Pre-AP English I (9th grade)
Summer Reading Assignment for the 2012-2013 School Year
Ms. Regina Sitzes
Welcome to Pre-AP English I for the 2012-2013 school year! Here are your first assignments for high school.
Summer Reading Deadlines and Expectations
You MUST have the summer reading assignments completed by the first day of school.
You MUST annotate the texts (see Appendix A for guidelines) to be prepared for exams, class discussions, and
writing assignments. (This is also called "active reading.") I would prefer that you use sticky notes and place
them in your novel as you annotate, but you may also use a spiral notebook (journal).
You will take a comprehensive exam on Wednesday, August 29, over both books.
It is the student's responsibility to purchase or locate his or her copy of the summer reading. The books may be
purchased at Barnes and Noble (Denton location), Recycled Books on the square in Denton, various Half-Price
Books locations, as well as amazon.com. You may check out your book from the Sanger Public Library as well or
use an electronic copy (Nook, Kindle, etc.)
You will use ONE SPIRAL NOTEBOOK for both novels--one section for The House on Mango Street and one for
The Lord of the Flies
This assignment will be posted on the SHS library or homepage.
Pre-AP English I (9th grade) SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENTS
I. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
ASSIGNMENTS
A. ANNOTATE the novel. I have given you a suggestion on how to annotate, but that is simply one way. You may
include additional information in your annotations.
B. A poster presentation with pictures of the people, places, and things in your life, on YOUR STREET. Arrange these
pictures on a poster board and include under each picture a descriptive explanation of the importance of the people or
subject of each picture. You don't have to limit these pictures to just your family--you may include other people on your
street, inanimate objects that are important to your street, etc.
Use at least a half-size poster board. (May be bigger, but must be at least half a regular size poster
board.)
You may use scanned copies of pictures. Posters will be in our classroom for a while, so if you need the
pictures back, make copies or scan them so you can keep the original.
If you are new to the school it is okay to do your poster over your old street.
II. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
ASSIGNMENTS
A. ANNOTATE the novel. I have given you a suggestion on how to annotate, but that is simply one way. You may
include additional information in your annotations.
B. During reading, you will keep a double entry journal. The double entry journal consists of two columns on one page.
In the left-hand column, you will record quotations from the book that have some sort of significance to the tone,
theme, or style of the book, include the page number. In the right-hand column, you will record your response to the
quotation or why it is important. These responses should NOT be summaries of what the quotation already says; it
should include additional insight, analysis, or inference from you. You should have a minimum of 2 entries per chapter,
and at least 5 of those entries should address a literary element (see Appendix A). LABEL the LITERARY ELEMENT
ENTIRES. I've given you an example of a double entry journal.
1. Due Monday, August 27th:
2. Due Tuesday, August 28th:
3. Due Wednesday, August, 29th:
Annotations for both books (novel or journal-wherever you annotated)
Turn in your poster.
Test over both books.
*Do not use any outside sources, other than the book itself (and Appendix A), to complete this assignment. Plagiarism will result in
no credit for the assignment as well as disciplinary action.
If you have questions or need assistance, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected] or [email protected]
I am traveling a lot this summer so give me a day or two after you e-mail me to get back with you. (I will be out of reach for most of
June.) Don't wait until August to begin reading.
Sample Double-Entry Journal
Important Quotations
1. “The story had held us, round the fire, sufficiently
breathless, but except the obvious remark that it was
gruesome…”
Student Reflection
1. This quotation tells me two things: first, the event
has already happened and the story is being retold to
us; second, the mood has been set as mysterious and
eerie. We get the mood from words and phrases like
“round the fire,” “breathless,” and “gruesome.” I
predict this to be a suspenseful story.
Making the M.O.S.T.T out of Reading! (one way to annotate)
M: Make a list of all the characters as you encounter them. Add a short description of each one as you go so you can
easily remember him/her. Keep this paper in the front of the book.
O: Organize the plot by summarizing each chapter after you read it. Keep all your summaries together OR place each
chapter’s summary on the first page of that chapter.
S: Stick a tab (sticky note) in the book where you feel especially engaged (the characters, the writing, the plot elements
are exciting or you feel connected somehow) – write a brief message on the sticky note to explain why you placed it there.
T: Take the time to record unfamiliar words you find as you read. Write the page number of the word, a brief quotation
(to show how the word is used), and the definition of the word. Keep these organized by chapter to make them easy to
find later!
T: THEME means the truth, the lesson, and/or the moral the author is trying to get across. Theme makes the book
relevant/significant to the reader. The novel may be entertaining, but if you look beyond the lines/events, the novel can
teach us something about life. On a piece of paper, write (in sentence form) what you think the theme(s) of the novel may
be; explain why you think so.
*This is NOT the only way to annotate. This is just a guideline as annotating is basically having a "conversation" with
what you are reading.
Appendix A
**These are not all the literary elements! You may use others that are not on this list.
Plot :
Exposition:
Narrative hook:
Rising action:
Conflict/ complication:
External conflict:
Climax:
Falling action:
Resolution:
Foreshadowing:
Irony in plot
sequence of events in a story, novel or play,
each causing or leading to the next
intro. to characters, setting, and situations
catches the reader’s attention
adds complications to the conflict; leads to climax
struggle b/w 2 opposing forces
person vs. outside force
(another person, nature, fate or society)
point of highest emotional involvement
presents the results of climax
gives the final outcome
use of clues by the author to prepare readers for
events coming later
contrast between reality and what seems to be real
Situational irony: what happens in a situation is the opposite of what
we expect
Verbal irony: when a person says one thing and means another
Dramatic irony: when the audience has important info the
characters do not
Character:
a person in a story, novel or play
Flat character:
Round character:
Stereotyped character:
Static character:
Dynamic character:
reveals only one personality trait
shows varied, sometimes contradictory traits
common character type whose actions are predictable
does not change in the course of the story
changes, usually grows
Characterization :
personality of a character and the method an author
uses to reveal that personality
Direct characterization: author states facts about a char.
Indirect characterization: reveals a character’s personality thru
1. character’s words and actions
2. what other char say & think about him
3.
Setting:
place and time in which a story, play or novel
takes place
time year, month, season etc. –may not be stated
place location of events
atmosphere emotional mood, not weather
Point of View:
First person pov:
Effect:
Limited third person pov:
Effect:
Omniscient pov:
Effect:
Theme:
relationship of the storyteller to the story
[not the author & not to be confused with opinion]
story told by one of the characters, referred to as “I”
the reader gets only one view and identifies with narr.
narrator tells the story from a limited viewpoint of
only one character, speaking of the character as
“he” or “she”
keeps secret: reader knows when the char.understands
narrator stands outside of the story
“all seeing” as in the eyes of God
author’s message @ life, usually expressed as a
complete statement
Stated theme: announced directly
Implied theme: revealed gradually through the unfolding of the story
Symbol
a person or object that represents something larger
than itself
Example: the American flag represents the ideals of America,
freedom
Allegory: 1. A story or fable with a clear secondary meaning
beneath its literal story;
2. a symbolic narrative.
example Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes =an
allegory of the classic struggle of good vs. evil
Satire:
An art form that holds something up to ridicule,
possibly in the hope that awareness may stimulate
change.
Parody: imitates a serious piece of work, such as literature,
music or artwork, for a humorous or satirical effect