CRHS English II-Honors Summer Reading for the Class of 2013
2010-2011 REQUIRED ASSIGNMENT FOR ALL RISING 10TH HONORS ENGLISH STUDENTS
TRANSFER STUDENTS: We will accept a summer assignment that you prepared for another school for extra credit, but you must provide the assignment. Since this novel is used during the first
2-3 weeks of the school year for instruction, you will still need to read the novel assigned here and complete various in-class assignments (including discussion and collaborative work).
We believe that we learn to read by reading; this close-reading assignment offers an opportunity for students to cultivate their reading skills by engaging with literature
on many levels: personal, analytical, critical, and creative. In choosing books, the National Council of English Teachers advises teachers to “consider the contribution
which each work may make to the education of the reader, its aesthetic value, its honesty, its readability for a particular group of students, and its appeal to adolescents.”
As most books of literary merit deal with the nature of humanity, each may contain what some believe to be controversial material; however, the N.C. Course of Study
encourages students to read widely from a variety of different cultures and backgrounds. We encourage parents to discuss issues or values that might raise concerns.
ASSIGNMENT:
A Long Way Gone (Ishmael Beah)
(published 2007)
Barnes and Noble store): $8.64 paperback (less from various sellers)
Amazon.com: $8.64 (less from other sellers – new & used)
Also available online (ebooks) and in digital media format (Kindle)
"This is how wars are fought now: by children, traumatized, hopped-up on drugs, and wielding AK-47’s. Children have become the
soldiers of choice. In the more than fifty violent conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers.
Ishmael Beah used to be one of them.
What does war look like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? Child soldiers have
been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. But it is rare to find a first-person account from someone
who endured this hell and survived.
In this book, Ishmael Beah, now twenty-six years old, tells a powerfully griping story: At the age of 12, he fled attacking rebels and
wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By 13, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle
boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. At 16, he was removed from fighting by UNICEF, and through the help of the staff at
his rehabilitation center, he learned how to forgive himself, to regain his humanity, and, finally, to heal. This is an extraordinary and
mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty” (excerpt taken from book cover).
ASSIGNMENT: The assignments are designed to help you learn and practice the close reading techniques and the critical reading skills important not only to becoming
successful AP students, but also to experiencing the intrinsic rewards of reading interpretive fiction. Your ultimate goal is to comprehend much more than just what
happens; you must learn to develop commentaries that reveal how the author uses diction, style, structure, and literary elements to convey meaning. You MUST TRY to
complete every assignment. You may address problems or questions on the English blog at http://crhs2010english.wordpress.com/ Effort and completion will be the
essential criteria in assessing the assignments.
Materials needed: *Writing Journal (bound or spiral – this journal will also be used throughout your English course for daily assigned
writings), novel, pen or pencil, computer/online access.
*This is a change from previous assignments that required students to use CARDS.
EVALUATION: Students will be using the novel as a literary text during the first weeks of school and will complete various assignments
based on the reading.
(1) WRITING JOURNAL: due first day of class.
(2) IN-CLASS WRITTEN COMMENTARY / ESSAY: Sometime after the first week of the semester, your instructor will select a significant
passage from the novel. You will be asked to write about the passage in terms of its importance to the novel, the rhetorical situation, literary elements, author’s style
and purpose, figurative language, etc.
BRING THE NOVEL WITH YOU DURING THE FIRST 2-3 WEEKS OF CLASS.
Purchase your journal. You may use any kind of bound journal that suits your individual study style, but the amount of each entry should equal one college-ruled
piece of notebook paper. If your journal is smaller, write an equivalent amount. The Writing Journal is a TOOL, so the entries will not be in “final draft” form, but
they must be readable. Using ink helps you record your thoughts and impressions permanently, and you should feel free to cross through, scratch out, or insert.
Editing marks are perfectly acceptable and even encouraged. Label each entry with date completed, Assignment #, Title of Assignment, and page numbers.
July 14, 2010
Assignment 2, SETTING,
pp 1-24
[Term to know: Freewriting is a method for exploring ideas without planning them. One way to freewrite is to pick up the pen and write, letting your thoughts flow
freely onto the page into sentences (without worrying about punctuation, grammar, or sentence structure). The key to freewriting is not to think/plan in your head
before you write -- just pick up a pen and write... and don’t stop to re-read or revise. If the ideas are “perfect” when you write them down, then you are not
freewriting. Some assignments may ask you to write a certain length or for a certain time – follow the requirement.]
