There are three parts to this assignment. Be sure to do all three and be ready to hand in your answers for parts one and two on the first day of classes in August.

This assignment is posted below, so you may wish to download it and use it to answer the questions and follow the links. It always helps to have the question accompany your answer so it will be clear what you were writing about when you study it later.

1. Read A World Lit Only by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance – Portrait of an Age by William Manchester, ISBN 0316545562.

This is a very entertaining, rather gossipy book that does an excellent job of evoking life in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. In his discussion of the Renaissance and the early Reformation Manchester covers much of the material that will be the basis of the first two units of our class. I hope you will enjoy the book and will be primed for delving into this fascinating period when school starts.

For your writing assignment, which will be due on the first day of classes in August, answer the questions contained in the assignment which you can download below. Your answers should be typed.

2. Watch Parts One http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FFDJK8jmms and Two http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBlGkTTol9E of the PBS documentary, The Medicis: Godfathers of the Renaissance. Take notes as you watch and then answer the question listed in the assignment. You will be turning in both your notes and your answer on the first day of classes.

3. Study the map of modern Europe (Here is one you can print out http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/eur_country.pdf ) and be prepared to take a quiz the first week of school identifying countries. There are also links to online quizzes that may help you study included in the assignment document.

If you have any questions about the assignment or the class, please fell free to contact me by email. I am always happy to hear from students. betsynewmark@gmail.com

Click on the link to download the file and you can add your answers in italics below each question. If you don't have Word, you can download and print the pdf file and answer the questions in a separate file.

Mrs. Newmark
Assignment for European History:
Word Format    OR    PDF Format

The 2008 presidential election was historic in many ways. Elements of that election will provide the basis for much of what we will be discussing this year as far as the role of the media, primaries, parties, interest groups. To get a start, the summer reading book is Epic Journey: The 2008 Elections and American Politics by James W. Ceaser, Andrew E. Busch, and John J. Pitney, Jr. They analyze the saga of the 2008 election with the “astonishing twists of fate, the uncanny detours, and the remarkable surprises” that the authors claim turned “an ordinary voyage into an epic journey.” In detailing the history of this fascinating election they cover much of the material that is the basis for the first semester of the class’s curriculum. If you didn’t pay close attention during 2007 and 2008 to political news, this book will provide you with an understanding and with examples that we will be using all year long in A.P. Government.

Bookstores probably won’t have many copies in stock, although they can order it for you. I recommend that you order a copy from Amazon where you can save about $7 to $10. I have a link on my website for this book and other summer reading assignments for other classes. As you read the book, answer the questions contained in the file below. Click on the link to download the file and you can add your answers in italics below each question. If you don't have Word, you can download and print the pdf file and answer the questions in a separate file. Also, be sure to do section B of the assignment (concerning Current Events), which is listed at the end of the assignment document.

Click on the link to download the file and you can add your answers in italics below each question. If you don't have Word, you can download and print the pdf file and answer the questions in a separate file.

Mrs. Newmark
Assignment for GOPO:
Word Format    OR    PDF Format

For this assignment we would like you to focus on the beginnings of colonial history in the history of North America. There are three elements to this assignment and you will be required to turn in all sections on the first day of classes in August.

You will need to purchase the textbook for this course to complete the Summer assignment. You will be able to buy the textbook packaged together with two volumes of primary documents from the office. The cost will be $55 for all three books – make the check out to Raleigh Charter High School. Be sure to purchase the books before you leave school for the summer. Download the assignment below and complete.

Click on the link to download the file and you can add your answers in italics below each question. If you don't have Word, you can download and print the pdf file and answer the questions in a separate file.

Assignment for APUSH:
Word Format    OR    PDF Format
The notes will be collected on the first day of school.