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SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT

 

 

Power of HabitHonors English II - Summer ReadingPower of Habit

THE POWER OF HABIT BY CHARLES DUHIGG 

Mrs. Nancy Counts – ncounts@opsb.net

Welcome to 10th grade Honors English. I am looking forward to an awesome year of learning together! You have elected to take Honors English II. This class is designed to be rigorous and to prepare a student for college, the ACT, and the SAT. The curriculum for this class includes weekly vocabulary, challenging reading, analytical writing, and class discussions. You are expected to complete the summer reading assignments and to come to class prepared to participate.  If you are dismayed by any of this, remember that this level of English II is optional.

Reading a Non-Fiction Text  - This is precisely the kind of nonfiction book ACT experts recommend.  Books a Million has a limited supply so this book most likely has to be ordered so do not delay!

Goal of Summer Reading – No Brain Drain

Assignment -  Annotate, Annotate, Annotate...then Annotate some more   

Students never have a clue what annotation is.  It is nothing more than a big fancy English word for taking notes while reading so the reader will stay engaged with what he/she is reading and not fall asleep!  Students want to know how much is enough. Children learn quickly to never ask this question because I never respond. Students are also notorious for simply highlighting random things so the teacher will think they annotated. Understand the purpose behind annotating:  

  • Preparation for objective test - Better annotation equals better test score.  

  • First text covered during the year - Better annotation equals easier transition into first six week’s work – in other words, you will not have to re-read in order to accomplish writing tasks and find quotes and parenthetical citations.  

  • Good habits – More preparation work completed at the beginning of an assignment translates into less time needed to generate the final product.  

What do you annotate during your reading?  

(Annotate directly in your text or in the notes feature on your electronic version – post-its are also fabulous)  

  1. Major points – remember this is nonfiction so focus on main ideas, powerful facts, critical details, helpful charts and graphs, and other interesting details  

  2. Unfamiliar vocabulary – be sure to define  

  3. Examples of author’s tone – the way Duhigg approaches certain subjects either favorably/unfavorably  

  4. Examples of how author’s tone generates mood in the reader – how you personally feel about Duhigg's claims  

  5. Powerful diction or word choice that stands out to you  

  6. Important quotations – something worth remembering in the years to come  

  7. Symbolism, Foreshadowing, Allusions, or Imagery that stands out to you (there will not be much of this because it is non-fiction but there is some)

  8. Any questions you may have while reading  

  9. Any connections you make to real life or other things you have read  

  10. Strong personal responses to what is occurring in the book

GRADES  - 30 POINT TEST  

COVERS GENERAL CONTENT OF THE BOOK  

WILL BE GIVEN DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL

ANNOTATION – 20 POINTS

MULTIPLE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE BASED ON ANNOTATION SO THE BETTER THE ANNOTATION, THE EASIER THE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF SCHOOL!