ASSIGNMENT #1:
1) Write an MLA BIBLIOGRAPHIC ENTRY for the book: (1) author, last name first (2) Title of book (3) publication information – place: publisher,
latest copyright (4) date of original publication, if republished. Follow punctuation guidelines. See sample below.
1
2
4
3
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. 1902. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, 1990.
2)
ASSIGN
#
2
3
After the bibliographic entry, leaf through each part of the novel, reading the front and back cover of the novel. Then write a paragraph about what
you expect from the book. Look at the MAP on page 2 and at the “Chronology” at the back of the book – refer to them as you read the novel.
Instructions
Prologue and Chapter 1 (a) PROLOGUE (p. 3) Read the “Prologue and FREEWRITE for ½ page contemplating what ideas the “Prologue” introduces and
how it prepares the reader for what is to come. (b) SETTING: On a separate page, identify at least 10 words or phrases that identify the setting of Beah’s
homeland – Sierre Leone. You should include references to time, place, region, atmosphere (cite page #). Then, freewrite ½ page that answers, “What aspects
of this culture and setting will influence the characters, their behavior, and what might happen to them?”
Chapter 2 introduces TIME in an interesting way to establish the structure of flashbacks that Beah uses to tell his story, juxtaposing past and present. Copy the
last sentence of Chapter 2. Then, draw three columns on your page, labeling each column with one of the “worlds.” Copy words and phrases from the chapter
Visit the Cedar Ridge High School Website at http://www.orange.k12.nc.us/crhs/faculty/englishdepartment/EDIndex.htm
and visit http://crhs2010english.wordpress.com/ to post questions or comments or find links to book descriptions, terms and definitions and more! (rev. 6/2009)
ASSIGN
#
4
5
6
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Instructions
and place them under the appropriate heading (he writes about each “world” in this chapter). Include at least 3 words/phrases for each column that give clues as
to which “world” Beah is in – and how we know he has transitioned to another “world.” Is the diction or sentence structure different in each world or the same?
Chapters 3,4,5: CONFLICTS: In these chapters we see the challenges and conflicts that Beah faces. (a) List at least 3 different conflicts (opposing forces to
the protagonist and his welfare/goals) in this section. For each conflict, explain the source of the conflict, the nature of the conflict, and the complications that
might influence how the conflict will be resolved. (b) In Chapter 5, Beah encounters one of many life-threatening situations, but he is saved by a coincidence
rather than his own wit or physical ability. Freewrite ½ page answering, “What does this suggest about the nature of his survival against the conflicts he faces?”
Chapters 6-7: Choose a STRIKING OR KEY PASSAGE from this section that you think is important to character development, plot development, or meaning – a
passage may be a line, quote, or any excerpt from the novel. Copy the passage correctly (quotation marks, cite p. #).
Using complete sentences, answer 2 of the following questions: “Why is this a key passage?” “What is the author trying to do at this point?” “What
does this passage reveal about either development of a character (a significant change or description?... A significant development in the plot?
… or the meaning of the work as a whole?” “How is this passage typical of the author’s style?” “What is unusual or striking about the passage?
Chapter 8: From his survival in the forest to his joining the new group of boys, Beah reveals significant elements of his CHARACTER AND CULTURAL
VALUES – and how he sees himself changing as a result of his struggles. He says, “Our innocence had been replaced by fear and we had become monsters.”
Consider everything you know about Beah up to this point. Freewrite one page in which you reflect on this comment and what has happened to Beah so far. Do
you agree that fear can make someone become a monster?
Chapter 9: QUOTE: In this Chapter Beah uses the phrase “A long way gone.” Find the phrase and identify the context and motivation for this statement. Then,
freewrite why you think he chose this phrase for the title of his novel.
Chapter 10: FLASHBACKS: Beah uses a series of flashbacks in this section for a variety of purposes, but most importantly to reveal the cultural values of Sierre
Leone before the war juxtaposed to the cultural values of the world Beah is living in during the war. Choose 2 of the flashbacks from this section: explain what
values we can see in the flashback and how the flashback is connected to Beah’s present (during the war).
Chapters 11-12: DIARY ENTRY: Imagine you are one of the characters in this section. Write a diary entry, beginning with “Dear Diary” and create day or date.
The diary entry must contain at least 3 specific references to the section (underline them) and it should reveal your understanding of characters, events, and
ideas, as well as questions or insights you might have of the characters. Though you may refer to people or events from previous sections, your underlined
references must come from this section.
