Mayo High School for Math, Science & Technology. English V Honors. Choose one of the novels below to read and annotate:

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1 Mayo High School for Math, Science & Technology 2013 English V Honors Choose one of the novels below read and annotate: Hard Times by Charles Dickens A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy To the Lighthouse by Virginia Wolf And read the following novel for discussion at the beginning of school: The Last Lecture (Pausch & Zaslow) Tuesdays with Morrie (Albom) The Five People You Meet in Heaven (Albom) Crazy Love (Chan) These books can be found at Mayo High School for Math, Science & Technology, the public libraries of Darlingn County, and Burry Booksre.

2 Hard Times, Charles Dickens The novel is set in a system whose schools eschew the arts and humanities. These are hard times, but not times without humor. School teacher Gradgrind makes it clear that feelings, art, decoration, are worthless distractions. Only facts have value. Gradgrind's own children, Tom and Louisa, prove early victims of this "just the facts" upbringing. By way of contrast, Sissy Jupe, perhaps Gradgrind's worst student, the indigent daughter of circus performers, channels her innate creativity save Tom from jail and Louisa from an unwanted husband. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving Owen Meany is a dwarfish boy with a strange voice who accidentally kills his best friend's mom with a baseball and believes--accurately--that he is an instrument of God, be redeemed by martyrdom. The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy The novel opens with a poor workman named Michael Henchard, in a fit of drunken rage when he sells his wife and baby daughter a stranger at a country fair. Stricken with remorse, Henchard forswears alcohol and works hard become a prosperous businessman and the respected mayor of Casterbridge. But he cannot erase his past. His wife ultimately returns offer Henchard the choice of redemption or a further descent in his own selfdestructive nature. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Wolf The three sections of the book take place between 1910 and 1920 and revolve around various members of the Ramsay family during visits their summer residence on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Mrs. Ramsay, with her emotional, poetic frame of mind, contrasts Mr. Ramsay, a self-centered philosopher, but both are flawed by their limited perspectives. A painter and friend of the family, Lily Briscoe, works on completing a painting throughout the novel.

3 Book Summaries The Last Lecture (Pausch & Zaslow) When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked give such a lecture, he didn't have imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave--"really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"-- wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come believe. It was about living. Tuesdays with Morrie (Albom) This true sry about the love between a spiritual menr and his pupil has soared the bestseller list for many reasons. For starters: it reminds us of the affection and gratitude that many of us still feel for the significant menrs of our past. It also plays out a fantasy many of us have entertained: what would it be like look those people up again, tell them how much they meant us, maybe even resume the menrship? Plus, we meet Morrie Schwartz--a one of a kind professor, whom the author describes as looking like a cross between a biblical prophet and Christmas elf. And finally we are privy intimate moments of Morrie's final days as he lies dying from a terminal illness. Even on his deathbed, this twinkling-eyed mensch manages teach us all about living robustly and fully. The Five People You Meet in Heaven (Albom) Part melodrama and part parable, Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven weaves gether three sries, all ld about the same man: 83-year-old Eddie, the head maintenance person at Ruby Point Amusement Park. As the novel opens, readers are ld that Eddie, unsuspecting, is only minutes away from death as he goes about his typical business at the park. Albom then traces Eddie's world through his tragic final moments, his funeral, and the ensuing days as friends clean out his apartment and adjust life without him. In alternating sections, Albom flashes back Eddie's birthdays, telling his life sry as a kind of progress report over candles and cake each year. And in the third and last thread of the novel, Albom follows Eddie in heaven where the maintenance man sequentially encounters five pivotal figures from his life. Each person has been waiting for him in heaven, and, as Albom reveals, each life (and death) was woven in Eddie's own in ways he never suspected. Each soul has a sry tell, a secret reveal, and a lesson share. Through them Eddie understands the meaning of his own life even as his arrival brings closure theirs. Crazy Love (Chan) Chan's own life compels him live with urgency, and with good reason. His mother died giving birth him, his stepmother died when he was nine, and his dad when he was 12. As a pasr, Chan says that conducting weekly funerals for people younger than himself has likewise sobered him life's unexpectedness and frailty. The book offers real-life accounts of people who have given all time, money, health, even their lives. Chan also recounts his own attempts live crazy by significantly downsizing his home and giving away his resources the poor.

