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Summer Reading and Summer Foreign Language Assignments - 2008

Reading broadly and intelligently are essential components of a good education, and the Blair Faculty encourage reading throughout the year. The summer is no exception.

Expectation for all Blair students: All students are to read a minimum of four books (fiction/non-fiction) over the summer, and we hope that they will read five. Any of the books required by the courses below may be included in that total. Others, as needed to make up the total of five, are to be of your own choosing. Notably longer books may count as two titles. Depending on the course you are taking next year, you may be examined—in written or oral format—on one or more of your choices.

SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS FOR SELECTED COURSES FOR 2008/2009:

English 1: All 9th grade students select one of the following books and may read more if they choose.
     The Secret Life of Bees (Kidd)
     The Catcher in the Rye (Salinger)
     The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (Haddon)
English 2: Brave New World (Huxley)
English 2 Honors: The Kite Runner (Hosseini)
English 3: Old School (Wolff)
English 3 Honors: Frankenstein (Shelley)
English 4 – (all seniors not taking English AP): The Kite Runner (Hosseini)
English 4 AP – Literature: Atonement (McEwan)
English 4 AP – Language: In the Heart of the Sea (Philbrick)

World History: Things Fall Apart (Achebe)
Western Civilization: Animal Farm (Orwell)
US History: 1776 (McCullough)
US History AP: His Excellency George Washington (Ellis) and An Empire of Wealth (Gordon)
European History AP: Darkness at Noon (Koestler)
Comparative Government AP: students should be in touch with the teacher for the summer assignment (sprins@blair.edu)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
This summer work is to be completed by ALL students, new and returning, who are entering Levels 2, 3, 4, 5, H, AP, or post-AP in any of the listed languages.

Please read the assignment carefully and complete as directed.

SUMMER WORK FOR CHINESE 2008

For students entering Chinese 2
Please make notecards for all characters and combinations you have learned and review from time to time. You are also asked to write 3 postcards in Chinese pinyin/characters to Mr. Facciani. In the postcard, you may talk about your summer activities. If you wish, you may use some English words to help you express yourself better.

Please, one postcard per month (June, July, and August)

For students entering Chinese 3
Write 3 letters (at least one page each) in Chinese characters (with some pinyin for the characters you have not learned) to Mr. Facciani. You may talk about where you have been, where you plan to visit, what you have been doing, movies you have seen or books you have read, people you have met or visited, etc.: In other words, anything interesting! Please mail one per month (June, July and August).

For students entering Chinese 4
You are asked to:
(1) Do the same as required of students entering Chinese 3 (above)

(2) Study (one lesson per week) the remainder of the lessons (23-30) in Laughing in Chinese, using the vocabulary list in the back of your book. Write out your own vocabulary sheet for each lesson. Figure out the story in each lesson, and translate the story into English. You may email the story.

Mr. Facciani’s address is Mr. David Facciani, Blair Academy, P.O. Box 600, Blairstown, NJ. 07825-0600

For all students of Chinese: Mr. Facciani’s Blair email address is: faccid@blair.edu. Feel free to contact him through email with any questions.

SUMMER WORK FOR FRENCH 2008

For students entering French 2:
Please write 3 postcards in French to Mme. Bowditch, Blair Academy, P.O. Box 600, Blairstown, N.J. 07825-0600. In the postcards, you may mention what you have done or talk about what you would like to do this summer. You may ask Madame about her summer plans and activities as well. Please send one postcard per month (June, July, and August).

For students entering French 3 or higher:
You are asked to write 3 summaries in French of something you have either seen or read over the summer that pertains to France or francophone culture. Each summary should be a page in length. If you have access to Channel NYEW News in French (check your cable listings) or other papers, magazines or the internet, it would be very helpful for you to listen and read each week. This will keep your skills sharp. Please mail one assignment a month (June, July, and August) to Mme. Bowditch, Blair Academy, P.O. Box 600, Blairstown, N.J. 07825-0600. Email: bowdim@blair.edu.

SUMMER WORK LATIN 2008

Incoming LATIN II
Review your notes and/or the back of the book you used last year and make a summary of Latin grammar. It may be typed or handwritten and should be no more than 4-5 pages. Be sure to include all the noun, adjective, and verb charts you learned last year.
Be creative; arrange the material in a way that helps you memorize it and that will aid you when translating. The summary will be graded and is due the first day of class.

Incoming Latin III
Review your notes and/or the back of the book you used last year and make a summary of Latin grammar. It may be typed or handwritten and should be no more than 5-7pages. Be sure to include all the noun, pronoun, adjective, participles, infinitives, and verb charts you learned last year. Be creative; arrange the material in a way that helps you memorize it and that will aid you when translating. The summary will be graded and is due the first day of class.

Incoming Latin IV
Buy T.P. Wiseman, Catullus and his World: A Reappraisal (available on amazon.com).
*Read chapters 1 and 2.
*As you read make a list of questions regarding anything you don’t understand in the text or are curious about. Don’t worry about the footnotes and the more technical aspects of Wiseman’s argument. Just try to follow his thesis and read for comprehension.

SUMMER WORK FOR SPANISH 2008

For Students entering Spanish 2:
Review all tenses from the year, and complete the following assignments This work will be checked by your Spanish 2 teacher.

ASSIGNMENT: You will have to write THREE postcards and mail them to the Language Department at Blair.

1) Postcard # 1: Minimum of ten sentences describing yourself and your family. This may include characteristics, likes and dislikes, or whatever information you think appropriate. Use the verbs ser and estar as well as tener expressions. Due by June 30.

2) Postcard # 2: Minimum of ten sentences talking about what you are doing this summer, using the present-progressive tense. Include sentences also using direct and indirect objects and pronouns. Due by July 31.

3) Postcard # 3: Use the verbs gustar and querer and talk about what you want / would like to do this fall at Blair Academy. Ten sentence minimum. Due August 31.

Send all post cards to Sr. Morley, PO Box 600, Blair Academy, Blairstown NJ 07825

For Students entering Spanish 3 or Higher:
1) Using the Internet, download an article from a Spanish language newspaper.
a) Read the article, and then write a three paragraph summary and your reaction, in Spanish of course!

2) Watch TWO programs on Spanish TV, or two DVD movies in Spanish language mode, then write a summary of the program and your reaction, noting the name of the program, the date and time you watched the program, and which channel your watched for TV. Send your two summaries to the above address. If you are UNABLE to access Spanish TV, then you must complete THREE newspaper assignments as explained above.

Send the article along with your work to Srta. O’Neil, PO Box 600, Blair Academy, Blairstown, NJ 07825-0600.

These assignments should be completed over the course of the ENTIRE summer. If you plan to do them the week you return to Blair, they will not meet the expectation that you keep contact with Spanish over the entire summer. Therefore, you should submit your work following this schedule:
One in JUNE, one in JULY, and one in AUGUST.

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