart, you can use the Word template
provided or, if you do not have Word, create a similar document in the program you use.
For each word, you must include:
o The word
o The sentence that uses the word, along with the page number
o A definition that is appropriate for the way the word is used in the sentence
o An illustration of the word’s meaning
o Your own sentence correctly using the word
Example Vocabulary Chart Set-up:
Word
Sentence, Pg #
Verandah
We stayed in the verandah
room of Khalilou’s house.
Definition
a porch, usually
roofed and
sometimes partly
enclosed
Picture
Own Sentence
I want to add a
verandah to the
front of my house so
that I can sit and
drink lemonade in a
rocking chair.