Junior / Senior Summer Reading Assignment For your summer read, choose either Beyond the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo (note that this contains some profanity) or I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai (the full version, not the Young Reader version). During the first week of school, pending the schedule, you will take a test on your chosen book. **Continue reading for additional assignments by class.
English 11 Summer Writing Assignment To facilitate a good class discussion, write a 300 word response answering the prompt that corresponds to your summer read. For I am Malala: Malala argues that an education for women should be a basic right. She writes, “Education is education. We should learn everything and then choose which path to follow. Education is neither Eastern nor Western, it is human” (162). Do you agree that education is a basic right? Consider what education means to Malala and what happens when people are denied an education. Does her story make you concerned about girls worldwide getting an education? For Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Barbara Ehrenreich calls Behind the Beautiful Forevers “one of the most powerful indictments of economic inequality I’ve ever read.” What is Boo’s message about economic inequality? In your answer, consider the volatility and uncertainty of the Annawadi’s lives as well as the effect the surrounding wealth has on their expectations and hopes.
English 12 Summer Writing Assignment College Essay for the Common Application -- due on the first day of class at the beginning of your class period. Have this printed ahead of time and ready to go for class, please. ●
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Choose ONE of the following essay topics. Answer it thoroughly and thoughtfully in a response of 500 - 650 words. Do not go over or under. Standard grammar, mechanical, and spelling conventions are expected. Also do not alter the topic - stick to what it says. If you do this, you can probably use this essay for your college application. In a header, include your name and the topic that you have chosen. As this is a personal essay, you may use “I”. See attached articles for some guidance on what to do or not do in this essay. ○ 1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
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2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
AP Language and Composition Summer Reading Assignment By the beginning of the school year, you must complete the writing and reading assignment for all juniors. **Read Animal Farm by George Orwell and complete the following tasks by July 15th . You must email these completed assignments to
[email protected] by July 15th. If you would like to borrow a copy of the book, I have them available. 1. Before you read, research the following terms and events: allegory, fable, satire, propaganda, Russian Revolution, Marxism, Lenin and Stalin. Write brief definitions and facts for each. 2. Orwell’s novel is a warning. Consider, as you read, what specific types of dangers Orwell might be warning against. Then, in a well-developed 400-500 word essay, explain what cautionary advice Orwell is communicating to his reader. Use textual evidence to make your case. 3. Squealer represents the head of Stalin’s propaganda machine. Do some research on the seven types of propaganda. Consider, also, the other methods Squealer uses to manipulate the animals. Then, describe three different types of propaganda or manipulation in the novel. Finally, for each of your three types, find an analogous instance in contemporary society. For example, you could write: Squealer’s use of the word “readjustment” instead of “reduction” works to make the reduction of rations more palatable for the animals and convinces them that their situation is still better than it was under Jones. Today, the US government uses the euphemism “enhanced interrogation” for “torture” to make Americans more amenable to the practice. Similarly, a past administration unveiled the “Clean Skies Initiative,” which, despite its name, actually aimed to allow more air pollution. Both of these operate the same way—making a policy more palatable through the use of language.
AP Literature (12th Grade) 1. Read and complete the reading assignment for all seniors. 2. Complete the college essay assignment for all seniors. 3. Read the book Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs. Please read the Signet version so that all page numbers match. Then, you will write an essay based on the novel. The essays will be graded and then one will be chosen to go on to the national essay contest for Signet Classics. In JULY, I will post the essay topics on my Twitter account @gehringreads. (This account is public and I will pin the tweet with the information). You can also find the essay topics at http://www.penguin.com/services-academic/essayhome/. Those topics have not yet been decided, so I cannot give them to you ahead of time. → If something happens and these topics are not posted by July 15, please read the book but do not worry about the essay. I will assign the essay during the first days of school. Essay should employ good grammar, mechanical, and spelling conventions. Quotes should be used when appropriate. Essay length should be 750-1000 words. Double space. Include a heading with your name and your topic choice. Please have the paper printed ahead of time and ready to turn in at the beginning of class on the first day of school. 4. I will be asking you to purchase a novel or two this year, but I haven’t made up my mind yet. I’ll get on that and be sure to let you know well ahead of time.