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Honors Communication 10: 2011 Summer Reading

Required Activities
Welcome! I am Mrs. Stevens and will work with you this summer on your required
readings and blog posts. What are we reading? Speak by Laura Halse Anderson
and selections from Readings in World Literature
Contact Information: pstevens@fairview.iu5.org Table of Contents
Blog: http://pstevensfhs.blogspot.com/ Directions
Due Dates
Directions Speak Discussion
Read through all of the directions and Questions
World Reading
explanations in this document. Then…
Choices
1. Create a Gmail account like this one with graduation Link to Models of
year, last name, first initial: 13smithj@gmail.com. Answers
Please use this email to contact me if you have any Blog Post Rubric
questions (pstevens@fairview.iu5.org) or call me at Evaluation Chart
home at 814.756.4880.
2. Borrow or buy Speak. Pre-read the novel discussion questions below, read
Speak, answer three study guide questions of your choice, and then read the
world literature selections (4 short stories and 2 poems) from the list
below. Take notes, and if you bought the novel, highlight. Do not highlight
or take notes in the Readings in World Literature.
3. In a Word document, type your answers for three (3) discussion questions for
Speak (or six (6 ) for the novel if you are not coming to a book talk). Save
your file and name it as follows: lastname title of novel Discussion Answers
and Replies 2011. Example: Jones Speak Discussion Answers and
Replies 2011.doc
4. Go to http://pstevensfhs.blogspot.com/ (if necessary, join using the same
format as email account), and sign in to post your answers to the blog under
the question of the same topic. You may need to click on the links in the
right-hand archive or on the “Older Posts” links to see all of the questions.
Click on “Comments” link to access text box. Copy and paste your answers
there. After the due date (July 10, 2011) for the initial answer assignment,
you will be able to read the other students’ answers and develop your replies.
5. Then, read other students' answers. In the same Word document you used
before, develop a reply to two (2) students' answers for Speak (or four (4) if
you are not coming to a book talk). Save these replies to the document.
Label the two sections My Speak Answers and My Student Replies.
6. Copy and paste your replies to students to the correct topic and student post
on the blog by July 31, 2011.
7. Choose and read the selection from Readings in World Literature. Be
prepared to be assessed and to discuss these readings at the book
discussion.
8. Upload your Word document to your Edline Honors Communication 10 class
Assignment Homework Hand-In folder before Friday, September 9, 2011.
9. Attend one of the book talks (Before August 9, 2011, email me and tell me
which you plan to attend): Thursday, August 11, 2011, from 1:00 to
3:00 p.m. or Wednesday, August 17, 2011, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in
the Fairview High School library.
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Be prepared to discuss characters, character development, plot, literary

devices, and symbolism for Speak and the world readings and to take a quiz
on the world readings.
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Due Dates
June 9, 2011: Create a gmail account. 13smithj@gmail.com). Please use
this email to contact
me if you have any questions (pstevens@fairview.iu5.org), or
call me at home at
814.756.4880.
June 9, 2011: Join our blog: http://pstevensfhs.blogspot.com/
July 8, 2011: Complete your reading and analysis of Speak
July 10, 2011: Submit to the blog at least three (3) discussion answers to
Speak questions. After all students have posted their answers, I
will approve them and you will be able to read your peers’
answers.
July 31, 2011: Post replies to two (2) other students’ original Speak
answers.
August 10, 2011: Complete reading the selections from Readings in World
Literature
August 10 or 18: Attend either of two book talks on Wednesday, August
10, 2011, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. or on Thursday, August
18, 2011, at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Fairview High School
library. If you cannot attend, post six (6) answers and
four (4) replies for Speak.
Friday, September 9, 2011: Before 9/9/11, turn in the discussion and
replies file through Edline’s Homework Hand-in in Mrs.
Stevens’ (and your) Honors Communications 10 Edline
page. See me or call me if you need any directions for
this assignment.

Readings in World Literature

You will be quizzed on this material at the summer reading book discussion that you
attend or during the first week of school during tutorial.

