Summer Assignments and Enrichment

List of 7 items.

• 9th Grade Assignment

  Case Studies in World History

  Directions: Read Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates by Jill Rubalacaba and Peter Robertshaw (ISBN-13: 978-1580891646) and keep a reading journal (4-5 pages total). Practice critical reading skills by marking up the text as you read and looking up words you don’t know. Your journal should have one entry (about 1 page) for each section of the book (Turkana Boy, Lapedo Child, Kennewick Man, and Iceman) that addresses questions 1-4 below. You should also write one additional paragraph responding to question 5. When you cite information from the book in your journal, please put the page number in parentheses at the end of the sentences. If you use a direct quote, be sure to put it in quotation marks, in addition to citing with the page number in parentheses, example (Rubalacaba, 112).
 

  
  The journal and book will be used to inform a class discussion during the first week of class. Your journal should be typed (double-spaced, size 12 Times New Roman) and is due on the first day of class. You must bring it to class on your laptop as an accessible, digital file and your teacher will show you how to submit this file to Canvas during class. If you have any questions after looking over the assignment below, please email Capt. Eldred (jeldred@episcopalhighschool.org).

  
  

  • What did archeologists and historians learn from this skeleton?
  • How does this skeleton reflect the ways hominids advanced over time?
  • What debates or new questions has this skeleton led to?
  • What questions do you have after reading this section? What more do you want to know?
  • Final Reflection: How has this book changed or influenced your understanding of history, hominid evolution, and/or the work of archeologists?

• 10th Grade Modern World History

  Hiroshima by John Hersey (ISBN 13: 978-0679721031). If you have any questions after looking over the assignment below, please email Mr. Blunt.
  
  Purpose: This summer, your Modern World History teachers ask that you read John Hersey’s Hiroshima. The purpose of this assignment is to interpret different perspectives of a major world event to form your own opinions. This book will also challenge you to think critically about the world around you and the idea of “progress” in connection with technological advancements of the modern world. This book will also begin to prepare you for the first unit of study on the Industrial Revolution, as well as, a common dialogue when we study WWII and the Cold War.

  
  Instructions: 
  
  

  As you read each chapter, take notes and annotate the physical copy of your book. Your instructor will ask to see your work in the first week of classes.
  
  

  Write a 2-3 page (700-1,000 words), double-spaced reflection on what you have learned by reading this book. It is suggested that you respond to at least 2 or 3 of the prompts listed below. 

   

  Prompts to consider when writing: 

  • Which character mentioned in the book was most interesting or inspirational to you? Why? (Feel free to mention multiple characters.) 
  • Are there dangers or drawbacks to nuclear and technological progress? 
  • What is the purpose of this book? How do you think the author feels about nuclear war?
  • Connect this book to the present day. Is there a threat of Nuclear War in today’s world? (This will require you to read about current events as well.) 
  • Do you believe that the use of atomic bombs was necessary after reading this book? Why or why not? 

  * You need to use at least 5 pieces of direct textual evidence (in the form of quotations) in your response. Please cite any direct textual evidence from the book by placing the author’s last name and page number on which you found it in parentheses. For example, “She saw nothing but black” (Hersey, 33). 
  
  

  Be ready to participate in a Harkness-style discussion the first week of school.
  
  

  Your responses (paper) will be due on the first day of classes. 

• 10th Grade Honors Modern World History

  The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson (ISBN-13: 978-1594482694). Please read the entire book and complete the written assignment (explained below), which is due on the first FULL day of class. If you have any questions after looking over the assignment below, please email Ms. Huntley HRH@episcopalhighschool.org
  
  

  Purpose: There are three purposes for this assignment: (1) to help you maintain and improve your critical reading and analytical writing skills, (2) to introduce you to some of the historical-thinking skills (in bold below) that will form the bedrock of the course, and (3) to prepare you for the first unit of study: the Industrial Revolution.
  
  

  Instructions: As you read each chapter, look at the corresponding prompts and craft clear, specific, and direct responses. The rubric at the end of the document provides direction on the teachers’ expectations. An estimated word length is included in each prompt. Please cite any direct reference to the text (quotations) by placing the page number in parentheses. The responses will be due on the FIRST FULL DAY of class. 
  
  

  List of chapters and prompts:
  
  

  Chapter 1: “Monday, August 28: The Night-Soil Men”

  Historians create context in order to provide the general background of a specific historical event. This is called contextualization. In the first chapter, historian Steven Johnson attempts to contextualize the cholera epidemic of 1854. 

