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Introduction to Literature -- Mark Barlock |
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*A Note on Summer Reading: Summer is a great
time for children to be outside, stay in shape, and experience life
without the daily routine of school; however, reading should be an
intricate aspect of life no matter what the season.
A good guiding rule for how much reading most students should do
over the summer is to have equal time in front of a book to the time
that the students have in front of a screen (either television, video
game, or computer chat room/ surfing).
By using this equal time, students can usually read three or more
books of personal interest over the summer and preview one or two books
that will be covered in their next year’s English class.
During the fall semester of all Introduction to Literature
classes, freshman will be asked to complete an independent review paper
of a book that is self-chosen and teacher approved.
The paper includes the following parts:
3-4 page basic summary; 2 page character analysis; and 2 page
discussion on the importance of either theme, setting, point of view,
genre, or figurative language in relation to the book.
If a student would like to get a head start and have something to
do over the summer, this assignment would be a good choice.
Instead of listing thousands of acceptable titles or limiting students
to a few scores of books to choose from, I will ask parents or students
to contact me at either Mark_Barlock@dpsk12.org
or 720-280-4881 for approval of a book or for further details about this
assignment. The only books
of merit that will not be approved for use on this assignment but would
be great to preview are the following that will likely be used as
touchstone texts during the course of freshman year: Growing Up by Russel Baker I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou A Separate Peace by John Knowles The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer I am the Cheese and The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Lord of the Flies by William Golding |
