Quarterly Reading Assignment
To become a proficient writer, one must read the writing of proficient writers.
Your assignment is to read a book, either fiction or biography, appropriate to your grade level by the end of the quarter, and keep a double entry journal tracking your questions, reactions, and analysis of what you are reading
You can view the complete assignment here.
First Quarter Reading Assignment (double-entry journal) Due: November 4.
Questions & Answers
Q: What’s a “grade level book”?
A: Any book on the Battle of the Books list, on the College Preparedness, or on the AP reading list counts as an appropriate book. What will not count are books clearly aimed at elementary students (e.g. Captain Underpants), books read in class in middle school (e.g. The Giver), or any book that is not at the student’s reading level or an appropriate challenge.
Q. Do I have to read a hard book?
A: No, you don’t have to read a book that is too hard or too boring. It’s okay to read an entertaining book--in fact, that’s better than okay--but it should be a book that introduces you to an occasional new word and sentence structure. A good check is to count how many words on a page you don’t understand. If you know them all, the book might be too easy. If you count more than five you don’t know, the book may be too hard. Read ten pages and make a decision.
Q: How many entries do I have to have in my double-entry journal?
A: The minimum is 5 from throughout the book; the minimum earns a D. Your entries should include questions, reactions, and analysis. An A-level journal would have insightful entries including questions, reaction, and accurate use of grade-level literary terms in analysis of the grade-level text.
Quarter Reading Assignment Rubric
5 (A)
EXCEEDS STANDARD
Student includes ample entries to analyze the book (e.g. at least one per chapter, or about 1 for every 5 pages of the book).
Questions reflect the student’s effort to probe the text and discern theme.
Reactions demonstrate the student is connecting his/her own experience with the events and/or characters of the text in order to discern thematic elements.
Analysis shows an accurate and insightful application of grade-level literary terms to analysis of style; student’s application of literary elements shows the student understands the author’s intentional use of these elements for the purpose of conveying the theme to the reader. Other elements of text structure may also be analyzed.
4 (B)
AT STANDARD
Student includes adequate entries to analyze the book (e.g. at least one per chapter, or about 1 for every 10 pages of the book).
Questions reflect the student’s effort to connect with and understand the text.
Reactions demonstrate the student is connecting his/her own experience with the events and/or characters of the text.
Analysis shows an accurate application of grade-level literary terms to analysis of style, including:
Figurative language
Syntax
Diction
imagery
3 (C)
APPROACHING STANDARD
Student includes limited entries to analyze the book (e.g. at least one per chapter, or about 1 for every 20 pages of the book).
Questions may be limited to comprehension level question (e.g. What’s happening in this part?)
Reactions may be limited to the student agreeing or disagreeing with characters or events without justification of this reaction (e.g. Voldemort is a jerk.)
Analysis shows mostly accurate application of mostly grade-level literary terms to analysis of style. Student may rely repeatedly on the same literary term (e.g. simile).
2 (D)
BEGINNING
Journal includes the minimum five entries including at least one question, at least one reaction, and at least one attempt at analysis. Analysis may not be accurate, but appears to be a well-intentioned attempt. Minimum citations are present.
1 (F)
INCOMPLETE
Journal is missing a required element. Required elements include:
A minimum of 5 entries
At least one question entry
At least one reaction entry
At least one analysis entry
At least one quotation from the text
Page numbers for citations
Brief summaries of citations that are not quotations
0 (F)
LATE WITHOUT LEGITIMATE EXCUSE/MISSING
Student did not turn in the assignment by the deadline.
To become a proficient writer, one must read the writing of proficient writers.
Your assignment is to read a book, either fiction or biography, appropriate to your grade level by the end of the quarter, and keep a double entry journal tracking your questions, reactions, and analysis of what you are reading
You can view the complete assignment here.
First Quarter Reading Assignment (double-entry journal) Due: November 4.
Questions & Answers
Q: What’s a “grade level book”?
A: Any book on the Battle of the Books list, on the College Preparedness, or on the AP reading list counts as an appropriate book. What will not count are books clearly aimed at elementary students (e.g. Captain Underpants), books read in class in middle school (e.g. The Giver), or any book that is not at the student’s reading level or an appropriate challenge.
Q. Do I have to read a hard book?
A: No, you don’t have to read a book that is too hard or too boring. It’s okay to read an entertaining book--in fact, that’s better than okay--but it should be a book that introduces you to an occasional new word and sentence structure. A good check is to count how many words on a page you don’t understand. If you know them all, the book might be too easy. If you count more than five you don’t know, the book may be too hard. Read ten pages and make a decision.
Q: How many entries do I have to have in my double-entry journal?
A: The minimum is 5 from throughout the book; the minimum earns a D. Your entries should include questions, reactions, and analysis. An A-level journal would have insightful entries including questions, reaction, and accurate use of grade-level literary terms in analysis of the grade-level text.
Quarter Reading Assignment Rubric
5 (A)
EXCEEDS STANDARD
Student includes ample entries to analyze the book (e.g. at least one per chapter, or about 1 for every 5 pages of the book).
Questions reflect the student’s effort to probe the text and discern theme.
Reactions demonstrate the student is connecting his/her own experience with the events and/or characters of the text in order to discern thematic elements.
Analysis shows an accurate and insightful application of grade-level literary terms to analysis of style; student’s application of literary elements shows the student understands the author’s intentional use of these elements for the purpose of conveying the theme to the reader. Other elements of text structure may also be analyzed.
4 (B)
AT STANDARD
Student includes adequate entries to analyze the book (e.g. at least one per chapter, or about 1 for every 10 pages of the book).
Questions reflect the student’s effort to connect with and understand the text.
Reactions demonstrate the student is connecting his/her own experience with the events and/or characters of the text.
Analysis shows an accurate application of grade-level literary terms to analysis of style, including:
Figurative language
Syntax
Diction
imagery
3 (C)
APPROACHING STANDARD
Student includes limited entries to analyze the book (e.g. at least one per chapter, or about 1 for every 20 pages of the book).
Questions may be limited to comprehension level question (e.g. What’s happening in this part?)
Reactions may be limited to the student agreeing or disagreeing with characters or events without justification of this reaction (e.g. Voldemort is a jerk.)
Analysis shows mostly accurate application of mostly grade-level literary terms to analysis of style. Student may rely repeatedly on the same literary term (e.g. simile).
2 (D)
BEGINNING
Journal includes the minimum five entries including at least one question, at least one reaction, and at least one attempt at analysis. Analysis may not be accurate, but appears to be a well-intentioned attempt. Minimum citations are present.
1 (F)
INCOMPLETE
Journal is missing a required element. Required elements include:
A minimum of 5 entries
At least one question entry
At least one reaction entry
At least one analysis entry
At least one quotation from the text
Page numbers for citations
Brief summaries of citations that are not quotations
0 (F)
LATE WITHOUT LEGITIMATE EXCUSE/MISSING
Student did not turn in the assignment by the deadline.