Summer+Reading+Assignment+2013

 Summer Reading Information 2013 =This will be our first year to use the wiki for summer reading and if you follow the instructions at the right time, everything will be fine. I've included your assignments as well as instructions below. The address for the wiki is http://mrparkerhhs.wikispaces.com. The preferences are set so that anybody can view the site, but you still have to be a member to edit anything. = =Instructions for joining the wiki: =
 * 1) 1. Email me at nparker@hps.k12.ok.us with your name and email address. I will send you an invitation to the site; you will need to create an account for yourself. One thing though, please make your user name recognizable as you, so we know who we are talking to.
 * 2) 2. Once you are a member, you need to familiarize yourself with the wiki and how to post to the discussions. Each class will have its own page for each book with the discussion page linked there.

__Assignments and Due Dates __ For the due date, you need to make 30 meaningful posts. The due date is the first day of school.

__Pre-AP English I __ = // All Quiet on the Western Front // by Erich Maria Remarque =

Obtaining copies of the books I advise you to purchase the books if you can, so that you can write in them. The town library always has a couple of copies of my summer reading books. I have the books, now what? Now we read! I want you to read and annotate (in the book, if it’s yours and on paper or a computer file if it’s not) as we go along. Ask and answer discussion questions on the wiki. When you don’t understand something or you find something interesting, I want you to bring it up. I want more than just “What does this word mean?” questions, but I do not want you to not ask a clarification question because you think it sounds stupid. Trust me, you aren’t the only one who doesn’t know the answer to that question; be brave and ask for the others! I also want you to talk about character development, theme, irony, other literary devices, plot structure, diction, etc.

You can post any time after school ends and before the due date for that portion of the book.

Each due date requires a specific number of meaningful posts. Meaningful means that for it to count towards your grade, it must be more than a simple clarification question/answer.

Example of a meaningful post :

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Meaningful Question <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif; font-size: medium;">: On page 99, what lesson does the creature learn? What does that tell us about him?

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Meaningful Answer <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif; font-size: medium;">: He learns that stealing from the cottagers is wrong and that it hurts them when he takes their food. They are very poor and since he can get by on nuts and berries, it’s wrong of him to take advantage of them. This shows us that the creature is naturally compassionate. He’s had zero instruction on how to be a good person, but it seems like he knows already that you don’t hurt others. This means that Victor is wrong, wrong, wrong to call the creature evil and monstrous.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">I Don’t Have Internet Access all summer! Or I’m going to be so blindingly busy at Falls Creek I won’t be able to post that week! What do I do?

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Don’t stress. Just get your posting done before you go. If you have a full summer schedule, and you’re afraid you won’t get it all done, either let me know what your schedule is so I know what to expect or do the alternate assignment.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">I Don’t Have Internet Access at all! What do I do?

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif; font-size: medium;">You will need to do the alternate assignment. Please see me for the handout before the end of this school year. It will be a lengthy written assignment, and it will be due on the first day of school next year. <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">How is this all going to be graded? What do I have to turn in?

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">I will count up the number of meaningful posts you've made at the end of the summer. If you have the correct number, you get full credit. If you have more than necessary, you will get extra credit. There will be nothing to turn in on the first day of school unless you do the alternate assignment. If you do the alternate assignment, have all the paperwork neat and stapled, with you name clearly on the top and turn in on the first day of school.