English I Pre-AP Summer Reading Assignment
Welcome to Pre-AP English I! Now that you are in high school, the expectations and the
requirements for you to be successful have increased. Your summer reading assignment is a two-part
assignment. You are to read John Steinbeck’s The Pearl and 1) create a Summary Chapter Book
(complete with pictures) and 2) create a dialectical journal. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ALL
INFORMATION MUST BE HAND-WRITTEN IN BLUE OR BLACK INK! Here is what you need to do:
1) Summary Chapter Book
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Pick up a copy of John Steinbeck’s The Pearl
Read and annotate (take notes) for EACH CHAPTER
Create or buy a blank paged book with at least 15 pages
You are to decorate the front of the book with a creative title using color
As for the inside of the book (the pages), you will dedicate two pages to each chapter within the
book. For example:
On this side, you will HAND-WRITE,
IN BLUE OR BLACK INK, a detailed
summary of the events that
occurred within each chapter.
MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE A PAGE
NUMBER THAT CORRESPONDS TO
THE CHAPTER NUMBER AT THE
BOTTOM OF EACH SUMMARY
PAGE!
On this side, you will draw a
colored picture that portrays a
significant event that occurred in
the chapter. You may use
computer generated images but
will only receive up to 70% credit
on each picture!
6) There are SIX chapters in this novel, therefore, by the time you are finished, you will have a
summarized picture book that has a summary and corresponding picture for all SIX chapters.
7) For each summary, I recommend no less than eight sentences and no more than twelve.
Remember: Keep it detailed, yet concise!
8) Also, rest assured that the artwork you give me will be graded on accuracy, not artistic ability. I
understand we are not all cut out to be the next Van Gogh…
9) It would be in your best interest to take thorough notes throughout the novel as we will be
diving in to the content of the story starting the first week of school. I WILL BE CHECKING YOUR
HAND-WRITTEN ANNOTATIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL!!! Ways to ensure thorough
note-taking:
a. If you own the book and plan to keep it, feel free to write in the margins. Also,
highlighting will aid in information retention. (You could even color-code if you feel
inclined!)
b. If you do not own the book and/or do not want to write in the book itself, you need to
start a note-taking journal/spiral that is specific to The Pearl. This should be a
journal/spiral that you can refer to and write in as you read the book. Make sure that if
you choose this option, you are noting the page numbers and paragraph numbers as
you take your notes.
2) Dialectical Journal
A dialectical journal is a conversation between you and what you are reading. You will write one
journal for the Nonfiction book (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey) and one
journal for the Fiction book (The Pearl by John Steinbeck). You simply write down passages that make
you think or interest you; then write about your thoughts. This process is an important way to
understand both the surface-level and deeper meanings of a piece of literature. By writing about
literature, you make your own meaning of the work in order to truly understand it.
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By properly completing this assignment, you will gain insight into the plot, action, and
significance of events and details in the novel.
Journals are evaluated on the QUALITY of your responses.
For your journal entries for the Fiction novel, select important passages related to characters,
plot, setting, theme, tone, figures of speech, etc. (See attached “Literary Elements”).
Write at least 20 entries for EACH book – you may have more entries, but you should not have
less.
Write a response to each entry you make. You must write at least 2 sentences of commentary
or response for each entry.
Simply read, think, and write as much as you can – questions, comments and ideas are all
appropriate.
Note when things do not make sense, but be specific about what confuses you.
Note ways in which the story teaches you about life or makes a connection to another work of
art or even another academic discipline.
Note your initial reaction to the reading.
Offer your interpretation of the text as well as evidence to support your interpretation.
You must use a composition notebook for the dialectical journals written NEATLY in blue or black
ink. You may use one composition notebook for both journals. The journals need to follow the format
of the attached example. Each page of your journal should have three (3) columns. The first column is
for the passage that you are discussing; the smaller middle column is for the page number; and the
third column is for your all-important comments about the passage.
BOTH DIALECTICAL JOURNALS ARE DUE ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
– NO EXCUSES!
-andBE READY FOR AN EXAM OVER BOTH BOOKS ON THE FIRST DAY OF
SCHOOL!
Exactly what does a Dialectical Journal look like?
SAMPLE: (from Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë)
QUOTE/PASSAGE FROM BOOK
PAGE #
It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he
shall never know how I love him; and that, not
because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s
more myself than I am.
My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods;
time will change it, I’m well aware, as winter
changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles
the eternal rocks beneath-a source of little visible
delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He’s
always, always in my mind-not as a pleasure, any
more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as
my own being.
