Click here to download the Summer Reading Infographic

Please note that all 9th graders must read one required book through the English department and an additional book (free choice) in a different subject area.  Click on Summer Reading infographic above for more details about the additional reading.

Required English Reading Assignment

College Prep - Kindred by Octavia Butler. 200-300 word essay. Must include at least one direct quote(s) with the page number(s).  You must also read one nonfiction book of your choice.  

Honors - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. 250-350 words. Must include at least two direct quotes with the page numbers.  You must also read an additional book of your choice (see Summer Reading Infographic).  

English Department Summer Reading Assignment (All Students)

After reading your assigned English book(s), based on grade level, write an essay that answers at least two of the following questions:
1. What do you think the author’s intention was with the book?
2. Why did the author structure the book in the way that they did (chapters, sections, voices, etc)?
3. What does the author want you to think about and reflect on?
4. How are the characters’ voices heard (first, second, or the third person), and how does that affect the main protagonist?
5. How does this book work in the context of the culture and time it was published?

All work is due on the first full day of school (not on the orientation days). The proper MLA format is required.

Click here if you need help formatting your essay. Include a Works Cited page for your book.

The assigned English summer reading book(s) will be the first book taught in class, so it is not only a requirement for the summer but for the first term of the academic year. So, read the book(s) carefully and thoughtfully, and let’s start the term and the year off strong. Happy Reading!

Click here to download the Summer Reading Infographic

Please note that all 10th graders must read one required book through the English department and an additional book (free choice) in a different subject area.  Click on Summer Reading infographic above for more details about the additional reading.

College Prep - Legend by Marie Lu. 250-350 word essay. Must include at least one direct quote(s) with the page number(s).  You must also read one nonfiction book of your choice.

Honors - Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. 300-400 words. Must include at least two direct quotes with the page numbers.  You must also read an additional book of your choice (see Summer Reading Infographic).  

English Department Summer Reading Assignment (All Students)

After reading your assigned English book(s), based on grade level, write an essay that answers at least two of the following questions:
1. What do you think the author’s intention was with the book?
2. Why did the author structure the book in the way that they did (chapters, sections, voices, etc)?
3. What does the author want you to think about and reflect on?
4. How are the characters’ voices heard (first, second, or the third person), and how does that affect the main protagonist?
5. How does this book work in the context of the culture and time it was published?
6. How did it (or not) personally connect to you?

All work is due on the first full day of school (not on the orientation days). The proper MLA format is required.

Click here if you need help formatting your essay. Include a Works Cited page for your book.

The assigned English summer reading book(s) will be the first book taught in class, so it is not only a requirement for the summer but for the first term of the academic year. So, read the book(s) carefully and thoughtfully, and let’s start the term and the year off strong. Happy Reading!

Click here to download the Summer Reading Infographic

Please note that all 11th graders must read at least one required book through the English department and an additional book (free choice) in a different subject area (except AP Language).  Click on Summer Reading infographic above for more details about the additional reading.

College Prep - The Revenant by Michael Punke. 300-400 word essay. Must include at least one direct quote(s) with the page number(s).  You must also read one nonfiction book of your choice.

Honors -The Revenant by Michael Punke. 350-450 words. Must include at least two direct quotes with the page numbers.  You must also read an additional book of your choice (see Summer Reading Infographic).  

Advanced Placement - The Revenant by Michael Punke and On Writing by Stephen King. 400-500 words. Must include at least three direct quotes with the page numbers. Do not write an essay for On Writing.  

 

English Department Summer Reading Assignment (All Students)

After reading your assigned English book(s), based on grade level, write an essay that answers at least two of the following questions:
1. What do you think the author’s intention was with the book?
2. Why did the author structure the book in the way that they did (chapters, sections, voices, etc)?
3. What does the author want you to think about and reflect on?
4. How are the characters’ voices heard (first, second, or the third person), and how does that affect the main protagonist?
5. How does this book work in the context of the culture and time it was published?

