May 7, 2009

 

Dear Ninth Grade Gifted English Student:

 

Congratulations!  You have successfully completed your middle school courses, and you will be attending Evans High School in a few months.  I am excited that you have made the decision to enroll in the accelerated English class.  This summer you will be required to read two books and to complete several assignments associated with these books.  The summer reading program at Evans High School is an excellent method of improving comprehension and writing skills outside the classroom.

 

FIRST ASSIGNMENT: 

 

You will need to read the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding.  I recommend that you purchase the book so that you can make notes in the margins as you read.  This story of adventure is appealing because a group of boys are excited to be stranded on an island with no adult supervision but soon discover that this may not be such a good thing after all.  As you read this book, keep a list of conflicts that occur and incidents that support these conflicts.  Remember, the conflicts can include man against man, man against nature, man against self, and man against society.  Your assignment for this reading is to complete an essay discussing at least two different conflicts in the book.  Make sure that you support your discussion with vivid examples and integrate quotations from the book that support your discussion.  The paper must be typed and formatted using MLA, must be at least 2 ½ - 3 pages, and must include at least two properly blended quotes.  Since your only source is the novel itself, you do not need to include a works cited page.  A test will be given on this book the first week of school.  To see the rubric that I will use to grade your essay, go to my website and click on “Documents” (http://teacherweb.com/ga/EHS/LRogers/).

 

SECOND ASSIGNMENT:  You can choose between one of the two reading choices and the assignment associated with the reading choice.

 

1.  Choice One:  Read Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis.  C.S. Lewis is the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, a book that many of you may have read.  Out of the Silent Planet is the beginning of a space trilogy.  The main character Ransom is kidnapped and taken to the planet Malacandra.  The novel is an allegory, which means that there is meaning beyond the story of an unknown planet and its aliens.  What is this story saying about life on Earth?  Think about the deeper meaning as you read the book.   Make a chart on the similarities and differences of the human condition between this book and Lord of the Flies.  Also, I have included a list of vocabulary words for you to define before reading the book.  You will have a quiz on these words when you return to school. 

 

ESSAY/PRESENTATION: Type an essay on the following topic:  Compare and/or contrast what William Golding and C. S. Lewis are saying about the human condition in society.

 

Your typed essay must be at least 2 ½ - 3 pages.  Use an MLA heading, give your essay an interesting title, and double space the text.  Give examples from the book to support your discussion, but do not just repeat the examples from your previous essay, and properly cite at least 2 quotes from the book that illustrate your discussion.  Do not quote in the introduction or conclusion.  Your quotes should be in the supporting paragraphs and cited by the author and page number of the quote.  Include a works cited page listing the 2 novels.  For your presentation, complete a 10-15 slide PowerPoint of your comparison/contrast analysis to present to the class. On the first day of class, bring a handout of the PowerPoint with 6 slides on each page.  The presentation will be scheduled the first week of school.

 

 

Vocabulary to study for Out of the Silent Planet

sanguine                                                                loquacious

philologist                                             enigmatic

lassitude                                                                vacuity

infinitesimal                                           odium

portentous                                            vermiculate

megalomaniac                                       bellicose

vivisection                                            palpitation

precipice                                                pitiable

alacrity                                                   effervescence

magnanimous                                       archipelago

 

 

Grading Rubric for PowerPoint/Presentation:  Each area is worth 25 points

 

Content: 

Information was a thorough comparison or contrast between the two novels with the information balanced between the two.  Evidence included examples and quotes to prove points.

 

Visual Quality:

The visual was easy to read and highly interesting, including the use of graphics and color. 

 

Presentation Quality:

The presentation showed that the student was knowledgeable on the content of both novels and spoke to the audience and not to the PowerPoint.  The information was clear and audible.

 

Grammar:

The information was well proofread and contained no errors.

 

2.  Choice Two:  You can choose to read Zlata’s Diary by Zlata Filipović, a nonfiction book in the format of a diary. The diary compares to Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Child.  The diary tells of a young girl’s coming of age as she grows up during a time of war. 

 

PROJECT: Research the history of the Bosnia War and develop a history book that identifies the geographical area with a map, the important locations in the area, and geographical characteristics.  The book will also discuss the characteristics and culture of the people, and chronicle the history of the conflict in the early 1900s.  As you chronicle the conflict, include 5 excerpts from Zlata’s Diary that support the history and properly cite with page numbers.  The book must include a table of contents, at least one map and a graph, and a reference page listing at least 5 sources of information.  The graph must be created from information gathered and not just one pasted from the Internet.  Use may use Publisher or any other software to design your book, and it must be creatively bound, not just placed in a folder or book cover.  DO NOT PLAGIARIZE YOUR SOURCES BY COPYING WORD FOR WORD or cutting and pasting from the Internet, for this will result in a ZERO!  Read your sources and write the information in your own words.   Please, do not use Wikipedia as a source.  You are also required to turn in copies of your sources with your book.  You are free to use any font style or format that fits your design but don’t use larger than 12 point for summarized information.  Using larger font for titles or design effect is okay.

 

Your essay on Lord of the Flies and your second assignment (essay/presentation or book project) are due on the first day of school.  A late penalty of 15 points per day will be assessed. 

 

Have a great summer,

Linda Rogers

Ninth Grade Gifted Teacher

Evans High School

lrogers@ccboe.net

Grading Rubric History Report    (Each area is worth up to the points indicated and will be evaluated for quality of content, neatness, and creativity)

 

1. Cover page, table of contents, and bound (no report

covers with slip on spines)/Use 12 point font

for summaries                                                                           15 points

2. Colored geographical map with areas identified and                 15 points

      and graph (create a graph from information gathered—

      do not just copy and paste a graph)

3. Cultural characteristics

·         This summary should be comprehensive

·          (1-1/12 pages)                                                             15 points

4. Chronicle of conflict in early 1990s                                         20 points

5. Excerpts from Zlata’s Diary that support research

·         Blend quotes into discussion—don’t just list quotes   20 points

6. Reference page identifying 5 sources used                              15 points

 

Total 100 points (Major Grade)

 

 

Use MLA manuscript format for essays:

 

  1. Double-space everything within your paper.
  2. Use 12 point font in a normal print.
  3. Use 1 inch margins on all sides of the paper.
  4. Avoid using a cover sheet.
  5. Do not underline, italicize, or emphasize your essay title.  Keep the font and size consistent with the rest of your paper.
  6. You must include a heading on the front page of your paper.  You should have your name, my name, the course number, and the date.
  7. Use a header with your last name and page number on each page, including the first.  In Word you can use the header function (view, header/footer, align cursor to the right, type your last name and space, hit the number sign so the paging begins on page one and continues throughout the paper, close).  The title is centered.  See example below:

 

 

Goodstudent 1

Billy Goodstudent

Mrs. Rogers

LNG 311G

23 August 2009

A Tale of Two Diaries

            This is where your text begins……..