4 ANNOTATIONS FOR HONORS SUMMER READING If you have purchased your own book, you may mark it up with highlighting, underlining, and notes in the margin. If you are borrowing a copy, your annotations should be listed on other paper. As you are reading, you may want mark instances of the following pics with post-it notes so that it will not disturb your flow of reading and go back and list them later. Alternately, you may want create nine sheets of paper where you can list examples as you find them. The first bullet under each category below is for those who have their own books; the second, for those who do not. Refer the rubric on the reverse for how your annotations will be graded. If a student does not understand or is unsure of a category, he should attempt the category. Credit will be given for attempted work; however, points will be deducted if a category is skipped. Work should be done in pen; pencil will not be accepted. q Characters o A running list is kept inside front cover with character, page number first introduced, and a brief description that includes the character s motivation; identify the method of characterization as direct or indirect, and identify the novel s protagonist and antagonist; also, identify the type(s) of conflict(s) in which the character is involved (man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. society, man vs. self) o Listed same as above but on separate paper q Vocabulary o Highlight (make sure have a key) or underline words you are unsure of, writing in the margin the definition once you ve looked it up, indicating any suffixes, idioms, euphemisms, and connotations. o List words you re unsure of with page number, pertinent portion of identifying quote & definition q Questions o In the margin write questions regarding character s motivation (Why is he doing this?), predictions (What will happen as a result of this?), or others examples of exploration or uncertainty. Including in these annotations should be difficult passages (passages you had reread understand them or passages you still don t understand and have questions about.) This should read as a dialogue between you, the characters, narrar, and the author. o List questions as stated above with page numbers & paragraph numbers q Examples of Author s Craft (Point of View, Diction, Syntax, Tone, Imagery, Flashback, Foreshadowing, Irony) o Highlight or underline & label in margin o List with page number and pertinent portion of identifying quote q Examples of Figurative Language (Extended Metaphor, Oxymoron, Paradox, Pun, Personification, Hyperbole, Onomapoeia, and Paradox) o Highlight or underline & label in margin o List with page number and pertinent portion of identifying quote

5 q Allusions o o Highlight (make sure have a key) & write in margin what is being alluded, or underline, labeling the quote as allusion & writing in the margin what is being alluded List with page number, pertinent portion of identifying quote & what is being alluded q Connections o Highlight (make sure have a key) & write in margin the connection you ve made between the text and your personal life, other things you have read, seen in a movie or on t.v., heard of in a song, or have experienced through any other personal knowledge o List with page number, pertinent portion of identifying quote & the connection you ve made q Symbols o Highlight (make sure have a key) each instance you notice & discuss the meaning at some point, or underline, labeling the example as symbol & discuss the meaning at some point Your meaning may change as you progress through the novel and your understanding of the novel broadens. This is okay, and should be noted in the margin. You may mark something as a potential symbol early in your reading of the novel, and then discover later that it is not a symbol or that it means something different from your initial interpretation. o List with page number, pertinent portion of identifying quote & discussion of meaning q Theme o Highlight (make sure have a key) or underline each instance you notice a passage that pertains a theme or themes of the book, labeling the passage according theme & discuss the meaning at some point. Include passages support how character, plot, conflict, and author s craft help develop the theme. It is okay identify a possible theme and realize later that your initial interpretation does not develop in the theme as you had anticipated. o List with page number, pertinent portion of identifying quote & theme

