2013 Summer Reading
English II Pre-AP (Year 5 IB MYP)
Mrs. Love/Miss Sharp
Dear Soon-To-Be Sophomore,
We are honored to be your English II Pre-AP & MYP teachers for the 2013-2014 school year. As of this
writing, the 12/13 school year has not yet ended and already we are looking forward to meeting and getting to know
all of you. Certainly, next year holds many rewarding and worthwhile experiences.
We have assembled a summer reading assignment which will, hopefully, ensure that you continue to read
and think literarily throughout the summer. The sophomore summer reading assignment marks the beginning of
your journey in reading as a writer.
This summer reading assignment is required of every student enrolled in this course, and no student may
drop from the course simply because he/she has not completed the summer reading. Moreover, failure to do these
assignments on time will indeed affect your grade. Not only will you be tested over the novella, the assignment
below is a major grade and will be due on the second class day. Do not wait until August – start now!
The readings listed below appear in the order in which you should read them.
SUGGESTED READING: “How to Mark a Book” Article by Mortimer Adler
The following essay by Mortimer Adler provides a brief, non-academic introduction to the nature and value of
annotation. Written in 1940, the wording and references are somewhat dated, but the ideas are quite relevant. We
suggest you read this article before reading any of the required summer readings. Our hope is that you will begin to
understand the importance of “marking” a text. It is our personal belief that in order for you to grow as a critical
thinker, you must take ownership of your thinking. The best way to begin to do that is to write your thoughts
directly on the text.
REQUIRED READING 1: How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster (READ BEFORE
ANY OF THE SELECTIONS BELOW)
From the Publisher: “In this practical and amusing guide to literature, Thomas C. Foster shows how easy and
gratifying it is to unlock those hidden truths, and to discover a world where a road leads to a quest; a shared meal
may signify a communion; and rain, whether cleansing or destructive, is never just rain. Ranging from major themes
to literary models, narrative devices, and form, How to Read Literature Like a Professor is the perfect companion for
making your reading experience more enriching, satisfying, and fun.”
 You will need your own PERSONAL copy so that you can ANNOTATE the text as you read. Please follow
the guidelines on the following pages to complete the annotations.
 This reading will be the foundation OR will serve as a reference for most of our work during the first
semester and at times the second semester. We will revisit the ideas presented in How to Read Literature
Like a Professor throughout the year.
REQUIRED READING 2: Chronicle of a Death Foretold By Gabriel Garcia Marques (No E-Books)
 You will need your own PERSONAL copy so that you can ANNOTATE the text as you read.
 Following the reading of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, you will READ and ANNOTATE, the
novella, Chronicle of a Death Foretold. In addition to your annotations, you will complete a
DIALECTICAL JOURNAL. You must actively read and annotate this text, applying the skills and
strategies learned from your reading of How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Please follow the
guidelines on the following pages to complete the annotations and the dialectical journal.
REQUIRED READING 3: “The Pit and the Pendulum” By Edgar Allen Poe AND “Singing My Sister Down”
By Margo Lanagan
 Print from Miss Sharp’s or Mrs. Love’s website
 Following the reading of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, you will READ and ANNOTATE the
two short stories listed above. In addition to your annotations, you will complete a DIALECTICAL
JOURNAL for both short stories You must actively read and annotate the short stories, applying the skills
and strategies learned from your reading of How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Please follow the
guidelines on the following pages to complete the annotations and dialectical journal.
Dialectical Journal: Chronicle of a Death Foretold, “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “Singing My Sister Down”
A dialectical journal is another name for a double--‐entry journal or a reader--‐response journal. A dialectical journal is a
journal that records a dialogue, or conversation, between the ideas in the text (the words that you are reading) and the
ideas of the reader (the person who is doing the reading). In your journal, have a conversation with the text and with
yourself. Write down your thoughts, questions, insights, and ideas while you read. The important part is that you, the
reader, are reading something and then responding to it by making literary connections. The process is meant to help you
develop a better understanding of the text as you read.
A. Chronicle of a Death Foretold:
a. You are to choose TEN QUOTES that connect with a literary element addressed in How to Read
Literature Like a Professor: character, conflict, figurative language, allusions, setting, diction, irony
etc. Record this on the LEFT hand side of your DJ. Quotes can be any length, but try to be clear,
concise, and focused in your selections.
b. On the RIGHT side of the journal, you will (1) explain how each quote makes a connection with a literary
element, (2) record comments and ask questions.
c. Chronicle does not have chapter titles or numbers, so you will need to number them yourself.
