SSR One-Pager



Independent Reading Assignment: A Novel Approach to Becoming Better Readers in AP Language and Composition.Dear students:As you have probably figured out by now, AP Lang is not a “novel-centered” course. In class, we will primarily focus on non-fiction texts, shorter essays, and current events as we attempt to create ourselves as knowledgeable citizens and capable writers. However – one of our other goals in the course is to further our development as independent readers. Research across the board proves that students who read on their own – for “fun” – consistently rank far above students who do not read independently in national standardized testing, and, more importantly, in college and civic preparedness (see next page for more information on this).With that in mind, I am asking you to read three novels (or play, or poetry/short story collection, or non-fiction text) outside of class each semester. Because I value your independent reading as much as I value the readings assigned in class, this assignment will be worth 15% of your grade in the course. A few things you should know as we complete this monthly assignment:What you choose to read is up to you.This is intended to be a low-pressure assignment – these selections should be works that you are genuinely interested in. However, as an AP student, I do expect that at least some of the books you select are works of “literary merit.” At the end of this packet you will find a list of recommended texts for AP English students. Many of these books will be available at the school and you may check these out from me. You will not be required to turn in annotations for these works. You will not be tested over these works. Your only assessment over this assignment will be in the form of the “One-Pagers” attached to this document. None of the “One-Pagers” should take you more than 20 minutes to complete.You can complete the different “One-Pager” templates in any order; if you like one in particular and would like to use it more than once, I can get you another copy. You may turn in your One-Pager at any point during the semester into the box specified for this assignment. You will receive credit for completion of this assignment. As long as the One-Pagers demonstrate thorough evidence that you have read the book, you will receive full credit. What I will do to support your growth as an independent reader:I will have books available to check out in the classroom.I will read your One-Pagers and provide brief commentary/feedback on them (and if they grab my attention, I’ll probably read the book!).I will offer suggestions for books to read – if I can’t think of any that match your interests (unlikely) then I’ll help you find recommendations online or from others.I will provide a model for this assignment by reading my own books and completing my own One-Pagers, which I will post on the bulletin board. Although reading may not currently rank among your current favorite things to do, it can provide you with enriching and enjoyable experiences if you let it. So pick what you like, and get to it!National Endowment for the Arts Announces New Reading StudyIn 2007, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced the release of?To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence, a…comprehensive analysis of reading patterns in the United States.?To Read or Not To Read?gathered statistics from more than 40 studies on the reading habits and skills of children, teenagers, and adults. The compendium revealed recent declines in voluntary reading and test scores alike, exposing trends that have severe consequences for American society.Among the key findings:Americans are reading less?- teens and young adults read less often and for shorter amounts of time compared with other age groups and with Americans of previous years.Less than one-third of 13-year-olds are daily readers, a 14 percent decline from 20 years earlier. Among 17-year-olds, the percentage of non-readers doubled over a 20-year period, from nine percent in 1984 to 19 percent in 2004.1On average, Americans ages 15 to 24 spend almost two hours a day watching TV, and only seven minutes of their daily leisure time on reading.2Americans are reading less well?– reading scores continue to worsen, especially among teenagers and young males.Reading scores for 12th-grade readers fell significantly from 1992 to 2005, with the sharpest declines among lower-level readers.32005 reading scores for male 12th-graders are 13 points lower than for female 12th-graders, and that gender gap has widened since 1992.4Reading scores for American adults of almost all education levels have deteriorated, notably among the best-educated groups. From 1992 to 2003, the percentage of adults with graduate school experience who were rated proficient in prose reading dropped by 10 points, a 20 percent rate of decline.5The declines in reading have civic, social, and economic implications?– Advanced readers accrue personal, professional, and social advantages. Deficient readers run higher risks of failure in all three areas.Nearly two-thirds of employers ranked reading comprehension "very important" for high school graduates. Yet 38 percent consider most high school graduates deficient in this basic skill.6American 15-year-olds ranked fifteenth in average reading scores for 31 industrialized nations, behind Poland, Korea, France, and Canada, among others.7Literary readers are more likely than non-readers to engage in positive civic and individual activities – such as volunteering, attending sports or cultural events, and exercising.8Reading for pleasure correlates strongly with academic achievement (see next page for statistics):Voluntary readers are better readers and writers than non-readers.Children and teenagers who read for pleasure on a daily or weekly basis score better on reading tests than infrequent readers.Frequent readers also score better on writing tests than non-readers or infrequent readers._____________________1. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)2. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,?American Time Use Survey(2006)3. U.S. Department of Education, NCES,?The Nation's Report Card: Reading 2005?4. U.S. Department of Education, NCES,?The Nation's Report Card: Reading 20055. U.S Department of Education, NCES,?National Assessment of Adult Literacy(2007)6. The Conference Board,?Are They Really Ready to Work??(2006)7. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,?Learning for Tomorrow’s World: First Results from PISA 20038. National Endowment for the Arts,?The Arts and Civic Engagement: Involved in Arts, Involved in Life?