6 You are an expert on this text! ± Complete. All the pics are covered fully, and all passages important the full understanding of the sry have been duly noted. ± Discriminating. To highlight everything is highlight nothing. The highlighting (or underlining or listing) is NOT excessive and indiscriminate. ± Comprehension. The text has NOT been taken at face value. The annotations reveal an understanding of the nuances and complexities of the text. ± Diverse. The interpretations are varied, not relying on the repetition of a few of the same insights over and over You comprehend the text but have missed some deeper meanings. ± Has the completeness of the A level above. ± What differentiates the A level from the B level is the depth of comprehension. Here, the comprehension lacks the understanding of the complexities of the text. ± What also differentiates the A level from the B level is the originality of the insights. The B level relies on insights that are either o obvious or o shallow. While at the A level, you get the idea that there is nothing more be seen, at the B level, you see slight room for improvement You show a limited understanding of the text, but you also have some misinterpretations. You missed more insights than you hit. Oh, no! Your highlighter or pen ran dry! Time buy a new one! ± The selection and density of annotations suggests that the annotar recognized the central, important details of the sry the primary who, what, when, where, how, why, etc. but the subtle passages that relate deeper meaning have escaped attention. ± There are instances where the highlighting has become excessive and/or indiscriminate lacking a clear purpose behind them. ± The pattern of annotations creates the impression that the reader s comprehension does not go beyond the more overt detail. ± Interpretations are about half the time obvious, and there are misinterpretations here and there. ± The selection and density of annotations is desulry: a little here, a little there. Although all pics as listed on the first page are covered, the annotations are sparse in some areas. ± Though sparse, what has been annotated is sufficient allow the conviction that the reader has read the entire sry although likely with only half attention. ± There are numerous instances where the annotations have become excessive and/or indiscriminate lacking a clear purpose behind them. ± The annotations reveal only the most minimal grasp of the basic facts of the sry. ± The interpretations are about half the time obvious, and misreadings appear often enough for interpretation problems. ± Incomplete. A tal scam! The annotation patterns suggest that the reader read the bulk of the sry but not all: 10% or more of the sry was skipped or unfinished. Also, one or more of the annotation pics was skipped. ± The annotation patterns convey the appearance of intentional subterfuge: scattered, random annotations of utterly trivial passages. The annotar seems intent upon creating the appearance that the material has been read.

7 Rationale Both research and evidence of best practice affirm that one facr which improves students overall academic achievement is the volume of reading. Simply put, many studies show that the more students read, the more successful they are in school. Mayo High School for Math, Science & Technology teachers embrace this finding and support requiring all students in grades 9-12 participate in a summer reading program. The literary selections on the reading list are carefully chosen accomplish the following objectives: ü To foster enthusiasm for lifelong learning and love of reading ü To introduce students the curriculum for the forthcoming year ü To foster the continuous process of thinking and of learning ü To prepare students meet the challenge of thoughtful literary analysis Summer Reading Guidelines Summer reading will count as a quiz grade of the first nine weeks grade. This assignment is mandary! Students are required turn in the annotations their English Language Arts teacher during registration August 5-8. All summer reading assignments are due by 5:00 on August 8. Ten points will be deducted from the score for each day the project is late. Ø Students may access the summer reading requirements on the school webpage. Ø Students who enroll after July 13 will have three weeks from the day they enroll complete the reading and assignment. Ø Students who change their schedules for any reason during the summer will be responsible for obtaining the correct summer reading requirements from the school s webpage and completing the required reading for the new class by the deadline that means registration. Enjoy your summer vacation. I look forward teaching you next year, and I hope that your summer reading helps prepare you for a meaningful year in English V Honors. If you have any questions about summer reading, you may members of the English Department. You may Jennifer Blankenship at jennb@darlingn.k12.sc.us (before July 1) or Jennifer.Blankenship@darlingn.k12.sc.us (beginning July 1), Paulette Lunn at sweetcookie0525@aol.com or Lizabeth Thompson at thompsonenglishelf@gmail.com. --The English Language Arts Teachers of Mayo High School for Math, Science & Technology

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