10th Summer Reading ENGLISH II HONORS SUMMER READING FOR 2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR
English II honors students will participate fully in the WHS Summer Reading Program (via eTUSD) in addition to completing the specific work required for this class, which will be typed (using MLA format) and is due the first day of school in September. You will read two novels and a short play and do all of the assignments on this document. You must obtain the novels, but the play is available online. With your written assignments, provide copies of source materials, but only print the pages from which you quoted or paraphrased, not every page of a source.
BOOKS (Literature):
Select books with the ISBN numbers listed below, so quotes we discuss will be on the same pages for everyone. Use the guides provided for books with different ISBN numbers.
The Chosen (TC) by Chaim Potok
ISBN-13: 978-044-921-3445 or ISBN 0-449-21344-7
Or look for a book that has “I stared at him” at the top of page 170.
Their Eyes Were Watching God (TEW) by Zora Neale Hurston
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-083867-6 or ISBN-10: 0-06-083867-1
Or look for a book that has “Janie achieved the tail of the cow” on the top of page 166.
Trifles by Susan Glaspell – This is not a book. It is an extremely short play that can be found in the link below.
Glaspell’s one-act play can be found here: http://www.one-act-plays.com/dramas/trifles.html
Trifles is also on my website: http://teacherweb.com/CA/WestHighSchool/Elwood_10/apt75.aspx
ASSIGNMENTS:
Their Eyes Were Watching God (TEW) by Zora Neale Hurston
One way to get to know characters is through their interaction with others. As you move through TEW, consider Janie’s relationships with the following people: her grandmother, Logan Killicks, Joe (Jody) Starks, Vergible Woods (Tea Cake), and Pheoby Watson. Pull quotes that reveal what you would consider the essence of that relationship. Take relationship changes into account in your selections. Provide a reasonable amount of context, so that others will not be lost reading the quotes you selected. Then provide analysis: explain why that quote is indicative of Janie’s relationship with that character. Explain literary techniques in the quotes you pull.
For Janie’s grandmother and Logan Killicks, provide two quotes for each (4 quotes total).
For Jody, Tea Cake and Pheoby, provide three quotes for each (9 quotes total).
Each relationship passage (quote) analysis will be 5-6 inches tall.
There will be 13 quotes in all.
The Chosen by Chaim Potok – Critic Comments:
“It is a simple, almost meager story about Jewish people who are far from typical—yet the warmth and pathos of the dealings between fathers and sons, the understated odyssey from boyhood to manhood, give the book a range that makes it worth anybody’s reading.” ~~The Christina Science Monitor
“The plot is strong and graceful. . . . The style is beautifully quiet and gentle. One is amazed that so frail a structure can make it into port with such freight of grief. It does so, heroically.” ~~Book Week
Write a short (600–700 word) essay in which you analyze and argue for or against one of the two critic comments above. The essay will have a short (2–3 sentences) introduction, which will include the following: the critic comment you chose to write about, the name of the novel and author, and the thesis statement. Body paragraphs must include quotes from TC. Be sure to provide a deep understanding of the critic comment you chose and quotes from TC that support your argument. No works cited page is necessary.
Trifles by Susan Glaspell
Short answer questions must include quotes from the play. Also, print and include your research sources from which you have quoted or paraphrased. Print only pages (sections) you used; do not print all the pages of a source. Cut and paste the questions onto a document and type your answers below each question. Added July 4th: Answers can be 1–2 pages in length.
1. To what extent is the play a product of the time in which it was written and initially produced? Use quotes from the play and 1–2 sources to answer this question.
2. To what extent could the events of the play happen today? Address at least four.
3. The play is unusual in that neither the victim nor the accused appears on stage. What effect does this have on the play? Who is the main character? Justify your answer using quotes from the play.
