2013–2014 SUMMER READING & COURSE PREPARATION
The following pages will provide you with the information you need to take full advantage of the learning opportunities you will be offered in the next academic year. Your grade level and specific course enrollment will determine which parts of this booklet pertain to you. It is important that you read, and follow, all the instructions carefully. We want you to perform at your best from the start of the year, and a thoughtful review of material and thorough reading of the prescribed books will help you do just that. We also have added some optional titles at the end of this booklet for your personal enjoyment, and we hope you’ll read as many as you can. Have a great summer and we look forward to seeing you in September!
www.williston.com
CONTACTS ACADEMIC DEAN
LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT HEAD
Greg Tuleja gtuleja@williston.com
Nat Simpson nsimpson@williston.com
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT HEAD
SCIENCE DEPARTMENT HEAD
Lynn Magovern lmagovern@williston.com
Bill Berghoff wberghoff@williston.com
MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT HEAD
FINE & PERFORMING ARTS
Elizabeth Anderson eanderson@williston.com
DEPARTMENT HEAD
HISTORY & GLOBAL STUDIES
Ben Demerath bdemerath@williston.com
DEPARTMENT HEAD
MIDDLE SCHOOL HEAD
Michael Fay mfay@williston.com
Jen Fulcher jfulcher@williston.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH
03 | ELL 03 | 9th Grade English 03 | 10th Grade English 04 | 11th Grade English 04 | 12th Grade English LANGUAGES
05 | AP Chinese 05 | AP French 05 | AP Latin 05 | AP Spanish HISTORY & GLOBAL STUDIES
06 | World Civilizations 06 | AP European History 07 | United States History 07 | AP United States History SCIENCE
08 | All Courses MATHEMATICS
08 | All Courses 2 SUMMER READING AND COURSE PREPARATION
MIDDLE SCHOOL
09 | 7th Grade English 09 | 8th Grade English 10 | Algebra Standard 10 | Algebra Honors OPTIONAL READING
10 | Departmental Recommendations
ENGLISH
Assignment The Williston English department wishes to inspire a lifelong love of reading, as well as provide the analytical tools needed to approach challenging texts with both confidence and curiosity. With these hopes in mind, we encourage you to read widely and regularly this summer, sharing your appreciation of and questions about your reading with friends and family. You may discuss possible texts with your teacher or visit the library’s suggested reading list available under “Summer Reading” on the library’s website. In addition to the texts that you choose to read on your own, we require you to arrive in September having read the grade-specific text(s) from the list that follows. For your assigned text(s), please annotate thoroughly as you read. Annotations are notes in the margins that ask questions, highlight recurring themes, or point to important shifts in the story. As part of your annotation you should also mark your favorite passages, ones that strike you in some way, perhaps because of their interesting use of language, intriguing ambiguity, or symbolic significance. You should bring your text(s) to class on the first day of school. Be prepared to use the text(s) for the opening weeks of the course. They have been chosen specifically for their thematic and stylistic connections to the material of the course, so they will serve as important springboards to discussion and writing—experiences for which you should be fully prepared. ELL-ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
International students’ level of English study will be determined according to a placement test administered during international student orientation in September. Based on the results of this test, students will be placed in an ELL or standard English section appropriate to their grade level. Every student should read the required texts in English for his or her incoming grade level and attempt the summer reading assignment, regardless of whether she or he expects to be placed in an ELL class. ENTERING 9TH GRADE
The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai ENTERING 10TH GRADE
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger ENTERING 11TH GRADE
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
3 SUMMER READING AND COURSE PREPARATION
ENTERING AP ENGLISH 11 (LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (“The Custom House” introduction is optional) and Barron’s AP Language and Composition 1. Read chapter 1 and complete the full diagnostic test in chapter 2. Review the explanations and determine your score at the end of the chapter. ENTERING 12TH GRADE (INCLUDING PGS)
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
ENGLISH
Assignment ENTERING AP ENGLISH 12 (LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION)
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien and The Tempest by William Shakespeare and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
4 SUMMER READING AND COURSE PREPARATION
LANGUAGES Assignment
AP CHINESE
