Summer Work
Some of our classes require preparatory work prior to the first day of classes in August. In some instances, this means that students must purchase and read books in addition to completing an assignment. Budgeting time to do this work well is one of the best ways to ensure a strong start to the school year.
English
The following English courses have summer reading expectations. The documents below explain in detail the work students should complete for those classes. If there are questions, please contact English Department Chair Denise Foster.
9th & 10th Graders
9th and 10th graders are not required to read a specific title before school begins; however, we encourage students to maintain an active relationship with the written word over the summer months. To that end, every student should read at least one text of appropriate rigor before the semester begins. While rigor and careful reading are essential, our hope is that students will find a text that they want to read in a genre of their choice. By being less prescriptive, we hope to foster in students an interest in stories and a joy of reading. While there will not be a formal assessment on this reading, students will have ample opportunity to share their insights on these texts over the course of the year.
Current students can access eBooks on the LFA Library Page, which they can use to download a book directly to their school-issued iPad using the SORA app. (However, incoming freshmen and transfer students will not receive iPads or account information until school begins.)
2023 Alex Award Winners The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18.
YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) Nonfiction Award 2023
2019 Outstanding Books for the College Bound & Lifelong Learners
English 11
In preparation for English 11, students should read Celeste Ng’s "Everything I Never Told You," a novel about a multiracial family living in suburban Ohio in the 1970s struggling with the sudden mysterious death of their elder daughter, Lydia.
Annotate your copy (printed copies only), paying close attention to literary elements (language and important details) that reveal
- the “double lives” of the main characters–Lydia, James, and Marilyn, mainly–and the contradictions between the identities that they project outwardly and the identities that they conceal and act out in secret
- the experiences that put pressure on them to act out these “secret” identities
- the root cause of tensions between characters
In addition, annotate for:
- emerging patterns – recurring images, repeated words/phrases, narrative point of view – as well as moments of shift and discontinuity
- moments of confusion
- personal reactions to the text in the margins.
- unfamiliar vocabulary. Be sure to follow up by looking these words up in a reliable dictionary.
Two websites that provide further details about why and how to approach annotation:
- Annotation Guidelines for English I at Loomis Chaffee School
- Annotating Texts at The Learning Center at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Students should be prepared to write in class about the novel during the first cycle of the school year using only their annotated copies of the novel.
Languages
AP French
Read through the assignment carefully. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Tanwar.
AP French Summer Assignment
AP French Summer Assignment - French version
History & Social Sciences
AP World History
Please read through this assignment carefully and complete the necessary work before the start of classes in August. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Wold.
AP World History Summer Assignment
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
Math
There is no required math assignment for the summer. However, you may find this summer math practice page helpful to keep your math skills sharp! If you have any questions about the optional summer math work or math in general, you can reach out to Mr. Makovec.
Optional Summer Work
Each of the links below has many of the skills you will need to get ready for your fall math courses.
Please note that these Prerequisites Skills Worksheets are not the only content areas necessary for each course, and the goal of these pages is to simply provide more practice to students looking to hone their skills and re-familiarize themselves with these important topics.
Science
AP Biology
There is work to be done before classes begin in August for students enrolled in AP Biology. Dr. Smith recommends allotting at least two weeks for this assignment.
AP Biology Summer Assignment
AP Environmental Science
Read through this assignment carefully. Mr. Hagen recommends allowing about two weeks to complete the work. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Hagen.
AP Environmental Science Summer Assignment
Global Concentration
Cohort
Dig Where You Are speaks to the potential in each of us to make a difference in the world.
Cohort Assignment
What is the purpose of reading this work for this course?
Welcome to Global Cohort! As you may not have a clear vision /understanding of global competence, this book offers you an authentic experience of what Global Competence is about, why, and how.
What should students do with this book before they return to school?
Students should annotate (mark up their books) by doing some of the following:
- Summarize the chapters.
- Write down notes about the key character in each chapter. Who are they? What did they do? Why did they do what they did?
- Choose one or two chapters in this book that you feel most connected with and ask yourself WHY so?
- It has been five years since this book was initially published, what would you like to know about the people who were involved in these chapters?
- Everything that happened in this book was all over the world, often so far away from us... Why do we care? Should we care? Why so?
How will this book be used and assessed?
Students' understanding and takeaways from this book will be evaluated through several assignments and group discussions during the first cycle of school.
Dig Where You Are:How One Person's Effort Can Save a Life, Empower a Community and Create Meaningful Change in the World by Nan Alexander Doyal
ISBN 0997320303 paperback, ASIN B074KJCL2K Kindle
Capstone
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City is a 2016 non-fiction book by American author Matthew Desmond. Set in the poorest areas of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the book follows eight families struggling to pay rent to their landlords during the financial crisis of 2007–2008.
Capstone Assignment
What is the purpose of reading this work for this course?
As you have started working on the Capstone project after all the topics were covered in the junior year, let's take a moment to bring 'Global' to 'Local' by zooming in on a neighboring community who struggled, most likely still is struggling on one of a biggest global issue, poverty. Take a closer look at how the author researched and analyzed this issue and how he 'dig into the root of the problem'.
What should students do with this book before they return to school?
Students should annotate (mark up their books) by doing some of the following:
- Summarize the stories of the eight families.
- Write down notes about the KEY issue/challenge that each family experienced.
- Choose one or two families in this book that you feel most connected with and ask yourself WHY so?
- It has been six years since this book was initially published, what would you like to know about these characters in these eight families?
- Everything that happened in this book is less than an hour car ride from LFA, think about your junior year reading "Dig Where You Are." What can you do to help/support this community and/or any family in the book?
How will this book be used and assessed?
Students' understanding and takeaway of this book will be evaluated through several assignments and group discussions during the first cycle of school.
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
ISBN 0553447459 paperback, ASIN B010ZXKCAO Kindle