  
  What are some of the most important pieces of context in the first chapter that enabled you to understand what mid-nineteenth-century London was like? (125-150 words)

  
  Chapter 2: “Saturday, September 2: Eyes Sunk, Lips Dark Blue”
  

  When historians look to the past, they attempt to understand the causes of particular events. This is called causation. In this chapter, historian Steven Johnson attempts to pinpoint the reasons why the cholera epidemic of 1854 exploded. 
  
  

  According to Steven Johnson, what were some of the underlying causes of the 1854 cholera epidemic? (125-150 words)

  
  Chapter 3: “Sunday, September 3: The Investigator”

  Historians often debate the ability of specific individuals to influence the course of a particular historical event. Historian Steven Johnson clearly believes that individuals can influence a specific historical event by focusing on the life and career of John Snow. 
  
  

  What were at least four of Snow’s accomplishments or attributes that enabled him to tackle the problem of the 1854 cholera epidemic? (75-100 words)
  
  

  Chapter 4: “Monday, September 4: That is to Say, Jo Has Not Yet Died”

  Historians track change over time. 
  
  

  What are at least three historically important changes that historian Steven Johnson traces throughout this chapter? How-- according to Johnson--did John Snow represent change? (100-150 words)
  
  

  Chapter 5: “Tuesday, September 5: All Smell is Disease”

  One aspect of historical analysis is making comparisons. This chapter describes and chronicles the “miasma theory.”
  
  

  Compare and contrast the ideas of “miasmatists” like Edwin Chadwick with “contagionists” like John Snow. How were the theories different? (100-150 words)
  
  

  Chapter 6: “Wednesday, September 6: Building the Case”

  Historians and other scientists-- both natural and social scientists--rely on the use of evidence to build theories and arguments. This is called evidentiary analysis. In this chapter, Johnson looks at how both John Snow and Henry Whitehead made observations indicating that cholera was transported through water. 
  
  

  What-- in your view-- were the three most important pieces of evidence that supported the “contagionist” theory? Explain why these pieces of evidence were so important. (100-125 words)
  
  

  Chapter 7: “Friday, September 8: The Pump Handle”

  Historians look for “turning points” in history. In this chapter, Steven Johnson suggests that “[t]he removal of the pump handle was a historical turning point.”
  
  

  Using the information from this chapter, explain at least two ways in which the removal of the pump handle was a historical turning point. (100-125 words) 
  
  

  Chapter 8: “Epilogue”

  Choose one of the following questions to respond to in a well-organized paragraph with direct references (and page numbers!) of evidence to support your ideas. (100-125 words)
   

  How did explanations for disease transmission affirm social prejudices? 
  OR - 
  How important is scientific study in determining public policy? 
  
  

  Final Reflection: 

  9. Examine the EHS Profile of a Graduate - In what ways did John Snow exhibit Moral and Intellectual Courage/Courageous Action? Include specific examples. (100-125 words)
  
  View the rubric here.

• 11th Grade United States History

  Never Caught: The Washington’s Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar (ISBN-13: 978-1501126390) *Note: There is a “young reader’s version” of this book, but you are reading the full version.

  
  All US History and Advanced US History students will read the award winning book Never Caught. Adv US History students have an additional assignment outlined below. Never Caught was chosen because of its compelling subject matter (the themes of slavery and freedom will be central to our work this year), but an additional connection to our school campus also makes it uniquely relevant. Ona Judge, an enslaved woman owned by the Washington family, was slated to be a marriage gift to Eliza Custis Law, the eldest granddaughter of Martha Washington. On page 194 in this book, you will see a reference to the property Eliza Custis Law built called “Mount Washington,” which you know better as Hoxton House on our EHS campus. In addition to our school’s geographical connection to this summer read, we hope you will appreciate that the narrative is unlike most history books and you find it very readable.
  
  

  As you read the book, take notes and focus on the critical issues addressed by Professor Dunbar. Answer the following questions in a directed journal format. Each response to questions 1-5 should be 200-250 words and should demonstrate your ability to read critically and to understand how a scholar crafts an argument. Each response should also reflect your creativity as a writer and analytical thinker. Utilize specific evidence to support your answers to the questions, but DO NOT incorporate direct quotations from the book in your responses. When you cite, you should use parenthetical in-text citations, example: (Dunbar, 115). Your journal should be typed, double-spaced, and use Times New Roman size 12. 
  
  

  The teachers expect that your ideas and responses will be your own and, as such, will conform to all aspects of Episcopal’s Honor Code. You will need to be ready to submit the journal on Canvas using TurnItIn.com on the first day of classes. If you have any questions please email Mr. Reynolds (mreynolds@episcopalhighschool.org).
  