Chinese students are encouraged to do a quick review of the basic words covered in Chinese I, II, III, and possibly IV. You should make a list of the words and phrases and review them by categorizing them. For example, you should group all the family member words together, all the fruit names, dish names, body part names, and words for means of transportation. There are many ways of categorizing these vocabularies and you can choose whatever is your favorite. When you group the words, make sure that you can pronounce them correctly, understanding their meanings, and are able to use them in a sentence. AP Chinese students are encouraged to watch one or two Chinese movies during the summer vacation. Try to capture the main idea of the movie but not get stuck by expressions that you do not understand. In addition, if you are an AP Chinese student you are encouraged to write a weekly journal about your life. You can write about anything you do or your family does during the summer vacation. You will be expected to turn in at least three weekly journals at the beginning of the school year. You can either handwrite or type these journals. AP Chinese students are encouraged to read some daily news through one of the following online newspapers: The Beijing News, China.com. cn, China Press, or China Youth Daily. Be prepared to report on 10 news items you have covered in the summer during our first class. AP FRENCH
Incoming AP French student, you are expected to review the formation and usage of all regular and irregular verbs found in the Ensemble Grammaire textbook in the following tenses: présent, imperatif, passé composé, imparfait, conditionnel et conditionnel passé, futurs proche, simple and anterieur, subjonctif and plus-que-parfait. In addition, you should keep a 5 SUMMER READING AND COURSE PREPARATION
journal in which you write eight times over the course of the summer, for 20 minutes each session. Sessions should be dated. You should listen to a new French song or watch a French film of your choosing over the course of the summer, and it should be the subject of at least one of the journal entries. You should choose a song or film that interests them. AP LATIN
Read Vergil’s Aeneid (Books 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12) and Caesar’s Gallic Wars (Books 1, 6, and 7) in any translation. Read a few pages first, and select a translation that appeals to you. For the Aeneid, translations by Mandelbaum, Knox, Fagles, or West are suggested; for the Gallic Wars, translations by Hammond or Handford are suggested. You will need copies for the entire school year. It is recommended that you study the course-specific vocabulary available from your teacher, or, for the Aeneid, purchase Vergil Vocabularly Cards for AP Selections by Dennis De Young. AP SPANISH
Read an article from an online Spanish newspaper each month (June, July, and August) and submit a summary of the article, including the day the article was read and the name of the newspaper, to Mr. Garcia at egarcia@williston. com. In addition, email the answers to the following questions: (a) Why did you choose to read this article? (b) What did you learn from the article? (c) What did you think about the article? Online newspapers: www.elmundo.es, www. ideal.es, www.elpais.es, or any other e-publication from a Spanish-speaking country. You should read a short story of your choice in Spanish and be ready to share your thoughts about it during the first week of classes.
HISTORY & GLOBAL STUDIES Assignment
WORLD CIVILIZATIONS
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer Prepare written answers for the following questions and be ready for a quiz during the first week of classes. 1. Could you imagine living without electricity? What would your life be like? How did the villagers compensate for not having electricity, telephones, or most of the modern conveniences we take for granted? What did electricity and the creation of the windmill mean for William, his family, and his village? 2. What is the role of magic in the story? What about education? Contrast the two. Is there room for both in a culture? What about education and religion? How do the two impact each other? How did William’s religion influence his outlook? 3. Malawi is an extremely poor nation. What are the causes of this poverty and what exacerbates it? How might these causes and influences be overcome? What role might western nations and/or western citizens play in helping Malawi? 4. William writes of the corruption, greed, nonexistent services, and lack of empathy that turned the drought into a disaster for average people like him and his family. What role should or could the government of Malawi play in times of national crisis? Imagine what a handful of Williams might accomplish with some encouragement and financial backing from government and private sources. Offer some ideas. 5. William was desperate to stay in school but could not because of money. Think about American students. Why do you think with all the opportunities for schooling, some students are disinterested in learning? In your opinion, what accounts for the differences between William and his American counter6 SUMMER READING AND COURSE PREPARATION
