9th Grade - English I – CP and Honors
Required Reading: All Grades
- Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Suggested Reading:
- The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Modern education in touch with the real world
Required Reading: All Grades
Suggested Reading:
Required Reading: All Grades
Suggested Reading:
Required Reading: All Grades
Suggested Reading:
* AP reading is required for all students who plan to take AP courses. While AP classes are scheduled for the spring semester, students are strongly encouraged to begin reading their assigned texts over the summer and revisit them during winter break. Students may choose to complete their initial reading over winter break; however, all assigned AP reading must be completed before the start of the second-semester course. See below.
AP Seminar
AP Language
AP Research
AP Earth and Environmental Science
Summer Assignment Welcome to AP Environmental Science, commonly known as APES! I am so excited for all of the cool things we will learn and do during the school year! To prep for the school year, you will complete a summer assignment. My goal for this assignment is to 1) get you ready for a college-level class and understand the workload and critical thinking that it entails, and 2) get you excited and passionate about some of the topics we’ll be covering- if you don’t enjoy learning about environmental topics, this class will not be super fun for you. In short, your assignment is to read one book from the options and complete a reflection on it, details are below. This assignment will be due on the first day of class- NO LATE WORK will be accepted! Failure to complete it will result in a 0, and a recommendation to switch to earth science honors. You can turn it in over the summer on Google Classroom- you should have received an invite, the code is: rxqfs3fg, or you can hand it to me on paper on the first day of class.
Part 1- Summer Reading Environmental science has a problem. That “problem” is that it’s an immense field of study. Not only is it a science in the traditional sense, but it’s complicated by societies, opinions, government, beliefs, economics, laws, and ethics. If you want to succeed in APES, you’ll need to constantly embrace this interdisciplinary perspective. The list of books below is by no means presenting an agenda of any kind. It’s nothing more than a mix of books demonstrating the variety of environmental topics. Agree, disagree, like, or dislike, it’s up to you. These books may be found at the library for free, as an audiobook on Spotify, on the Libby app (just need a library card), on Kindle for download, or potentially used at McKay’s or ThriftBooks.com for very cheap ($4 or less). I also have a few personal copies of each book that you are welcome to borrow. If desired, you can buy your own copy. Let me know if you have any trouble accessing a book you want! CHOOSE ONE of the books below for summer reading. Please choose a topic that you think will be interesting to you- I promise it makes reading much more enjoyable! You can see short summaries below, and you can also use the website/app Goodreads to learn more about the book and public reviews of it. Feel free to sample it and switch to a different one on the list if you’re not vibing with it. If you are REALLY excited for APES, you could read more than one of these books. After reading the book, you will also complete a reflection assignment (the assignment will be provided on the school website via a link to a document).
| TITLE | AUTHOR | YEAR | DESCRIPTION | Find it FREE here (or buy it) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silent Spring | Rachel Carson | 1962 | Landmark expose on the environmental and health effects of pesticides, sparking the modern environmental movement. ***Great story but definitely a challenge read as it is very technical and chemistry-heavy! | Greensboro Library | Libby App | Spotify Premium Audio | Chilton’s Library |
| The Story of More ***Chilton favorite! | Hope Jahren | 2020 | A highly readable look at how human consumption drives environmental problems, focusing on energy, food, and resources. | Greensboro Library | Libby App | Spotify Premium Audio | Chilton’s Library |
| A Life on Our Planet | David Attenborough | 2020 | A personal witness statement about ecological collapse and a hopeful vision for restoring balance. | Greensboro Library | Libby App | Spotify Premium Audio | Chilton’s Library |
| The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History | Elizabeth Kolbert | 2014 | Studies the relationship between human beings and the environment and concludes that human behavior is on the verge of causing (or may have already caused) a massextinction—the sixth in the history of the planet. | Greensboro Library | Libby App | Spotify Premium Audio | Chilton’s Library | Kindle Unlimited |
| The World Without Us | Alan Weisman | 2007 | A thought experiment imagining how the natural world would recover if humans suddenly disappeared. | Greensboro Library | Libby App | Spotify Premium Audio | Chilton’s Library |
| The Elephant Whisperer | Lawrence Anthony | 2009 | A moving true story about saving a herd of wild elephants and the deep bond between humans and animals. | Greensboro Library | Libby App | Spotify Premium Audio | Chilton’s Library |
| Nature’s Best Hope | Douglas W. Tallamy | 2020 | A practical guide encouraging everyday citizens to restore biodiversity starting in your own backyard! | Greensboro Library | Libby App | Spotify Premium Audio | Chilton’s Library |
| Silent Earth ***Chilton favorite! | Dave Goulson | 2021 | A passionate warning about global insect decline and its dire consequences for ecosystems and humans. Part 4 paints a movie-worthy apocalyptic depiction of the 2070s-80s if we continue on our current trajectory. Also includes great examples if you are interested in scientific research as a career. | Greensboro Library | Libby App | Spotify Premium Audio | Chilton’s Library |
AP US History
Required Summer Reading Assignment 1
Required Summer Reading Assignment 2
AP World History
Required Reading: All Grades
Required Reading: 9th Grade
Required Reading: Honors English I
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
*Both grade level and honors are required for honor students.
* Books are available for check-out at our lower school campus during summer office hours or you may purchase from the Core Knowledge store.
Summer Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 8AM-Noon. Closed June 30th-July 3rd.
Recommended Reads: English 1
NOTE: Students should expect and be prepared for assignments from their summer reading in the first week of school.
Required Reading: All Grades
Required Reading: 10th Grade
Recommended Reads: English 2
NOTE: Students should expect and be prepared for assignments from their summer reading in the first week of school.
AP Seminar:
AP Earth and Environmental Science:
Choose one of the following:
AP World History:
View Additional Requirements:
Recommended Parent Read:
Students will recieve supply list at open house.
Questions: Email office@rarhinosk12.com
LEA Code 41Q
Performance Progress: 2024-25 B 71%; 2023-24 C 66%; 2022-23; C 64%; 2021-22 C 56%; 2020-21, n/a
LOWER SCHOOL (K-7):
(336) 203-3690
office@rarhinosk12.com
3800 Oak Ridge Rd
Summerfield, NC 27358
UPPER SCHOOL (8-10):
(336) 485-4441
office@rarhinosk12.com
1715 Highway NC-68
Oak Ridge, NC 27310