All work is due on the first full day of school (not on the orientation days). The proper MLA format is required.

Click here if you need help formatting your essay. Include a Works Cited page for your book.

The assigned English summer reading book(s) will be the first book taught in class, so it is not only a requirement for the summer but for the first term of the academic year. So, read the book(s) carefully and thoughtfully, and let’s start the term and the year off strong. Happy Reading!

Click here to download the Summer Reading Infographic

Please note that all 12th graders must read at least one required book through the English department and an additional book (free choice) in a different subject area (except AP Literature).  Click on Summer Reading infographic above for more details about the additional reading.

College Prep - Stardust by Neil Gaiman. 350-450 word essay. Must include at least one direct quote(s) with the page number(s).  You must also read one nonfiction book of your choice.

Honors -Stardust by Neil Gaiman. 400-500 words. Must include at least two direct quotes with the page numbers.  You must read one additional book of your choice. See Summer Reading Infographic for details.

Advanced Placement - The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster. See AP Lit assignment for details.  

English Department Summer Reading Assignment (All Students)

After reading your assigned English book(s), based on grade level, write an essay that answers at least two of the following questions:
1. What do you think the author’s intention was with the book?
2. Why did the author structure the book in the way that they did (chapters, sections, voices, etc)?
3. What does the author want you to think about and reflect on?
4. How are the characters’ voices heard (first, second, or the third person), and how does that affect the main protagonist?
5. How does this book work in the context of the culture and time it was published?
6. How did it (or not) personally connect to you?

All work is due on the first full day of school (not on the orientation days). The proper MLA format is required.

Click here if you need help formatting your essay. Include a Works Cited page for your book.

The assigned English summer reading book(s) will be the first book taught in class, so it is not only a requirement for the summer but for the first term of the academic year. So, read the book(s) carefully and thoughtfully, and let’s start the term and the year off strong. Happy Reading!

AP Literature & Composition Summer Reading Assignment

1. Read three books:

a. How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster (easy read)

b. The Road by Cormac McCarthy (tough content but easy read)

c. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (easy content but difficult read)

2. In an essay that is 350-650 words, apply at least one of the concepts in How to

Read Literature Like a Professor to The Road.

a. The point is to do as deep of a dive a possible, so don’t be afraid to “read

into things.” Use evidence from the text to support your thesis.

b. Do not look up answers on the internet. I want to know what you think. I

don’t care about those internet nerds.

c. Do not write in the first person. Third-person for academic writing only.

d. MLA Format. If you don’t know it, look it up!

i. Include a Works Cited page!

e. Due August 15th by 11:59pm (email it to tgannon@spellman.com if

Google Classroom is not yet set up).

3. For Pride and Prejudice, please make a minimum 3-minute video essay

detailing why the book is a comedy. What makes it so? The more examples,

the better.

a. You can make the video on any app of your choice.

b. Make sure to include information about the author’s intent, the comedy of

the time, and why Pride and Prejudice is and is not a comedy in the 21st

century.

c. Due on the first full day of school (not the orientation days).

d. If you don’t know what a good video essay is or should look like, watch

this video.

Click here to download the Summer Reading Assignment

Advanced Placement World History: Modern
Mr. Daniel Romeyn Davis, M.Ed.
Summer Assignment (2020)

Cardinal Spellman High School
Brockton, Massachusetts
________________________________________________________

Course Overview from the College Board:

AP World History: Modern is an introductory college-level modern world history course. Students cultivate their understanding of world history from c. 1200 CE to the present through analyzing historical sources and learning to make connections and craft historical arguments as they explore concepts like humans and the environment, cultural developments and interactions, governance, economic systems, social interactions and organization, and technology and innovation.