  

  Please do not copy/ paste the directions and these questions into your journal.  Or, if you do, please delete them afterwards.  When finished, proof-read your work for mechanics (spelling, capitalization, grammar) and clarity.
  

  • What types of primary source evidence does Dunbar use to support her argument? (Consult the “Note and Bibliography” section in the back of the book.) Why does she resort so often to supposition? Is this a strength or a weakness of the book?
  • How was daily life different for enslaved people in rural versus urban areas?
  • How did revolutionary ideals (ideas stemming from the recently ended American Revolution) impact the growing divide between the North and the South over the issue of slavery?
  • What was gradual emancipation?  What did gradual emancipation look like in northern states?  What was life like for free Black people?
  • Why was George Washington relentless in his pursuit of Ona Judge? What factors impacted the way he pursued her?  How should the story of Ona Judge influence our understanding of him as a founding father?
  • The author, Professor Erica Dunbar, is active on Twitter. Write the text of a tweet that you would like to send her. In the tweet make a comment about the book or ask a question that came to mind as you read. Remember that originally, a tweet could only be 140 characters (not words), so keep your text to 140 or less. 

• 11th Grade American Studies

  Never Caught: The Washington’s Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar (ISBN-13: 978-1501126390) *Note: There is a “young reader’s version” of this book, but you are reading the full version.
  
  

  In addition to their English summer reading map, all American Studies students will read the award winning book Never Caught. This book was chosen because of its compelling subject matter (the themes of slavery and freedom will be central to our work this year), but an additional connection to our school campus also makes it uniquely relevant. Ona Judge, an enslaved woman owned by the Washington family, was slated to be a marriage gift to Eliza Custis Law, the eldest granddaughter of Martha Washington. On page 194 in this book, you will see a reference to the property Eliza Custis Law built called “Mount Washington,” which you know better as Hoxton House on our EHS campus. In addition to our school’s geographical connection to this summer read, we hope you will appreciate that the narrative is unlike most history books and you find it very readable.
  
  

  As you read the book, take notes and focus on the critical issues addressed by Professor Dunbar. Answer the following questions in a directed journal format. Each response should be 200-250 words and should demonstrate your ability to read critically and to understand how a scholar crafts an argument. Each response should also reflect your creativity as a writer and analytical thinker. Utilize specific evidence to support your answers to the questions, but DO NOT incorporate direct quotations from the book in your responses. When you cite, you should use parenthetical in-text citations, example: (Dunbar, 115). Your journal should be typed, double-spaced, and use Times New Roman size 12. 
  
  

  The teachers expect that your ideas and responses will be your own and, as such, will conform to all aspects of Episcopal’s Honor Code. You will need to be ready to submit the journal on Canvas using TurnItIn.com on the first day of classes. If you have any questions please email Dr. Fryar (cfryar@episcopalhighschool.org)
  
  

  Please do not copy/ paste the directions and these questions into your journal. Or, if you do, please delete them afterwards.  When finished, proof-read your work for mechanics (spelling, capitalization, grammar) and clarity.
  

  • What types of primary source evidence does Dunbar use to support her argument? (Consult the “Note and Bibliography” section in the back of the book.) Why do you think she resorts to supposition? Is this a strength or a weakness of the book?
  • How was daily life different for enslaved people in rural versus urban areas?
  • How did revolutionary ideals (ideas stemming from the recently ended American Revolution) impact the growing divide between the North and the South over the issue of slavery?
  • What was gradual emancipation?  What did gradual emancipation look like in northern states?  What was life like for free Black people?
  • Why was George Washington relentless in his pursuit of Ona Judge? What factors impacted the way he pursued her?  How should the story of Ona Judge influence our understanding of him as a founding father?
  • What questions are you still left with about George Washington, Ona Judge, and/or Dunbar’s research?

• 11th Grade Advanced United States History

  Never Caught: The Washington’s Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar (ISBN-13: 978-1501126390) *Note: There is a “young reader’s version” of this book, but you are reading the full version.
  
  

  All U.S. History and Advanced U.S. History students will read the award winning book Never Caught. Adv U.S History students have an additional assignment outlined below. Never Caught was chosen because of its compelling subject matter (the themes of slavery and freedom will be central to our work this year), but an additional connection to our school campus also makes it uniquely relevant. Ona Judge, an enslaved woman owned by the Washington family, was slated to be a marriage gift to Eliza Custis Law, the eldest granddaughter of Martha Washington. On page 194 in this book, you will see a reference to the property Eliza Custis Law built called “Mount Washington,” which you know better as Hoxton House on our EHS campus. In addition to our school’s geographical connection to this summer read, we hope you will appreciate that the narrative is unlike most history books and you find it very readable.
  
