Homework Rules:
1)
Do your
own.
2)
Do NOT copy.
3)
Do NOT let others copy -
I always
find
duplicate HW assignments.
My policy on this is simple:
Both
students receive an "F" for the
assignment, and get a call home.
I don't care who did
the
copying, and who was
copied!!!
What does good work look
like?
1)
On
clean paper.
2)
No rough edges.
3)
In your very neatest writing.
4)
Stapled where applicable.
Failure to comply with these "crazy" demands means I give your work
right back to you for a rewrite,
and you will receive half-credit when
you return it to me on the next school day.
"Homey don't play"
(or
please, I've heard that one before)
1)
The printer broke. Suddenly! And without warning!
2)
My dog ate it.
3)
I forgot.
If you do not have a major
assignment on the day it is due, you
may turn it in late...
if
your parent brings it to me with an explanation AND an apology.
***Exceptions are, and
always have been, made for death in the
family, mental breakdown, car accident, pet death,
or other severe, uncomfortable and unfortunate
event. However, please
talk to me ahead
of time when possible.
*Summer Reading*
ESCAPE TO A NEW WORLD...
Each student is expected to select ONE summer reading novel and
complete the
assignment that follows. The list below provides some
suggestions.
However, ESCAPE is a broad topic, and we encourage you to adjust the
topic to any fiction or
nonfiction work that is school appropriate. Someone who loves science
fiction
might choose a story that is literally out of this world.
Someone else might choose to read a
memoir detailing how the author escaped from the conditions that
restricted him or her. Someone
might read a book that explores a different time or place, and
so on. The possibilities are nearly
endless. Our purpose is to encourage you to find an enjoyable
summer read.
----------
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith – 528 pp
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn follows the lives of 11-year-old
Francie Nolan, her younger brother Neely, and their parents,
Irish immigrants who have settled in the Williamsburg section of
Brooklyn.
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the
Appalachian Trail, Bill Bryson – 416 pp
Returning to the U.S. after 20 years in England, Iowa native
Bryson decided to reconnect with his mother country by hiking
the length of the 2100-mile Appalachian Trail. He reviews the
characters of the AT, from a pack of incompetent Boy Scouts to
a perpetually lost geezer named Chicken John. Most amusing is
his cranky companion, Katz.
The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Mary E. Pearson – 288 pp
In the near future, Jenna Fox, 17, awakens from an 18-month-
long coma following a devastating accident, her memory nearly
blank. She attempts reorientation by watching videos of her
childhood, but mysteries proliferate. As memories return,
however, Jenna starts picking at the explanation her parents have
spun until it unravels.
American Shaolin, Matthew Polly – 384 pp
Growing up a 98-pound weakling, tormented by bullies in
Kansas, Matthew Polly dreamed of journeying to the Shaolin
Temple in China to become the toughest fighter in the world.
This is the story of Matthew's journey and of the real lives of the
Shaolin monks, who struggle to overcome corruption and
government restrictions.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba,
Bryan Mealer – 273 pp
William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a land withered by
drought and hunger, where hope & opportunity were hard to
find. But William dreamed of building a windmill that would
bring his family electricity & running water. He used scrap metal
& tractor parts to make his dream a reality.
The Carbon Diaries 2015, Saci Lloyd – 384 pp
Told in short diary entries filled with scrapbook clippings, this
eco-thriller takes place in 2015. In response to global warming,
the UK becomes the first country to mandate carbon rationing.
When her carbon debit card arrives in the mail, 16-year-old
Laura is just trying to cope with teen life.
City of Thieves, David Benioff – 272 pp
During the Nazis' siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov is arrested &
thrown into the same cell as a deserter named Kolya. Lev and
Kolya are given a shot at saving their own lives by complying
with an outrageous directive. Cut off from all supplies &
suffering deprivation, they embark on a hunt through Leningrad.
The Girls, Lori Lansens (Siamese twins) – 368 pp
The Girls celebrates life's fundamental joys and trials as it
presents Rose and Ruby, sisters destined to live inseparably but
blessed with distinct sensibilities that enrich and complicate their
shared experiences-of growing up and of finding their way in the
world.
How I Live Now, Meg Rosoff – 208 pp
To get away from her pregnant stepmother in New York City,
15-year-old Daisy goes to England to stay with her aunt &
cousins she has never met, with whom she instantly bonds.
