2012-2013 Honors English 2 Summer Reading Assignment
Click here to view a PDF of the
Course Introduction and Contract
Text: The Chosen – Chaim Potok
Assignments:
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Read The Chosen.
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Complete the dialectical journal assignment while reading the novel.
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Write a 4-5 paragraph essay on one of the three essay prompts listed below.
Dialectical Journal
As you read, you need to keep a dialectical journal. This type of journaling is a scholarly tool that will enhance your exploration of dominant themes (such as tradition, education, religion, and devotion), literary structure (of sentences, paragraphs, and the work as a whole), diction (the quality and emotional effects of word choice), figurative language (metaphors, similes, personification, etc.), tone (or attitude), and mechanics (punctuation or a lack thereof).
See the dialectical journal template that we have included. Record details by taking down direct quotes and/or brief summaries including the page numbers on which you find them. You may want to record material from the text as you read. To receive full credit for this assignment, you must include 34 of your own entries from throughout the book.
Open/Download a PDF of the Journal here
Essay
After you have finished reading the novel, you need to write a 4-5 paragraph essay in MLA format on ONE of the following prompts:
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Consider the significance of the book’s title. Analyze 2-3 ways the title can be applied to characters and situations in Potok’s novel. Use evidence from the book.
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Reuven's father tells him, "The Talmud says that a person should do two things for himself. One is to acquire a teacher." Danny remembers that the other is to choose a friend. Analyze the ways both Danny and Reuven have done these things for themselves. What has each boy derived from the teacher? From the friend? Use evidence from the book.
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Consider the character of Reb Saunders. Analyze the way his childhood, his role as a rabbi, and his approach to fatherhood affect Danny. Use evidence from the book.
Your essay must be typed, and you need to include a Works Cited page to show which edition of the novel you are citing. If you need a reminder about the formatting and information for MLA and Works Cited pages, please refer to the online writing lab at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/.
Due Date
The summer reading assignment is a required component of Honors English 2. You will be expected to turn in your dialectical journal on Tuesday, August 28, and you will take a test that day over the novel as well. Your essay will be due on Wednesday, September 5 following the Labor Day weekend.
Even though you could wait until school starts to begin the assignments, remember that the first few weeks of school get very busy, so you will find those weeks less stressful if you take advantage of summer vacation to complete the assignments.
If you start working on the assignments this summer and have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us (cordesk@billingsschools.org or mcphersonk@billingsschools.org) because we will be checking our school email fairly regularly.