4. Research the incident upon which Glaspell based her play. I am providing a source below, but you are welcome to find a different source. What impact does that have on your feeling about or understanding of the play? Try the link below or others. Use quotes from the play and 1–2 sources. I don't consider the play a source. It is the text we are using the sources to say something about.
http://blogs.valpo.edu/midwestlit/2012/12/12/susan-glaspells-trifles-based-on-iowan-murder-2/
As of July 12, I have been notified by a student that the link above is no longer active. If you are having problems locating information about the murder that Glaspell's play is based upon, try typing this in the URL for a large selection: Margaret Hossack murder case
If you are interested in the original article that had been accessible through this now inactive link, Irene sent me a copy. Click here. Thanks, Irene!!
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? If a question arises during the summer, check this page on my website before emailing me. If no one has asked this question yet, email me and I will guide you. Questions I consider relevant to others will be included in the question and answer section below. My email address is [email protected].
QUESTION AND ANSWER SECTION:
1. June 13th – Can the required books be in Kindle or other electronic reader?
Yes, as long as the page numbers line up with mine. The way to check is available next to the ISBN numbers in the section of this page that tells you what books to obtain.
2. June 13th – What if I write my essay in a style that isn't what Mrs. Elwood is looking for?
I am not looking for you to know things about my expectations that I haven't shared with you yet. I do expect effort and compliance with directions. When I say that I want a 6"--7" tall analysis of something, I do mean exactly that. When I say that you are to select quotes, I expect them to be interesting quotes, not pointless bits of text that leave you nothing to analyze. If you have nothing to say about a quote that you pulled, you have pulled the wrong quote.
3. June 16 -- Are the books available at the Torrance library?
The Torrance library has multiple copies (30+) of Their Eyes Were Watching God (TEW) by Zora Neale Hurston. There are only 9 copies of The Chosen (TC) by Chaim Potok. They plan to order more in July, but they will not likely be available for check-out until later in that month.
4. June 21 -- Can the link you provided for Trifles be considered one of the sources?
No, Trifles is not a source when writing about the play is the point. When I say source, I am referring to the works or informative pieces that help you understand the target text: Trifles. You are to read the play, find a source or two, and then use the sources to analyze (say something about) Trifles.
5. June 22 -- I have two questions regarding the summer homework. When you state that "each relationship passage analysis will be 5–6 inches tall" (Elwood), is it per quote, or relationship?
The 5–6 inch tall paragraph(s) of analysis is per quote. By the way, please do not put an author's name in parenthesis when you have already made it clear where the quote comes from. Avoid redundancy.
6. June 22 -- Do you mind if my writing has a sarcastic tone to it, or would you prefer it to be more serious?
Sarcasm is acceptable, even quite effective, if there is a reason for its use.
7. June 24 -- For our short essay on The Chosen, may we bring in other sources to support our argument, or is it just quotes from the book that are allowed? You may include research only if it directly speaks to an issue in the novel or a point the critic makes. I don't want you to waste your time and page length on thematic generalities. If you include texts other than the assigned novel, you will need to create a works cited page.
8. June 25 -- I was wondering if the link that you gave us (http://blogs.valpo.edu/midwestlit/2012/12/12/susan-glaspells-trifles-based-on-iowan-murder-2/) could be used as a source besides the one-act play itself. Thank you.
Yes, that is actually the only source you need, but you have the option to find other sources that also speak to this play if you'd like. I don't consider the play a source. The play is the literary piece for which the source will provide greater understanding. In other words, you will answer the question about the play, using the information regarding the situation the play is based upon, as per the site (link) I provided or others site or sites you find on your own.
9. June 30 -- Will we need a works cited page for the short answer questions?
Since I'm requiring that you bring in the source(s) that you use, a works cited page is not necessary. 10. July 4 -- I have two questions about the summer homework for English 2 Honors. For the summer homework, are the readings combined into one essay or are they three separate essays? Also is there a page limit to how long the essay has to be?
It's clearly stated that there are three distinct assignments.