  

  As you read the book, take notes and focus on the critical issues addressed by Professor Dunbar. Answer the following questions in a directed journal format. Each response to questions 1-5 should be 200-250 words and should demonstrate your ability to read critically and to understand how a scholar crafts an argument. Each response should also reflect your creativity as a writer and analytical thinker. Utilize specific evidence to support your answers to the questions, but DO NOT incorporate direct quotations from the book in your responses. When you cite, you should use parenthetical in-text citations, example: (Dunbar, 115). Your journal should be typed, double-spaced, and use Times New Roman size 12. 
  
  

  The teachers expect that your ideas and responses will be your own and, as such, will conform to all aspects of Episcopal’s Honor Code. You will need to be ready to submit the journal on Canvas using TurnItIn.com on the first day of classes. If you have any questions please email Ms. George (jgeorge@episcopalhighschool.org). 
  
  

  Please do not copy/ paste the directions and these questions into your journal. Or, if you do, please delete them afterwards. When finished, proof-read your work for mechanics (spelling, capitalization, grammar) and clarity.
  
  

  • What types of primary source evidence does Dunbar use to support her argument? (Consult the “Note and Bibliography” section in the back of the book.) Why does she resort so often to supposition? Is this a strength or a weakness of the book?
  • How was daily life different for enslaved people in rural versus urban areas?
  • How did revolutionary ideals (ideas stemming from the recently ended American Revolution) impact the growing divide between the North and the South over the issue of slavery?
  • What was gradual emancipation? What did gradual emancipation look like in northern states? What was life like for free Black people?
  • Why was George Washington relentless in his pursuit of Ona Judge? What factors impacted the way he pursued her? How should the story of Ona Judge influence our understanding of him as a founding father?
  • The author, Professor Erica Dunbar, is active on Twitter. Write the text of a tweet that you would like to send her. In the tweet make a comment about the book or ask a question that came to mind as you read. Remember that originally, a tweet could only be 140 characters (not words), so keep your text to 140 or less. 

  Additional Assignment for Advanced US History
  The American Yawp, A Massively Collaborative Open U.S. History Textbook, http://www.americanyawp.com/ 
  
  The American Yawp will serve as our narrative text for the school year. To become familiar with this text and to create a foundation for your study of U.S. History, you will do the following:
  
  

  • Create a new document separate from the Never Caught assignment. This document should be typed, double-spaced, and use Times New Roman size 12.
  • Read this short secondary source: “The Colombian Exchange,” by historian Alfred Crosby. Focus on the main points of his argument as you read and take notes. Using your notes, write a paragraph explaining his thesis (not the main idea, but his actual argument) and which TWO pieces of evidence he uses that you think most effectively support his ideas. Analyze WHY Crosby’s evidence effectively supports his argument (do not simply summarize/re-state the evidence).
  • Read American Yawp Ch. 1 “Indigenous America” by either printing this PDF or reading the chapter online. While reading, take notes in your preferred method (annotate, typed notes, handwritten notes, etc.). You will not turn these notes in, but you will need them to study for an in-class assessment on this material during the first week of school.
  • Go to this link: American Yawp Primary Source Reader Ch. 1 “Indigenous America” (NOTE: this is a separate source from the reading above). Choose ONE of the following textual primary sources:
    • Native American creation stories
    • Journal of Christopher Columbus, 1492
    • An Aztec account of the Spanish attack
    • Bartolomé de las Casas describes the exploitation of Indigenous people, 1542
    • Thomas Morton reflects on Native Americans in New England, 1637
    • The story of the Virgin of Guadalupe
    • Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca travels through North America, 1542
  • and choose ONE of the following media primary sources:
    • Cliff Palace photograph (for this source, consider the original structure, not the modern photo of it)
    • Casta painting 

  Click on your chosen sources to read and examine them fully. Then, for each primary source you chose, write one paragraph analyzing the source’s Historical situation/context, Audience, Point of view, and Purpose. Read this document to learn more about this type of analysis (which we call HAPP) and to see an example of it in action. 
  
  Please note: the links above will only work if you are logged into your EHS gmail account. You will submit this work to Canvas through Turnitin.com on the first day of classes and will be assessed on this content within the first week of classes. Please do not include these directions or your reading notes in your submission. Before submitting your work, proof-read it for mechanics (spelling, capitalization, grammar) and clarity.

• 11th Grade Advanced American Studies

  Never Caught: The Washington’s Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar (ISBN-13: 978-1501126390) *Note: There is a “young reader’s version” of this book, but you are reading the full version.
  
