Honors English 5-6
2011-12 Summer Assignment
Mrs. Good ([email protected])
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
-- F.D. Roosevelt
“Is bliss then, such abyss I must not put my foot amiss for fear I spoil my shoe?”
--Emily Dickinson
The very fact that you are reading this “WELCOME!” showcases your courage… and it is courage indeed
that we will all need to slay the pernicious Hydra that is Honors English 5-6. So, gird yourselves: it’s time
to meet the beast.
Introducing the Hydra: the potential, inherent, dangers of Honors English 5-6 can seem to come from
many sides at once.
A. We must step out of the relatively comfortable shadow of high school into the frontiers of
collegiate learning as we prepare for AP English.
B. We must protect ourselves from the razor sharp talons of tighter deadlines, increased
workloads, and more stringent expectations.
C. We must dodge blows struck from intimidating texts, unwieldy novels, and daunting first
names like Nathaniel, Margaret, Arthur, and Zora.
D. We must be ever-wary of surprise attacks: watching for sneaky deadlines that mischievously
appear when we procrastinate.
Hercules did it—you can, too! Yeah, Hercules gets the lion’s share of historical credit, but he had quite
a bit of help: flaming arrows, his buddy Iolaus, and one very large boulder for starters. Similarly, you
have myriad weapons at your disposal.
A. Classmates—never underestimate the power of study groups!
B. Your English teacher who, despite any lingering myths to the contrary, is quite possibly
even more concerned with your success than you are…
C. The aforementioned courage: can’t have too much of this!
Aegean Stables, etc. If you are the betting type*, you can put your money on the fact that we will do a
considerable amount of writing; you can also expect frequent homework and enough reading to keep
you off the streets. If you choose to ignore the requirements of this course, there will be no saving you
from the depths of Hades’ underworld.
* Obligatory Legal Disclaimer: in no way does your instructor, or the texts of this course guide, condone, support or
otherwise recommend the practice of monetary gambling—if you feel compelled towards risky behavior, try
reading a banned book or something…
At this juncture, permit me to dispense with the Herculean allusions… and get down to the brunt of this
assignment. There are four parts to this summer assignment.
 Complete the autobiographical essay assignment entitled “You as a Reader”.
 Read and complete the dialectic journal entries as directed for each chapter and the character
worksheet as you read.
 Complete the Synthesis Notes for The Great Gatsby. Do not use additional paper – everything
must fit on the one page provided.
 Study and know the literary terms you should have learned during your freshmen and
sophomore years; there will be a test on these when you walk in the class on the first day.
You as a Reader
Instructions: Write an autobiography of yourself as a reader. Describe as accurately and honestly as
possible your development as a reader from your earliest memories through today. Some things you
might want to consider for inclusion are:
What kinds of memories do you have about books and reading? When did you learn to read?
How did you learn? What did you read the most? Why? Was there an individual who influenced
what you read? If so, you might want to describe something about that that person, your
relationship to them, and how you feel about that person/relationship now. Did you read mostly
in school or out of school? On the whole, was learning to read a positive or negative experience?
What are some of the reasons you read now? What are some of the types of reading you do
now? If you could read more, what type of reading would it be? Why?
What has been the significance of reading in your life to date? Has reading played a major or
minor role in making you who and what you are today? Describe why you think reading is or is
not important to you now. How are your feelings and attitudes about reading related to your
job/career goals?
Please write between one-to-two pages, typed (preferred) but nicely written in blue/black ink pen will
be acceptable, and double-spaced. Do NOT feel that you have to include answers to all of the
questions listed above. Use those that you feel will help you most accurately and succinctly encapsulate
your life as a reader. I have completed this assignment on the next page as an example for you.
Mrs. G’s Introduction as an example
As a child, I remember my mother would read stories to my brothers and I before bed. This is where I first
became fascinated with fairy tales and myths. I did not see the value of the written word at that point, as I was too
young to really understand anything other than the pictures. As I grew, my mother continued to support reading
as an important piece of our lives, but as it happens with most people – life began to get in the way and books fell
to the side of basic necessities, like food and clothing.
I don’t remember a lot from my years in elementary school, not in the way of literacy anyway. My life
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was more focused on survival as a family, then on success in school. I remember that by 6 grade, I hated reading.
Teachers always required us to read the stupidest books that had nothing to do with me or my life. The books
were always really hard to understand and boring, and I started reading for answers to packets they insisted we
complete instead of reading the books.