For Eyes, you are to write about 13 quotes.
I am only asking for one essay and the topic will be about The Chosen. The word count range is provided.
The work for Trifles is short answer. I expect answers to be 1–2 pages for each. If you have more to say about any of the questions, bring your notes to class and use them to enhance discussion.
11. July 10 -- For the TEW assignment, are we supposed to embed the quotes that we pulled into the response or do we simply write down the quote and then below it provide a response? Also when the directions say to provide copies of source materials, do we copy the pages that we pulled the quotes from for TEW assignment?
Embedding a quote would be fine. You might want to highlight the quote, so it can be easily found in the writing. And be sure to lead with some context. I'm also fine with someone providing a quote and then writing about it beneath. I am not, after all, asking for an essay. You could also provide the entire quote and then embed bits of it in your analysis.
You do not need to copy pages from the novels or the play that I have asked you to read. Those pieces are not technically sources. I call them the target texts, but that is not a term likely to be used by other teachers.
12. July 12 -- The article [for background regarding Trifles] was taken down and put in the archives and I happened to find it finally, but it did not include an author for the article and I was wondering if you happen to know it.
Use the name of the site instead: Valpo.edu
To find other articles, type the following words into your browser: Margaret Hossack murder case.
To find the article for which I originally provided the link, click here.
BTW, I don't care which article you choose to read regarding the background information for this play.
13. July 14 -- While analyzing the quotes for TEW, may we use other quotes in our analysis?
Since I am asking for such a small amount of text for the relationship analysis, I would be concerned that if you bring in other sources, you won't have room in the limited text space for analysis of the passage from the novel. Students often spend too much time dancing around the target text or even ignoring it. If you find that you haven't got enough to write about regarding a passage, look at the literary techniques, the syntax and diction, and the tone. If you still don't have much to say, you should choose a better, more profound, passage. You may also explore the deeper implications of other situations in the novel as they are reflected upon or foreshadowed in the passage you have selected. But do not stray into other texts. Keep focused.
English II honors students will participate fully in the WHS Summer Reading Program (via eTUSD) in addition to completing the specific work required for this class, which will be typed (using MLA format) and is due the first day of school in September. You will read two novels and a short play and do all of the assignments on this document. You must obtain the novels, but the play is available online. With your written assignments, provide copies of source materials, but only print the pages from which you quoted or paraphrased, not every page of a source.
BOOKS (Literature):
Select books with the ISBN numbers listed below, so quotes we discuss will be on the same pages for everyone. Use the guides provided for books with different ISBN numbers.
The Chosen (TC) by Chaim Potok
ISBN-13: 978-044-921-3445 or ISBN 0-449-21344-7
Or look for a book that has “I stared at him” at the top of page 170.
Their Eyes Were Watching God (TEW) by Zora Neale Hurston
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-083867-6 or ISBN-10: 0-06-083867-1
Or look for a book that has “Janie achieved the tail of the cow” on the top of page 166.
Trifles by Susan Glaspell – This is not a book. It is an extremely short play that can be found in the link below.
Glaspell’s one-act play can be found here: http://www.one-act-plays.com/dramas/trifles.html
Trifles is also on my website: http://teacherweb.com/CA/WestHighSchool/Elwood_10/apt75.aspx
ASSIGNMENTS:
Their Eyes Were Watching God (TEW) by Zora Neale Hurston
One way to get to know characters is through their interaction with others. As you move through TEW, consider Janie’s relationships with the following people: her grandmother, Logan Killicks, Joe (Jody) Starks, Vergible Woods (Tea Cake), and Pheoby Watson. Pull quotes that reveal what you would consider the essence of that relationship. Take relationship changes into account in your selections. Provide a reasonable amount of context, so that others will not be lost reading the quotes you selected. Then provide analysis: explain why that quote is indicative of Janie’s relationship with that character. Explain literary techniques in the quotes you pull.
