English II Pre-AP
Summer Reading Assignment
Mrs. Boisjolie ([email protected])
Most of you are familiar with my expectations. I will leave you with the words that I have shared with
you often: “I will NEVER ask of you what I have not taught you how to do first.” This assignment will be
intense and challenging, however, should you manage your time well and give it the expected effort, you
will enter my room in August completely prepared.
Mrs. Boisjolie
1. You will read the award-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. You may
use a copy from the school, or you may purchase your own copy. Bring to class on the
first day of school.
2. Annotate the book. If it is your personal copy, annotate in the book. If you are using a
school copy, you have 2 choices: annotate on sticky notes in the book or purchase a
composition notebook /spiral and make your annotations there. (notes on annotating on
next page) Bring to class on the first day of school.
3. Rhetorical Analysis: In the novel, Atticus Finch makes his closing argument to the jury
in Chapter 20. He is a master speaker and makes use of key persuasive appeals and
rhetorical devices. Make a 3 column chart on notebook paper (must be handwritten) with
the following three headings: rhetorical device, textual evidence, purpose. Read through
Atticus’s speech several times, and complete the chart with at least 5 rhetorical
devices, evidence, and purpose explanations.
4. Research Component: Find the first initial of your last name below; that is the person
and speech you will research. Go to the website, http://www.americanrhetoric.com/ .
Print the speech and annotate it for ethos, pathos, logos, repetition, and allusions (biblical,
historical, and literary) and any other figurative language/style simile, metaphor,
symbolism, mood, tone, diction. (definitions and explanations at end of document)
Next, go online and research reliable sources about the historical/political/social context
of your assigned speech. Print 1-2 articles with this information; annotate key points.
Write a brief, 1 page overview of your findings regarding the context of the speech (cite
your source appropriately when quoting and paraphrasing in MLA format).
A-H: Winston Churchill (“Be Ye Men of Valour” or “Blood, Toil, Tears and
Sweat”)
I-M: Martin Luther King, Jr (“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”)
N-R: Nelson Mandela (“Presidential Inaugural Speech” or “Speech to the United
Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid”)
S-Z: Sojourner Truth (“Ain’t I a Woman?”)
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Notes on annotating: The following is a list of things to consider when annotating your novel.
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Words and phrases that stand out to you
Important scenes or key sections of dialogue
Character descriptions, motivations, and flaws
Key decisions the characters make (major and minor characters)
The implications those decisions have the plot/other characters
Sections that are confusing
Inferences you make while reading
Connections to previously read texts (newspaper, history, novels, online)
Connections to personal life
Symbolism, personification, simile, metaphor, dialogue, allusions (biblical, literary, or
historical), flashbacks, foreshadowing, mood, tone
How the author’s point of view (first, second, third, limited, omniscient) enhances the
telling of the story/events
Terminology for Speech Analysis (rhetorical devices):
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Ethos: a writer/speaker’s appeal to establish credibility. This is where he, in some way,
establishes authority on the subject matter/topic of which he is speaking. Why would the audience
be convinced to listen to him on this topic? Why do we look for medical degrees in a doctor’s
office? We want to know they are qualified before they treat us!
Pathos: a writer/speaker/s appeal to emotion. Most of us think with our emotions first, minds
second. An effective persuasive speaker knows how to tug at the heartstrings of his audience in
order to be convincing/ effective. Think of the Cheerios commercials: why do the creators use
children bringing their parents bowls of cereal saying, “I want you to be healthy and watch me
grow up”? They do it because they know adults will remember that when they peruse the cereal
aisle and in response, will be more likely to buy the cereal!
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Logos: a writer/speaker’s appeal to logic. These are the facts. We should be a people who make
decisions and take action based on facts rather than our emotions. It is more difficult to abuse a
people, fall prey to fear, and make unwise decisions when we logically examine something.
However, we are human. Consider this: How did Hitler rise to power? How did he convince a
country to take up arms against the Jewish people? Was there any logical, factual basis behind his
reign of terror? His speeches? His writings? Of course not! He used fear and propaganda to
manipulate people and create an environment of panic and, in doing so, did not present logos. It is
imperative that you become an active reader, thinker, speaker, listener, and researcher. You must
be able to separate the facts from the emotion.
Repetition: the reiteration of a word, sound, phrase, or idea for emphasis. Parallelism is a type
of repetition where one element is of equal importance as another element and is written and
phrased similarly. For example, note the repetitive structure here: “When you are right you cannot be
too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative."(Martin Luther King, Jr., Why We Can't
Wait)
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Allusion: a reference made by a writer/speaker to a famous person, place, event, or idea of which
the audience is familiar. It serves to enhance and deepen the meaning of the author’s
purpose/point. Allusions can be biblical, historical, or literary.
Due Dates:
First day of school:
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annotated book (in book, sticky notes, or spiral) (daily grade)
Chapter 20: Atticus’s Closing Arguments: Chart of rhetorical devices (daily grade)
First Friday of school in August:
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Research component: speech (printed and annotated), (1-2 articles, printed, annotated), 1 page
written overview of historical, political, and social context of speech (test grade)