The Assignment:

1. Familiarize yourself with the various techniques for effective note-taking and determine which style works best for you as a learner – become proficient in using this style over the summer. Also learn about what it means to do Active Reading and how to take notes while reading.
   1. https://www.gvsu.edu/cms4/asset/91D2F15F-DAF4-C2F7...
   2. https://mcgraw.princeton.edu/active-reading-strate...
2. Articles about the Study of History:
   1. “Why Study History?”
      1. https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/historical-archives/why-study-history-(1998)
   2. “What does it mean to think historically?”
      1. https://www.historians.org/publications-and-direct...
3. Familiarize yourself with the AP-specific writing styles – it is essential that you become proficient in these styles in order to succeed in this course.
   1. There will be a posted assignment on Google Classroom for these practice questions.
4. Main Text for Summer Reading [choose one of the following]:
   1. J. Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies (2017 ed.)
   2. M. Kurlansky, Salt: A World History (2003 ed.)
   3. N. Ferguson, The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World (2009 ed.)

Rationale for the Assignment:
History is a complex subject. The academic discipline of History as we know it, however, is one of the youngest of the humanities – which includes philosophy, theology, and literature, amongst other disciplines. Its youth and complexity are compounded by its subject material, which – in short – includes everything.

This Summer Assignment therefore seeks to provide an overview of (a) essential skills, (b) rationales for the importance of historical study, and (c) an engaging historical overview of world history in order to best prepare you for your introductory collegiate level studies in AP World History: Modern (WHAP) at Cardinal Spellman High School.

Essential Skills:
Students need to enter WHAP equipped and proficient in essential learning techniques to ensure success – these include: knowing how to actively take notes of a reading, how to think and ask questions as a historian, and how to write in the primary styles established by the College Board for AP Social Studies courses. These writing styles include: Short Answer Questions, Free-response Questions (including Document-based Questions and Long Essay Questions – a selection of these writing styles along with Multiple Choice Questions comprise the entirety of the AP Exam.

The Texts:
It is my hope that you will view the summer reading assignment as an opportunity to expand your historical interests and knowledge. These texts were carefully chosen because they each provide a refresher for content and concepts essential for World History I (Ancient World History) and provide a bridge of knowledge to the curriculum in WHAP as well as having been recognized as some of the most thought-provoking historical texts written in the past couple of decades.

AP Historical Thinking Skills:

1. Developments and Processes: Identify and explain historical developments and processes.
2. Sourcing and Situation: Analyze sourcing and situation of primary and secondary sources.
3. Claims and Evidence in Sources: Analyze arguments in primary and secondary sources.
4. Contextualization: Analyze the context of historical events, developments, or processes.
5. Making Connections: Using historical reasoning processes (comparison, causation, continuity, and change), analyze patterns and connections between and among historical developments and processes.
6. Argumentation: Develop an argument.

Proof of Completion of the Summer Assignment:

1. [Due July 8, 2020] Take Active Notes on the assigned articles from the American Historical Association – handwritten and submitted by attaching image of work to the assignment
2. [Due August 12, 2020] Write end-of-chapter summaries for each chapter of the chosen Main Text – these summaries should be one-to-three well composed paragraphs and should be typed in your own words
3. [Due August 26, 2020] Complete the Google Classroom assignment for learning and practicing how to answer questions in the AP-specific writing styles.

Please Note:

• All Summer Work is due by midnight on the specified dates (above) and is to be submitted on Google Classroom – as a general rule, all work will be submitted online for this course
• All handwriting must be neat and legible – so for people with messier handwriting, including myself, it is important to take your time and to be clear with what is being written – also note that photographs of handwritten work for submission must be in-focus and only include the page of work being submitted, if I cannot read your work, I cannot grade your work
• All typed work must be done in either Times New Roman or EB Garamond size 12 font and Double Spaced (Line Spacing 2.0) – also note that all typed work must be done on Google Docs and the student must be signed-onto their school provided Gmail account
• Academic integrity is essential – no plagiarism (intended or unintended) will be tolerated – become familiar with what counts as plagiarism, the differences between paraphrasing and directly quoting a source, and how to properly give credit to (cite) a source according to the Modern Language Association (MLA) style guidelines for in-text parenthetical citations

Click here to download this assignment.

