The unexamined life is not worth living.

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1 Dear AIT and UCT Student & Parent / Guardian Class of 2015: Welcome to Summer Reading This summer, you will be reading one fictional novel and completing the college essay packet. The goal of summer reading is to give you the opportunity to further develop your reading, writing, and critical thinking skills by enjoying and thinking about what you read. The book choices reflect subjects and themes pertinent to English IV and Brave New World both explore how fears over the rapidly changing modern world shape views of how people ought to love, work, and live their lives and Brave New World can both be found at your local library and can be downloaded and read on your Kindle, Nook, I-Pad or other electronic reading device. With these various means for locating the books, there should be no excuse for not attaining a copy. The best kind of reading to improve critical thinking is active reading. Active reading is different from leisure reading. It involves questioning, relating, and evaluating the story. It involves treating the story as a life experience, something that provides insight into people and their motivations, emotions and experiences. Critical thinking is important to function successfully in our modern, global society and important for you, individually. When we don t examine our lives, we make mistakes that can cost us significantly, both personally and financially. Relationships can be ruined and chances overlooked or lost entirely. On the other hand, thinking critically can lead to richer, more fulfilling relationships with others, greater financial stability, and many other benefits. In addition to reading you will work on polishing your writing skills and develop a college essay that you may use as you apply to colleges. Over the course of the year we will focus on developing well written essays to prepare you for the type of writing that will be expected of you when you enter college. You will be given a copy of the college essay packet. Should you lose this packet you can also download it from the school website with the summer reading assignment. Have a safe and healthy summer, and remember that reading and writing helps you think about your life, which can provide abundance unknown otherwise. Consider the words of Socrates: THE PROCESS: The unexamined life is not worth living. 1. You will read one book this summer. Please choose one fictional novel to read from the selections offered on the next page. There will be a graded assessment for the fiction reading selection. 2. You need to read and complete the tasks in the college essay packet and write your essay. Use the Peer edit sheet to review your own writing and revise it. I will collect the packet, your first draft, and your revised essay during the first week of class.

2 SELECTIONS: REMEMBER you are reading one of the two fictional novels by George Orwell OR 2. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

3 Personal Story: Writing about yourself for the college application essay (please bring this completed packet to class during the first full week of school in September) Name:

4 College Essay Writing Tips Ten Do's and Don'ts for Your College Admissions Essay The Do's 1. Unite your essay and give it direction with a theme or thesis. The thesis is the main point you want to communicate. 2. Before you begin writing, choose what you want to discuss and the order in which you want to discuss it. 3. Use concrete examples from your life experience to support your thesis and distinguish yourself from other applicants. 4. Write about what interests you, excites you. That's what the admissions staff wants to read. 5. Start your essay with an attention-grabbing lead--an anecdote, quote, question, or engaging description of a scene. 6. End your essay with a conclusion that refers back to the lead and restates your thesis. 7. Revise your essay at least three times. 8. In addition to your editing, ask someone else to critique your essay for you. 9. Proofread your essay by reading it out loud or reading it into a tape recorder and playing back the tape. 10. Write clearly, succinctly. The Don'ts 1. Don't include information that does not support your thesis. 2. Don't start your essay with "I was born in...," or "My parents came from..." 3. Don't write an autobiography, itinerary, or resume in prose. 4. Don't try to be a clown (but gentle humor is OK). 5. Don't be afraid to start over if the essay just is not working or does not answer the essay question. 6. Don't try to impress your reader with your vocabulary. 7. Don't rely exclusively on your computer to check your spelling. 8. Don't provide a collection of generic statements and platitudes. 9. Don't give weak excuses for your GPA or SAT scores. 10. Don't make things up.

