LREI: Library/Resources

Tenth grade English examines the various literary movements of America and the pivotal historical moments from which they emerge. Students will read, discuss, and write about literary representations of the American experience, addressing how selected texts reflect the many permutations of the American Dream.

The required summer reading for tenth grade is The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien.
The Things They Carried is a collection of linked short stories about the Vietnam War. We chose this text because it documents a critical moment in United States history and its lasting effect on the American consciousness. O’Brien writes insightfully about the American experience as well as the nature of storytelling, providing interesting links between themes of ninth and tenth grade English. Although several of the stories can stand alone, the text is meant to be read as a whole.

You will find many connections between the stories in terms of character, theme, and narrative elements. We ask that you read each story in the order in which they appear, so that you can experience the text the way in which the author intended.

Instructions: Summer Reading Assignment
Please follow the directions below carefully. Each direction should be completed in the order in which it is listed. Take your time with each part and enjoy your reading, writing, and annotating.

Materials needed: your The Things They Carried text, this packet, and a pen or pencil for annotating your text.

1) Review the annotation handout carefully. To annotate means to write notes and comments directly into the margins of a text. This handout offers you some suggested guidelines for annotating The Things They Carried. The pages in this handout are directly from the text. Notice that the annotations on these pages include notes and questions in the margins, explanations of historical and literary references, markings around repeated or striking images or phrases, as well as definitions of important vocabulary words and terms. You can also mark passages that interest you or appeal to you along with your responses to those passages.

2) Read The Things They Carried and annotate the text as you read. Whether you follow the guidelines on the annotation handout or create your own personal system of annotation, you are required to annotate each story in the text. Your English teacher will check your text in the fall when we discuss the summer reading.

3) As you read, consider the essential questions below. Mark any passages that seem to relate to one or more of these questions:

• How does O’Brien define the role and purpose of storytelling?
• What are the ways that O’Brien chooses to convey past experiences, especially when those experiences are disturbing or painful?
• How does O’Brien define a “true war story”? How do you as a reader distinguish between fact and fiction in this text?
• What images, themes, or symbols do you see repeated in the text? What is the significance of these repeated images, themes or symbols? Why does O’Brien use repetition?
• How does the legacy of the Vietnam War continue to permeate the American consciousness? What is the place of Vietnam veterans in our society?
• How do stories about Vietnam complicate or contradict notions about America and the American Dream?

4) When you finish reading the text, review your annotations. Be sure to note any patterns that emerged or recurring themes that appealed to you.

5) Choose ONE of the essential questions above and write a 2-page typed response to that question. You must refer to at least three separate stories in your response. Your response should include at least three relevant quotations or pieces of evidence—one piece of evidence from each of the stories you select. Make sure to include your explanation and analysis of these quotations in your response. Please double-space your work and use 12-point Times New Roman font. Your response is due on the first day of classes, Friday, September 7, 2007.

Please make sure to use the following writing rules while you write your response:
• Whole books or texts are written with italics: The Things They Carried
• Short story titles are written with quotation marks: “Love”
• Evidence or quotes are written to fit into the meaning and syntax of your sentence. For example: I agree with O’Brien when he writes that “[s]tories are for eternity, when memory is erased” (38).
• Page numbers for quotes are placed in parentheses at the end of the sentence in which the quote is used.
• These are personal responses, so the use of “I” is acceptable.

Have a wonderful time reading The Things They Carried. We look forward to seeing you in the fall.

Overview
All tenth graders have to read The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Students should complete the Take Home Essay Question before the first day of class. They should also annotate their books in preparation for the In Class Essays, which they will complete during the first week of classes. Finally, all students need to be prepared to contribute to discussions on the book.

Take Home Essay Question
The essay is due the first day of history class. The essay should be typed and double-spaced using standard margins and-point Times New Roman font.

Directions: Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs addressing the task below, and a conclusion.

Task: Using information from the summer reading and your knowledge of American history, write an essay in which you answer the following question.
- Do you think Malcolm X considered himself a civil rights leader? Why or why not?

In your essay, be sure to:
- Develop all aspects of the task
- Support your choice with relevant facts, examples, and details
- Use a logical and clear plan of organization, including an introduction, and a conclusion.
- Support your answer with evidence from The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

In Class Essay Questions
The following essays will be completed in class during the first full week of school. Students should annotate summer reading in preparation for the essays. During the writing, students will be able to refer to their books.

Directions: Be able to write a well-organized essay for both questions contained in the task. The essays should each include an introduction, several paragraphs addressing the task, and a conclusion.

Task: Using information from the summer reading and your knowledge of American history, write an essay for each of the following:
- It has been said that Malcolm X both "inspired and petrified" the nation. Why do you think he was described that way?
- Malcolm X's beliefs were shaped by the racial hatred of white supremacy. At the end of Malcolm's story, he goes through a change while on a pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca. How had his ideals transformed at this point in his life?

In your essays, be sure to:
- Develop all aspects of the task
- Support your choice with relevant facts, examples, and details
- Use a logical and clear plan of organization, including an introduction, and a conclusion.
- Support your answer with evidence from The Autobiography of Malcolm X.