February 2017
Dear Pre-AP Student,
We are so excited to meet you in August, and we are looking forward to having you in
class! We know that you have worked hard and been prepared well so far. Our goal is to
continue cultivating your knowledge and skills in the subject while igniting a passion for
learning, creative thinking, and problem solving. This class is challenging; therefore, you will
need to be focused and dedicated to meet the expectations we have for you.
Next year, we will work rigorously from the start. In order for you to be ready to handle
these assignments, activities, and discussions, we need for you to diligently work through your
summer assignment. We are asking that you read and annotate the following short stories
before the second day of class. The stories you will read and annotate are: “The Use of
Force” by William Carlos Williams, “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, and “A Sound of
Thunder” by Ray Bradbury. There is information on the outline page over annotating and how
to access the texts.
After reading, you will be required to complete a dialectical journal. The purpose of this
journal is to help you conduct a “conversation” with the text; we want you to enhance your
ability to read between the lines and recognize the author’s purpose. A dialectical journal is
created to examine many different literary elements and devices. We will give you ten possible
literary elements to analyze the text for, and you will choose six of the literary elements to use
in your dialectical journal entries. There are handouts in this packet that explain the ten
different elements that you can choose from and give specific instructions on the dialectical
journal format. You will be required to complete two journal entries for each story.
This assignment is due in its entirety on the second day of class. This process is very
important because it enables us to assess your abilities, strengths, and weaknesses right away.
We will also spend multiple class days on these stories and do activities and assessments over
them throughout the first several weeks of school. Everything that you need to accomplish
this assignment is clearly outlined on the next page. Good students will give themselves
enough time to work at a reasonable pace to produce quality work.
Aside from this assignment, we hope that you enjoy your summer and time off as well!
To receive text reminders and additional information throughout the summer, please feel free
to join our cell (instructions are in this packet). If you need assistance over the course of the
summer, please do not hesitate to email one of us at [email protected], [email protected],
or [email protected]
Sincerely,
Megan Tucker
Brianne Katilus
Rebecca Biard
Summer Assignment Outline
1. There are several ways that you can access the stories.
We have the stories posted on our classroom websites. To find them, go to the Frenship High
School homepage, click “Classroom Websites,” and then click one of our names (Rebecca Biard,
Brianne Katilus, or Megan Tucker). You will find the PDF file of the stories on the homepage of any
of our websites.
OR
These stories are in the public domain. That means that you can type them in a search engine, and
the full text of the story will be found.
OR
Also, these stories can be found in anthologies, available through booksellers.
2. Read and annotate “The Use of Force,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “A Sound of Thunder.”
The basic idea of annotating is to mark or highlight a certain portion of the text and make a note
concerning the reason you marked it for future reference. If you do not make a note about the
selected portion, you may forget why you chose it in the first place. Please do not annotate
everything you read or feel the need to make an annotation in every paragraph.
Annotating can be overwhelming. For this assignment, we only want you to focus on annotating
for two things:
1. Important parts of the plot: Write a brief summary in the margin of what is happening.
2. Questions you have while reading: What questions arise in your mind while reading the
story? When you think of something that you are wondering about, write it down in the
margins.
3. Complete a Dialectical Journal over SIX of the TEN literary terms given to you.
Refer to the Dialectical Journal and Literary Terms handouts for further explanation. Also, study
the written model on that handout to see what type of writing we expect to see in your entries.
This assignment is designed to be done after you have read and annotated the stories. If you try to
complete it while you’re reading, it could cause frustration. Your final copy will be typed, double
spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font, and a minimum of six entries total.
4. Further Instruction:
Remember that all ideas, observations, and responses must be your own – not from the Internet,
Sparknotes, Cliffnotes, etc. Any amount/form of plagiarism will result in an automatic zero
and removal from the Pre-AP program.
All Assignments Due:
1. Read all three stories
2. Annotate all three stories
3. Dialectical Journal with six entries
Literary Terms
You will choose six of the ten following literary terms to analyze for and use in your dialectical journal
entries. You will complete two journal entries over each story. Each journal entry should be using a
different literary term.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Theme - the message or lesson from the author, the central idea of the text
Point of View – the vantage point from which the story is told, determine the speaker
Setting – the time, place, and environment in which action takes place
Internal and External Conflict
a. Internal Conflict – man vs. self
b. External Conflict – man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. society
5. Direct and Indirect Characterization
a. Direct Characterization – the traits, characteristics, appearance, details, etc. that are
directly stated about the character in the text
b. Indirect Characterization – the traits, characteristics, appearance, details, etc. that are
implied about the character in the text
6. Imagery – the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses
7. Tone – the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience
8. Mood – the emotional atmosphere created for the reader (mood is how YOU FEEL while/after
reading)
9. Foreshadowing – a hint of what is to come in the text
10. Irony – the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning (when what happens is
not what was expected)
Dialectical Journal Guide
Directions: Type the final copy of your dialectic journal in the following format, exactly as seen (Times New Roman,
12pt. font). The first example contains explanations for what the content of each section should involve. The next
example is an actual entry that can be viewed as a model of what is expected in your writing.
Explanations:
Page: #
Quotation: Copy the actual portion from the book that you chose as an annotation.
Summary: Write one or two sentences summarizing what is occuring in this story directly around the quotation
you chose.
Device: Name the term you are analyzing in this annotation (Terms for Close Reading).
Observations and Questions (Do not summarize): In this section, you are “thinking out loud” about the
annotation you chose. Write your observations about the portion of text by answering one or more of the
following questions (3-5 sentences):
-
What stands out to you about the selection?
How does this portion of the story contribute to the novel as a whole?
What do you think will happen next?
Is there any extended meaning beyond what is actually going on in this portion of the story?
Do you have any questions about this portion of the story?
Model:
Page: 32
Quotation: “Do you think you are cutting up yams for cooking?” he asked Nwoye. “If you split another yam of this
size, I shall break your jaw.”
Summary: Nwoye and Ikemefuna are helping Okonkwo prepare seed-yams for planting. He is being extremely
tough on the two boys in order to stamp out their laziness and turn them into men.
Device: Diction
Observations and Questions (Do not summarize): It is normal for a father to teach his son, but Okonkwo’s
language is very harsh. It is not normal for a father to tell his son that he will “break [his] jaw.” Is this type of
language normal in the Ibo culture? The author utilizes diction in this scene to demonstrate that Okonkwo, as in
other areas of life, is extreme and hostile.