Summer Assignments for Incoming Students

List of 5 items.

• English - College Prep

  All incoming students will read the novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. You will be assessed at the beginning of the school year with a test and/or written assignments related to the novel, and/or may work on a project related to your reading.
  
  The link to the College Prep English Summer Assignment is here.

• English - Honors

  All incoming students will read the novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. You will be assessed at the beginning of the school year with a test and/or written assignments related to the novel, and/or may work on a project related to your reading.
  
  Please use the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition and read the foreword by Lois Lowry and the Introduction by Stephen King.  (ISBN 9780143129400) 
  
  

  Please note that you must purchase the edition of the book that is indicated above.  You cannot use an electronic version for class.

  Consider the following questions as you read the novel. Be prepared to discuss answers to these and other questions when you begin class in September.

  1. At the beginning of the novel, why does the conch shell become such a powerful symbol? Look at its description in chapter 1. Also consider the sound it makes.
  2. How is the fire significant?
  3. How would the book be different if Simon lives?
  4. Describe the significance of the title.
  5. Why did Golding choose a choir as Jack’s group?
  6. If you had to state this theme in a sentence of at least ten words, how would you do so?
  7. Of all the characters, it is Piggy who most often has useful ideas and sees the correct way for the boys to organize themselves. Yet the other boys rarely listen to him and frequently abuse him. Why do you think this is the case? In what ways does Golding use Piggy to advance the novel’s themes?

  Should you have any questions or concerns, please email me directly at wsiedler@shp.org.
  
  

  Hazard Zet Forward,

  William Siedler ‘85

  English Department Chair

• English - Seton Scholars

  INTRODUCTION TO COURSEWORK
  In English next year, we are going to be reading The Odyssey in its entirety. This poem chronologically comes at the end of a series of stories called The Nostoi (“The Returns”), which are about the various heroes traveling home after the Trojan War. Many of you may be familiar with the outline of these famous myths but knowing the details of these stories is vital for analyzing the themes of The Odyssey. Logically, we must start with Edith Hamilton’s book simply titled Mythology. This book is an anthology, a collection of stories. Instead of reading the whole text, I want you to focus on the passages about the origins of the universe and the order of the world imposed by the Olympians, the gods who rule over mankind. Then we must turn our attention to the Greek heroes in a poem called The Iliad, the story of the last year of the Trojan War. These events precede The Odyssey, but they are frequently referenced, and Homer, the author of the poem, assumes that readers or listeners have a knowledge of this material.
  
  SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS

  
  The first book you need to acquire is Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. Please have a paperback version of this text; we will reference it frequently throughout the year, and you will find it a useful reference in your future classes at The Prep. Here are the sections you should read this summer — be prepared for a test on this material in the second week of school.

  1. The Gods, pages 21-49 (you may skip the section on the Roman gods)
  2. The Trojan War, pages 255-277
  3. The Fall of Troy, pages 277-291 (you may skip the sections about Odysseus and Aeneas - we will cover those in class during the school year)
  4. The House of Atreus, pages 345-372 (pay special attention to the story of Agamemnon’s death at the hands of his wife Clytemnestra, and Orestes getting revenge for his father’s murder)

  The second book you need is The Iliad. There are many versions of this poem because it was originally composed in Ancient Greek. Therefore, it is important we all have the same text as there are many translators of varying qualities who have tried their hands at adapting this poem into English. In order to help us visualize the many characters and places in the poem, I have chosen the graphic novel by Gareth Hinds. You may purchase a physical copy of this book, but I actually recommend you read it on a phone or a tablet through the Kindle app. The app is free and allows for a “cinematic view” where the images will be zoomed in and change from panel to panel as you touch the screen. Whichever way you read the text, please have the following questions answered for the first day of school, as I will collect and grade these and offer you a chance to revise them.

  1. Ilium means “Troy” in Ancient Greek, and the title Iliad means “the song about Troy.” Even though the author of this poem was Greek and the readers are meant to sympathize with the Greek characters, how does Homer portray the Trojans? Are they as strong as the Greeks? As heroic? As complicated or flawed? [1 page]
  2. What is the relationship between the gods and the mortals in this poem? Obviously, the gods are more powerful, but why do they become so involved in human affairs? [½ page]
  3. There are many names of characters and places in The Iliad, far too many to remember. How does the illustrator help us visualize what happens to all these secondary individuals? Cite some examples in your answer. [½ page]
  4. Provide a character analysis of Achilles. What are the major events involving him in this poem, and how does he react to them? In what sense is he the protagonist (or main character) of the story? [1 page]
  5. Which was your favorite illustrated section of the story? Why? What kinds of images, shapes, colors, or frame sizes does the author use to draw the reader’s attention to the action in this scene? [½ page]

  *all answers should be double spaced*

  
  Please purchase ONLY the following editions of your Summer Reading books. You will need them in class for reading and discussion:
  
  

  Mythology by Edith Hamilton

  ISBN-13: 978-0316223331

   

  The Iliad illustrated by Gareth Hinds

  ISBN-13: 978-0763696634

   

  A Few Tips for Writing:

  1. Keep your sentences simple and direct.
  2. Keep your subject simple and concrete. Avoid the phrases “is that,” “is because,” and “is why;” they are awkward sounding and unnecessarily complicate your sentences.

  1. 1. Example: The reason Achilles threw the spear is because he was mad at Hector.
     2. A better sentence: Achilles threw the spear because he was mad at Hector.

  3. Use examples. Do not assume the reader immediately understands what you mean. Reference the text you are referring to often.

   

  Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at aclapham@shp.org.

   

  Have a wonderful summer!

   

  Andrew Clapham ’05 D.Litt.

  Freshman Seton Scholar English Teacher

• History - All levels

  Department	History
  Courses	- World History 1 CP & Honors  - AP Human Geography (Seton Scholars)

   

  Department: History 

   

   

  Please see this link for the summer assignments for all 9th grade History Classes.

• World Languages - Spanish III Honors

  Department: World Languages

  Course: Spanish III Honors
  
  

  All incoming students who are placed in Spanish III Honors will complete the following assignment before the first week of school. This assignment is designed primarily to review all essential grammatical structures to be successful in this class.
  
  The assignment is linked here.