 

AP U.S. History Summer Assignment 2020

Welcome to APUSH!

Students enrolled in AP U.S. History will need to complete a summer assignment to help prepare for the course. Please understand that the course is taught very similar to a freshman level college survey course. The reading, writing, and analytical demands placed on students in this course are substantial. We will move through the content fairly quickly during the school year, therefore it is crucial that you are properly prepared before class begins. Students are expected to have strong knowledge of Period 1 (1491 – 1607) before class begins and the summer assignment will help you do just that.

With most of the assignments, there will be due dates throughout the summer with online submissions through Google classroom. Therefore, it is very important for you to come to a meeting on May 26th via zoom from 2:00-2:30 for me to explain the assignments, distribute letters from former students, and answer any questions that you may have along with giving you the Google classroom access code. All summer assignments will be counting towards your first test for a Term 1 grade. 50 points will be the summer work and 50 points will be a test grade. Failure to turn in assignments on time throughout the summer will be counted as late and may result in removal from the course altogether. If all goes according to plan we will review the summer work on Thursday September 10th & Friday September 11th. You will have a TEST on MONDAY September 14th.

Assignment & textbook details are below. I look forward to officially meeting you on the 26th!

- Ms. Collins

 

 

AP US History Textbook: American Pageant 16th Edition (can be purchased used but I suggest new)

AP US History Workbook (must be purchased new)

 

AP U.S. History Summer Assignment 2020

Assignment #1
- Reading the Google document of letters from former AP students.
- You will receive these as soon as Google classroom is created.
- You will have a short reflection on these due on Google classroom by Wednesday night July 1st 11:59 PM. (I will show you how to submit this on May 26th).

Assignment #2 & 3 
- Period 1 Concept Outline & Period 1 Reading Guide
(download this assignment at the top for links to Period 1 Concept Outline & Period 1 Reading Guide)
- Complete the period 1 concept outline & reading guide to help you organize the specifics of the content into the big picture. Period 1 Concept Outline & Reading Guide will be due by Saturday night August 1st 11:59 PM via Google classroom. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!! TIME MANAGEMENT BEGINS NOW!

Assignment #4- Period 1 Workbook Analysis.
- Part of the course materials for this test is the American Pageant WorkBook. You are to complete chapters 1 & 2 in the workbook.  These will be due on September 1st. You will need to drop off the workbook outside the main office in the designated APUSH box by 2 PM. Assignment #5 Period 1 Visual Concept Map

Assignment #5 Period 1 Visual Concept Map
- On the first day of orientation (9/9) students will need to turn in their period 1 visual concept map.
- This should be a large poster that has key terms & visuals from the first two chapters of the textbook. In other words, this should bring the concept outline that you worked on digitally to life! This could include hand drawn or printed pictures, timelines, flags, maps, etc. It should tell a nice visual story from 1491-1607. Details should be limited, key words/phrases are important but there should not be much explanations.
- No trifold boards! Any large poster board is acceptable (minimum 16x20).  Below is an example of what one should look like!

 

 

Welcome to AP EUROPEAN HISTORY!

Many familiar faces and some new ones will be entering room 204 next year, and I am thrilled that you have made the choice to do so. AP Euro will cover over six-hundred years of history and will be taught similarly to a freshman college course with the goal of not only preparing you for the national exam in the Spring, but also with the goal of preparing you for future academic endeavors at the university level. In order to hit the ground running, it is required that students complete multiple assignments over the summer break (see bottom of email for details).  I look forward to meeting with you and I am excited for the 2020-21 school year.

See you soon,
Mr. Higgins

 

 Summer Assignments

1. Read and take notes on chapter two of the textbook (pages 59 - 95; "The Western Heritage Since 1300"). Notes on this chapter will be due on the Google Classroom on Thursday  9/3 and will be worth 25 points. Notes should detail major events, key individuals, and important terminology. A 25 question multiple choice assessment on chapter two’s content will take place on Thursday 9/10 and will be worth 75 points. 