5 Doggy Poo (sample essay) by Jerica M., Nanakuli, HI This morning I stepped in doggy poopy. My parents told me time and time again to walk on the driveway and avoid the yard, but because I think I know everything, I knew that the shortest distance between two points (in my case the house and car) was a straight line. Besides, I knew that many things parents say are insignificant. A few years ago I learned the secret of parenting. While snooping around my parents room, I found a book entitled How to Make Your Kids Eat Spinach and Other Green Things: A Manual for the Domestically Challenged. It was hidden behind a jar of teeth (my mom was the Tooth Fairy by night) and was covering a rubber mask (my dad was the Boogie Man). The author was some doctor, but he only had a Ph.D. so I knew he wasn t credible. I revisited this book whenever my parents gave me instructions ( Jerica, clean your room. It s good for your health. Jerica, brush your teeth, it will make you stronger. Jerica, you have a good personality. Your acquaintances will surely be able to tolerate you. ) and when I found their counsel or directions in that book, I would simply disregard it. As the reader may have guessed, there was a chapter directing that children not play or walk on grass, so I ignored this admonition, too. It was more convenient to cut through the yard, and I usually arrived at my destination in safety. Because I thought I knew everything, I did not even have to look down to know it was doggy poopy my foot had so gracefully slid into. I had barely 10 minutes to get to the bus stop, so I acted fast, not really thinking about what I was going to do to fix the problem. I ll leave the grotesque details to the power of imagination. During school, as I constantly smelled the evidence of recent events, I conceived a bazillion different ways I could have handled the situation. Needless to say, it seemed my shoe emitted an unpleasant stench all day. Removing the falling star I had caught when I was six from my pocket - I was saving it for a rainy day but supposed this was as good a time as any - I wished that no one would detect the odor. People often take short cuts in life, but embracing the easy way is useful only because it often leads to mistakes, which in turn causes people to learn, grow and move on. Even though I know everything, I still make a lot of mistakes. I know that the problems and trials I encounter help mold me into perfection. They may be difficult, but one day, when I am old and gray, I will lose my sense of smell and be able to step in all the doggy poopy I want. Everyone should step in it once in a while. It reminds them to watch where they are going in life, helping to return them to the right path. Also, I would never have learned as much as I have, and that is saying a lot considering (I am sure the reader remembers) I know everything.

6 (sample essay) I hate cows. I had a dream once. A large plastic cow with huge, benevolent eyes - the cheesy squared-off figure of a child's toy with a tail that didn't move, turned silhouette by the setting sun - stood drinking from a wooden trough full of scarabs. They skittered and crawled all over each other, dripping from her loose, plastic lips. She blinked at me. There was something sinister and macabre about the whole thing. Even jerking awake couldn't erase the picture of horror from my mind. Cows are nasty animals, let me tell you. No, they are nothing like the sleek male creatures that whirl so powerfully through the red cloth bravely held by the ridiculously festooned and rakishly mustached Spaniards. They stink, for one thing. Oh, boy, do they stink. It's that manure-plus-hay smell that gets all over your clothes and won't ever come out. I abhor that smell. It turns my guts like nothing else, and makes me want to burn any clothes, favorite t- shirt or no, that carry even its slightest hint. And let me tell you something else: milk will never taste the same after you've spent substantial amounts of time around the bovines it comes from. Every time I pick up a glass, it's like Pépé le Pew walked by: I can almost see the smell floating past my nose in wavy green lines. It's unnerving the way they look at you, like they can't quite figure out how you got there and don't know what to make of you, since you don't smell like food. The pathetic cow just wants to be milked. But you know what I hate most about cows? They grow on you. When the old ones aren't giving enough milk or birthing enough calves, you've got to do something with them. And then you realize that cow's been around longer than you have and you remember all the times she snuffled at your skirt and made you smile or laugh at her innocent, pushy displays of unquestioning affection. But what do the memories change? You've still got to do something with her, 'cause profit is the name of the game, and you haven't got a choice but to play. Hack her up, put a meat hook in her backside and tan her hide into somebody's purse. You see that leather jacket? It's got that little tag with the gold "Genuine Leather" written on it. Do you know the cow it came from? Perhaps. And isn't it nice to know that her hide is so sought after. Posthumous appreciation is the best kind.