B. “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “Singing My Sister Down”
a. You are to choose FIVE QUOTES, FROM EACH SHORT STORY, that connect with a literary element
addressed in How to Read Literature Like A Professor: character, conflict, figurative language,
allusions, setting, diction, irony etc. Record this on the LEFT hand side of your DJ. Quotes can be any
length, but try to be clear, concise, and focused in your selections.
b. On the RIGHT side of the journal, you will (1) analyze how each quote makes a connection with a literary
element (explain), (2) record comments and ask questions.
WARNING: Do not discuss the same literary element/device more than TWO times for each selection.
Direct Quote from the Text



What it looks like…
Literary Analysis/Questions/Comments
Chapter Number
Quote that has a literary connection
Include a parenthetical citation for each quote
Ex. (Marques 56)
NOTE: Only include the quote and the parenthetical
citation for the short stories.
Chapter 1
“Comrades, you have heard already about the strange
dream that I had last night.” (Orwell 27)

Literary Element Analysis

Ask questions/make comments
o Draw conclusions
o Form questions to better comprehend
what you are reading
o Make connections to what you already
know.
Literary Analysis:
Orwell’s choice of diction when he uses the word
“Comrades” is significant because it makes the reader
understand that old Major sees all the animals as equals,
even though he is much older and wiser. The word
“Comrade” seems to be like the word “friend”, and it is
important to make the animals feel like friends because
he is asking them to rebel.
Questions/Comments:
In political speeches politicians usually address the
audience as “fellow Americans.” This usually creates
sense of unity. Likely that is the effect Old Major/Orwell
wanted to create.
This document should be typed, double spaced, with one inch margins on all sides, in 12 point font, Times
New Roman and follow MLA guidelines.
Annotations: How to Read Literature Like a Professor
Why Annotate?
Annotating is your conversation with the text. To be an active reader, to think deeply about the text, and to appreciate the
writer’s craft, we MUST annotate. Annotation and highlighting can be a permanent record of the reader’s intellectual
conversation with the text. It can help a serious reader to keep track of the author’s purpose, patterns, contrasts, plot events,
and character development.
A. Assignment: In addition to “marking” the text, you are to highlight (choose one color for this) ONE-TWO KEY
QUOTE(S) that provide(s) the most clear thesis, principle, lesson, or meaning from EACH of the book’s chapters.
Quotes can be any length, but try to be clear, concise, and focused in your selections. YOU MUST COMMENT
ON THIS QUOTE. Use the annotation tips listed below as a guide.
B. REMEMBER: Highlighting the key quote in each chapter is not your only task. You must mark and comment
on other note worthy information.
Annotation Tips for Non-Fiction
When reading non-fiction texts, your annotations will be slightly different than a work of fiction because you will not have
the same literary elements at work and you will not have any plot to analyze. But you should consider overall structure:
o Where/How does the writer present the argument and prove it?
o Think about the writer’s argument and tone and how these are achieved. Analyze the diction (word
choice) and syntax (sentence structure) used to express point of view.
o Consider the writer’s purpose: to explain, to persuade, to describe, to entertain etc and how he or she
achieves this.
o Define any unknown terms.
o Be aware of rhetorical devices
o Also, consider any logical fallacies in the author’s arguments.
o Be aware of and record your personal reactions and questions
Every reader must come up with a system that is most comfortable for him or her. Below is a suggested format for
marking nonfiction texts:
!
Symbol
Stands for:
Connection
?
Question
*
Main Idea
VOC
Look It Up
ME
Idea/Conclusion
+
Agree
-
Disagree
“”
Quote
Means:
I’ve seen, read, or thought
about that before.
I’ve experienced that while
reading.
I don’t understand.
I need more information.
This is an important point the
author is trying to get across.
This is the author’s basic
premise or overall meaning.
I don’t know what this word
means. I need to find a
definition.
I have an original idea or
conclusion about this point.
I agree with the author on this
point.
I disagree with the author. I
think otherwise.
I might use this quote in my
own writing.
Don’t forget!
In the margins, annotate your text marking. Write a bit about why you marked it. Write a response that reflects why you
agree/disagree with a statement. Write questions you have about the passage. Write a one-two sentence summary. For the
most part, complete sentences aren’t always necessary; just make sure you can remember later what you meant. EVERY
SYMBOL OR HIGHLIGHTED TEXT MUST HAVE AN ANNOTATION.
Annotations: Chronicle of a Death Foretold, “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “Singing My Sister Down”
As you read Chronicle of a Death Foretold and the TWO short stories listed above, you are REQUIRED
to annotate the texts (refer to Annotation Tips below). Pay close attention to themes, characterization,
imagery, figurative language, diction, detail, syntax, symbolism, etc. Don’t mark too much. If you mark
everything, nothing will stand out. Use your own words--don’t try to be fancy. Remember, your annotations
are for you!