2. Read Machiavelli's "The Prince" in preparation for a class seminar on 9/13. Come to the seminar ready to defend your stance on this question: "did Machiavelli give good advice to rulers, or not?". You will earn points based on creativity, participation, and professionalism. Full participation credit will earn you 25 points. 

3. Study and learn the modern map of Europe by following this link (https://online.seterra.com/en/vgp/3007?c=CL4P6). A timed map quiz will be given on 9/14 during which you will have to correctly identify 44 European nations in eight minutes without the assistance of a word bank - spelling will count. This quiz will be worth 45 points. It is paramount that you have an expert-level understanding of the modern map of Europe, that way you can better understand the evolution of the continent as the curriculum unfolds. 

Please contact LBallard@Spellman.com for details.       

 

2020-2021 AP Statistics Summer Assignment Mrs. Briggs

Click here to download the Chapter 1 Stats Overview and Summary Sheet

 Summer Assignment Includes:

1. The Practice of Statistics 6th edition textbook Chapter 1

2. Link to The Practice of Statistics 6th edition pdf

   The Practice of Statistics for the AP Exam, 6th Edition

    Please save the link.

3.  Join Google Classroom for AP Statistics class code is rmssu5t

 

Introduction: Welcome to AP Statistics! Below are the directions for the summer assignment. The purpose of this assignment is to get us off to a strong start by covering the first chapter of the AP Statistics book. This will ensure that we have sufficient time to cover all of the material in the course and allow for ample time to review for the AP exam. The first chapter is mostly a review of concepts you have learned in previous math classes. You will need to focus on the new AP Statistics vocabulary. Please read these directions carefully and contact me by email at lbriggs@Spellman.com if you have any questions about the assignment or require clarification about my expectations of the work that you do.

Assignment:

1. Read Chapter 1 “Data Analysis.” There are 88 pages in the first chapter, but it is probably the easiest chapter we will cover. Pay careful attention to the Learning Targets, examples, calculator procedures, and

the AP Exam tips in the margins. Also, vocabulary is VERY important in AP Statistics.

2. Complete the “Check Your Understanding”  for each section. This will also be collected and graded. 

• Chapter 1 Introduction pg 5
• 1.1 Pg 12, 16, 22
• 1.2 Pg 34, 37, 40, 44, 46, 
• 1.3 Pg 59, 65

3. Complete the Chapter 1 Homework Exercise Set.

    MC means multiple choice so only your letter response is necessary.

    For all other problem types Show ALL work (in your own words) for these problems:

•  Chapter I Introduction HW: Pg 7 #1, 5, 7, 9-10MC
•  1.1 HW: Pg 24 #13, 15,17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 33, 35, 40-43MC
•  1.2 HW: Pg 47 #45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 55, 58, 59, 60, 65, 67,70, 71, 78, 79, 80-86MC
•  1.3 HW: Pg 75 #87, 89, 91, 94, 96, 97, 99, 102, 106, 108, 111, 113, 115, 123-126MC

 

4. Complete the FRAPPY! Free Response AP Problem YAY! on page 81 following

all directions, especially the time limit. Use the book’s website as suggested.

5. Chapter 1 Review Exercises on Pg 83: #R1.1 – R1.10 ALL

6. Chapter 1 AP Statistics Practice Test on Pg 86 #T1.1-T1.15 ALL

 

Caution about Academic Integrity: DO NOT copy the answers to any assignment from sources you find on the internet or book – especially the textbook. Doing so will be considered plagiarism and the consequence of such behavior will be a zero on the assignment at least.

The answers you may find are meant to check your understanding after you have completed a problem yourself and these solutions should then assist you in making corrections. The textbook gives answers to the odds but you need to show all work/calculations done to derive the answer; answers are to be stated in your own words.

