Download CENTER FOR THE HUMANITIES

CENTER FOR THE
HUMANITIES
Dear Humanities’ Student in the Class of 2015,
You are, no doubt, anticipating another summer of fun-filled adventures that your
enthusiastic teachers have created just for you! Well, my winsome cherub, await no
longer. You will find within these next few pages assignments that will astound and
amaze you—we hope. As always, if you should have any questions, please email the
appropriate teacher at the following addresses:
Ms. Clare Tilton, Coordinator, [email protected]
Ms. Lindsey Huckstep, Perpsectives II, [email protected]
Mr. Matt Ehret, English 10, [email protected]
Ms. Sarah Shames Ehret, World History II, [email protected]
Due Dates:
Huckstep, Perspectives= Sept. 11th/12th
M. Ehret, English= Sept. 7th
S. Ehret, World History= Sept.7th
Please do not leave these for the last week of August to insure that you have plenty of
time for thoughtful consideration for each given assignment. Generally, you have
reading assignments and points to ponder this summer. If you should have any
problems finding these works, please contact the particular teacher or email me. Good
luck and have a relaxing summer!
Sincerely,
Clare Tilton, Coordinator
Students:
I am very much looking forward to our class next fall. Please complete the following
assignments this summer to facilitate our discussions. It is advisable to take notes—
both about characters and simple plot details, and about more complex thematic ideas—
in addition to considering the questions below.
Include page numbers beside your notes. Doing so will hopefully enable you to recall
what you’ve read in the fall when we need it. Thanks in advance for all your efforts!
Mr. Ehret
In your Norton, read the entire excerpt of Don Quixote. Consider especially the
following questions.
 What is Cervantes’ attitude toward the concept of chivalry? Is the fact that the
glory days of chivalry have passed by the time Cervantes is writing
significant? Or is historical reality even a consideration when discussing
chivalry as an idea?
 The adjective “quixotic” is defined as “foolishly impractical, especially in
pursuit of ideals; marked by rash lofty romantic ideas” (Webster’s Collegiate,
10th). Is this an adequate description of Cervantes’ intent in creating the Don?
Is the Don merely an object for ridicule or satire?
 When you answer the previous questions, please do so in one long paragraph
for each. Make sure you have used evidence and examples to support your
ideas.
GOOD LUCK. TRY TO ENJOY IT. Due Date: Sept. 7, 2012
10th Grade World History Assignment
Summer 2012
Mrs. Ehret
Greetings!
I am very excited to meet you all in the fall! We are going to have a terrific year! We
will begin our course with a review of the Renaissance and Reformation. The ideas that
are born from this time period will carry us through our first semester of learning.
Is this summer assignment, you are asked to compose one essay. You must use prior
knowledge, books, and the internet as sources. You must do your own work. Plagiarism
will not be tolerated. You must have a typed, double spaces, and correctly formatted
bibliography (MLA style). Please proof read your work before you hand it in. This
assignment will be worth 20 points.
Please make sure you answer the question
completely.
I hope you are having an enjoyable summer! If you have any questions, please feel free to
contact me at [email protected]. 
I. Renaissance
"Renaissance" literally means "rebirth." It refers especially to the rebirth of
learning that began in Italy in the fourteenth century, spread to the north,
including England, by the sixteenth century, and ended in the north in the midseventeenth century (earlier in Italy). During this period, there was an enormous
renewal of interest in and study of classical antiquity.
Yet the Renaissance was more than a "rebirth." It was also an age of new
discoveries, both geographical and intellectual. Both kinds of discovery resulted
in changes of tremendous import for Western civilization. In fact, Renaissance
thinkers often thought of themselves as ushering in the modern age, as distinct
from the ancient and medieval eras.
(http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/ren.html)
Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy? In what ways did the
Renaissance move Europe away from the medieval and toward the
modern? Please fully analyze at least three examples from literature
or art that demonstrate the influence of humanism during the
Renaissance.
Lastly, think about the Reformation. How did the Renaissance
influence the break from the Roman Catholic Church?
Perspectives 10 Summer Assignment
Huckstep
The following assignment is from the book, How to Think Like Leonardo da
Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Everyday by Michael Gelb.
a. Make a list of a hundred questions that are important to you.
Your list can include any kind of question as long as it is significant:
anything from “How can I get more money?” or “How can I have more
fun?” to “What is the meaning and purpose of my existence?” and “How
can I best serve the Creator? The society? My family?”, etc.
b. Try to make the entire list in one sitting. Write quickly; don’t
worry about spelling, grammar, or repeating the same question in different
words (recurring questions will alert you to emerging themes). Why a
hundred questions? The first twenty or so will be “off the top of your
head.” In the next thirty or forty, themes often begin to emerge. And in the
latter part of the second half you are likely to discover unexpected but
profound material.
c. When you have finished, read through your list and highlight the
themes (relationships, school, fun, money, the meaning of life, future,
religion, politics, etc.) that emerge. Consider the emerging themes without
judging them.
d. Review your list of 100 questions. Choose the ten that seem
most significant. Then rank them in importance from 1-10. (You can add
new questions or change the order at any time.) Do not attempt to answer
them right now.
These questions will form the basis of our philosophical inquiry this year.