Grade 9 English Language Arts Summer Reading
Welcome to high school! I am looking forward to teaching each and every one of you next year in freshman English Language Arts. Before we meet in the fall, you have a summer reading assignment to complete. I have included the book options for summer reading as well as some additional information to support your work. Please review this packet carefully, and feel free to email me over the break if you have any questions. Our discussion of the reading will set the foundation for what we will be learning this year, so your completion of this work is very important!
In addition to reading the common summer reading book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and completing the whole-school assignment, you must also read two additional books from the list of suggested books in this packet that fall into the genre of Dystopian/Utopian literature.
NOTE: Summer reading is meant to be enjoyable 🙂 If you have an alternative book that you would like to read that you think fits into this category, please email me the title and author, and I will let you know if it is approved. In your email to me, please use the information provided in this packet to explain why you think that the book or books fall into the category of Dystopian/Utopian literature.
Ms. Mahoney
Summer Assignment: Grade 09 – Summer Reading – Mahoney
Email: kmahoney@bostonpublicschools.org
Website: https://emkreadsblog.wordpress.com/
How you will be assessed on your reading:
One of the first activities that we will do together in September is participate in a whole-class discussion, specifically a Socratic Seminar, about the texts you read. A Socratic Seminar is an evidence-based discussion that begins with a question and generates new interesting questions in the process.
You will be assessed during the discussion based on your ability to:
- cite specific evidence from the text(s)
- make connections across texts
- speak, listen and ask questions
- demonstrate your care and respect for others in discussing
| The focus question for this discussion will be:
Why is it important to understand and ask questions about the status quo or “the way things are done”? |
You should keep this question in mind as you are reading. The pages that follow also include other questions you might consider while you read in order to deepen your understanding of the texts. You will be using these questions again in an art project we will be completing in class about the summer reading.
In order to participate in the discussion, you must produce 5 pages of dialectical journal entries (10 entries in total; 5 per book) in your composition notebook.
Instructions for creating dialectical journal entries:
- Your Dialectical Journal Entries should be completed in a marble or composition notebook, which will also serve as your ELA notebook for Term One. Your journal will count as part of your Term One Notebook Grade in your English class. Please do NOT use a spiral notebook.
- You must have at least 5 entries for each book.
- You must list the title, author, and page number of the book you are writing about.
- Each entry must be approximately a half-page in length.
- Be sure to elaborate with specific examples from the text as you express your thoughts. List the page numbers of the examples.
- Your highlighted quotes should focus on vocabulary, descriptions, themes, or figurative language (similes, metaphors, imagery, etc.) that you find compelling. On the left side column of your journal, you should underline at least one word that is the focal point of your entry.
- Please make sure that your writing is legible. Do your own work, and please proofread it for spelling and punctuation.
Journal Prompts: The following are possible, but not exclusive, starter sentences for your response to quoted passages in your journal:
I do not understand…
I noticed that…
I now understand…
This character reminds me of…because…
I think the setting is important because…
I think the relationship between _______________ and _______________ is interesting because…
I really like this (idea, person, attitude, etc.) because…
Something I noticed (appreciated, wondered, etc.) is…
My favorite passage (or quote) is ______________________ because…
I like (dislike) ____________________ because…
Then, use transition words to push your thinking into analysis. Fill up the space!
| In other words… This shows… On the other hand…
Furthermore… However… Basically… To take this further…
|
Here is an example of what two high quality dialectical journal entries might look like…
| Quotation | Page # | Reaction/Response |
| Book: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Entry #1 of 10
July 1, 2011
“The house on Mango Street is ours, and we don’t have to pay rent to anybody, or share the yard with the people downstairs, or be careful not to make too much noise, and there isn’t a landlord banging on the ceiling with a broom.”
Theme: What “ownership” means to a family |
8 |
I noticed that she is listing experiences people who rent homes and apartments might have experienced as well. This might pull those readers closer to her through common experience. It also serves to pull the reader who has never rented into her narrative. She lists multiple inconveniences and negative aspects of this lifestyle (paying rent, sharing a yard, having to be quiet) and this begins to create and image. While Esperanza’s family no longer has to deal with these problems, their neighbors on Mango Street do. It provides a window into a lifestyle. It helps show the difference between the new feeling of owning a house and the old feeling of being a tenant in someone else’s house. |
|
Book: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Entry #2 of 10
“But my mother’s hair, my mother’s hair, like little rosettes, like little candy circles all curly and pretty because she pinned it in pin-curls all day, sweet to put your nose into when she is holding you, holding you and you feel safe, is the warm smell of bread before you bake it, is the smell when she makes room for you on her side of the bed.” |
10-11 |
Something I concluded here is that the long list of similes and metaphors describing her mother’s hair must be important. She describes her father’s hair in one sentence—as well as the hair of the other family members. The repetition of “holding you” is a clue as well. She obviously has a strong connection to her mother and it must be the most important relationship in her life—at least in her family. Other evidence of this closeness is the association of a smell—the smell of bread—with her mother. Olfactory memories are some of the strongest. It reminds me of smell associations I have, like the smell of Coppertone sunscreen and the trip my family and I took to Mexico. Every time I smell it, I am transported back to that carefree time—that’s why I still buy it. Warm bread connotes comfort and care. It takes time and patience to bake.
|
Summer Reading Book List
Utopian and Dystopian Writing: A Genre Study
As we head toward our upcoming school year, we will deepen our understanding and connection with literature through exploring the genre of Utopian and Dystopian writing. Dystopian literature is generally considered to be a subgenre within the genre of science fiction.