Warning: Answers you find on the Internet are sometimes incorrect and will often be stated using terminology and solving techniques that are not specific to the current AP Statistics curriculum. 

This makes it easy to identify work that is not your own

 

DUE DATES:The assignment will be separated into fourths. 

 

Chapter 1 Intro and Section 1.1 Due June 26th

Chapter 1 Section 2 Due July 10th    

Chapter 1 Section 3 and FRAPPY ( Free Response AP Problem YAY!) Due August 7th

Chapter 1 Review and Chapter 1 AP Statistics Practice Test are due the first day of school.

The entire assignment will be reviewed in class followed by a test on Chapter 1. 

DO NOT wait until the last minute to do this summer assignment.

I will be available each Wednesday prior to due dates via Zoom for Q & A if needed. Time TBD. 

I will not accept any late summer assignments!

 

 

AP Biology Summer Assignments

 

UPDATED Summer Assignments have been completed. There are 4 in total.

The first thing I need you to do is to go to www.collegeboard.org & register for an account. Go over the ‘Course Descriptors’, ‘Formulas Sheet’ for AP Biology and get very familiar with the standards and requirements. You should save the AP Biology Formula Sheet onto your computer.

You need to get a Composition Log book to put your notes in.

Assignment 1 is a review of your biology course, Ch 1 Due July 24th
Assignment 2 is a review of chemistry course, Ch 2 Due Aug 7th
Assignment 3 is a review of Water and its properties, Ch 3 Due Aug 21st
Assignment 4 Is on Math and Statistic in biology. This is Due Sept 4th.

I will post each assignment in the Classroom section. I will also add powerpoints to assist you. Many videos have been embedded into the assignments. A pdf copy of the book is posted under the Resource section.  
This Stream is open for you all to chat. If you need help on a topic write it here and hopefully another student will respond.  

NOTE: If you miss one due date you will lose points, if you miss two due dates you will be removed from the course.  

 

Honors Chemistry

Welcome to Cardinal Spellman’s Honors Chemistry class!  I am looking forward to helping you gain a deep appreciation for the science of chemistry and how it impacts our lives.  I hope you are looking forward to an exciting and challenging year.  

I am sure you will learn a great deal next year and you will be challenged.  I also hope you will enjoy learning about the concepts that make our world turn.  We are fortunate to have an i-book for this course and we will use it frequently.  In order to prepare you for a full course in honors chemistry, you are required to complete the assignments listed below over the summer. You will be using ibook: Chemistry-Matter and Change published by McGraw Hill.  Your first assessment will be on this material.  These assignments are due as specified below.  Please show all your work, number each question and identify the pages in each chapter on each assignment. Neatness counts! We will spend a class on these topics before you are tested on the material in Chapters 1 and 2.

 

All work will be passed in on a Google Classroom page. Which will be shared with you.

DUE DATES

Chapter 1- Complete and email by July 31^st  (10 points off for every day late)

a.  Assignment 1 – Read pp 3-27

Pg 45, Questions 25-30

b.  Assignment 2 – Read pp 28-37

Pg 46, Questions 39-44

Study vocab words: chemistry, substance, mass, weight, scientific method, hypothesis, independent and dependent variable, conclusion, theory, scientific law (your ibook has the ability to create flash cards for your vocab words.  Use this resource to study your vocab)

 

Chapter 2 – Complete by August 19 (10 points off for every day late)

a.  Assignment 1 – Read pp 55-69

Pg 118, Questions 62, 71 - 80

b.  Assignment2 – Read pp 91-99

Pg 121, Questions 85-94

Study vocab words: base unit, second, meter, kilogram, kelvin, derived unit, liter,

density, scientific notation, accuracy, precision, error, percent error, significant

figure, dimensional analysis, conversion factor, graph

 

I will check my email over the summer from time to time.  If you have a question about the assignment, please contact the main office!