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By 7 grade my life had stabilized at home, and I had learned the system of English teachers. The books
were always assigned with this packet to complete as you read the book. The packets were separated into
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chapters, so I knew where to find each answer. I don’t think I read a single book my 7 grade year; I skimmed and
found answers to packet questions – which usually focused on plot or characters. At the same time however, I
started to notice that my mother always had books she was reading. The books were huge to me, 300-400 page
novels. I couldn’t understand why my mom would willing read this stuff that I thought was really pointless and
boring.
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It was during the summer between 7 and 8 grade that I finally gave in; I picked up one of her books and
started looking at it. I didn’t start at the beginning of the book, but started looking at it were the bookmark was about halfway through the book. At first it was just one or two pages, and then before I knew it, I was reading really reading. I didn’t understand all of the words, but that was ok, because it was the middle of the book; I knew
I shouldn’t understand what was going on in the book.
My mother love historical romance novels, so, of course, this is what I was reading. Because I hadn’t
really been reading for years, my speed was awful – it took me forever to get to turn the page. But for some
reason I was trapped, I couldn’t put down the book. I had to know whom this character in the book was and how
she was going to survive. Now, I know the books were loosely based on the fairy tales and myths my mother used
to read to me as a child, but at that time, I had no clue. During the summer I read, that’s all I did, and my mother
totally supported it. Although the novels were obviously meant for adults, my mother did not care. She took me
to used book stores and would buy me any type of book I wanted – as long as I was going to read it.
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I wasn’t allowed to take my books to school in 8 grade, because of the explicit covers on the historical
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romance novels, but in 9 grade I was. I lived in my books. I discovered horror and sci-fi, and found authors I liked
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and disliked. By 10 grade, I had no problems cruising through the texts teachers assigned. However, if I wasn’t
interested in the assigned text, I still resorted back to the skim and answer technique – which surprisingly went
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much faster than it did in 7 grade.
My love of books led to writing. I found myself copying portions of books I liked, and then rewriting them
with my stories using the same voice and style as the author I had copied. I would write for hours; in fact, I have
several novels in my closet waiting for revisions to be submitted for publishing. I wrote what I primarily read at the
time – historical romance -which also meant, I spent hours in the library researching a time period to write
coherently and believably about that time. This meant learning how to navigate non-fiction text, which was
something I normally hated when taught in class, yet here it was no problem.
Now, looking back as a teacher, I can see that many of my reading problems were caused by teachers
demanding the completion of busy work. It’s obvious how important literacy and reading was to my mom and
how it was her influence that led me to develop my literacy. The keys to the door, however, were in what I was
being asked to read and how we were studying it in school. I try to keep this in mind as I form assignments for my
classes, embracing the idea of NO BUSY WORK. Everything must have value and reason, not only for the students
but also for the course’s ultimate goals.
The Great Gatsby
Instructions: Read The Great Gatsby. As you read, complete the dialectic journal assignment detailed
below as well as the character worksheet.
DIALECTIC JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT:
We will be practicing active reading strategies as you read this novel; keep a dialectical journal and cite
examples from the novel that demonstrate your thinking and interaction with the text as you read. Your
entries should include the passages (quotes from text), page number(s), and your thoughts. Each entry
should be a minimum of 70 words. Use the instructions for each chapter’s focus to know what type of
passage to quote as well as what your response should address.
EXAMPLE:
PAGE: PASSAGE:
RESPONSE:
XX
From the description of Daisy’s voice, I can
infer that she is the type of person who
commands attention. Her personality is
contagious and engaging to the people
around her. Sometimes it appears like she
is talking simply to hear herself talk. The
text implies that she is not easily forgotten
by the men she had dated—like these men
become “addicted” to her and can’t let her
go…which may be foreshadowing
something.
“I looked back at my cousin, who began
to ask me questions in her low, thrilling
voice. It was the kind of voice that the
ear follows up and down, as if each
speech is an arrangement of notes that
will never be played again…there was
an excitement in her voice that men
who had cared for her found difficult to
forget: a singing compulsion, a
whispered “Listen,”…
Gatsby Chapter Focuses for Dialectic Journals
IMPORTANT: This course places a value on your original thinking. Secondary sources such as
InfoTrac or SparkNotes are NOT recommended for this or any assignment—but if you use one,
you MUST cite it!
