GCCISD Pre-AP Summer Assignment: English II
I. Course Information
Overview
The purpose of this course is to help students “write effectively and confidently in their college
courses across the curriculum and in their professional and personal lives” (The College Board,
AP English Course Description). The course is organized according to the requirements and
guidelines of the current AP English Course Description and, therefore, students are expected to
read critically, think analytically, and communicate clearly in both writing and speech.
II. Rationale for Summer Reading and Assignments
The purpose of the summer reading assignment for Pre-AP English II is to avoid lapses in critical
thinking during the summer break as the students engage with a canonical but accessible work of
literary merit, ensuring immediate opportunity for class discussion at the opening of school, both
building from a common reading experience and allowing the application of new analytic skills
to this work. The common summer reading of Edith Hamilton‟s Mythology allows the students
to incrementally build the knowledge of mythology needed for many of the sophomore year‟s
readings and analyses.
III. Required Resources
1.) Parts 1, 2 & 3 of Mythology (1942) by Edith Hamilton. ISBN: 0-316-34151-7
2.) Goose Creek CISD English II Pre-AP Summer Assignment
3.) 1 subject notebook, 70 pages, wide-ruled (no three-ring binders, paper folders, etc.)
4.) Writing/drawing utensils
IV. Important Deadlines
1.) Your Mythology ABC Book is due on the 2nd day of school (August 26th).
2.) There will be a 10 point deduction for each day the Mythology ABC Book is late.
ELA Vertical Team, May 2014
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GCCISD Pre-AP Summer Assignment: English II
V. Assignment Details
Objective
To make a creative reference work by using the most important or personally meaningful
mythological figures
To synthesize information learned from reading Parts 1,2, and 3 of Hamilton‟s Mythology
To lay a foundation of the knowledge required to recognize archetypes in subsequent works,
including: novels, poetry, movies, plays, songs, artwork, etc.
Procedure for Reading
Read and take notes over Mythology Parts 1, 2, and 3; pay special attention to proper nouns.
Use your notes to identify the most important or personally meaningful:
o Gods
o demi-gods
o mortals
o creatures
o places
NOTE* This step can take time, so plan accordingly
Directions for Mythology ABC Book
Make a creative cover for your Mythology ABC Book that includes a title and your name.
Make the first page of your notebook the title page
Make the second page of your notebook an introduction with brief summaries of each
section of the reading (Parts 1, 2, and 3)
Designate 1-2 pages for each letter of the alphabet
o The number of entries per letter is up to the student‟s discretion; however,
information must be thorough, accurate, and relevant.
o The letters W, X, and Y may be combined as one page.
Use only the „front‟ of each page (do not write on back pages unless you absolutely must).
Refer to your notes about important names and places to list the most important ones on the
correct alphabet page (for example, put Psyche on the P page, Cupid on the C page) and write
an informative entry about each.
Put at least one illustration in each letter section (see examples provided for inspiration).
o Students can draw or print their illustrations
Leave the last 10 pages BLANK as we will complete these pages during the first weeks of
class.
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GCCISD Pre-AP Summer Assignment: English II
Sample Reading Notes - from Part Two: Stories of Love and Adventure
Apuleius - Latin writer 2nd century AD; wrote Cupid and Psyche (imitates Ovid)
Cupid – name means Love; son of Venus; secretly weds Psyche, but is injured by hot oil from
her lamp when she looks at him;
Psyche – name means Soul; daughter of king, most beautiful of 3 sisters; men traveled from afar
to view her beauty; incurred jealousy and wrath of Venus; ironically, no man wanted to marry
her; Apollo told her to dress in mourning and go to the top of a rocky hill to await her „husband‟,
a winged serpent; secretly marries Cupid, but breaks faith and looks upon his face while
wounding him with hot oil from her lamp; undergoes many tasks for Venus, but ultimately
becomes immortal and marries Cupid
Venus – Goddess of love and beauty; mother of Cupid, tells Cupid to make Psyche fall in love
with something vile; when she finds out of Cupid and Psyche‟s secret marriage, she gives Psyche
a great quantity of poppy and millet seed to sort, which ants help her do; she gives Psyche the
task of fetching shining fleece from the river, which she took from the briars after the sheep ran
through; she gives Psyche the task of filling a flask with the black water of the river Styx which
an eagle does for her; she tells Psyche to go into the underworld to get a box of Proserpine‟s
beauty, which she tries to use and then falls into a deep sleep; when Psyche becomes a goddess,
Venus approves of her son‟s marriage to her
Apollo – tells Psyche that she must dress in mourning and go to the top of a rocky hill to await
her „husband,‟ a winged serpent
Zephyr – wind that comforts Psyche and blows her off the rocky hilltop to a beautiful house
where she eats and bathes
Proserpine – gave Psyche a box of „beauty‟ to give to Venus; Psyche uses it and falls asleep
Charon – takes a penny to transport Psyche into the underworld
Mercury – flies Psyche to Olympus for her marriage to Cupid
Jupiter – consented to allow Cupid and Psyche to marry; gave Psyche the ambrosia to make her
immortal
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GCCISD Pre-AP Summer Assignment: English II
Sample # 1 - ABC Page Entry
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GCCISD Pre-AP Summer Assignment: English II
Sample #2 - ABC Page Entry
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GCCISD Pre-AP Summer Assignment: English II
Sample #3 - ABC Page Entry
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GCCISD Pre-AP Summer Assignment: English II
VI. Grading Criteria
English II Pre-AP: Mythology ABC Book Rubric
Scoring Criteria
Formatting
(20 points)
Introduction
Page
(20 points)
Neat and
Creative
(20 points)
Concise and
Relevant
Information
(20 points)
Mechanics
(20 points)
Exemplary (20-16)
There is a creative
cover page, title
page, introduction
for each section, 1-2
pages per letter, and
at least ten pages
are blank after the Z
page.
Concise and wellwritten summaries
for each section that
are error free.
Average (15-11)
The ABC book has
a bland cover page,
introductions are
included, but are too
brief, or there is
only 1 page per
letter.
Unsatisfactory (10-0)
The ABC book cover
page is mediocre or
nonexistent, there are not
enough summaries for
each part, or the student
does not provide enough
information per letter.
There are 2-3 errors
found in the
summaries.
More than three errors
found throughout the
summaries.
The student‟s work
is creative, and
shows that they took
time and effort to
make a unique
project.
The information is
neat, easy to access;
the explanations are
concise, and helpful
for referencing
information.
NO spelling or
punctuation errors
seen in the ABC
book.
The student‟s work
is creative, but all of
the images used are
from the internet.
The student does not use
any creativity in their
ABC book.
The information is
neat, but does not
always allow the
reader to easily
understand the
writer.
At least three
spelling or
punctuation errors
noticed in the ABC
book.
Ten point deduction
per day:
The information is not
neat; there is no order to
the ABC book.
On time ( No points
loss)
Late Penalty
Day 1 ___
Day 2 ___
Day 3___
Comments:
ELA Vertical Team, May 2014
Overall Grade:
7
The ABC book has many
spelling or punctuation
errors that make it
difficult to understand
and follow.
If the assignment is more
than three days late, it
will not be accepted.
Points Earned
-___
GCCISD Pre-AP Summer Assignment: English II
VII. Need Help?
Should you require further guidance regarding the Pre-AP Summer Assignment for English II,
please contact a representative from your campus or feeder pattern.
English II Pre-Advanced Placement Teachers
GCM – Erin Garner
GCM – Shonna Prentice
REL - Kayla Logan
REL – Mary Bethel
RSS - Angela Buehring
RSS – Holly Downs
RSS – Martha York
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
High School Content Specialists
GCM - Susan Cannariato
REL - Kurt Bouillion
RSS - Karen Rohach
[email protected]
[email protected]
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District Instructional Specialists
GCM Feeder Pattern - Tonora Benard
REL Feeder Pattern - Victoria Blalock
RSS Feeder Pattern - Sarah Flusche
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
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