I graduated from A&M Commerce in 1989(ETSU at the time) but did not begin my professional teaching career until 1998. In the intervening ten years, I was home with our three children who are now out in the adult world being wonderful humans. In my 20+ year career, I've taught secondary English, Pre-AP English, and Speech. I've been in Sunnyvale since 2007, and this year I will add AP Literature and Composition to my experiences. I love to learn and read all sorts of books (although The Book Thief  is my favorite). I like to cook and write letters. Growing lavender, brewing kombucha, and playing the ukulele are things that I'm learning about. I am married to a guy I met when I was 15. We have two daughters and a son, two sons-in-law and a daughter-in-law. We are learning to be grandparents to a sweet little girl.  I enjoy getting to know my students and helping them learn how to be strong communicators through reading, speaking, and writing. Honestly, though I love a good sentence diagram and vocabulary words make me happy, I am most interested in seeing my students learn things beyond the scope of the curriculum as they continue to understand who they are and how to navigate this world. 

Required Summer Assignment for English II

English II Honors REQUIRED Summer Reading Assignment 2020

NOTE: If you have signed up for English II Honors, this assignment is required. 

• Complete the following two reading activities. 
• Come to school on the first day prepared to take a test over the book you select and the ideas in the assigned article. 

Activity 1

The Hero’s Journey is an archetypal pattern that is prolific in the stories of cultures from around the world and across time. This article is a brief synopsis of that pattern. Read it and make sure you can relate its ideas to your summer reading selection.

http://pollocksclass.weebly.com/uploads/7/3/7/8/7378059/reg_harris_and_journey_article.pdf

Activity 2 

Choose one of the books from this list. 

• You may take notes in the book or on your own paper. You may use any notes you have generated yourself on the test on the first day of school. Students can take notes directly in their book or they may be handwritten in a journal. If you would like to type your notes, that is also acceptable; however, printing notes from online sources like Sparknotes, Shmoop, and Wikipedia is not. Notes will be turned in with the test. 

• As you read the book, pay attention to literary elements such as theme, conflicts, and character development. You will also want to make sure you can relate the information about the hero’s journey to your chosen book. 

• I recommend that you look up each book on Amazon or another online source and read a summary. Some sources like Amazon often have a sample from the book so that you can get an idea about the author’s style to see if you like it. 
• You may acquire a copy of this book from several different places.
• You can purchase it new.
• You can purchase it used (*Personally, I buy many books used from Amazon. They’re inexpensive and usually in excellent condition. However, beware that they can take a week or two to come in if you order it this way).
• You can borrow a copy.
• You can check it out from a library.

Reading List:

• The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore. 

• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

• My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY: 

Any student who would like to read an additional book from the honor’s reading list this summer may earn an extra test grade that will be applied to the 2ND QUARTER.  The grade will be earned by attending a graded discussion that will be held before or after school. 

You  may email me at kristin.williams@sunnyvaleisd.com if you have any questions.

Keep in mind that teachers begin their school year and a full time work schedule well before students do. If you wait until the last minute to begin this assignment, you may not have time to receive answers to questions.