10th Grade English II Summer Assignment: The Pearl

Vocabulary flashcards covering the assignment guidelines, rubric criteria, and requirements for the 10th Grade English II Summer Reading Assignment on The Pearl by John Steinbeck.

Palisades Park High School Summer Reading Goal

To encourage all students to read, write, become lifelong learners, engage with academic content over summer break, remain sharp, and allow reading to become a meaningful part of their lives.

Required Text

The Pearl by John Steinbeck, available as a scanned book with illustrations and page numbers, a scroll-through PDF, or an audiobook.

Album Cover & Soundtrack Project

A required project worth 50% of the overall assignment grade (out of 50 points total for design/content) involving the creation of a front and back cover for an album.

Comprehension Quiz

A reading check quiz worth 50% of the overall assignment grade (out of 50 points), given in class at the start of the school year (not on the first day) based on characters, settings, events, and themes of The Pearl.

Canva's free Album Cover maker

The recommended digital tool for students who lack confidence in their artistic skills to complete the album cover assignment.

Front Cover Requirements

A colorful display with a scene relating to the novel, an album title reflecting a theme, and a band or artist name relating to a character or symbol.

Album Title Requirement Example

An album title reflecting one of the novel's themes, such as "The Pearl of Great Price".

Band/Artist Name Requirement Example

A band or artist name reflecting one of the novel's characters or symbols, such as "Crooked Doctors".

8-Song Soundtrack

A music track list created to correspond with the book and displayed on the back cover design, consisting of 3 real songs and 5 original student-created song titles.

Real Songs Requirement

Three (3) real songs by real artists that are school appropriate and match the tone and theme of the novel.

Created Song Titles Requirement

Five (5) song titles created by the student that tie directly into major events, symbols, or characters from the novel.

Project Design Considerations

Key literary elements to keep in mind across the project: novel setting, essence/conflicts/motivation of characters, tone and mood, symbols, and overall themes.

Album Front Cover Rubric Criteria

Worth 5 points for a colorful, creative background appropriate to the novel.

Album Back Cover Rubric Criteria

Worth 5 points for a background appropriate to the novel that works well with the front cover design.

Real Song Titles Rubric Criteria

Worth 5 points for three (3) real song titles and artists with correct spelling and grammar.

Created Song Titles Rubric Criteria

Worth 10 points for five (5) student-created song titles with correct spelling and grammar.