Metea Valley High School Language Arts Department
Honors English I - Summer Reading
As part of the commitment to Freshman Honors English, the Department of English requires students to enrich their study of literature
by completing the following summer reading which will be incorporated into our discussions beginning first quarter. Please print the
stories from the following links, and on the first day of class, bring annotated copies of each (the 6 REQUIRED and 4 from the
CHOICE section), as well as your Cornell notes and a written response to one story of your choosing.
REQUIRED READING - For the purpose of establishing a common
foundation for our discussions to open the year, incoming Honors freshmen
should read and annotate the following six (6) selections. (stories are located in
separate document)
“The Lottery” - Shirley Jackson
“The Veldt” - Ray Bradbury
“Under the Lion’s Paw” - Hamlin Garland
“Marigolds” - Eugenia Collier
“Chrysanthemums” - John Steinbeck
“Everything that Rises Must Converge” - Flannery O’Connor
CHOICE READING - To complete the ten (10) titles for the assignment,
students should read and annotate any four (4) of the titles listed below. (stories
are located in separate document)
“The Cask of Amontillado” - Edgar Allan Poe
“The Last Leaf” – O. Henry
“The Endless Streetcar Ride into the Night. . . ”- Jean Shepherd
“The Scarlet Ibis”- James Hurst
“Thank You Ma’am” – Langston Hughes
“A Worn Path”- Eudora Welty
Annotation Expectations
It is a requirement that you
annotate the assigned summer
reading.
Annotation means marking in
the text the following AS you
read:
questions [Q],
connections [C],
visualizations (important
images) [V]
summarizations [S] and
predictions [P]
Given the variety and depth of literature
you will annotate, you should make
three-to-four annotations per page as
you read. The expectation is that you
are engaged in thoughtful analysis as
you read. Your annotations should
reflect both analytical thinking and
active reading.
ONE BOOK, ONE SCHOOL, ONE SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT:
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her
name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still
recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year
ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life.
Or does she? And are the memories really hers?
Metea Valley High School Language Arts Department
Honors English I- Summer Reading
Writing Assignment:
Pre-Writing: Choose one short story you feel most comfortable writing about and answer the
questions on the attached Cornell Notes.
Prompt: In a multi-paragraphed essay (using at least four relevant, specific quotations) argue
the author’s purpose/theme in creating his or her protagonist.
Below is an example of a thesis statement that could be found in “The Scarlet Ibis.” There are two
components, a literary element and a thematic statement.
I. To be successful in responding to this prompt you must create a thematic statement/claim. This is
nothing more than a statement that includes a thematic topic and a predicate (verb) which qualifies that
topic. This statement needs to be arguable and true of everyday life.
Unacceptable claim: The narrator has too much pride and it destroys him.
•
•
It is not an arguable statement—it is what happens literally in the story.
It is not a universal statement but deals solely with a fictional character in a fictional setting.
Acceptable claim: Pride overshadows the ability to be sympathetic and humane.
•
•
•
•
The theme contains a subject (pride) and a predicate (overshadows…).
The theme is arguable.
The theme relates to everyday life.
The theme avoids clichés and/or idioms – Don’t judge a book by its cover. Looks can be deceiving.
II. The second component of your thesis is the element you will use prove your claim. For this essay,
you will use the protagonist of the short story you choose. Your thesis must include the author,
protagonist, and theme.
Here is an example; you may not use this example in your writing:
• Hurst creates the symbol of the scarlet ibis to assert that pride overshadows Doodle’s brother and his
ability to be sympathetic and humane.
Essay Requirements:
• There are many sources of information online. Rely on your own thinking and insight when it comes to
annotating and writing. It is apparent to your teachers when you do not write in your own voice.
• Your essay should be between two and three pages in length, typed and double-spaced.
• Cited observations and reactions should not evaluate the merits of the author’s abilities as a writer.
• Specific evidence from the text must be incorporated to support your ideas.
• Paragraphing must assist in organization of ideas.
• Essays must avoid plot summary.
__________________Cornell Notes for Short Fiction___________________
Analysis
• Choose four words to
describe the
protagonist. Provide
one passage from the
story to support
each quality of
character.
Consider what the author
says about the protagonist
and what the protagonist
says and does.
• Characterize the central
conflict the protagonist
undergoes in the story.
Consider:
 Man vs. Self
 Man vs. Society
 Man vs. Man
 Man vs. Nature
Developing Theme
• What is the central idea
explored through the
protagonist and the
conflict? (How is his or her
experience true to
everyday life?)
• What is the author
saying about this idea?
(thematic statement)
Summary (How did the steps I went through allow me to reach my thematic statement?)