Summer Assignments 2017

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Grade 9

Summer Assignments 2017 English Department: Please purchase summer reading books because they will be used in class at the beginning of the class. If an ISBN number is listed, please purchase that version of the text. No e-books please. Summer Reading Assignments: Read and Annotate: In the margins or on post-it notes in the text, you should have annotations that may ask questions, make comments, and/or record thoughts/observations/connections. These notes should link to any underlining, asterisks, circles, brackets, or any other appropriately meaningful symbol to note important information about literary elements and devices. If you need more guidance on how or what to annotate as you read consider the guidelines below. (1) As you read, observe the characters and the conflicts they undergo as well as the possible theme(s) they help the author create. Mark significant words and/or phrases that would help you understand and remember information about how characters act, what they say, how they look, what they think, what other characters say about them, and what the author may say about them. (2) Mark words/phrases that show how each author uses literary elements and devices other than characterization--setting, point of view, conflict/plot structure, stylistic elements (diction, imagery, details, syntax, personification, repetition, metaphor, irony, etc.) to create effects, ideas or convey a purpose. Language and Literature I (College Prep) Required: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd Language and Literature I (McAuley Honors) Required: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd Required: Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton

History Department: While we are not requiring reading for the next school year, here are some books that might interest you based on the topics we will cover in class. We encourage you to read for pleasure this summer. World Cultures (All Students) Recommended: Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan by Hildi Khan Nzingha: Warrior Queen of Matamba, Angola by Patricia McKissak Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman The Royal Diaries (any of the series)

Grade 9 World Language Department Spanish II Honors (as indicated by language placement test) Students enrolled in Spanish II Honors for the 2017-2018 school year are responsible of the following: 1. All work should be done in a separate notebook. 2. You will read a short novel titled: ‘Casi Se Muere’ that will be available to you electronically. 3. You are responsible of annotating throughout your reading. Annotating in foreign language means creating a list of words that you do not understand and writing down their meaning in English (you should have at least five (5) words for each chapter). Note: The book includes a word bank on the back, however you must still create your own list of vocabulary words. 4. At the end of each chapter, you will write a one (1) paragraph summary in Spanish of the chapter. 5. Finally, in the first week of classes, students will be responsible for an assessment of the novel based on comprehension. Your teacher will provide a copy of the book electronically. There will be an electronic copy on the Mercy High School website as well. The summer assignment is designed so that students may be more successful in their upcoming academic year and further develop their vocabulary as well as to maintain the use of the language.

Math Department: Please refer to the information in the May Mailing.