Complete the following entries. Remember to discuss literary features + text evidence + effect
in each response.
1. Chapter 1 – select a passage that describes the setting. Respond to the passage by identifying
the stylistic devices* used by the author and comment on their effect on the creation of the
setting in your mind.
2. Chapter 2 - select a passage that develops a character. Respond to the passage by identifying
the strategies* employed by the author to develop this character and comment on the effect
these strategies have on your reaction to this character.
3. Chapter 3 - select a passage that describes the party. Respond to the passage by identifying the
stylistic devices* used by the author to describe the party, and comment on the effect these
strategies have on your own reaction to this party and its participants.
4. Chapter 4 - select a passage that gives the reader background information about Gatsby.
Respond to the passage by identifying the strategies* employed by the author to reveal Gatsby
and comment on the effect these strategies have on how you feel about this character.
5. Chapter 5 - select a passage that develops the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby. Respond
to the passage by identifying the strategies* employed by the author to show this relationship
and comment on the effect these strategies have on your own reaction to both Daisy and
Gatsby.
6. Chapter 6 - select a passage that reveals the nature of the narrator. Respond to the passage by
identifying the narrator’s tone and how it is created*; comment on the narrator’s purpose in
this chapter, as well as the effect the narrator is having on your reactions to the events and
characters.
7. Chapter 7 - select a passage that utilizes symbolism. Respond to the passage by identifying the
symbolism and commenting on the effect of the symbol(s) on the overall meaning of the novel.
8. Chapter 8 - select a passage that reveals Nick’s attitudes. Respond to the passage by identifying
the strategies* employed by the author to reveal these attitudes and comment on the role they
play in your own reaction to the ending and to the novel as a whole.
9. Whole book - Speculate on why this novel, taken as a whole, is an American classic that is still
studied and remembered
APPENDIX: LITERARY FEATURES
Selected Literary Features – Fiction
Adapted from a list compiled by Laura Bokesch, Library Media Teacher
Think of literary features as an interactive "web" where one feature can affect another (e.g. symbolism affecting
character) as well as the reader's reaction to the work as a whole. The final objective is to see the story as a whole
and to become aware of how the parts are put together to produce a unified effect.
IMAGERY
DICTION
Register (formal, informal, colloquial,
dialect, nonstandard)
Denotation/connotation
FIGURATIVE & STYLISTIC DEVICES
Simile
Metaphor
Symbol
Alliteration
Personification Hyperbole
Onomatopoeia Allusion
Oxymoron
Mood
Tone
Overstatement
Understatement
IRONY
Verbal Irony
Situational Irony
Dramatic Irony
NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE
Monologue, dialogue, interior
monologue, soliloquy
Point of view
SYNTAX
Sentence length
Punctuation
Phrases and clauses
CHARACTER
Types of character:
Major vs. Minor
Protagonist/Antagonist
Foil
Character development
SETTING:
Time: Century, decade, year, season,
day of week, time of day
Historical context
Place: Planet, continent, nation,
state/province, urban/rural,
indoors/outdoors, geography,
terrain, lighting, atmosphere
PLOT
Types of conflict
Character vs. Character
Character vs. Nature
Character vs. Society
Character vs. Self
Character vs. Fate
Plot line
Exposition, Rising Action, Climax,
Falling Action, Resolution
(Denouement)
THEMATIC TOPICS - "Universal" human
issues such as:
Ambition
Jealousy
Beauty
Loneliness
Betrayal
Love
Courage
Loyalty
Duty
Fear
Prejudice
Freedom
Suffering
Happiness
Truth
Illusion
Literary Terms
Use the list of terms provided to complete your summer preparation for my course. The terms
are from your freshman and sophomore years. There will be a test over these terms upon your
return to school.
Freshman Terms
Allusion
Antagonist
Characterization
Climax
Conflict
Denouement
Exposition
Foil
Foreshadowing
Irony
Dramatic irony
Situational irony
Verbal irony
Narrator
Omniscient
Plot
Point of view
Protagonist
Resolution
Setting
Symbol
Theme
Apostrophe
Blank verse
Couplet
Extended metaphor
Internal rhyme
Metaphor
Narrative poem
Octave
Personification
Sestet
Simile
Sonnet
Volta
Sophomore Terms
Diction
Fable
Flashback
Juxtapose
Mood
Motivation
Myth
Pathos
Satire
Tone
Alliteration
Hyperbole
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
Paradox
Syntax