TO: Next year's Humanities 9 students

FROM: Mr. Stiles and Mrs. Stefanakas

RE: Summer Reading

DATE: June 12, 2006

In a few short months you will be freshmen. We hope you are looking forward to beginning your journey at Oakmont.

Humanities 9 is an interdisciplinary course that emphasizes the connections between cultures and history.  You will have much reading and many activities to help you explore those connections.  In order to prepare for the class, these assignments are due the first day of school:

ASSIGNMENT #1 – An important part of our culture are the myths and legends of the ancient Western world – stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity through history. Read the following selections from Edith Hamilton’s Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, and then complete the following assignment.

Selections: Part I: The Gods, the Creation, and the Earliest Heroes (all)

                 Part II:  Stories of Love and Adventure (the following selections)

• Cupid and Psyche

• Orpheus and Eurydice

• The Quest of the Golden Fleece

• Pegasus and Bellerophon

• Daedalus

Part III: The Great Heroes before the Trojan War (the following selections)

• Perseus

• Theseus

• Hercules

Part IV: The Heroes of the Trojan War (the following selections):

• The Trojan War

• The Fall of Troy

Writing Assignment:  Choose ten gods or heroes that you read about in these selections.  Pretend that you invited them to a party at your house (e.g., a barbeque, a formal dinner, a Super Bowl party).

1. Create a chart that answers these questions:

• Who did you invite?

• Why did you invite each of these characters?

• What food did each character bring?  Why did they bring that food?

• What topic of conversation would each character discuss?

• What special talent did each character offer to make the party enjoyable (e.g., a game, entertainment, lively conversation topics)?

2. Write a newspaper article for the society section, which details the party OR create a scrap book with items from the party.

ASSIGNMENT #2 – Read one of the following books:

• Of Nightingales That Weep (K. Paterson) – Romance and tragedy abound in this story of Takiko, a talented but troubled young woman in twelfth century Japan.

• The Chosen (C. Potok) – An award-winning story of two fathers and two sons from a Modern Orthodox Jewish family and a more conservative Hasidic Jewish family. Each faces pressure to pursue the religion that is best suited to each. As the boys grow into young men, they learn about their religion and faith in way that changes both of them.

• 1984 (G. Orwell) - Satire on the possible horrors of a totalitarian regime in England in 1984.

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (J. K. Rowling) – available 7/16/05 – The next book in the Harry Potter series takes up the story of Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The story begins in the midst of this battle of good and evil. The author has said that the Half-Blood Prince is neither Harry nor Voldemort. Who is it? Rowling said the opening chapter of this book has been in her mind for 13 years.

Writing Assignment:  Complete the Response Sheet after reading your book. Offer answers that are specific and thoughtful.

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER!!

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