Dear Student and Parent or Guardian,
Pre-AP English I is a course designed to build a foundation for the knowledge and skills required to succeed in upper level English courses. Over 50 literary terms are introduced and applied to both classic and modern literature during the course; two of the literary selections read by students independently. In order to begin discussion on the first day and assess retention of knowledge and skills gained in middle school, a summer reading assignment has been created. Attached is a list of novels the students may choose from. We highly encourage students to choose novels that coincide with their lexile score, a score they received after taking the SRI test in eighth grade. Students are required only to read one novel, but reading more than one is always highly encouraged. Follow the directions below.
Directions:
- Choose two novels from the attached list. You will need to choose one novel from the contemporary list and one novel from the classics list. Books may be borrowed from the library or purchased.
- Read your novel selections before the first day of school.
- Students will do a dialectical journal for each novel that includes ten entries (This will be due the first day of school).
To do a dialectical journal:
Draw a line down the middle of the paper, making two columns.
The left column is used for passages (direct quotations) from the text and page numbers. Look for quotes that seem significant, powerful, thought provoking or puzzling. For example, you might record:
• effective &/or creative use of stylistic or literary devices
• passages that remind you of your own life or something you’ve seen before
• structural shifts or turns in the plot
• passages that make you realize something you hadn’t seen before
• examples of patterns: recurring images, ideas, colors, symbols or motifs.
• passages with confusing language or unfamiliar vocabulary
• events you find surprising or confusing
• passages that illustrate a particular character or setting
The right column is used for commenting on notes in the left column. Personal reactions to the notes on the left go here. The comments on the
right may include:
• what the passage prompts in thinking or memory associations;
• feelings toward the author’s words;
• words or passages not understood;
• questions about something unclear or that may prompt new discussion;
• words or passages that look important; and
• connections among passages or sections of the work.
Label the entries using the following:
- (Q) Question – ask about something in the passage that is unclear
- (C) Connect – make a connection to your life, the world, or another text
- (P) Predict – anticipate what will occur based on what’s in the passage
- (CL) Clarify – answer earlier questions or confirm/disaffirm a prediction
e. (R) Reflect – think deeply about what the passage means in a broad sense
– not just to the characters in the story. What conclusions can you draw about the world, about human nature, or just the way things work?
f. (E) Evaluate - make a judgment about the character(s), their actions, or
what the author is trying to say their dialectical journal.
Sample Dialectical Journal: from To Kill a Mockingbird
- On the first day of school, students will be expected to be able to discuss their novel utilizing
- After discussion, students will be expected to write an in-class essay using the prompt below:
All of the books from the list are considered young adult (YA) literature. Because young adult novels are written for a teenage audience, the main character, or protagonist, is usually a teenager that deals with issues facing young adults everywhere.
Possible issues can include but are not limited to:
- Peer relationships
- Romantic relationships
- Rebellion against authority
- Peer pressure
- Pressure from adult expectations
After you have read both a contemporary young adult novel and a classic young adult novel, identify the major issues that each protagonist must deal with in the novel. Once you have identified these issues, in a five paragraph essay compare and contrast the way each protagonist deals with the issues before him or her, and ultimately what the outcome is for each.
Please contact Mr. Jeremy Boesch with any questions at jeremyboesch@wentzville.k12.mo.us.
