2014-2015 Summer Assignment for English/ Honors English III Welcome to English III Honors and the world of American Literature. Honors classes are designed to be rigorous and challenging thus pushing you to a deeper level of analysis and literary criticism. This summer we will explore the representation of the American Dream or American Dreaming as I like to call it and how this concept is portrayed in literature. You will be required to read two books and complete assignments for each text. Assignments are due on the first day of class and will count as a test grade. During the first week you will also be write an analytical essay; therefore, the reading of these books is critical. Assignment 1 Due Date: September 3, 2015 (First day of Class) Honors English III will read The Color of Water: A Black Man s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride. ISNB 1-57322-578-9 (You may purchase the book or borrow it from your neighborhood library). The Color of Water tells the remarkable story of Ruth McBride Jordan, the two good men she married, and the 12 good children she raised. Jordan, born Rachel Shilsky, a Polish Jew, immigrated to America soon after birth; as an adult she moved to New York City, leaving her family and faith behind in Virginia. Jordan met and married a black man, making her isolation even more profound. The book is a success story, a testament to one woman's true heart, solid values, and indomitable will. Ruth Jordan battled not only racism but also poverty to raise her children and, despite being sorely tested, never wavered. In telling her story--along with her son's--the Color of Water addresses racial identity with compassion, insight, and realism. It is, in a word, inspiring, and you will finish it with unalloyed admiration for a flawed but remarkable individual. And, perhaps, a little more faith in us all (Goodreads) Instructions: You will complete a set of 11 slides. (You may use Prezi, PowerPoint, or any other presentation App/program of your choosing.)
1. You may complete the slides in any order, but you will probably have to read through the majority of the memoir before beginning the assignment. 2. Maintain the per slide requirements. If the directions require one slide, then the information may not go to a second slide work on writing complete, yet concise statements. 3. Make sure the category is evident on the slide I should not have to guess whether you are speaking of a figurative language or rhetorical strategy. 4. Where applicable, cite the page numbers for the items on each slide. The proper way to cite sources is: Author s last name & page no. EXAMPLE: (Faulkner 74). 5. The slides must address the entire span of the memoir. 6. The information on each slide should be complete and easy to understand. You may utilize bullets, lists, etc. unless the directions specify writing in complete sentences. 7. Submit your Presentation by via Edmodo by joining the Group English III Honors Summer 2015 Group Code: 9nsitb The slides should be completed as follows: Slide: Gen. Info.: Specific Slide Instructions: 1 Name & Bibliographic Entry Website. Include your name, and complete the memoir s information in MLA format. Refer to the MLA handbook; the information is widely accessible online. An excellent online source is the Purdue Owl 2 Visual Symbol Find a visual symbol relevant to the work as a whole. Explain the symbol and its significance to the work in 2-3 complete sentences. This is an opportunity to project your own unique perspective of the memoir. 3 Setting Identify TWO phrases or descriptions identifying or describing the setting of the memoir. The quotes 4 Intriguing Text 5 Figures of Speech 6 Rhetorical Techniques may describe time, place, atmosphere, etc. Remember to cite page numbers. Document TWO items significant or striking to you. These items may consist of images, events, ideas, objects, phrases or words (diction). For each, state the context of the item (what it refers to within your book) and why it is significant. Find an example of a figure of speech (metaphor, simile, personification, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, irony, hyperbole, symbol, allusion) in the memoir. Then record the example, identify the technique, and its meaning in context of the memoir. Find an example of a rhetorical technique (parallelism, rhetorical question, repetition, euphemism, anaphora, paradox, antithesis, juxtaposition, parenthesis, etc.) Then record the example, identify the
7 Rhetorical Response technique, and EXPLAIN ITS EFFECT. Do NOT merely state, The author uses antithesis for effect. Identify one of the following appeals in the memoir: ethos, pathos, logos. Make sure you prove your claim with evidence. 8 Structure Explain how the book is arranged (organized). What effect does its structure have on the work as a whole? 9 Theme Write a statement of theme you consider the meaning of the work as a whole. Write in complete sentences. Remember: Theme is not a single word or phrase it s a complete sentence expressing a complete idea. Example: A prevalent theme in Golding s Lord of the Flies is that when men are removed from the confines of civilization, their most base instincts will be revealed. 10 Key Passages (May use two slides if needed.) 11 Personal Response Find TWO key passages (approx.8-10 lines ea.) you find intriguing. Copy the passages precisely, and explain what the passage reveals about the book as a whole. Remember to write in complete sentences and cite the page numbers. Excerpts should be taken from different sections of the memoir. Write a paragraph (approx. 6 sentences in length) expressing your overall impression of the chosen memoir. Suggestions: Include your emotional reaction, positive and negative factors, connections to your own life, interests and or experiences. Would you recommend this memoir? Why or why not? Assignment 2 Due Date: September 4, 2015 (Second day of Class) Honors English III will read Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas ISBN: 9781480591844 (You may purchase the book or borrow it from your neighborhood library).
In 1972, when she was seven, Firoozeh Dumas and her family moved from Iran to Southern California, arriving with no firsthand knowledge of this country beyond her father's glowing memories of his graduate school years here. More family soon followed, and the clan has been here ever since. Funny in Farsi chronicles the American journey of Dumas's wonderfully engaging family (Goodreads). 1. Read Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas. 2. As you read, make note of passages/quotes related to the concept of the American Dream. 3. Copy at least 10 of these passages or quotes onto a provided chart (or type them into a chart), including page numbers. As you read analyze the use of literary elements focusing on theme. 4. Then, explain in your own words how these passages are related to the idea of the American Dream. 5. Bring the thoughtfully completed chart and the book to school when you return in September. During the first weeks of school, you will be using the passages and the book to complete an assignment, so prepare carefully. 6. Refer to rubric for grading scale. Sample Chart Name Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas English III Honors Summer Assignment Chart 2014-15 Page # 1. Quote/Passage (word for word) related to American Dream Literary Elements Identify the theme and literary device used in the quote/passage Analysis of how the quote/passage relates to the American Dream (Use textual to support your ideas).
The Color of Water: QUOTE/ PASSAGE ANALYSIS RUBRIC Name: QUOTE /Passages QUOTE 2/Passages QUOTE 3 QUOTE4
QUOTE 5 QUOTE 6 QUOTE 7
QUOTE 8 QUOTE 9 QUOTE 10 TOTAL = / 50