DATE: June 15, 2009 TO: Next year's Humanities 9 students FROM: Ms. Martin and Mrs. Stefanakos RE: Summer Reading In a few short months you will be freshmen. We are looking forward to meeting you and getting to know you. One of the first ways we can do that is through your summer reading. Your assignments are listed below. You DO NOT have to complete the general response sheets that are required for other classes. This is in lieu of that.
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 is 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.
Reading Portion:
Part I: The Gods, the Creation, and the Earliest Heroes (all)
Part II: Stories of Love and Adventure, the following selections:
Part III: The Great Heroes before the Trojan War, the following selections:
- Cupid and Psyche
- Orpheus and Eurydice
- The Quest of the Golden Fleece
- Pegasus and Bellerophon
- Daedalus
- Perseus
- Theseus
- Hercules
Part IV: The Heroes of the Trojan War, the following selections:
- The Trojan War
- The Fall of Troy
Writing Portion: 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 sports party).
- Create one invitation for all, indicating when, where, and what kind of party it is.
- Create A Chart that answers these questions:
- Whom did you invite?
- Why did you invite each of these characters?
- What food did each character bring? Why did he/she 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)?
- Write a newspaper article for the society section, which details the party OR create a scrap book with items from the party. The scrap book would demonstrate who was there and how it went.
ASSIGNMENT #2 – Reading Portion: Choose and read ONE of the following books:
- Speak (L.H. Anderson) – Silence can speak volumes. Before Melinda even begins high school, a horrible incident stops her words. One of the last things she voices, a call to the police, makes her an outcast in her new school. When the truth is finally said, it is louder than anyone could have imagined.
- The Body of Christopher Creed (Carol Plum-Ucci) – When Christopher Creed, the class freak and whipping boy, suddenly disappears without a trace, first his fellow students, then all the citizens of Steepleton join in to speculate on what could have happened to him. As the fingers begin pointing, the town starts to fall apart and several lives are changed forever.
- Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie (David Lubar)- As Scott begins high school, he is faced with the usual awkward newness of freshman year. Do his parents really need to complicate it by announcing mom is having a BABY? To cope with this confusing world, he creates a survival guide that may be practical, but is definitely comical.
- 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. Is "Big Brother" watching you?
Writing Portion: You are to compose a “literary review” of your book. This review is similar to one that might be found in a newspaper about a newly released book. It would be approximately one type-written page (short enough so that a newspaper would publish it). It should include the following:
- Information about the plot, characters, and possibly other literary elements that are important. The ending should not be fully given away, ruining it for potential readers.
- A discussion about what is positive and negative about the book. What worked, what did not? Do so in the third person (he/she, they/them) and be specific with your supporting reasoning.
- An overall recommendation. Would you tell others to read it? Why or why not? A sort of “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.”
This review of The Scepters of Time is an example of a published review. It is to the point, but offers insight into the general story line, characters, and what the reader may get from the book. It is NOT offered as a template to which you must strictly adhere, but rather an example.