IB 12!

IB SENIOR Summer Assignments – 2014-2015 school year

Instructors:   Mrs. Charlotte Meuwissen and Ms. Kristi Latimer

Over the summer you need to read the four novels that the class studies in the second semester.  These are, in order:

1.     The Awakening, Kate Chopin

2.     The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

3.     Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe

4.     Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison

Assignment Requirements

·      For each text you are expected to complete one Reader Response journal (see details below.)

·      Do only one journal per text, but make it one full, typed page.

·      You may use bullet points to list quotes that support an idea, but the rest must be written as prose.  USE MLA rules for quotes, TLC, punctuation, headings, margins, etc.

·      You choose which novel to pair with which topic. For example, you might match The Awakening and Character, or The Great Gatsby and Setting, or The Great Gatsby and style – BUT YOU PICK. You must write about each topic once and each novel once.

·      The assigned books are available here at school, Powell’s, and the public library.

·      You most likely will want to purchase texts for personal use so you may mark them. 

·      You will be responsible for completing journals as you read. As always, plagiarism and paraphrasing others’ ideas is not acceptable; your own analysis is crucial here.

details on reverse

Assignment Details

For each of the four journals, respond to one of the following prompts. Each entry should be clearly labeled with title of novel and chosen response. Journals should respond to passages noted throughout the novel; do not take all quotes from chapter one, etc. If you do, every journal will receive reduced credit.

1. Motif and Theme. How does the author use a particular motif to develop a theme that unfolds over the course of the novel? Clearly identify what the theme is and how it is created. Remember that a theme should be defined in a sentence or a phrase, rather than just one word. For example, “love” is not a theme. “The emotional havoc wrought by lost love” is a theme.   Reader Response:  What does the motif allow you to either honor or abhor about the protagonist.

2. Setting. What are five qualities or  properties of the novel’s setting? What about the setting evokes a sense of wonder?  What about the setting evokes a sense of history?   What about the setting evokes a sense of darkness and of light?  How does the author finesse this? Reader Response: How does setting help the author convey a theme, develop characters, etc.? Remember that “setting” is a time and place, but settings can change throughout a text.

3. Characterization. Reference the beginning, middle, and end of the text. Consider:  how does a particular character start out?  And in the middle of the text what happens?  And how does this character end up? How and why does the character evolve or stagnate? What is to be learned by his/her growth or lack of growth? What is a particularly compelling conflict between your chosen character and others in the text? What piece of the character’s dialogue do you find especially significant and why?

4. Literary Techniques: Style and Tone. How does an author tell his/her story? Does s/he rely heavily on imagery to create a mood? Do symbols play a dominant role in the text? Select a particularly rich passage for comment. In your discussion, highlight style, including the use of imagery, flashback, symbol, motif, repetition, simile, metaphor, irony, etc.

      Prepare to use your commentary skills here. How does an author create a specific tone? Identify the tone of a passage and explain how it is created. Consider syntax, diction, connotation/denotation, sound devices, etc. To find a passage highlighting tone, look for passages that surprise, shock, or confuse you, or make you laugh out loud. An emotional reaction to a short passage usually results from the tone the author has created.

Avoid the following (in the summer reading and throughout your senior year):

• Summarizing or paraphrasing a key passage. Always ask what the passage is saying, how the message is conveyed, and the effect of such a message conveyed in such a way.
• Attempting to compile thoughtful journals the night before school begins.
• Assuming the “right” answers can be found on Cliffs Notes, Spark Notes, Grade Saver, etc. These tools provide bland, basic overviews that stifle your independent analysis and distract you from noticing subtle details. NOTE: Journals based on these readily available materials will receive a score of 0.

Your journals are due the first day of the first semester to Ms. Latimer and Mrs. Meuwissen.