For Janie’s grandmother and Logan Killicks, provide two quotes for each (4 quotes total).
For Jody, Tea Cake and Pheoby, provide three quotes for each (9 quotes total).
Each relationship passage (quote) analysis will be 5-6 inches tall.
There will be 13 quotes in all.
The Chosen by Chaim Potok – Critic Comments:
“It is a simple, almost meager story about Jewish people who are far from typical—yet the warmth and pathos of the dealings between fathers and sons, the understated odyssey from boyhood to manhood, give the book a range that makes it worth anybody’s reading.” ~~The Christina Science Monitor
“The plot is strong and graceful. . . . The style is beautifully quiet and gentle. One is amazed that so frail a structure can make it into port with such freight of grief. It does so, heroically.” ~~Book Week
Write a short (600–700 word) essay in which you analyze and argue for or against one of the two critic comments above. The essay will have a short (2–3 sentences) introduction, which will include the following: the critic comment you chose to write about, the name of the novel and author, and the thesis statement. Body paragraphs must include quotes from TC. Be sure to provide a deep understanding of the critic comment you chose and quotes from TC that support your argument. No works cited page is necessary.
Trifles by Susan Glaspell
Short answer questions must include quotes from the play. Also, print and include your research sources from which you have quoted or paraphrased. Print only pages (sections) you used; do not print all the pages of a source. Cut and paste the questions onto a document and type your answers below each question. Added July 4th: Answers can be 1–2 pages in length.
1. To what extent is the play a product of the time in which it was written and initially produced? Use quotes from the play and 1–2 sources to answer this question.
2. To what extent could the events of the play happen today? Address at least four.
3. The play is unusual in that neither the victim nor the accused appears on stage. What effect does this have on the play? Who is the main character? Justify your answer using quotes from the play.
4. Research the incident upon which Glaspell based her play. I am providing a source below, but you are welcome to find a different source. What impact does that have on your feeling about or understanding of the play? Try the link below or others. Use quotes from the play and 1–2 sources. I don't consider the play a source. It is the text we are using the sources to say something about.
http://blogs.valpo.edu/midwestlit/2012/12/12/susan-glaspells-trifles-based-on-iowan-murder-2/
As of July 12, I have been notified by a student that the link above is no longer active. If you are having problems locating information about the murder that Glaspell's play is based upon, try typing this in the URL for a large selection: Margaret Hossack murder case
If you are interested in the original article that had been accessible through this now inactive link, Irene sent me a copy. Click here. Thanks, Irene!!
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? If a question arises during the summer, check this page on my website before emailing me. If no one has asked this question yet, email me and I will guide you. Questions I consider relevant to others will be included in the question and answer section below. My email address is [email protected].
QUESTION AND ANSWER SECTION:
1. June 13th – Can the required books be in Kindle or other electronic reader?
Yes, as long as the page numbers line up with mine. The way to check is available next to the ISBN numbers in the section of this page that tells you what books to obtain.
2. June 13th – What if I write my essay in a style that isn't what Mrs. Elwood is looking for?
I am not looking for you to know things about my expectations that I haven't shared with you yet. I do expect effort and compliance with directions. When I say that I want a 6"--7" tall analysis of something, I do mean exactly that. When I say that you are to select quotes, I expect them to be interesting quotes, not pointless bits of text that leave you nothing to analyze. If you have nothing to say about a quote that you pulled, you have pulled the wrong quote.
3. June 16 -- Are the books available at the Torrance library?
The Torrance library has multiple copies (30+) of Their Eyes Were Watching God (TEW) by Zora Neale Hurston. There are only 9 copies of The Chosen (TC) by Chaim Potok. They plan to order more in July, but they will not likely be available for check-out until later in that month.
4. June 21 -- Can the link you provided for Trifles be considered one of the sources?
No, Trifles is not a source when writing about the play is the point. When I say source, I am referring to the works or informative pieces that help you understand the target text: Trifles. You are to read the play, find a source or two, and then use the sources to analyze (say something about) Trifles.