parts? Might William’s life be different if he had access to education without having to pay? How so? 6. What lessons did you take away from William’s story? AP EUROPEAN HISTORY
Longitude By Dava Sobel You are expected to provide typed responses to the following questions on the first day of class. 1. Explain how longitude is measured and why it was so difficult to measure at sea prior to the 18th century. 2. Explain why it was critical to measure longitude and what kinds of people were concerned with finding an accurate and reliable method for measuring longitude. 3. Compare the different methods that astronomers and mechanics tried to measure longitude at sea and the different challenges they faced. 4. Explain the economic, cultural, and personal challenges that Harrison faced while building his clocks. 5. What is John Harrison’s legacy? The Return of Martin Guerre By Natalie Zemon-Davis You are expected to provide typed responses to the following questions on the first day of class. 1. Explain the methods and sources Davis used in writing her book. 2. What did we learn about peasant villages, traditions, and lifestyles in 16th century France from reading this book? 3. What did you learn about gender roles in 16th century France from reading this book? 4. What did we learn about the 16th century French system of justice from this book? 5. Davis had to make some assumptions about the feelings and motives of the main char-
HISTORY & GLOBAL STUDIES Assignment
acters in this story. Choose TWO characters and explain what Davis thought his or her feelings and motives were and why Davis made these assumptions? – Martin, Bertrande, Pansette, or Coras. 6. Why is the story of Martin Guerre so legendary? STANDARD UNITED STATES HISTORY
The Garden of Martyrs By Michael C. White You are expected to provide typed responses to the following questions on the first day of class. 1. What does the garden of martyrs in the title refer to? 2. While Daley and Halligan are both Irish, the novel presents them as quite different men. In what ways are they different? 3. Halligan is a man very much troubled by a love left behind in Ireland. Cheverus tries to help him confess his sins, but Halligan is not, as he himself concedes, particularly religious. As he approaches his death, what conclusion does he reach about the nature of love and forgiveness? 4. Though they are intellectually and spiritually opposite, both Cheverus and Halligan have dark secrets in their pasts. How do the inner conflicts resulting from those secrets bring the two men closer together? 5. Why is Cheverus, as a representative of the Catholic Church, at first reluctant to get involved with the fate of the two Irishmen? 6. Cheverus finds in his “heart of hearts” some of the same prejudices and biases toward the Irish that the general populace holds. Why is this and how does he finally overcome them? 7. Fiona Daley makes Father Cheverus uncomfortable. Why?
7 SUMMER READING AND COURSE PREPARATION
8. The three main characters are all immigrants. How is the novel, however, about the quintessential American spirit? AP UNITED STATES HISTORY
The Garden of Martyrs By Michael White You are expected to provide typed responses to the questions for standard level United States History on the first day of class as well as the following: A People and a Nation (Textbook) By Norton, Katzman, Blight, Chudacoff, Logevall, Bailey, Paterson, and Tuttle Students are expected to read chapters 1-4 and provide typed responses to the essay questions below on the first day of class. 1. What were the goals behind Spanish colonization of the Americas, and describe the features of the Spanish model of colonization. Did Spain attain its goals? What impact did Spanish colonization have on Spanish society and on the civilizations that the Spanish encountered in the Americas? (chapter one) 2. What were the similarities and differences between the social, economic, and political development of the Chesapeake colonists and that of the New England colonists around 1640? (chapter two) 3. What were the causes and consequences of Bacon’s Rebellion? (chapter three) 4. Explain the economic philosophy of mercantilism, and examine Parliament’s attempts to apply mercantilist philosophy to the economic relationship between England and its American colonies. (chapter three) 5. What were the ideas associated with the Enlightenment, and what was the impact of the Enlightenment on colonial America? (chapter four)
SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS Assignment
AP SCIENCE
MATHEMATICS
There is a significant amount of material to cover prior to the AP exams next May. Being successful is the result of thoughtful preparation and consistent effort on the part of both you and your teacher. We ask that you begin this process during the summer by reviewing topics covered in your previous courses. In addition, you should access http://www.williston.com/ summerscience and see detailed information pertaining to your class. You can expect to be tested on the assigned material during the first week of classes.
