Category Archives: Summer Reading

Every year our department assigns summer reading. In the age of screen time, summer reading is so important because students have to take the SATs, which is essentially a reading test. Summer reading can also open a new door to curriculum.

How did The Last Lecture Inspire You?

Posted on September 13, 2019 by Bill Sullivan

While you may know that the word inspiration means to motivate or stimulate, the word inspiration derives from the root spiritus, which means breath. Part of the reason why we say “God bless you” to someone who sneezes, is that we … Continue reading →

Reflect and Locate Chinua Achebe’s Post Colonial Novel, Things Fall Apart

Posted on September 4, 2018 by Bill Sullivan

Let’s enjoy this informative interview with Nigerian author Chinua Achebe that was recorded fifty years after the publication of his novel, Things Fall Apart. View this interview and take notes on a few items. First note what was Achebe’s first … Continue reading →

Posted in Summer Reading, TED Talks/TEDx Talks, YouTube | Tagged Things Fall Apart | 6 Comments

Reflect on and Locate Chinua Achebe’s Post Colonial Novel, Things Fall Apart

Posted on August 6, 2017 by Bill Sullivan

Posted in Design Thinking on HMK, Disposition of a Critical Thinker, Summer Reading, Things Fall Apart | 2 Comments

What’s Your Takeaway?

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Bill Sullivan

The goal of this blog post is to begin a conversation during the first night of study hall tonight among students in all four of my classes about individuals’ reaction to our community text, Mark Shriver’s A Good Man. Please reflect … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Learning, Reflective Assessment, Service Learning, Summer Reading | 73 Comments

Anne Tyler’s Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Bill Sullivan

Welcome to reading Anne Tyler. For our conversations, we’ll locate how this is a modern text in that we understand the family story from multiple points of view. What favorite book or movie has a similar structure? Anne Tyler is … Continue reading →

Posted in English III, Summer Reading | 1 Comment

Reflect and Locate Chinua Achebe’s Post Colonial Novel, Things Fall Apart

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Bill Sullivan

Posted in English IV, Summer Reading | 37 Comments

Reflect Over Chinua Achebe’s Post Colonial Classic, Things Fall Apart

Posted on September 12, 2015 by Bill Sullivan

Posted in English IV, Summer Reading, Things Fall Apart | Leave a comment

Let’s Continue Our Conversation About Jamie Ford’s Novel

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Bill Sullivan

Our first digital classroom endeavor will be to continue our class conversation of the community text in the “comment” thread of this classroom blog. Enjoy this short video made by our upcoming visitor, Jamie Ford. Then, reflect over the novel and consider … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Learning, Community Theme, Digital Citizenship, Disposition of a Critical Thinker, Flipped Classroom, School Climate, Summer Reading, Text | Tagged Jamie Ford | 48 Comments

Clyborne Park as a Provocative Riff on Raisin in the Sun

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Bill Sullivan

Review this video before class to help you come to terms with the construction of the plot, the importance of the set as well as how Norris makes central attitudes of race in the last fifty years of American cultural … Continue reading →

Posted in English IV, Summer Reading | Leave a comment