English 1 Honors - Branham High School

Dear Students and Parents:Honors Freshmen EnglishSummer Reading AssignmentMr. LeiWelcome to Branham High School’s Honors English program for 9 th grade. Our goal isto prepare students for both the Advanced Placement English Language and Literatureprograms by exposing them to a variety of reading selections.Summer reading is a required part of this program. This assignment will be due on thefirst day of class.Step 1: Choose and read one (1) book from the list below:Into Thin AirA Walk in the WoodsSilent Springby John Krakauerby Bill Brysonby Rachel CarsonStep 2: As you read the summer book, highlight interesting, important, or confusingpassages; take notes in the margins about topics and questions you may have. This iscalled annotating. If the book is not yours or you do not plan to write in it, you canstrategically annotate on post-it notes or type out your notes. Mere highlighting is notenough. The teacher will be looking for evidence that the book was read in its entiretyand that you undertook the book. You will be graded on your ability to annotateeffectively. While you are not required to annotate every page, use the guidelines belowto help you:1. Important plot events2. Words unfamiliar or unusual. Look up the meaning of the word or speculate onthe meaning based on context.3. Passages that are significant or of note4. Images or phrases you think might be symbolic or important5. Theme concepts

6. Figurative Language7. Interesting thoughts you have as you read8. Questions that you have as you read9. Use brackets, checks, asterisks, etc. to mark important lines, phrases, words10. Be careful not to mark too much. If you mark everything nothing will stand out.Grading Rubric for AnnotationsABCDFAnnotations are of a often of very high qualityAnnotations are of often high qualityAnnotations demonstrate an understanding of the bookAnnotations do not demonstrate much understanding of the book.Annotations are non existent or of low quality* The frequency of annotations will vary with each student and book, but the expectationis of about 8-10 or more annotations per 20 pages.Step 3: An in-class Response to Literature essay, highlighting the theme of your summerbook, will be assigned during the first 6 weeks of school.For questions/ concerns regarding the summer assignment, please contact Mr. Lei atdlei@cuhsd.orgRegards,Mr. Lei