Chapters 13-14: TEXT to GRAPHICS / IMAGERY: Choose a passage and create a graphic representation of the text, paying close attention to details. You
may use literal or symbolic representations, abstractions, color, shape, form – but make sure that everything you include has meaning and can be traced back to
specific references to the text. Include a significant quote from the passage at the bottom of the page. Create a title for your graphic/picture and write the title at
the top of the page. Then, write a paragraph that explains your choice of graphics, color, shape, etc. and the textual references that inspired you.
Chapters 15-16: Authors use FIGURES OF SPEECH because of their power and their layers of meaning, e.g. we say “It’s raining cats and dogs” instead of “It’s
raining large drops which are coming down very fast and hard.” Which is more powerful? In addition, figurative language can help the reader understand
experiences that may be foreign to him or her. Choose 3 figures of speech from this section that Beah uses to help his readers share his experiences (see
the link to a list and definitions on website) and explain those “layers” of meaning. Copy the examples verbatim. Then identify the TYPE of each figure of
speech. Lastly, explain how each is used for meaning and effect. Think about “Why did the author use this language instead of something else?” “What
does this comparison/figure of speech do that literal language would not accomplish?.” “What layers of meaning does it suggest?
Chapter 17-18: A MOTIF is a recurring element in the novel that helps develop theme. Its repeated use provides continuity and develops a connection between
various events. An archetype is a repeated pattern that recurs in literature and may cross cultures and time (see list of “Archeytpes and Symbols” on website).
Find and explain the use of a motif or an archetype from this section.
Chapter 19-21: PERSONAL RESPONSE: Beah is required to interview, conference or talk with people throughout these chapters – many who have no idea
what he has been through. Imagine that you are Beah during one of these times. Identify the situation and your purpose for speaking. Then create a speech for
Beah in this situation, imitating his style of speech and diction. Then, post the opening or all of your speech on the school’s BLOG
http://crhs2010english.wordpress.com/. While blogs may seem informal, they require that you edit and revise before you PUBLISH. In your Journal, write the blog entry
and revise it. Then, post the entry on the website on the English 10-Honors page.
STYLE: Beah uses a very direct and “plain” style. Find an paragraph/excerpt that you thinks best exemplifies his style. Describe his style based on the
passage (sentence structure, word choice, content – anything that you notice about the way he writes). Then explain why you think the style is appropriate for
the topic and his purpose for the book.
Look up the genre MULTICULTURAL NOVEL. Explain how this novel fits this definition. Be sure to include at least 2-3 specific examples of how the novel
highlights specific cultural differences and values.
Some novels and plays seem to advocate changes in social or political attitudes or in traditions as literature is often a “mouthpiece” for authors. Choose at least
one significant – and specific -- attitude or tradition that the author apparently wishes to modify. Explain your choice and then tell how the author uses
characters, plot, and setting to influence the audience.
MEMOIR: Memoirs often skew the truth, for obvious reasons, including a faulty memory. Freewrite ½ to 1 page by responding to the following quote from the
Village Voice and discuss whether or not it affects your experience with the novel. Provide at least 2 specific references to the novel to support your statements.
“Beah's account of his journey from drug-addled killing machine to Oberlin-educated memoirist and de facto spokesman for child soldiers was
first called into question by the Sydney-based The Australian, which questioned its timeline and two central anecdotes. In one instance, Beah
describes in vivid detail a deadly brawl between two rival factions of child soldiers in a UNICEF-run camp in the Sierra Leone capital of
Freetown in January of 1996. Six teens died, Beah recalls, but The Australian could find no one in Freetown who could remember the incident,
and no official report of the fight. Reporters who covered the civil war told The Australian that it would have gotten enormous attention at the
time. UNICEF, which did not respond in time for print deadlines, now says it cannot confirm Beah's account of the brawl that left six dead.
‘According to our preliminary investigation, while there were fatal incidents in camps, we are unable to provide independent confirmation that
the incident took place,’ Geoffrey Keele, a UNICEF spokesman said in an emailed statement. But while the deadly brawl could not be confirmed,
it is still UNICEF's ‘view that Ishmael's book Long Way Gone is a credible account of the tragedy of recruitment of children into armed groups,
told by one who undoubtedly experienced this abuse firsthand,’ Keele said” (blog.villagevoice.com).
Many novels are made into movies – and we always hear people say, “The movie wasn’t as good as the book” – or vice versa. Write a letter to a producer or
director asking him/her to be sure to include or keep some aspects of the novel that would keep the movie true to the experience of the reading.
Visit the Cedar Ridge High School Website at http://www.orange.k12.nc.us/crhs/faculty/englishdepartment/EDIndex.htm
and visit http://crhs2010english.wordpress.com/ to post questions or comments or find links to book descriptions, terms and definitions and more! (rev. 6/2009)