(2006)165735-111760001657353111500Independent Reading: One-Pager (A)Name:_________________________________Period:_____ Month: ______________Title:________________________________________________________________________Author:______________________________________________________________________Date started/date completed: _________________________________Total Pages:_________Rating of book (1-10):________Choose five (5) of the following sentence starters and write a brief reflection for each on the back of this paper:I noticed…I wonder…I was reminded of…I think…I’m surprised that…I’d like to know…I realized…If I were…The central issue(s) is/are…One consequence of _____________________could be…If ___________________, then…I’m not sure…Although it seems…Author’s purpose:Intended audience:ACADEMIC HONESTY--By signing below, I am indicating that I read this book, and the information on this page is an accurate reflection of my own thoughts and opinions:Signature_________________________________________Independent Reading: One-Pager (B)Name:_________________________________Period:_____ Month: ______________Title:________________________________________________________________________Author:______________________________________________________________________Date started/date completed: _________________________________Total Pages:_________Rating of book (1-10):________Describe the character/person who changed the most from beginning of the book to the end of the book. Explain the change and what caused it (use back side if necessary).Author’s purpose:Intended audience:ACADEMIC HONESTY--By signing below, I am indicating that I read this book, and the information on this page is an accurate reflection of my own thoughts and opinions:Signature_________________________________________Independent Reading: One-Pager (C)Name:_________________________________Period:_____ Month: ______________Title:________________________________________________________________________Author:______________________________________________________________________Date started/date completed: _________________________________Total Pages:_________Rating of book (1-10):________Describe a minor character/person in the book who had major importance. Explain.Author’s purpose:Intended audience:ACADEMIC HONESTY--By signing below, I am indicating that I read this book, and the information on this page is an accurate reflection of my own thoughts and opinions:Signature_________________________________________Independent Reading: One-Pager (D)Name:_________________________________Period:_____ Month: ______________Title:________________________________________________________________________Author:______________________________________________________________________Date started/date completed: _________________________________Total Pages:_________Rating of book (1-10):________Describe one major external conflict and one major internal conflict found in this book (use back side if necessary):Author’s purpose:Intended audience:ACADEMIC HONESTY--By signing below, I am indicating that I read this book, and the information on this page is an accurate reflection of my own thoughts and opinions:Signature_________________________________________Independent Reading: One-Pager (E)Name:_________________________________Period:_____ Month: ______________Title:________________________________________________________________________Author:______________________________________________________________________Date started/date completed: _________________________________Total Pages:_________Rating of book (1-10):________Above you rated this book. Explain in detail why you gave this book that score (use back side if necessary).Author’s purpose:Intended audience:ACADEMIC HONESTY--By signing below, I am indicating that I read this book, and the information on this page is an accurate reflection of my own thoughts and opinions:Signature_________________________________________Independent Reading: One-Pager (F)Name:_________________________________Period:_____ Month: ______________Title:________________________________________________________________________Author:______________________________________________________________________Date started/date completed: _________________________________Total Pages:_________Rating of book (1-10):________Evaluate the ending of the book. Considering how the book unfolded, is it an effective ending? Why or why not?Author’s purpose:Intended audience:ACADEMIC HONESTY--By signing below, I am indicating that I read this book, and the information on this page is an accurate reflection of my own thoughts and opinions:Signature_________________________________________Independent Reading: One-Pager (G)Name:_________________________________Period:_____ Month: ______________Title:________________________________________________________________________Author:______________________________________________________________________Date started/date completed: _________________________________Total Pages:_________Rating of book (1-10):________If this book had gone one more chapter, what would have happened? Explain (use back side if necessary).Author’s purpose:Intended audience:ACADEMIC HONESTY--By signing below, I am indicating that I read this book, and the information on this page is an accurate reflection of my own thoughts and opinions:Signature_________________________________________Independent Reading: One-Pager (H)Name:_________________________________Period:_____ Month: ______________Title:________________________________________________________________________Author:______________________________________________________________________Date started/date completed: _________________________________Total Pages:_________Rating of book (1-10):________Describe one “imaginative rehearsal” that a reader might take away from this book. Explain how that lesson is developed (use the back side if necessary):Author’s purpose:Intended audience:ACADEMIC HONESTY--By signing below, I am indicating that I read this book, and the information on this page is an accurate reflection of my own thoughts and opinions:Signature_________________________________________Independent Reading: One-Pager (I)Name:_________________________________Period:_____ Month: ______________Title:________________________________________________________________________Author:______________________________________________________________________Date started/date completed: _________________________________Total Pages:_________Rating of book (1-10):________If this book had one more chapter, what would have happened? Explain (use the back side if necessary):Author’s purpose:Intended audience:ACADEMIC HONESTY--By signing below, I am indicating that I read this book, and the information on this page is an accurate reflection of my own thoughts and opinions:Signature_________________________________________Independent Reading: One-Pager (J)Name:_________________________________Period:_____ Month: ______________Title:________________________________________________________________________Author:______________________________________________________________________Date started/date completed: _________________________________Total Pages:_________Rating of book (1-10):________Select a quote or passage that you feel defines this work. Explain why you chose this particular selection – why is it significant to the novel and/or to you personally? (Use the back side if necessary):Author’s purpose:Intended audience:ACADEMIC HONESTY--By signing below, I am indicating that I read this book, and the information on this page is an accurate reflection of my own thoughts and opinions:Signature_________________________________________ ................
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