  

  In addition to their English summer reading map, all Advanced American Studies students will read the award winning book Never Caught and complete an additional assignment on other readings outlined below. Never Caught was chosen because of its compelling subject matter (the themes of slavery and freedom will be central to our work this year), but an additional connection to our school campus also makes it uniquely relevant. Ona Judge, an enslaved woman owned by the Washington family, was slated to be a marriage gift to Eliza Custis Law, the eldest granddaughter of Martha Washington. On page 194 in this book, you will see a reference to the property Eliza Custis Law built called “Mount Washington,” which you know better as Hoxton House on our EHS campus. In addition to our school’s geographical connection to this summer read, we hope you will appreciate that the narrative is unlike most history books and you find it very readable.
  
  

  As you read the book, take notes and focus on the critical issues addressed by Professor Dunbar. Answer the following questions in a directed journal format. Each response should be 200-250 words and should demonstrate your ability to read critically and to understand how a scholar crafts an argument. Each response should also reflect your creativity as a writer and analytical thinker. Utilize specific evidence to support your answers to the questions, but DO NOT incorporate direct quotations from the book in your responses. When you cite, you should use parenthetical in-text citations, example: (Dunbar, 115). Your journal should be typed, double-spaced, and use Times New Roman size 12. 
  
  

  The teachers expect that your ideas and responses will be your own and, as such, will conform to all aspects of Episcopal’s Honor Code. You will need to be ready to submit the journal on Canvas using TurnItIn.com on the first day of classes. If you have any questions please email Dr. Fryar (cfryar@episcopalhighschool.org)
  
  

  Please do not copy/ paste the directions and these questions into your journal. Or, if you do, please delete them afterwards.  When finished, proof-read your work for mechanics (spelling, capitalization, grammar) and clarity.
  
  What types of primary source evidence does Dunbar use to support her argument? (Consult the “Note and Bibliography” section in the back of the book.) Why do you think she resorts to supposition? Is this a strength or a weakness of the book?

  • How was daily life different for enslaved people in rural versus urban areas?
  • How did revolutionary ideals (ideas stemming from the recently ended American Revolution) impact the growing divide between the North and the South over the issue of slavery?
  • What was gradual emancipation?  What did gradual emancipation look like in northern states?  What was life like for free Black people?
  • Why was George Washington relentless in his pursuit of Ona Judge? What factors impacted the way he pursued her?  How should the story of Ona Judge influence our understanding of him as a founding father?
  • What questions are you still left with about George Washington, Ona Judge, and/or Dunbar’s research? 

  Additional Assignment for Advanced American Studies

  The American Yawp and Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy In the Nation’s Capital by Chris Myers Asch and George Derek Musgrove will serve as two of our main historical texts for the school year. To become familiar with these texts and to create a foundation for our American Studies class, you will do the following:

  • Create a new document separate from the Never Caught assignment. This document should be typed, double-spaced, and use Times New Roman size 12.
  • Read American Yawp Ch. 1 “Indigenous America” by reading the chapter online. While reading, take notes in your preferred method (annotate, typed notes, handwritten notes, etc.). Be prepared to turn in a version of your notes during the first week of class.
  • Read the Introduction and Chapter One (pages 1-15) of Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy In the Nation’s Capital. As with the Yawp reading, take notes as you read, and be prepared to turn them in during the first week of class. 

  After completing the readings, please answer the following questions. Your responses to each question should be roughly 200-250 words (the same as your responses to Never Caught).  
  

  1. In what ways did the pre-colonial culture and society of Indigenous groups in North America reflect aspects of the landscape (e.g. climate, ecology, weather, crops) of the places they lived? Provide at least three examples, citing specific examples from both readings.
  2. What motivations did Europeans have in exploring and colonizing North America? What reasons did the English have for colonizing the Chesapeake Bay region and future site of Washington, D.C. in particular
  3. Asch and Musgrove write in the Introduction to Chocolate City: “Race, above and beyond other factors (including class, region, politics, and religion), has proven to be the most significant explanation for social, economic, and political divisions in the city.” What evidence do the authors rely on in the first chapter to support this argument as it pertains to Indigenous people in North America and English colonizers?
  4. Asch and Musgrove mention a dozen or more place names, both historic and contemporary, in and around Washington, D.C. Which place names do you recognize? If you have been to one or more of these places, why and when have you been there, and what was it like? What places do the authors mention that you do not know and are curious to learn more about? 

  Please note: the links above will only work if you are logged into your EHS gmail account. You will submit this work to Canvas through Turnitin.com on the first day of classes and will be assessed on this content within the first week of classes. Please do not include these directions or your reading notes in your submission. Before submitting your work, proof-read it for mechanics (spelling, capitalization, grammar) and clarity.