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.
  
  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 - 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 

   

  Course: World History I College Prep 

   

  The World History I CP students are required to read the following article, “Period I: Technological and Environmental Transitions, to c. 600 BCE” (linked below).  Answer the questions that follow and be prepared to bring the completed assignment on the first day of classes in September. 

   

  This is the WH I CP summer reading  link to the packet.

   

  Questions to answer regarding the packet:

   

  1. Although prehistoric peoples did not have written languages, what physical remains are studied to develop an understanding of prehistoric life? 

  2. Where and when did modern humans first appear? By 10,000 B.C.E., where were humans living? 

  3. List one characteristic of a kinship group. 

  4. Why is the Paleolithic Period often called the Stone Age? 

  5. List one example of how people adapted to their new environments. 

  6. List the results of humans’ ability to control fire. 

  7. What role did the clan and tribe play in the hunter-forager society?  Gender? 

  8. What Paleolithic artistic expression has been found? 

  9. What is the Neolithic Revolution? 

  10. For many, after the last ice age, what replaced their nomadic way of life? 

  11. Where did the development of agriculture first occur?  What plants were usually domesticated in a region? 

  12. List the characteristics of nomadic pastoralism. 

  13. Why were some workers free to focus on tasks other than producing food? 

  14. What was the impact on society from the production of food surplus?   

  15. How did it impact the growth of towns and villages?  How did it impact the creation of government? 

  16. List the results of specialization of labor. 

  17. What role did religion play for the Neolithic Period farmers and pastoralists? 

  18. List 5 examples of new technology of the Neolithic era. 

  19. What is civilization? 

  20. Where did the first four Neolithic civilizations develop (list the name and location)? 

   
  
  

  Courses: World History I Honors & AP Human Geography (Seton Scholars) 

   

  All World History 1 Honors and AP Human Geography (Seton Scholars) students are required to read the following articles by American geographer and historian, Jared Diamond.  The questions that follow are meant to serve as a guide to your reading.  All students should be prepared to discuss both readings in detail on the first day of classes in September. 

   

  Articles to Read: 

   

  The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race  

   

  Why Did Human History Unfold Differently on Different Continents for The Last 13,000 Years?  

   

   

  Questions to answer: 

   

  The Worst Mistake… 

   

  1. What does Diamond identify as the ‘progressivist’ view of world history, especially when viewing the years since the ‘agricultural revolution’? 

  2. Diamond addresses the diet of the Kalahari Bushmen as an example of a hunter-gatherer’s caloric and nutritional intake. Why does he see it as superior to that of an early settled farmer? 

  3. What is paleopathology, and how has it given us a more nuanced view of hunter-gatherer society? 

  4. What happened in Greece and Turkey as a result of the rise of agriculture? How does this fit Diamond’s narrative? 

  5. How does evidence from the Dickson Mounds in modern Ohio further support Diamond’s core argument? 

  6. “I don’t think mot hunter-gatherers farmed until they had to…” (Mark Cohen) What are the three chief reasons that farming was bad for health? 

  7. How did the food surpluses created by farming allow for the rise of class divisions? Which class does Diamond refer to as “social parasites”?  

  8. How did farming further lead to greater division between the genders, and greater inequality for women? 

  9. Despite all of these obvious failings, why did most hunter-gatherer groups disappear in the face of farmers, either by adopting the same economic system, or because of violent competition? 

  10. What are a few reasons that farming leads to rapid population growth? 

   

  Why Did Human History… 

   

  1. What are Jared Diamond’s two areas of scientific expertise, which he applies to the study of history? 

  2. Why is 1500 a good year (or the typical year) to begin studying the contrasting development of Eurasian civilization and American, Australian and African civilization? 

  3. Diamond works backward from this date, and chooses to view the later dominance of Eurasian civilization from the standpoint of historical differences that developed between 11,000 BC and 1500 AD. Why were Eurasians well into the Iron Age of development by 1500, while other peoples still operated within the technological constraints of the Stone Age? 

  4. Why does Diamond perceive the older argument about different levels of civilizational progress to be inherently ‘racist’ or ‘racialist’? 

  5. What are the FIVE proximate reasons/factors that he identifies, which gave the Europeans powerful advantages over their Native American opponents? 

  6. Native Americans faced epidemiological disaster after 1500? Why weren’t they immune to the diseases that had become endemic (regularly present) in Eurasia? What role was played by differing population densities? 

  7. How did the domestication of large animals play a role in disease genesis in Eurasia? 

  8. What was the importance of technology/crop/domesticated animal diffusion (spread) in Eurasia along an east-west axis, while Africa and North and South America are oriented along north-south axes?  

  9. How did the creation of food surpluses allow farming communities to develop technologically and to centralize politically, whereas hunter-gatherers were limited in these things? 

  10. How do Australia and Tasmania provide us with the perfect example of the disadvantages faced by isolated people in a land not originally suited to agriculture? 

   

   

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

   

  Have a great summer! 

   

  Juliette Wester  

  History Department Chair 

   

   

• 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.
  
  

  1. Write a description of your family including physical description and personality traits of family members as well as hobbies and occupations. You may use present tense, ser & estar, verb gustar, and verb tener.

       a. Vocabulary about family: padre, madre, hermano/a, hijo/a, abuelo/a, tío/a, primo/a, los parientes, etc.

       b. Vocabulary about physical description: los ojos marrones, negros, el pelo lacio, el pelo ondulado, etc. And personality traits: simpático/a, trabajador/a, alegre, sociable, tranquilo/a

  
  2. Write a description of your favorite vacation. Use imperfect and preterite.

       a. ¿Adónde fuiste? ¿Cómo era el lugar? ¿Qué tiempo hacía?

       b. ¿Con quién fuiste?

       c. ¿Qué actividades hicieron?

       d. ¿Cuánto tiempo estuviste allí?

  
  3. Describe your daily routine on a page using reflexive verbs.

       a. ¿A qué hora te levantas?

       b. ¿Cuál es tu rutina durante los días de semana (weekdays)? ¿Cuál es tu rutina durante los fines de semana (weekends)?

  
  
  The following are useful websites to practice grammar structure, such as ser & estar, present tense, preterite & imperfect, verb gustar, verb tener, present progressive, reflexive verbs, and commands:
  www.spanishdict.com
  https://personal.colby.edu/~bknelson/SLC/
  https://studyspanish.com/

  
  Listen to music and watch your favorite movie in Spanish.

  
  Should you have any specific questions or concerns, please contact me at gschanil@shp.org

  
  Have a great summer!

  
  Gisella V. Schanil
  World Languages Department Chair