Seniors – Class of 2016
Matt Ridewood: [email protected]
Your assignment is to pay attention to emails from Mr. Ridewood about the upcoming year.
There is no summer reading as you should work on your chapel talk and college essays. Be
prepared to hit the ground running in the fall of 2015.
Junior – Class of 2017
AP US History and College Preparatory US History
Summer Reading Assignment
Luis E Murillo
[email protected]
Greg Smith
[email protected]
Greetings:
A common misconception of history is that there is a history without bias. However, all
historians write from a perspective. In order to hone our skills in analyzing viewpoints and in better
determining what a well-argued history reads like, we will be reading selections from two opposing
narratives of US history during the summer. In 1980 Howard Zinn published his path breaking history A
People’s History of the United States (you will read the 1999 edition). Larry Schweikart and Michael
Allen countered with A Patriot’s History of the United States: From Columbus’s Great Discovery to the
War on Terror (2004). You do not have to buy these books! Of course, you may if you wish, but we
will be sending you pdf copies through your TMI email account by Tuesday, May 19, 2015. In addition,
you may access these copies at: http://moodle.tmi-sa.org/moodle/course/index.php?categoryid=8 follow the links from history to 2015-16 course page. You should be able to access the site using the same
user name and login as for your email account. You may also enroll as a guest with the enrollment key
Washington. (Zinn book is also here: http://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html)
Assignment:
Read selections from each book. For Schweikart’s Patriot History please read and take notes on
the Introduction and Chapters 1, 3, and 4; and, for Zinn’s People’s History read and take notes
Chapters 1-2, and 4-6. Be prepared to answer the questions below in intelligent well-written inclass essays during the first week of school.
Essay questions that will be completed within the first two weeks of class, either in class or as take home
assignment.
1. What are the primary arguments for Zinn and Schweikart in their opening chapters? In what
ways are their respective depictions of Columbus and of Native Americans similar and in what
ways different? Which narrative do you find yourself most agreeing with? Why?
2. What are the primary arguments for Schweikart and Zinn in their discussions of Declaration of
Independence and Constitution? Who are the respective heroes and villains? On what
facts/issues do they agree? Which narrative do you find yourself most agreeing with? Why?
Daily assignment due first day:
Take a picture of yourself bring it to your class on the first day. In addition, write a short note to your
teacher about your summer adventures and misadventures with some general comments on the reading.
Your note should be informal in tone and has the main purpose of introducing yourself to your teacher.
Sophomores – Class of 2018
AP World History: Mr. Bob Ridewood, [email protected]
Students will read A History of the World in Six Glasses for AP World History. These are lively
presentations that look at world history either through the things we drank or the things we ate during
certain stages in world history. It is a great way for students to familiarize themselves with the grand
sweep of world history. Students should come to school on the first day having read one of the books;
during the first two days of class, they will be informed regarding the projects they will need to complete
for their summer reading.
AP European History and Modern World Civilization:
From the desk of Cristina Rowan
[email protected]
There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away. (Emily Dickinson)
I hope you are having an enjoyable summer break. My summer reading suggestions are:
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•
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Irene Nemirovsky, Suite Francaise
Emile Zola, Germinal
Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front
You can choose one book and be prepared to write a paper about it in class during the first week of
school. I encourage you to keep a reading journal, in which you should write down your questions,
answers, and reactions to the text. You should incorporate as many quotes from the book as possible, as
well as memorable phrases and metaphors. All three suggested authors are great writers that fully deserve
your attention. The reading journal is for your own use – it would not be collected or graded.
Also, in order to fully understand the book and in preparation for the paper that you will write, I
encourage you to research the historical context reflected in the book and to include that in your analysis.
In the case of Suite Francaise, there is also a tragic and fascinating story behind the book and the fate of
its author. If your choice is All Quiet on the Western Front or Germinal, you may want to watch the
movies as well.
When writing your paper in class you will be able to use your reading journal as well as the book. The
paper will count as a test grade.
Whatever your choice for the summer reading assignment will be, please note that we will be discussing
all three books throughout the year in a series of Socratic seminars. You may want to read more than one
book and take notes on the reading if you have the time.
I hope you will find my suggestions a pleasant and illuminating reading.
Best wishes,
Cristina Rowan
AP Human Geography and Human Geography
Freshman – Class of 2019
Mr. Jon Wagshul: [email protected]
Mr. Greg Smith: [email protected]
Welcome to AP Human Geography and College Preparatory Human geography. This course will be an
exciting look at the various ways people use and alter this place we call earth. You can look forward to a
class that will be among the most interesting and useful courses you can take, as it deals with “real world”
issues and problem solving. Ultimately, we will travel the world, studying the various geographic areas
and the issues that arise in those areas. Why do some regions of the world and the people who live in
them succeed dramatically, while others just as dramatically struggle or fail? We will look at how the
people live, the various cultures in play and their respective characteristics, and how in some cases those
cultures clash.
In advance of you starting the course, I would like you to read the book Playing the Enemy: Nelson
Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation by John Carlin, ISBN: 978-0-14-311572. The book can be
found in most book stores, and on line. This book will provide you an interesting look at several of the
cultures in South Africa, and the cultural and racial clashes involved in South African apartheid. It will
also explore various points of view on how to respond to those clashes, with particular emphasis on the
views of Nelson Mandela. Though rugby is part of the book’s story line, the book is not really about
rugby. The sport is important in its context as a cultural issue, and how Mandela utilized it in an effort to
bring the country together.
Assignment:
1. Read the book. As you read it, remain attuned to situations and examples that you think might tie
in to topics such as customs, culture, political perspectives, economic strengths and challenges,
and the role of location in these issues- all matters relevant in our study of human geography.
2. Optional: After reading the book, you may wish to watch the movie Invictus, which is based on
the book. Please note though that the movie is not a substitute for the book, and will not have you
ready for the test we will take next August.
3. Daily assignment due First Day-take a picture of yourself and bring it to your class on the first
day. In addition, write a short note to your teacher about your summer adventures and
misadventures with some general comments on the reading. Your note should be informal in tone
and has the main purpose of introducing yourself to your teacher.
Enjoy your summer, and we look forward to seeing you in August!