Next fall you will be starting a new math class. We hope that you will find the class interesting and challenging. Being successful is not an accident; it is the result of good preparation. To help you next year, please review the topics that you have studied in your previous math courses. All summer review work can be found on WillyNet (see directions below). There you will find: 1. Homework problems that are due on the first day of classes. 2. More examples and practice problems, with answers relating to each topic. 3. Directions to mathematics summer review webpage: http://www.williston.com/math summerreview. Your questions and their answers are listed under “Assignments by Class.� Please print out the problems, complete them as best you can, check your answers, and bring your work on the first day of school. Please note that the problems on this webpage are intended for review purposes only and should not be used as any sort of placement guide. You will be tested on the topics related to your particular course within the first week of classes. CALCULATORS
A TI-84+ graphing calculator is required for all math courses. It is the only model for which classroom instruction is provided.
8 SUMMER READING AND COURSE PREPARATION
MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH Assignment
7TH GRADE BOOK LISTS
Choose one book from List 1 and one book from List 2. You should choose books that you have not read before. 7TH GRADE BOOK LIST 1
• • • • •
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury The Good Earth by Pearl Buck Homesick: My Own Story by Jean Fritz The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest Gaines • Call of the Wild by Jack London • Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery • The Yearling by Marjorie Rawlings For your book from List 1, answer the following short-answer questions: 1. Who are the main characters? 2. What makes them important in the story? 3. Where does the story take place? 4. When does it take place? 5. Who do you think is telling the story? 6. What is the problem facing the major character or characters? 7. How does the problem get resolved?
• The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan • Holes by Louis Sachar • Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli • The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien • Briar Rose by Jane Yolen For your book from List 2, pretend you are a character from the book. Write a paragraph describing either of the following situations: 1. How you feel about an event in the book. 2. What your life is like after the story ends. 8TH GRADE BOOK LIST
Choose two books from the following list and read them before school starts in September. For each book you choose, select two passages (a significant group of sentences or a paragraph) that are intriguing, complex, and worthy of further analysis. These analytical passages should differ from ones that are simply exciting moments in the plot. This type of identification in itself demonstrates analytical abilities and is a practice often used in classes during the year. The passages will be used for in-class discussions and writing assignments when you return to school.
7TH GRADE BOOK LIST 2
8TH GRADE BOOK LIST
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams • Watership Down by Richard Adams • The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie • Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown • Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card • And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie • The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier • Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen • A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle • Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom • The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury • Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin • The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd • The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver • Into Thin Air by John Krakauer • Walkabout by James Vance Marshall • Monster by Walter Myers • My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok • A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
9 SUMMER READING AND COURSE PREPARATION
MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH Assignment
PRE-ALGEBRA
7th graders enrolled in Pre-Algebra do not have summer math work. ALGEBRA STANDARD OR ALGEBRA HONORS
Students taking Algebra Standard or Algebra Honors are required to complete the problems on the mathematics website.
DIRECTIONS TO MATHEMATICS WEBSITE:
http://www.williston.com/mathsummerreview Your questions and their answers are listed under “Assignments by Class.” Please print out the problems, complete them as best as you can, check your answers, and bring your work on the first day of school.
OPTIONAL
Departmental Recommendations FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS
• LANGUAGES: FILMS
• Frederick by Leo Lionni • The Alchemist by Paul Coelho • Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman • Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland • The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron More titles can be found at www.williston.com/ library. Follow the link for Summer Reading.
•
spanish:
Entre Nos directed by Gloria La Morte and Paola Mendoza, NR • french: Les Comperes, directed by Francis Veber, PG • latin: I, Claudius, directed by Herbert Wise (television miniseries), PG • chinese: Mulan, directed by Tony Bancroft, G MATHEMATICS
HISTORY AND GLOBAL STUDIES
• Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989 by Michael Beschloss • The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson • The Garden of Martyrs by Michael C. White • A Partial History of Lost Causes by Jennifer DuBois ’02 • Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell • The Life of Pi by Yann Martel • A Border Passage by Leila Ahmed • The Autobiography of Malcolm X • Baraka (film), directed by Ron Fricke
10 SUMMER READING AND COURSE PREPARATION
• Fantasia Mathematica by Clifton Fadiman, ed. • The Mathematical Magpie by Clifton Fadiman, ed. • Proof by David Auburn SCIENCE
• Backyard Ballistics by William Gurstelle • Leonardo’s Mountain of Clams, Diet of Worms by Stephen J. Gould • The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments by George Johnson • The Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif and F. Gonzalez-Crussi • What is Life? by Lynn Margulis and Dorian Sagan