SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT: incoming 11th graders

Summer Reading Assignment
Juniors English High Level (IB)
DUE: The Second Day of School
(August 11, 2009)

Incoming Juniors:
Welcome to Juniors English High Level! This is an exciting course that will allow you to delve into literature across time and across places to reach at the truth at the heart of it all: that we are interconnected in our dreams and aspirations, our troubles and despairs, and our experiences as humans.
The following summer assignments are part of the mandated coursework for our IB class, and will help alleviate some of the work over the rest of the schoolyear.
Remember, this course offers rewards far beyond the ordinary class so please don't be daunted by the work. Have fun completing the summer readings and assignments! See you in August for the beginning of our great adventure!

NOTE: The IB English High Level examination requires extensive preparation and reading. Your summer reading is an important part of that preparation to help you grow as a reader and thinker. As IB scholars, you should consider that students who read more, score significantly higher on standardized tests such as AP Exams, ACTs, and SATs. In addition, reading helps to develop your vocabulary and your ability to connect ideas. Finally, reading will help to avoid the summer “mush” that our brains tend to become when we do not exercise them.


Assignment #1: Read and complete the study guide questions for William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. (TOTAL: 75 points)
Read this play carefully, but because it is Shakespeare, you are not expected to understand each and every word. By all means, take advantage of using study aids, such as “spark notes” or Cliff notes, or using a version that has “modern English” alongside the actual text. The main focus over the summer is to acquaint yourself with the story of Macbeth, so that we can delve deeper into language issues in the Fall.
The study guide questions for Acts One-Acts Five can be found on the following website: http://www.lifestreamcenter.net/DrB/Lessons/Macbeth/index.htm Please label your papers carefully, including the Act and Scene # at the very top. You do not need to rewrite the questions, but your answers should be complete sentences (of course).

Assignment #2: Read Why We Can’t Wait by Martin Luther King, Jr. (TOTAL: 60 points)
This book is a collection of 8 essays written by MLK during the Civil Rights Movement. You will need to read each essay carefully, and complete a SOAPStone for each. Mark up the text with annotations, and be prepared to share your thoughts on the language and style of his writing.
You will then need to complete the following TWO papers:
** Choose ONE essay to write an analysis on. You may use any of the following prompts to help direct your writing:
1. Write a carefully reasoned essay evaluating the author's argument. Then, defend, challenge, or qualify the author's argument using solid evidence from the text to support your thesis. -OR-
2. Write an essay analyzing the rhetorical techniques and stylistic devices the author uses to convey his or her views, ideas or attitude. -OR-
3. Analyze some of the ways in which the author recreates his or her experiences. You might consider such devices as contrast, repetition, pacing, diction, and imagery. -OR-
4. Write a well-organized essay analyzing how the author uses language to explore and represent his or her identity.
The essay should be approximately 2 typed pages in length (500-700 words) and should demonstrate that you have read and thought critically about the essay. Please avoid writing a plot summary at all costs.
** Watch the documentary Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965
Chose ONE aspect of the Civil Rights Movement to focus on. Write a 1-page report summarizing that aspect and how it contributes to an understanding of the historical context of MLK’s essays.

Do the math – and realize that this entire Summer Assignment makes up for 135 points of your first semester in Juniors English HL! Do not take this lightly.
Although this may seem like an overwhelming and daunting task, don’t forget you have the entire summer to spend working on this – and you’ll have plenty of time to relax as well. Just consider that you are at an important stage in your high school career, and there just may be a few more things more important than sleeping all day and watching movies all night! ☺
For extra credit, you are welcomed to join the Summer Reading Challenge, which means reading an additional 10 books (of high school level), for a total of 30 points. If you have any questions or comments, or if you need help finding the novel, or if you are stuck in writing a response, or if you just want to tell me about your summer, e-mail me at sistersalma@gmail.com.
Good Luck!
Sr. Salma