Grade 11 Summer Reading Assignment

Welcome to 11^th Grade! 

Enjoy your summer!

          Have Fun – Be Safe!

                   Read a good book from the 11^th grade reading list!

Choose something you will enjoy

                   Create a journal while you are reading your book

NOT ALL READING ASSIGNMENTS ARE CREATED EQUAL –

                                                READ THIS ASSIGNMENT CAREFULLY !!!

Guidelines, Tips and Tricks for Full Credit

          All work is due no later than the third class meeting.

          Word process or write neatly in a journal/notebook.

          There are nine (9) parts to this journal! 

Follow instructions!  Complete all entries while reading the book!

(It is much easier to complete journal entries as you finish each section of the book than to remember feelings, thoughts, or even facts later.)

Entries are designed to get you to think about what you’re reading while you’re reading.

Keep your journal with you as you read – make notes, ask questions, draw doodles – anything that will help you to actively interact with the text.  The goal of this assignment is to actively read and interact with your book and to produce a journal displaying that interaction.

Reading Journal Instructions:

Divide your book into three (3) sections,

as you read each section,

maintain a reading journal of your:

a) reflections,

b) questions you may have, and

c) responses to memorable quotes (not limited to dialogue).

Note: Competed journal will include three sections with three parts each.

          See example below for clarification

Reflections:

These entries should be a log of your ideas and thoughts about the plot and literary elements found within the plot. This is NOT a plot summary!

Ideas below are great starters for reflective journal entries.  Do not repeat the same question in more than two journal entries. 

- What do you think will happen next?

- How is a character like/unlike people I know? Do they change?

- How is the setting like/unlike time and places I know?

- How does the setting affect the characters?

- Are there effective descriptions of characters, places, events? Which ones? Why?

- How do different parts of the reading make you feel?

- What issue is the author dealing with (theme)? Think about topics such as identity, conflict, love, growing up, diversity, etc.

- Finish this idea: “I love the way the author. . .” Be complete and give examples to support your opinion.

- What kind of person is the main character? What do other characters think or say about this character? Why do they feel this way? How does your character treat other people in the book? How does the character change throughout the book? Explain and give support for your answers.

- I would/would not recommend this reading to…(who)?  Why?

Other ideas to incorporate into the reflective entries of your journal might include:

- Draw pictures of important scenes.

- Create a quick timeline for each chapter.

- Write a poem based on the mood/images/ideas found within the book.

- Write a letter to someone discussing why you think he or she should read it.

- Draw a symbol that is central to the book.

- Imagine you are a character within the book – write a diary entry from this character’s perspective.

-         Write interview questions to ask a character.

Reflections should include thought, not summarization.  If you proofread your journal and only read about the action as it happens within your book, you are missing real thought and analysis of the book!

Questions:

These entries should include any questions (at least four per journal entry) that you may have about the text.  As you are reading, what action/dialogue/ideas send up a flag in your brain that says, “I don’t understand!”  Ask the question here. The question may be answered later in the text, (perhaps even within the “section,” but it helps to notice what is confusing as you read.

It often makes sense to write these questions while you are actually reading.  If we don’t write down the questions we have AS we read, we tend to forget them later.

If your question is about a specific passage or situation, write down the page number where it happens!

You can ask as many questions as you like but at least four per journal entry.

Memorable Quotations:

For the final set of entries in your journal, locate and copy, with page number, important quotations you read in the book.

But, it doesn’t stop there! You must also explain why you think each is important. An isolated quotation doesn’t help the reader of your journal (or you, for that matter!) to better understand something about the book you’re reading. 

By thinking about what or how the author is writing, you are actively interacting and thinking about what is being said.

You must answer at least one (1) of the following questions when writing about your memorable quotation but may write more.

Questions to consider when writing why the quotation is memorable:

- How does the quotation show a specific character’s development?

- How is the quotation an image that helps you to really see the action in the text?

- How does the quotation help illustrate a central theme of the book?

- How does the quotation’s language and structure affect how we read it?

- How is this a turning point in the plot of the book?

- How does this quotation foreshadow later events within the text?

- How does this quotation help me to better understand what I am reading?

Here is an example of how to set up your journal:

1) First Third of Your Book:

a) reflections

b) questions

c) memorable quotes/explanation

2) Second Third of Your Book:

a) reflections

b) questions

c) memorable quotes/explanation

3) Final Third of Your Book:

a) reflections

b) questions

c) memorable quotes/explanation

Final Thoughts:

As you read your book, don’t wait until it’s done to write your journal entries! Your journal will get you to think about what you’re reading while you’re reading. Keep your journal with you as you read – make notes, ask questions, draw doodles – anything that will help you to actively interact with the text.