Annotation Tips for Fiction
 Make brief notes at the top of the page or on a sticky note to mark important plot events.
 Circle or highlight words that are unfamiliar or unusual. Try to figure out what the words mean through the way they are
used; supplement your guesses by consulting a dictionary.
 When new characters are introduced, highlight phrases that describe them. (Try not to highlight whole sentences).
 Highlight words, images, and details that seem to form a pattern throughout the text.
o For example, if a large clock appears in the story, and then you notice the author using the words “timely” or
“ticking” in the text, and then an incident occurs in which a character breaks a watch or is late for an
appointment, you may have uncovered a pattern of imagery which will lead the close reader to discover a
thematic idea.
o Highlight these related strands and observe the rest of the text closely to see if the author uses other linked
words, images, or details.
 Highlight passages you think might be symbolic.
 Mark key ideas and note briefly your reflections about them in the margins.
 When you get an idea while reading the text, note it in brief form in the margin. You may never think of this idea again
unless you write it down.
 If you have a question about something in the text, write it on the page when it first occurred to you.
BASIC ELEMENTS OF STYLE AND STRUCTURE TO NOTE WHILE READING/ANNOTATING
SETTING - make notes about the time, place, etc.
CHARACTERS- make note of each character’s name
the first time you see it. Also mark the passages that
describe the characters:
o Physical appearance
o Motivations behind his/her actions
o Relationships to other characters
o Personality (especially changes in personality)
PLOT - events of rising action, climax, falling action
and resolution
IDENTIFY CONFLICT TYPES- (Man vs. Man, Man
vs. Self, Man vs. Nature, etc.)
Make notes periodically at the tops of pages to help you
remember
VOCABULARY-Look up words you do not
understand.
TONE – Tone is the attitude implied in a literary work
toward the subject and the audience. The following
figures of speech may help when identifying tone in
literature.
MOOD- The feeling a piece of literature is intended
to create in a reader.
SYMBOL-Person, place, or thing that represents
something beyond itself, most often something
concrete or tangible that represents an abstract idea
ALLUSION- A reference to a well-known person,
place, event, literary work, or work of art to enrich
the reading experience by adding meaning
THEME- The message about life or human nature
that is “the focus” in the story that the writer tells.
IRONY- A technique that involves surprising,
interesting, or amusing contradictions or contrasts.
Verbal irony occurs when words are used to suggest the
opposite of their usual meaning. An irony of situation is
when an event occurs that directly contradicts
expectations.
FORESHADOWING- Important hints that an author
drops to prepare the reader for what is to come, and help
the reader anticipate the outcome.
METAPHOR -Comparison between two otherwise
unlike things (i.e. Love is a Rose, Life is a Roller
Coaster, All the World’s a stage, etc.)
SIMILE –Comparison of two things often using “like”
or “as” (i.e. Brave as a lion, Fits like a glove, Moves like
a snail, etc)
DICTION – words with significant connotation (beyond
the literal meaning)
IMAGERY – appeals to any one of the five senses
(taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing)
DETAILS – important and noteworthy facts
LANGUAGE – the sound of the text (formal, informal,
colloquial/particular geographical location, etc.)
SYNTAX – basic sentence structure, punctuation,
arrangement of words in a sentence, etc.
POINT OF VIEW - The way the events of a story are
communicated from the author to the reader. For further
details look up the definitions for 1st, 2nd and 3rd
person POV.
On the second day of class, you will need to bring the following items to class:
1. How to Read Literature Like a Professor (literary criticism) –Annotated
2. Chronicle of a Death Foretold (novella)- Annotated
3. “The Pit and the Pendulum” (short story) –Annotated
4. “Singing My Sister Down” (short story) – Annotated
5. Dialectical Journal for selections 2-4
On your first day in Pre-AP/MYP English II, we will give you the class ID and password for Turnitin.com.
We require every student to turn their summer reading dialectical journal in to Turnitin.com. This is not an
option.
If you have questions, concerns, comments, or just want to write to say hello, please feel free to email Miss
Sharp at [email protected] or Mrs. Love at [email protected] . We will also be trying to update our
school web pages this summer, so feel free to look in on them periodically for updates and information.
Until then, we wish you a safe, happy, and productive summer break. We can’t wait to get started!
All the best,
Julie Love
English II Pre-AP & MYP
Denton High School
940.369.2097
Ashly Sharp
English II Pre-AP & MYP
Denton High School
940.369.2171