And there you see the distinction between our
feelings: had he been in my place and I in his,
though I hated him with a hatred that turned my
life to gall, I never would have raised a hand
against him. You may look incredulous, if you
please! I never would have banished him from her
society as long as she desired his. The moment her
regard ceased, I would have torn his heart out, and
drank his blood! But, till then – if you don’t believe
me, you don’t know me – till then, I would have
died by inches before I touched a single hair of his
head!
Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I
am living! You said I killed you—haunt me, then!
The murdered do haunt their murderers. I believe—
I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be
with me always—take any form—drive me mad!
Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot
YOUR RESPONSE/COMMENTARY
86
In this quotation, Catherine is talking to Nelly about
the two men in her life: Heathcliff and Edgar.
Heathcliff is listening at the doorway and, when
Catherine says it would degrade her to marry him,
he leaves and never hears her profess her love for
him. This is a crucial moment in the plot because
all of the major characters are at a crossroads.
Heathcliff leaves for three years and, while he’s
gone, Catherine marries Edgar.
88
In this passage, Catherine makes a powerful
analogy between the two different types of love
she feels. Despite the fact that she often acts
oblivious, she has a surprisingly deep insight into
her own affections. While she does love Edgar, she
recognizes that her feelings for him are not
permanent – they are based more on superficial
desires. Her attraction to Heathcliff, however, is
raw, uncontrolled, and much more powerful (even
if they are not pleasurable).
145146
In this passage, Heathcliff is ranting about the way
Edgar has chosen to restrict Catherine’s life. Both
the brutality and the humanity of Heathcliff’s
character are revealed here. Heathcliff is not a
selfless character and he does not possess many
redeeming qualities; his love for Catherine is really
the only part of him that is honorable. Those he
hates Edgar, he would tolerate him as long as
Catherine wanted him in her life. However, in
Heathcliff’s eyes, Edgar’s love for Catherine is
selfish. Edgar seems to care less about what
Catherine wants and more about what belongs to
him.
176
This apostrophe is a powerful moment in the story
where Heathcliff begs Catherine’s spirit to haunt
him so that he will never have to live without her
presence in his life. This emotional and heart
wrenching moment reveals the vast difference
between Edgar’s love of Catherine and Heathcliff’s.
find you! Oh God! It is unutterable! I cannot live
without my life! I cannot live without my soul!
Though Catherine did love Edgar, the connection
was superficial. Heathcliff’s statement that she is
his life and his soul is less “metaphor” and more
“truth.”
Grading Rubric for Dialectical Journals
90-100
Complete – Covers the book thoroughly.
Passage Selection – Chosen with careful thought and specific purpose
Comments – Insightful comments; demonstrates understanding beyond the literal or
the expected; makes a connection with the writing or characters; provides a unique
perspective; adequately applies literary terms in journal entries.
80-89
Complete – Covers the book well
Passage Selection – Chosen with obvious thought and purpose
Comments – Reflects some depth of thought; understands and appreciates the meaning
of the passage; makes some connection with the writing or characters; provides an
authentic or original perspective; somewhat applies literary terms in journal entries.
70-79
Complete – Covers the book adequately
Passage Selection – Chosen with some thought and purpose
Comments – Superficial, with little evidence of depth of thought; questions meaning
without searching for an answer; demonstrates little connection with writing or
characters; provides only generic or literal understanding.
60-69
Incomplete – Covers the book inadequately (not enough entries)
Passage Selection – Chosen at random
Comments – Superficial, showing little evidence of thought; makes little or no
connection with writing or characters; demonstrates literal understanding at best;
comments contain only summary and no analysis.
Below 60
Student turned something in, but the assignment meets few, if any, requirements.
Literary Elements
Allusion –
reference to a statement, person, place, event, or thing that is known from literature,
history, religion, myth, politics, sports, science, or the arts.
Conflict -
struggle between 2 opposing forces.
Internal conflict – struggle within a person (i.e.: emotional, mental)
External conflict – character struggles with an outside force, such as nature, a person,
society, or fate.
Metaphor -
a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else. A
metaphor compares two things without using the words like or as. (e.g. Life is a brokenwinged bird.)
Personification –
a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human
characteristics.
Simile -
a figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison between two
basically unlike subjects. (e.g. She is as flighty as a sparrow.)
Symbol -
anything that stands for or represents something else. An object that serves as a
symbol has its own meaning, but it also represents abstract ideas.
Theme -
a central message or insight into life revealed through the literary work. It is not a
condensed summary but rather a generalization about human beings or about life that
the literary work communicates.
Tone -
the writer’s attitude toward his or her audience and subject. Tone can often be
described by a single adjective. Often referred to as attitude.
Mood-
the reader’s feeling(s) toward the piece of text. Mood can often be described in a
subjective, opinionated manner. Often referred to as the opposite of tone.
SUMMER QUESTIONS:
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