In this genre of writing, you will grapple with ideas of social organization. The role of the individual and the limits of freedom are considered. In some cases, societies are idealized and in some the writers explore the need for survival, reform, or formation of a new society. Reading these books will add to our understanding of this genre as we also begin to consider similar universal themes expressed in both The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson and in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
Our working definition of a Utopia is: a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions.
So much has been written about Utopias beginning with Sir Thomas More who wrote Utopia in 1516—first in Latin and then later translated into English in 1551. In More’s Utopia, Utopia is an imaginary island with a perfect social and political system in which everyone is treated fairly. Little did he know when he wrote his book, More’s idea of Utopia would influence writers the world over. Because this perfect state of government and existence is imaginary, Utopia has come to mean an impossible, idealistic plan. His book has promoted all kinds of utopias as well as thousands of stories and novels that are considered to be in the genre of Utopian Literature.
So, some equate the concept of Utopia with dreaming and unrealistic thinking—to be out of touch with reality. However, some choose to see the concept of Utopia as a reality and hope. As readers, these Utopias often make us want to reform our personal and social lives to live up to some ideal. Neverland, Narnia, Hogwarts, Middle Earth, Wonderland, and Oz are all examples of fantasy worlds that might be considered Utopian.
Adapted from: Utopian and Dystopian Writing for children and Young Adults; edited by Carrie Hintz & Elaine Ostry
A Dystopia is the opposite of a Utopia. It is an imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad as from deprivation, oppression, or terror.
Dystopian literature describes such places and the societies within them.
Your assignment is to read two of the following science fiction books… You should be able to find these books at your local library. Many are also available to purchase used on Amazon.com
The City of Ember by Jean DuPrau
Among the Hidden (and/or any other books in this series) by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Shadow Speaker or Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu
Quarantine #1: The Loners by Lex Thomas
Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
Tankborn (and/or any other books in this series) by Karen Sandler
H2O by Virginia Bergin
Genesis by Bernard Beckett
Legend by Marie Lu
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle
The House of the Scorpion or The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer
The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman
Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson
Feed by M.T. Anderson
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Taken by Edward Bloor
Eva by Peter Dickinson
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien
Dune by Frank Herbert
Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner
Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra or That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis
These are not science fiction books, but share similar characteristics and themes; you may choose any of these also …
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
As you read, for EACH BOOK, you must produce 5 dialectical journal entries. In writing your entries, you might also consider the following questions in order to deepen your understanding of the text and of the genre of Dystopian/Utopian writing. You don’t have to respond to these questions in your entries, but it will be helpful to keep them in mind in preparation for our Socratic Seminar.
|
● How do modern-day global issues spark an author’s idea for a novel? ● How does an author’s references to scientific principles affect the reader? ● What would have to happen for our current world to evolve in a way that makes this setting and its plot a real possibility by the time the novel takes place? ● Are people naturally “good,” or are laws necessary in order to make them good? Do people need to be protected from making “wrong” choices? Is censorship ever necessary? ● What does it mean to be “civilized?” What are the benefits of civilization? What are the disadvantages? ● What does it mean to be human? How do advancements in civilization impact what it means to be human? ● What are the effects of ruling through love versus ruling through fear? Which is better and why? ● What are the responsibilities of a stranger in a new land? ● Why do people challenge authorities? What are the consequences and why are people willing to face them? ● What are the responsibilities of a good citizen? ● What are the qualities of a good leader/ruler? Must a good leader be heroic? ● What do the rules, laws, moral codes and/or spiritual beliefs of a society tell us about its values? ● How does national identity impact one’s spiritual identity? How does one’s spiritual identity impact one’s national identity? ● What is the role of art in society? ● Is censorship ever justified? Why would an authority want to limit or control the exchange of information? |
This work is due the first week of school. Failure to complete it will prevent you from successfully participating in our Socratic Seminar discussion!
Checklist for Success: Keep a log of your progress towards completion of your Summer Reading Assignment Below.
Did I…
- Read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
- Answer 4 questions about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2 questions from Part A, 2 questions from Part B) in complete 5-7 sentence responses.
- Read each page of Ms. Mahoney’s Summer Reading Assignment instructions, contacting Ms. Mahoney with any questions if necessary.
- Read two texts from the list on p. 4-5.
- Complete 5 dialectical journal entries PER book (10 entries total) as you read in a marble/composition notebook.
EMK Summer Reading 