Honors Social Studies I: 2006-2007 Summer Reading Assignment
Assignment 1: All Quiet on the Western Front
Directions: Read All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque and, then, complete all three of the tasks.
I. Theme is the central idea of a work or literature: however, theme is not usually stated directly. Most often, the reader has to think about all of the literary elements and use them to make an inference, or educated guess, about what the element is.
Keep a journal summarizing major themes from each chapter. (You will have 12 journal entries for this task.) Each journal entry should be at least 50 words in length. The themes you are to address are the following:
A. Remarque develops the theme of the horror of war. Which situations or conditions described in the novel demonstrate the horror of war?
B. Another major theme of the novel is the questioning of authority, traditional values, and social conventions. How do “Paul” and his friends mock the petty aspects of military discipline, as well as the irrelevance of much of what they have been taught in school?
C. A third important theme is comradeship. In this book, it is seen as the most valuable thing to come out of the war. What incidents in the novel notably demonstrate the importance of comradeship? (For example, incidents involving the importance of loyalty and compassion for one’s fellow soldiers).
D. The fourth theme of the text is the ideal of universal brotherhood. What incidents or thoughts by “Paul” in the book demonstrate this notion that all human beings are somehow related?
Note: You are to determine which of the above themes are present in each chapter and how they are present in each chapter. All writing for this task is to be typed. Students should also adhere to the following guidelines for this task:
- 12 point, Times New Roman font
- Double-spaced
- One-inch margins
- Cover page
II. Journals are due September 7th, on that day there will be a test administered concerning your reading of All Quiet on the Western Front. If you are a second semester student, your Journal Due Date and Test date is January 30.
*******************************************************************************************************************
Honors Social Studies I: 2006-2007 Summer Reading Assignment
Assignment 2: A Biography
Directions: Select a biography of your choice that fulfills the guidelines described below. Then, complete the notebook assignment.
Biography Guidelines (Pay close attention to these!):
-Over 250 pages in length and published in the past 15 years.
-About a world famous (or infamous) non-American citizen, politician, or soldier.
-Major achievements must have been accomplished between 1914-1989.
-Major achievements must be relevant to the following periods of World History:
World War One, World War II, or the Cold War Era.
-No autobiographies will be accepted.
-No pictorial biographies will be accepted.
-No “young adult” biographies will be accepted.
In addition, you are NOT required to purchase the book, but it is recommended. We suggest you preview any books at the library, online at Amazon. Com, or at Borders Books in Westlake before you make any purchases.
Note: If you are enrolled in Honors English I and Honors Social Studies I, you do NOT have to read two different biographies for the summer reading assignment. One biography will suffice for both classes, but you need to create two copies of your written work.
Notebook Assignment Requirements:
Purchase a notebook. For every 40-50 pages, take notes in your notebook. Notes should include significant events, influential people, obstacles and challenges, author’s praise, and author’s criticisms. This may be done in column format; a model of which was given to your guidance counselor. Your notebook, along with the book, will be collected seven days into the semester.
-Fall Semester Due Date: September 7th.
-Spring Semester Due Date: January 30.
The summer reading assignments may constitute up to 10 percent of the total grade for this course. In Honors Social Studies One, there will be a research paper concerning the
biography person.
Suggested people for Honors I Biography Summer Reading Assignment:
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Czar Nicholas II
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, Lenin
Rasputin
Leon Trotsky
Joseph Stalin
Mao Zedong
Mahatma Mohandas K. Gandhi
Mustafa Kemal
Albert Einstein
Sigmund Freud
Friedrich Nietzche
Benito Mussolini
Adolf Hitler
Francisco Franco
Hideki Tojo
Neville Chamberlain
Winston Churchill
Anne Frank
Elie Weisel
Oskar Schindler (Note: Schindler’s List is not a biography)
Charles De Gaulle
Erwin Rommel
Joseph Goebbels
Ho Chi Minh
Fidel Castro
Che Guevera
Daniel Ortega
Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini
Mikhail Gorbachev
Margaret Thatcher
Queen Elizabeth II
C. S. Lewis
Pablo Picasso
Indiri Gandhi
Mother Theresa
Yasir Arafat
Nelson Mandela
Pope John Paul II
J. R. R. Tolkien
********************************************************************************************************************
HONORS ENGLISH I AND SOCIAL STUDIES I SUMMER READING
All Quiet on the Western Front
Name Book Number
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________