5. June 22 -- I have two questions regarding the summer homework. When you state that "each relationship passage analysis will be 5–6 inches tall" (Elwood), is it per quote, or relationship?
The 5–6 inch tall paragraph(s) of analysis is per quote. By the way, please do not put an author's name in parenthesis when you have already made it clear where the quote comes from. Avoid redundancy.
6. June 22 -- Do you mind if my writing has a sarcastic tone to it, or would you prefer it to be more serious?
Sarcasm is acceptable, even quite effective, if there is a reason for its use.
7. June 24 -- For our short essay on The Chosen, may we bring in other sources to support our argument, or is it just quotes from the book that are allowed? You may include research only if it directly speaks to an issue in the novel or a point the critic makes. I don't want you to waste your time and page length on thematic generalities. If you include texts other than the assigned novel, you will need to create a works cited page.
8. June 25 -- I was wondering if the link that you gave us (http://blogs.valpo.edu/midwestlit/2012/12/12/susan-glaspells-trifles-based-on-iowan-murder-2/) could be used as a source besides the one-act play itself. Thank you.
Yes, that is actually the only source you need, but you have the option to find other sources that also speak to this play if you'd like. I don't consider the play a source. The play is the literary piece for which the source will provide greater understanding. In other words, you will answer the question about the play, using the information regarding the situation the play is based upon, as per the site (link) I provided or others site or sites you find on your own.
9. June 30 -- Will we need a works cited page for the short answer questions?
Since I'm requiring that you bring in the source(s) that you use, a works cited page is not necessary. 10. July 4 -- I have two questions about the summer homework for English 2 Honors. For the summer homework, are the readings combined into one essay or are they three separate essays? Also is there a page limit to how long the essay has to be?
It's clearly stated that there are three distinct assignments.
For Eyes, you are to write about 13 quotes.
I am only asking for one essay and the topic will be about The Chosen. The word count range is provided.
The work for Trifles is short answer. I expect answers to be 1–2 pages for each. If you have more to say about any of the questions, bring your notes to class and use them to enhance discussion.
11. July 10 -- For the TEW assignment, are we supposed to embed the quotes that we pulled into the response or do we simply write down the quote and then below it provide a response? Also when the directions say to provide copies of source materials, do we copy the pages that we pulled the quotes from for TEW assignment?
Embedding a quote would be fine. You might want to highlight the quote, so it can be easily found in the writing. And be sure to lead with some context. I'm also fine with someone providing a quote and then writing about it beneath. I am not, after all, asking for an essay. You could also provide the entire quote and then embed bits of it in your analysis.
You do not need to copy pages from the novels or the play that I have asked you to read. Those pieces are not technically sources. I call them the target texts, but that is not a term likely to be used by other teachers.
12. July 12 -- The article [for background regarding Trifles] was taken down and put in the archives and I happened to find it finally, but it did not include an author for the article and I was wondering if you happen to know it.
Use the name of the site instead: Valpo.edu
To find other articles, type the following words into your browser: Margaret Hossack murder case.
To find the article for which I originally provided the link, click here.
BTW, I don't care which article you choose to read regarding the background information for this play.
13. July 14 -- While analyzing the quotes for TEW, may we use other quotes in our analysis?
Since I am asking for such a small amount of text for the relationship analysis, I would be concerned that if you bring in other sources, you won't have room in the limited text space for analysis of the passage from the novel. Students often spend too much time dancing around the target text or even ignoring it. If you find that you haven't got enough to write about regarding a passage, look at the literary techniques, the syntax and diction, and the tone. If you still don't have much to say, you should choose a better, more profound, passage. You may also explore the deeper implications of other situations in the novel as they are reflected upon or foreshadowed in the passage you have selected. But do not stray into other texts. Keep focused.