Summer Reading 2022
One of our Benedictine Hallmarks is Community. Our summer assignments provide a unique opportunity to grow in our relationship with each other as we explore texts that enhance both our understanding of humanity and the world around us.
This summer we will continue to employ our discipline-centric Summer Reading model. We look forward to incorporating these assignments into their respective courses during the first weeks of school.
The rich and thought-provoking themes in each assignment will provide our faculty members a multitude of options to create assessments, assignments, projects, and organized discussions that link what we are learning to our Benedictine mission.
We hope you enjoy these selections! Thank you for your support.
Below are the grade level breakdowns. The assignments and files for all grade levels are organized by subject:
Grade 9: English, Math (Algebra I, Honors Algebra I, Algebra II only), Theology
Grade 10: Science, Social Studies, Math (Algebra I, Honors Algebra I, Algebra II only)
Grade 11: Social Studies, Guidance
Grade 12: English, Guidance
*Please note: Several courses might require assignments in addition to this list, so be sure to check for any additional courses you are taking below!
Specific Courses (see assignments below):
Jon Peterson Scholarship/Intervention Students
African-American Studies
Algebra I
Honors Algebra I
Algebra II
AP U.S. Government
AP U.S. History
AP European History
English
Grade 9
Read Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees (2001) and complete the summer reading guide. (No specific edition of the novel is required.)
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is the story of young Lily Owens and Rosaleen, the girl’s black “stand-in” mother in segregation-era South Carolina. When Rosaleen insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free and escape to a town that holds the secret to her mother’s past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey.
Grade 12
Read Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front (1928) and complete the summer reading guide. (No specific edition of the novel is required.)
In this classic of world literature, a young German soldier relates his experiences in World War I, from his innocent patriotism to his disgust at the war machine and his exhaustion. This novel, considered one of the great anti-war novels of all time, portrays with a somber realism the horrors of war and the strength of the friendship of fellow soldiers-in-arms.
Mathematics
Students in Algebra I, Honors Algebra I, and Algebra II:
Students enrolled in Algebra 1, Honors Algebra 1, and Algebra 2 for the 2022-2023 school year will complete a summer assignment to aid in preparation for the start of the school year in August. All information necessary on how to access the work, what the assignment is, and the rationale behind having the assignment is available in a Google Doc which can be accessed at the following link: Math Summer Assignment 2022. Please read through the information and begin work when you are able. We recommend waiting to start until mid-July and to complete it over the following month so the work is fresh when school begins. The work is due when you arrive the first day you attend school next year. There will be a Quarter 1 grade associated with this work, so take it seriously.
Theology
Grade 9
Read the excerpt from the Rule of St. Benedict and be prepared to discuss it in class.
Science
Grade 10
Use the instructions in this document Science Department Summer Reading 2022 to register for the free course Aquinas 101: Science and Faith. Complete the lessons and the EdPuzzles as described in the document.
Social Studies
African-American Studies
See the Google Drive file for the reading assignment and planned Zoom meetings: African-American Studies Summer Assignment
Grade 10
Read Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt with Lisa Frazier Page, The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream (2002). (No specific edition of the book is required.) [If you are taking AP U.S. Government, please see the note below.]
Chosen by poll to be among the forty most influential African-Americans, these three young men grew up in the streets of Newark, New Jersey, facing urban temptations, pitfalls and even jail. But one day these three young men made a pact. They promised each other they would all become doctors and stick it out together through the long, difficult journey to attaining that dream. The authors are not only friends to this day, but they are doctors. This is the story of powerful friendship—beating the odds—joining forces. The Chicago Sun Times referred to this book as “probably the most important book for African-American families since the 1960s….It just may change a teen’s future.” The lessons of this book are for all of us, no matter our struggles and difficulties. As the authors share their experiences, there is something to which we all can relate. This book will have you cheering!
AP U.S. Government
Do NOT read The Pact. Instead, complete the three-part assignment for AP U.S. Government (journal, annotate the Constitution, answer the Constitution questions).
Grade 11
Read Michael Shaara, The Killer Angels (1974). (No specific edition of the novel is required.) [If you are taking AP U.S. History, please see the note below.]
This Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel outlines the drama and human sacrifice of the four days that changed the face of the Civil War. Shaara emphasizes the decisions, motivations, and actions of generals, colonels, and other officers in the battle more than the common soldiers. The author explained that he was aiming to produce an epic military study modeled after William Shakespeare’s Henry V. General Norman Schwarzkopf of Gulf War fame described The Killer Angels as “the best and most realistic historical novel about war that I have ever read.”
AP U.S. History
Do NOT read The Killer Angels. Instead, complete the assignment for AP U.S. History, which asks you to complete a series of essays.
AP European History
Complete the assignment for AP European History, which asks you to complete a series of essays.
Counseling/Guidance (Juniors and Seniors)
See the Google Drive file for the summer assignments for Juniors and Seniors: Junior and Senior Summer Work 2022-2023
Please reference the following files as you complete your summer work: