Honors Sophomore Summer Information - Metea Valley High School

Metea Valley High School
English II Honors
Summer Requirement
Reading and Writing Assignments:
Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer
In the author’s note at the beginning of the book, Jon Krakauer states his personal reasons for writing the
book as well as mentioning the controversy created at the release of the original article he wrote on Chris
McCandless’ life and death that was published in a magazine called Outside. Krakauer acknowledges his
writing may have elicited “sharply divergent points of view: Some readers admired the boy immensely
for his courage and noble ideals; others fulminated that he was a reckless idiot, a wacko, a narcissist who
perished out of arrogance and stupidity – and was undeserving of the considerable media attention he
received.” With this in mind, please carefully read / view each of the following sources and use them to
respond to the prompt provided.
Your tasks:
Think carefully about the two divergent points of view on McCandless’ life and death mentioned
above and annotate while reading for both positions. Gather evidence that allows you to create an
argument either for McCandless’ courage and noble ideas or for his arrogance and stupidity.
After reading the novel, approach each of the following sources analyzing the information and
ideas they present. Consider, annotate, take notes, and reflect on the evidence for each opposing
viewpoint on McCandless’ life and death.
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_kamler_medical_miracle_on_everest.html
http://www.thinthreads.com/samples/uturn.html
Use the collected / synthesized evidence to write a 500-600 word essay that clearly argues your
claim.
The prompt: Some people think that Chris McCandless was a person with noble ideas that he courageously
sought; others feel his actions revealed recklessness and arrogance. Using direct (quotations) and indirect
(paraphrase) evidence from the sources provided, defend and support your position on Chris McCandless’ life
and death.
If you have any questions on either of the assignments or on the book, please feel free to contact any of
the teachers below for clarification.
Linette_Chaloka@ipsd.org
Rebecca_Walker@ipsd.org
Jessica_Thomas@ipsd.org

Rubric – Please read carefully before beginning!
Papers should be written in MLA format (guide is attached), be argumentative in nature,
and not contain simple plot summary. The grade for the paper will be entered in the
writing /communication category for all classes.
Assignment: 30-Point Diagnostic Writing Assignment (Writing /Communication
Grade)
30-28 A Superior work! The ‘A’ response shows appropriate writing control of the English language, as seen through
the use of complete sentences, coherent thought, and concise word choice (diction). Student work at this level shows a
thorough study of Into the Wild, as evidenced by a clear argument that fully addresses the complex issue of
McCandless’ life and death. The paper is typed in Times New Roman, size 12 font, is written in the appropriate tense,
and adheres to the MLA format attached.
27-25 B Above average work! The ‘B’ response still shows control of the English language, just without the maturity,
depth, or organization of an ‘A’ essay. The evidence supplied is clear and aligns to your argument. You have read
carefully, though without the detail or fluency of the ‘A’ writer. The paper is typed in Times New Roman, size 12 font,
is written in the appropriate tense, and adheres to the MLA format attached.
24-22 C Average work. A response in the ‘C’ range does successfully address the issue of McCandless’ life and death, it
just does so in a very superficial manner. There is a noticeable lack of clarity or organization in the student’s writing,
often marked by broad generalizations or unfocused personal connections. The novel tends to be inaccurately covered
in writing of this level. The paper is typed in Times New Roman, size 12 font and adheres to the MLA format attached.
21-20 D Below Average work. The ‘D’ range response is marked by haste, poor reading details, and/or flawed
writing for a sophomore honors student. More frequent errors in word choice, homophones, or sentence structure
emerge. The novel appears to be ineptly read or written about in essays in this range. The writer may struggle with
MLA format.
19-and below. F Insufficient or insincere effort. You have not put forth any independent thought or have shown
minimal attention to the reading. Responses of this level are marked by brevity, superficial recall of details, or
incoherent writing. The student’s English may be in need of intense remediation. Should a response be less than one
page long, show lack of control of the English language, or be insincere, it can fall below passing.

METEA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
Department of English
GUIDELINES FOR ALL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS SUBMITTED IN THIS CLASS
(INCLUDING HOMEWORK, IN-CLASS ESSAY , PROCESS ESSAYS, ASSESSMENT ESSAYS, OR INFORMAL WRITING
ASSIGNMENTS, HANDWRITTEN OR TYPED WRITING, ETC.)
Smith 1
MLA HEADING INFORMATION:
Pete Smith
Mrs. Glaser
English I (5)
20 August 2013
Student’s last name and page number
Student’s Full Name
Teacher’s Name
Class (Period)
Due Date of Assignment
Title of the Essay or Assignment (NOTE:
MLA does not use a title page!)
Reasons to Expand
Ross-Aide Stadium
During the 2000 football season, the Purdue
Boilermakers won the Big Ten Conference Title, earned their
first trip in thirty-four years, and played every game in from of a
sold-out crowd. Looking ahead…
SUBSEQUENT PAGES: BEGIN WITH THE
STUDENT’S LAST NAME AND PAGE NUMBER
IN THE UPPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER!
SPACING: STUDENTS SHOULD DOUBLE-SPACE
WHEN TYPING OR SKIP LINES WHILE
WRITING!
MARGINS: PAY ATTENTION TO 1” MARGINS !