1. The Myth Makers (Select one short story from the following)
“The Quest of the Golden Fleece”
“Baldur”

2. The Making of Heroes (Select one short story from the following)
Homer: “The Death of Hector, Book 22 of the Iliad”
Virgil: “The Fall of Troy” from Book 2 of the Aeneid

3. The World of Irony (Select one short story from the following)
“The Piece of String”
“The Train from Rhodesia”
“A Sunrise on the Veld”
“An Astrologer’s Day”

4. The Power of Love (Select two poems from the following)

“On a Journey”
“Parting”
“A Wish”
“Spring Road”
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5. Visions of the Future (Select one reading from the following)

“He—y, Come On Ou—t”
“A Siberian Shepherd’s Report”
“The New Measure of a Man”
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Speak Discussion Questions

1. How does communication deteriorate in Melinda's family? What could each person do to
improve it?

2. Why do we sometimes not like people who are really good at things, like sports, music,
art, or school? Is this fair? Are adults like this?

3. Are we sometimes different people on the outside than we are on the inside? How?
Why is this true, do you think? Relate this topic to the characters in Speak.

4. Who is a "real" American? What do you think of Mr. Neck's opinion? Going by his
definition, are some of you not really Americans? How does that seem to you?

5. Why is it that people sometimes "like us" more when they can get something out of us?
Are the Marthas good friends to Heather? Why or why not?

6. What should we value in other people? What qualities are important in a person? What
do you usually notice first about someone? Does that matter or not?

7. Mr. Freeman tells his class, "You must walk alone to find your soul." What does this
mean? Is it true?

8. Mr. Freeman also says that "art is about making mistakes and learning from them."
What else is like this? Explain.

9. Mr. Freeman, again! He tells Melinda that "nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting." He's
literally talking about a drawing of tree, but what do you think he really means?

10. Melinda's father explains to her that the arborists are cutting off disease and damage to
make it possible for the tree to grow again. How can the pruning of the tree be compared
to Melinda's life?
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Summer Reading Evaluation 2011-2012

Laurie Halsey Anderson’s Speak
Reading from World Literature

Name:

Attended Speak World Lit Total Points

discussion 3 Answers Quiz
(30) 4 short
2 replies stories
(10) 2 poems
(20) (100)

(40) (40)

Comments:
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Model Blog Posts

Sample student posts: http://pstevensfhs.wikispaces.com/Responding+to+a+Discussion+Thread

Online Discussion Rubric 2011

Scoring Levels
Scoring
Criteria Advanced Proficient Emerging Novice

Responds to and posts Responds to one or Responds to one of No postings

Frequenc three or more two of the questions the questions and
y substantive replies to and posts one or two to one or two other
of questions and replies replies to other students’ posts.
Postings to two or more other students’ posts.
students’ posts.

Response to teacher’s None of the posts are Some of the posts Most or all
initial posting and all late. are late. of the posts
multiple replies to are late or
Timeline
other members' are not
ss
postings are completed posted.
of
within specified time
Postings
and are usually done
well in advance of the
due date.

Responds in a scholarly Responses Responses relate to Responses

fashion to the demonstrate a clear reading, but offer are not
teacher’s initial posting understanding of the little analytic related to
and posts two or more reading. Provides elaboration. reading or
substantive replies that much more Evidence of possible there are no
further the discussion quoted/paraphrased misunderstandings postings.
Content to other group material than analysis. or lacks depth of
of members' postings. reading.
Postings Responses are
insightful and
demonstrate a strong
understanding of the
reading. Analysis
and support are
balanced.

Rules of grammar, Rules of grammar, Rules of grammar, There are

spelling, and sentence spelling, and sentence spelling, and many errors
structure are followed structure are followed sentence structure in grammar,
and with very few but with a noticeable are issues of spelling,
errors. MLA in-text amount of errors. concern for this and
Conventi
citations are used Some in-text citations writer. No in-text sentence
ons
correctly. are used but may citations are made. structure in
have errors. this writing.
No in-text
citations are
made.
Note: This will be used as a holistic rubric. Therefore, I will look for the score column which seems to be a best match to the learner's
performance.