7 Life is Like a Chipotle Burrito (sample) By mellystone, Hinsdale, IL Tortilla. God is the tortilla of my life. Call Him whatever you want - Savior, Shepherd, Father - but I ll just stick with tortilla. He s the thin skin that protects me and holds me. If I screw up, I know that my tortilla will be there for me, no matter what. Rice. You can reach me by mail, just address the letter straight to Hinsdale, IL. This sheltered bubble is the place I call home. It s where I brush my teeth and paint my nails. It s where I munch on black bean salsa from Kramer s and create spontaneous YouTube videos. Feel like watching shiny Mercedes sports cars pull into long driveways? Care for a fine wine tasting party at the Laney s? Come on down to the lovely It s the classiest rice around. Beans. Upon entering through the double doors of my high school on my very first day, I saw the masses of students, threatening to re-create the stampede scene from The Lion King. Oh, geez, I thought to myself. And, 952 days later, I still say that same thing each time I walk into school. I m just one of the thousands of students. I m just another bean. A bean with flavor extraordinaire. Chicken. Greenish-blue eyes. Chocolate brown hair. 5 feet, 7-and-a-half inches. Yep, that s me. I can t touch my tongue to my nose, but I can stretch my toes to unbelievable distances. Sports aren t exactly my thing, so I lack bicep muscles. Could that be why I ve never been able to pass the pull-up test? I guess from the outside, I m just an average piece of chicken. But don t worry: I ve got wings, and someday, I ll be the first chicken to fly. Mild Salsa. The girl who does my hair at Zazu told me that I m pleasant. Pleasant!? I thought to myself, suddenly the victim of a complete and utter mental meltdown. I clung to the sides of the black vinyl chair, trying to wrap my head around the dullness of her diction. Sure, I m nice and all, but couldn t she have chosen, uh, well, a spicier word? Like brilliant. Or dazzling. I would have been happy with that. Oh, well. I guess a mild salsa personality isn t so bad. Cheese. Melanie, would you mind reading your paper aloud to the class? Ever since my second grade teacher told me that I had a knack for writing, I ve devoted my time to words. My friends practiced cheerleading and painted pictures; I wrote stories. Every time I open a blank Microsoft Word document, I swear I can hear angels singing the Hallelujah chorus. Cheese is the glue that holds my ideas together. Lettuce. Every year on January 1st, I sit down in front of my imac and come up with 10 New Year s Resolutions. No more, no less. From trivial to incredibly meaningful, my goals reflect who I am and who I d like to be. #10 on the list? Get into Northwestern. If my dreams are lettuce, then Northwestern is the greenest leaf.

8 So what makes up a good personal story? My thoughts (good or bad): 1. How do the authors of the two previous essays start out their essay? 2. How does the intro give away the major theme (thesis) of the essay? 3. What kind of language did the authors of the college essays use? 4. How does the last paragraph sound? How is that effect created? 5. What kind of connection is made from the introduction to the conclusion? 6. Any ideas about what you could write about? Start the brainstorming session here.

9 The Assignment: You are to write a personal story based on a unified theme about yourself. The idea is that your story can be used to apply to college, or be used for scholarships, work applications, etc. Use the sample essays to help you. You may write your story based on a topic from a college you have researched. You may also feel free to browse the Internet for personal story topics. The bottom line is that you must have writing to show for your work. Below are four possible options to help you focus, but you don t have to follow them. Option 1: Undoubtedly you have had experiences that influenced your opinions and attitudes. Please select such an experience and give an account of it, describing its effects. Option 2: If you were given the opportunity to spend an evening with one person, living, deceased, or fictional, whom would you choose and why? Option 3: What is your greatest fear or biggest embarrassment? Option 4: Pick a monumental moment from your childhood and write it as a story. Consider only reporting the event as an author of a story, but use your memories, senses, and feelings to bring your character (your childhood self) to life. Consider using dialogue appropriately. Guidelines for the Writing Assignment: Write several paragraphs. Create a clear theme that will run through your essay. Connections must be drawn from the beginning to the end of the story. Utilize varied sentence structure and word choice. Revise and edit heavily for conventional errors. Type the final copy following MLA guidelines ( resource/747/01/. Essay and completed packet are due the first full week of classes in September.