Marcelo in the Real World, Francisco X. Stork – 320 pp
Marcelo Sandoval hears music no one else can hear--part of an
autism-like impairment no doctor has been able to identify--and
he's always attended a special school. The summer after his
junior year, his father demands that Marcelo work in his law
firm's mail room in order to experience "the real world."
The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey,
Ernesto Che Guevara – 170 pp
The Motorcycle Diaries documents "El Che’s" odyssey through
Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela on the back of
a 500cc Norton motorcycle in the company of his friend Alberto
Granado between 1951 and 1952.
Stranger in the Village: Two Centuries of African-American
Travel
Writing, Cheryl Fish & Farrah Griffin– 356 pp
This nonfiction selection is a collection of diaries, memoirs and
letters by African-American travelers in search of home,
justice and adventure - from the Wild West to Australia.
The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger – 546 pp
This clever and inventive tale works on three levels: as an intriguing
science fiction concept, a realistic character study
and a touching love story. Henry De Tamble is a Chicago librarian with
"Chrono Displacement" disorder; at random
times, he suddenly disappears without warning and finds himself in the
past or future, usually at a time or place of
importance in his life.
----------
Summer Reading Assignment:
Complete the following questions in essay form. The questions will be collected by
all teachers on Tuesday,
September 7, 2010.
Each response must be at least one page in length
and provide evidence from the book to
support your ideas.
1. What unique experiences or challenges does your character or the
narrator encounter during his or her
“escape”? How does he or she deal with these experiences?
2. What personal connections can you make to the characters, issues or
events in your book?
3. What do you think is the author’s message to the reader?
----------
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS:
ESL A:
Students entering ESL A must read
BOTH of the following:
Charlotte’s Rose, A.E. Cannon –
156 pp
A father & daughter, along with a
group of Mormons, travel to
American in search of new things.
Along the way, the girl takes on a
major task that she may come to
regret. Traveling to new territory
with a great burden will prove very
difficult.
Behind the Wheel: Poems about
Driving, Janet Wong – 48 pp
Behind the Wheel is a collection of
36 original poems that are all about
driving, but also about life. It is a
collection of very funny & real
poetry.
AVID:
Students will have an additional
assignment when they return to school.
Specific novels will be provided by AVID
instructors before the end of school.
A Hope in the Unseen, Ron Suskind –
373 pp
Cedric Jennings is the son of a hard-
working mother who wants her son to
escape the mean ghetto streets. Cedric is
an A student at a dispirited Washington,
DC, high school, where he treads a thin
line between geeks & gangs.
A Long Way Home: Memoirs of a Boy
Soldier, Ishmael Beah – 240 pp
Beah, a boy equally thrilled by causing
mischief as by passages from Shakespeare
& hip-hop videos, was a typical 12-year-
old. Rebel forces destroyed his childhood
innocence when they hit his village,
driving him to leave his home and travel
the arid deserts and jungles of Africa.
AP 11 & 12:
In addition to the summer reading
choices, AP students are expected
to read and annotate the
following:
AP 11: The Great Gatsby,
F. Scott Fitzgerald
AP 12: The Handmaid’s Tale,
Margaret Atwood
Annotate means to read actively and
take notes. You might have a
conversation with the text, ask
questions, or comment on something
that intrigues, impresses or angers
you. Note anything you would like to
discuss or do not understand. The
most common complaint about
annotating is that it slows down your
reading. Yes it does. That’s the point.
Homework for Period 2,
10-0's, Honors:
Monday, X/X:
TBD
HW (due X/X): TBD
Tuesday, X/X:
TBD
HW (due X/X): TBD
Wednesday, X/X:
TBD
HW (due X/X): TBD
Thursday, X/X:
TBD
HW (due X/X): TBD
Friday, X/X:
TBD
HW (due X/X): TBD
Up next: TBD!
Homework for Period 3 and 5,
10-2's, General:
Monday, X/X:
TBD
HW (due X/X): TBD
Tuesday, X/X:
TBD
HW (due X/X): TBD
Wednesday, X/X:
TBD
HW (due X/X): TBD
Thursday, X/X:
TBD
HW (due X/X): TBD
Friday, X/X:
TBD
HW (due X/X): TBD
Up next: TBD!
Questions? Comments? Email
Ms.
Tobin, by clicking the button:
Back to the main site,
click here:
