Skip to main content

Summer Reading [Update]

Alright, now that we're closer to the actual beginning of school, it's time for a reminder concerning summer reading. As you know, we've lessened the amount of work due at the beginning of the term. Below is a complete list of the requirements:

ALL STUDENTS entering grades 9-12 will read ONE required book + ONE book (or TWO if in honors) of the student's choice. The required books for each class are listed below:
Freshmen ~ Introduction to Writing and Literature
The Alchemist, by Paulo Coehlo

Sophomores ~ American Literature
The Bridge of San Luis Rey, by Thornton Wilder

Juniors ~ British Literature
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

Seniors ~ College-Prep English
Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich, OR Bayou Farewell, by Mike Tidwell

Instead of the traditional exam on the required book, all students will write an in-class essay upon returning to school. Students will be able to use their books for the essay and will be expected to quote directly from the text. Also, students will develop an outline in class based on a topic chosen from a list.
In-Class essays will be written IN CLASS on Monday 8/20.
IN ADDITION each student will compose a reading guide for each additional book. Each report should be typed, double-spaced and formatted according to MLA. Please use 1" margins and 12-point Times New Roman. Include the following:
  • A paragraph of no more than 100 words summarizing the book, including a statement concerning the central theme or idea.
  • A paragraph that introduces and explains a significant quote from the book; the quote should be no longer than three lines and should be in quotation marks; please cite the page number at the end of the quote -- i.e. (#).
  • Finally, a one-paragraph review of the book, again about 100 words; please include WHY you did or did not like the book; feel free to compare it to other books (or films).
BOTH student and parent(s) need to sign the bottom of the report certifying that the book was parent-approved and was read in its entirety. This is required.

Reading Guides are due Thursday 8/16 (1st full day).



Popular posts from this blog

O Brother, A Response Paper

Hello Freshmen... Your assignment for the weekend is to write a 250-word (one page) response paper on O Brother, Where Art Thou . Please type and format according to MLA. You may choose from the two topics below: (1) Respond to the lyrics of one song from the film. Using your lyric sheet (or the internet ), connect the lyrics of one song to the movie's characters/setting/events. In other words, explain how the lyrics are relevant to the film. (2) Choose one of the historically relevant elements of the movie and look up an article on Wikipedia . Print out the article; then, summarize it and connect it to the movie's characters/setting/events. Be careful not to plagiarize the article, which should be stapled to your reponse. Ideas discussed in class include The Great Depression, con artist, chain gang, Populism (George Wallace, Huey P. Long, W. Lee O'Daniel), Ku Klux Klan (William Joseph Simmons), and George "Babyface" Nelson.
Read more

ACT Prep

Good luck on the ACT tomorrow, those of you who are taking it. To help you prepare, and for future reference, here are some materials for you to work with at home: ACT Prep - from the official site - including sample tests Test Prep Review - has "self-assessment modules" in several subjects ACT Sparknotes ACT Test Questions
Read more

Career Search

A good place to start with your career search is a personality test. There are several online to choose from, and there are many career aptitude tests, as well. Generally speaking, my advice is to look for a career that combines your interests and your aptitudes (both in your personality and your skill set). Look through the following and see if any are helpful: 16 Personalities (based on the Meyers-Briggs ) Skills Profiler (from the U.S. Department of Labor) Princeton Review Career Quiz Free Career Aptitude Tests (a list from The Balance ) Later this week, we will try to match up your aptitudes and interests with a career by looking at College Board's BigFuture site. We will also look at the ACT in detail ( Planning Your Future e-book ). Finally, we will explore the Occupational Outlook Handbook to see more thorough descriptions and projections.
Read more