Incoming Grade 9 English:
Required: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury According to Amazon: “Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.” But then he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television. When Mildred attempts suicide and Clarisse suddenly disappears, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known. He starts hiding books in his home, and when his pilfering is discovered, the fireman has to run for his life.” Follow this link. The novel takes a few pages to get interesting, but it does. Don’t give up! If you have any questions, please contact me: Ms. Gallé [email protected] |
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English 10
Introduction to “Everything's an Argument” unit 1) Watch the following video to introduce you to logos, pathos, and ethos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L_G82HH9Tg 2) Watch this political ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi6v4CYNSIQ 3) Watch TWO of the following documentaries:
Some suggestions, available on Netflix as of June 2020
4) As you watch, complete the following document. https://tinyurl.com/AC10thsummerassignment a) PLEASE MAKE A COPY of this document WITH YOUR NAME, followed by “summer assignment 2020-2021” For example, I would name MY file: “Galle Susan summer assignment 2020-2021” b) Share the document with me at [email protected] Questions for Ms. Gallé? Write her at [email protected] |
English 11 & English Language and Literature 11
English 12 & English Language and Literature 12 Over the summer, you will explore a world of your own choosing, a world that may be unrecognizable, or then again, perhaps not altogether unlike the world in which we find ourselves. Part of what makes speculative fiction so appealing to us as readers is that things are familiar and strange at the same time. In addition to the “future fiction” or “dystopian” titles listed below, you may pick a similar book freely. Examples would be any of the Hunger Games, Divergent, or Maze Runner trilogies. If you have doubts about the suitability of your pick, please contact me. Nevertheless, I recommend the novels below for their continued relevance and literary merit. Be aware that certain hallmarks of this genre include shocking events and uncomfortable situations, which may mean violence, graphic language, and sexuality. All can be obtained in digital format, if you wish to purchase for yourself, or in full-text .pdf at no cost:
Our first work in the fall semester will build off these texts, and you can read more than one—or all—if you wish! Feel free to contact me if you have a question about another title, or any questions at all. Gwen Bloomsburg [email protected] |
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IB English Literature 1
All students will read the 1831 edition of Frankenstein, a text readily available online (and in bookstores). Please note that the letters ARE part of the novel. Below is some background on the novel and its author, Mary Shelley. Mary Godwin (Mary Shelley’s maiden name) was born in London in 1797, the daughter of William Godwin, a radical philosopher, and Mary Wollstonecraft, the author of A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Mary Wollstonecraft died a short time after her daughter’s birth. Mary Godwin was raised in an intellectually stimulating, albeit somewhat emotionally barren, environment. At 17, Mary Godwin met and fell in love with Percy Shelley and eloped with him to France. At the time, Shelley was a virtually unknown poet married to Harriet Westbrook. During a summer stay on the shores of Lake Geneva in 1816, Lord Byron, also staying in the area, suggested that he, Mary Godwin, and Percy Shelley engage in a ghost story competition. Frankenstein was Mary Godwin’s contribution to the competition. Frankenstein was first published anonymously in 1818. A two-volume edition was published in 1823, bearing Mary Shelley’s name. Mary Shelley made significant revisions in the work for its 1831 edition. If you choose to buy or use a different edition, look for an edition that contains information about both editions. Follow this link If you have any questions feel free to contact: Ms. Gallé [email protected] |
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IB English Literature 2
ALL incoming twelfth graders in English A: Literature should read In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. According to Wikpedia: “In Cold Blood is a non-fiction novel by American author Truman Capote, first published in 1966; it details the 1959 murders of four members of the Herbert Clutter family in the small farming community of Holcomb, Kansas. Capote learned of the quadruple murder before the killers were captured, and he traveled to Kansas to write about the crime. He was accompanied by his childhood friend and fellow author Harper Lee, and they interviewed residents and investigators assigned to the case and took thousands of pages of notes. Killers Richard Hickock and Perry Smith were arrested six weeks after the murders and later executed by the state of Kansas. Capote ultimately spent six years working on the book.” Hard copies of the text are available in the AC bookroom. Please follow this link: ALL incoming twelfth graders should also determine the global issue and excerpts (no more than forty lines in length, one from a work originally written in English, one from a work in translation) that they will select for their individual oral at the beginning of the school year. Likewise, all students should consider possible topics for their essay (1200-1500 words). Samples of both assessments are provided on Google classroom. Some incoming twelfth grade students should begin working on their college application essays. Incoming twelfth grade students who are applying to a university that accepts the common application should complete ONE of the following prompts: 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. 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? 7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. Include your word count at the end of your response. Your response MUST be between 250-650 words. Students who are applying to a school that requires an essay but does not accept the common application may complete this assignment with a prompt that they will need to answer on another application. Be sure to list the directions for the prompt (word count) and the prompt itself at the top of your document. Students that do not plan on applying to schools that require a personal statement essay may choose not to complete this portion of the assignment. Below are some links that you may find helpful as you write your personal statement/college application essay: 8. Tips for crafting your best college essay Common App Essay Examples Ms. Galle [email protected] |
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