10 Where to start???? Prewrite #1: The Web Directions: Step 1: In the circle below, write the essay question you are to tackle. Step 2: Put 45 seconds on the clock. For 45 seconds you are to not write anything, just think. Eyes open or closed, just think. Step 2: When 45 seconds are up, start webbing some ideas. When you are done, you will have something that resembles a spider s web. The process is simple: Draw a line out from the center circle with a bubble. In the bubble write an idea (good or bad, right or wrong just write something). Do not hold back. If an idea for that idea springs up, add from that bubble. If you run out of ideas, start a new leg for the web. Look at the following example: Ran cross country and swam on swim team Trained hard Athlete Hold 1 record in the 100 yrd. freestyle Who I am Athletics has taught me a lot about teamwork and leadership. I know that athletics is a part of who I I love being a part of a family Sister Only girl of 3 kids 2 younger brothers Learned a lot about children from helping my single mother Your Turn: Essay Question/Topic:

11 Prewrite: Outline Make a basic list of the content you will cover in each paragraph. Don t make this difficult on yourself; just give some ideas in a list. Start with creating a theme and hook. Theme: Hook: Paragraph 1: Paragraph 2: Paragraph 3:

12 Complex Sentences and Word Choice: The sentences that follow have their positives and negatives. Determine the elements of each sentence that are done well, and the elements that need more work. My dad taught me a lot. Example: The sentence itself is not bad, but doesn t fully reflect a higher level of vocabulary sophistication and explanation. The best suggestion for this sentence is to consider working on specifics of what dad taught, and write a better predicate to the sentence than me a lot. I learned a lot from my dad who died last year. I learned a lot from my deceased father. The lessons my father taught me before he died were important to my childhood. The lessons my father taught me before he died were significant and valuable to my upbringing. My growth as an individual was largely a result of the lessons my father taught me before he died.

13 My growth as an individual was largely a result of the lessons imparted by my father, who instilled the values and morals I uphold today. Questions to consider when reviewing the above sentences: - What word choice sounds better and is clearer than the sentence above it? Are the words that changes verbs or adjectives? - What parts of the sentence above the one you re working on are reused? Changed? Is the sentence better, worse, or the same? - How has the sentence grown from the sentences above it? What is different about the sentence beginnings? The endings? - Which sentences sound more sophisticated? - What techniques can you utilize in your own personal story from above?

14 Peer Review: Name on paper: Evaluative Questions Yes Sort of No Explanation 1. Is the title informative and interesting? (College essay only) 2. Does the introductory paragraph engage the reader? Does it include a hint at the theme? 3. Is the paragraphing effective? - topic sentence - details support topic sentence - details support theme - paragraph information is interesting - paragraphs connected logically - paragraphs reflect the diamond shape 4. Does the writer use clear, interesting word choice and sentence variety? - interesting descriptive words - clear images with story-like language - does not overuse I or You, or switch between perspectives at random - sentences have a mixture of long and short structures - varying sentences for a nice sound when read through 5. Writing is free of grammatical errors. 6. The conclusion wraps up the essay effectively and uniquely. The theme is hit on, even rounded out.

15 7. Overall, the essay really gives the reader a clear image of the writer. It has an interesting appeal.

16 College Application Essay/Personal Story Grading Rubric: Note to student: The final score of this paper will not necessarily be each score added together. The essay/story will be graded on a holistic scale based on the suggested scores for each section listed below. Scale: 1 In-effective ; 2 Weak; 3 Developing; 4 Emerging; 5 Effective; 6 Strong 1. Introductory paragraph: The student has clearly identified the theme that will follow throughout the personal story, creatively hooking the reader through a story opener technique Body paragraphs: The student has given the details of the story in chronological order, entertaining the reader in a way that continually draws the reader back to the main theme. Particular elements of story writing are clear, such as foreshadow, point of view, plot structure, etc Conclusion: The student has successfully wrapped up the story, making connections back to the introduction and paragraphs. The conclusion reflects on theme, giving the reader a clearer understanding of the theme and finishing the picture the reader is supposed to create of the author in his/her mind Sentence structure and word choice: The student has effectively utilized varying sentence structures to create flow in the story. The student has also effectively utilized clear, specific and story-like word choice that is wellchosen and maintains the message the author is trying to send. Choices made in sentence structure and word choice are sophisticated and demonstrate a higher level of writing Conventions: The student has taken the time to accurately revise and edit the writing to meet the standards of well-written English

17 6. Meaning: Overall, the story gives the reader a clear image of the writer and meets the requirements of the assignment. Not only is the story interesting and appealing to the reader, but the reader has been given a the reader an accurate sense of who the author is as a person Grader s Notes: