Summer Reading & Math

Upper School

2023 Summer Assignments
Below you will find summer assignments for a student's entering grade in the 2023-2024 school year at Colorado Academy. 

Please note: Summer reading books will not be available in the CA Bookstore.

Beginning in July, you will be able to view the Upper School fall textbook list, and you may order your fall textbooks on the MBS Direct website. If you order between July 10-16, you will receive free shipping.

NOTE: Texts for some English courses will not be listed on MBS, but instead will be available in the CA Bookstore at the start of the school year.

English

List of 10 frequently asked questions.

Math

List of 2 frequently asked questions.

World Languages

List of 18 frequently asked questions.

  • Chinese II

    Join Ms. Wei‘s Duolingo classroom. Plan on spending at least 10 minutes a week doing the activities.   

    Link:www.duolingo.com/classroom/xyxytx. If you have difficulty, try this code instead:xyxytx. If neither method works, email me at julie.wei@coloradoacademy.org.

  • Chinese III

    Join Ms. Wei‘s Duolingo classroom. Plan on spending at least 10 minutes a week doing the activities.   

    Link: www.duolingo.com/classroom/vytgyv. If you have difficulty, try this code instead:vytgyv. If neither method works, email me at julie.wei@coloradoacademy.org.

  • Chinese IV

    Join Ms. Wei‘s Duolingo classroom. Plan on spending at least 10 minutes a week doing the activities.  

    Link: www.duolingo.com/classroom/qhxdfu. If you have difficulty, try this code instead:qhxdfu. If neither method works, email me at julie.wei@coloradoacademy.org.

  • AP Chinese 

    Join Ms. Wei‘s Duolingo classroom. Plan on spending at least 10 minutes a week doing the activities.   

    Link: www.duolingo.com/classroom/wkzmkc. If you have difficulty, try this code instead: wkzmkc. If neither method works, email me at julie.wei@coloradoacademy.org.

  • French 1

    Join Mme Turner's Duolingo classroom. Plan on spending at least 10 minutes a week doing the activities I assign.   
     
    Link: https://www.duolingo.com/classroom/uddqwy. If you have difficulty, try this code instead: uddqwy. If neither method works, email me at stephanie.turner@coloradoacademy.org. There will be PRIZES!!!

  • French II

    Join Mme Turner's Duolingo classroom. Plan on spending at least 10 minutes a week doing any activities you choose.   
     
    Link: www.duolingo.com/classroom/jmcmcv. If you have difficulty, try this code instead: jmcmcv. If neither method works, email me at stephanie.turner@coloradoacademy.org. There will be PRIZES!!!

  • French III

    For French III, please follow the link below to the CA French III Duolingo online classroom.

    Jump to Section 3: Traveler or Section 4: Trailblazer. You will need to pass a short proficiency test to get started at these levels.

    French III www.duolingo.com/classroom/qscpzd

    You must complete at least 150 “XP” which are experience points and
    you may choose any activities to earn XP.

    Notice that for each unit there is a white notebook icon which is a
    Guidebook. There you will find key phrases and grammar points related to the exercises.

    Be sure to complete 150 XP (which is equal to approximately one hour of study time) prior to the first day of school. Please do not
    hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

    Mme Turner: stephanie.turner@coloradoacademy.org
     

  • French IV

    For French IV, please follow the link below to the CA French IV Duolingo online classroom.

    Jump to Section 3: Traveler or Section 4: Trailblazer. You will need to pass a short proficiency test to get started at these levels.

    French IV www.duolingo.com/classroom/mcxfbv

    You must complete at least 150 “XP” which are experience points and
    you may choose any activities to earn XP.

    Notice that for each unit there is a white notebook icon which is a
    Guidebook. There you will find key phrases and grammar points related to the exercises.

    Be sure to complete 150 XP (which is equal to approximately one hour of study time) prior to the first day of school. Please do not
    hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

    Mme Turner: stephanie.turner@coloradoacademy.org

  • French Advanced Seminar

    Choisissez UN thème qui vous intéresse: la science, le sport, la technologie, la musique, l’art, l’écologie, l’innovation, les voyages, la littérature, l’adolescence, la santé, les nouvelles dans le monde, etc. Sur des sites internet francophones, cherchez TROIS articles sur le même thème. Copiez et collez ces 3 articles dans un document Google et résumez-les dans vos propres paroles, 3-5 phrases par article. Voici le lien des sites de presse francophone (française, européenne, canadienne, et africaine) des Nations Unies: https://news.un.org/fr/: https://news.un.org/fr/

  • AP French

    Choisissez UN thème qui vous intéresse: la science, le sport, la technologie, la musique, l’art, l’écologie, l’innovation, les voyages, la littérature, l’adolescence, la santé, les nouvelles dans le monde, etc. Sur des sites internet francophones, cherchez TROIS articles sur le même thème. Copiez et collez ces 3 articles dans un document Google et résumez-les dans vos propres paroles, 3-5 phrases par article. Voici le lien des sites de presse francophone (française, européenne, canadienne, et africaine) des Nations Unies: https://news.un.org/fr/

  • Spanish I

    Join the Spanish I Duolingo class here: www.duolingo.com/classroom/hgyhum (or join with code hgyhum). Earn 75 XP to complete the assignment: be sure to read the guidebook!
     
    Contact Lisa Todd with questions.

  • Spanish II 

    Spanish II required reading:
     
    Purchase the book by Mira Canion, Agentes secretos y el mural de Picasso
     
    Instructions:
    • Read through chapter 7, Use the glossary in the back to look up anything you don’t understand.
    • Write down the names of all of the main characters, and add descriptions in Spanish.
    • For each chapter, write a 1-2 sentence summary in Spanish using the present tense.
    For questions regarding summer assignments, please contact David Colodny.

  • Spanish III

    For Spanish III, please follow the link below to the CA Spanish III Duolingo online classroom. Jump to Section 3: Traveler or Section 4: Trailblazer. You will need to pass a short proficiency test to get started at these levels. 

    You must complete at least 150 “XP” which are experience points and you may choose any activities to earn XP.


    Notice that for each unit there is a white notebook icon which is a Guidebook. There you will find key phrases and grammar points related to the exercises. 

    Be sure to complete 150 XP (which is equal to approximately one hour of study time) prior to the first day of school. Please do not hesitate to contact Jane Kelly if you have any questions. 


  • Spanish IV

    Join the Spanish IV Summer Edpuzzle Class and complete the video assignment there. You may watch the video as many times as you need in order to answer the questions (in Spanish).

    Contact Lisa Todd with questions.

  • Spanish Seminar

    Spanish Seminar students, please complete the assignment described in this document. 

    Please contact David Colodny with any questions. 
     
    Note: if you are taking Topics with Sra. Todd, complete the following assignment: 

    Read the article ¿Conoces el etnocentrismo?, and make a list of the 5 most essential keywords, with definitions. Write a brief paragraph (in Spanish), relating what you read to something you learned in any other class.

    Contact Lisa Todd with questions.

  • Spanish Heritage Speaker Class

    Visit the webpage for BBC Mundo in the link below: http://www.bbc.com/mundo
    1. Look at the headlines on the main page from Monday to Friday of the last week before the start of classes. Take note of the main headlines. Then click on the link for “América Latina” and take note of the main headlines. Do you notice any overlap?
    2. Select one of the news stories from the "América Latina” link that most interested you regarding politics, economy, or culture. Research the story further, and create a Powerpoint presentation in which you cover the following points:
      A. The event (what happened)
      B. Background (what led to this particular event? How does it fit into the country’s current situation?)
      C. Consequences or repercussions of the event (Does this event cause a change or shift in the life of that nation? Who is affected by this event?).
    Please, include a map of the country in which the event took place and images related to the story in your presentation. The first day of class you will be sharing your work in small groups to practice before presenting for the class. You will hand in the notes you took during the three Mondays you followed the news on the BBC website.

  • AP Spanish - Language and Culture

    Summer Reading assignment (2 parts):

    1)   Read the following e-mail from your teacher and provide a detailed, formal response. Be sure to respond to all of the questions.
     
    De: Profesoras Jane Kelly y Sonia Sitja 

    Asunto: Tu curso de AP lengua

    Estimado/a estudiante de español:
     
    Recibes este mensaje porque pronto estarás empezando el curso de AP Español Lengua y Cultura y es esencial que comprendas los objetivos del curso. Pero primero, nos gustaría que nos dieras un poco de información sobre ti. Sabemos que tienes interés en continuar tu estudio del idioma. ¿Podrías explicar por qué piensas que es importante aprender otro idioma? ¿Por qué has elegido español? ¿Cómo ha sido tu preparación académica en español? Nos interesa escuchar las opiniones de nuestros estudiantes acerca de estos temas.  
     
    En este curso haremos muchas actividades para mejorar tu fluidez en español, desarrollar tu capacidad de comunicar tus ideas y ampliar tu conocimiento de las culturas de habla española. ¿Hay alguna habilidad comunicativa en particular en la que querrás enfocarte más? ¿Cuáles son algunos temas culturales que te interesaría explorar?  

    Para hacerte llegar más fácilmente el contenido del curso, uno de los recursos que utilizaremos será en línea, un sitio de internet donde puedes encontrar ejercicios y oportunidades para trabajar y compartir con tus compañeros de clase. ¿Cuál es tu opinión sobre el uso de tecnología en las escuelas?

    Estamos a la espera de tu respuesta el primer día de clases. Gracias por tu interés en este curso.

    Te saludan atentamente,

    Sra. Kelly y Sra. Sitja 
    Profesoras de AP Español Lengua y Cultura
     
    2)      Choose a global theme (e.g., the environment, education, the economy, immigration, healthcare, technology, contemporary life, national identity, the arts, etc.). Look for and read two current articles (in Spanish) about this theme in the Spanish-speaking world. Write a paragraph about what you find, answering the question: ¿Qué papel tiene este tema global en el mundo hispanohablante? Be sure to include links to your sources.

  • AP Spanish - Literature and Culture

    1.  Research online and take notes of what you learn (briefly):  Who was Don Juan Manuel?  What is his book, El Conde Lucanor about?
    2. Read the text you will find in this link:  https://ciudadseva.com/texto/conde-lucanor-35/
    3.  After you read the story, write a short essay in Spanish (3 paragraphs) in which you select passages from the text to discuss the nature of gender roles in Spain during the Middle Ages. 

Science

List of 4 frequently asked questions.

  • AP Physics 1

    We expect students to complete a summer assignment designed to reinforce mathematics skills necessary for success in AP Physics 1.  Topics include algebraic manipulation and right triangle trigonometry. We intend to provide opportunities for students to meet with their teachers over the summer to support this effort. Students should expect to receive the work by email on August 1. The assignment will be due before class meets.

  • AP Physics C

    We expect students who are co-enrolled in a first-year calculus course to complete a summer assignment to teach basic calculus skills necessary for calculus-based physics topics.  We also believe that students who have completed one year of calculus would find the assignment as a useful review and preview of calculus-based physics. The assignment will include introductory level differential and integral calculus, with a focus on how these apply in a physics context. We intend to provide opportunities for students to meet with their teachers over the summer to support this effort. Students should expect to receive the work by email on August 1. The assignment will be due before class meets.

  • Advanced Biology: Genetics

    Students taking Genetics this upcoming fall will be required to do a small amount of work in preparation for the pace of the course. In early August, Genetics students should expect an email from Dr. Procise describing the work they should complete before the first day of class. This work will include some short reading and about 30 minutes of watching educational videos.

  • AP Chemistry

    AP Chemistry students will have an assignment due on the first day of school, which they can access in Webassign, an online program. Expect an email from Lisa Boes at the beginning of August with the assignment and instructions.

Social Studies

List of 11 frequently asked questions.

  • United States History (Grade 10)

    ***Rising Sophomores will read and annotate this selection of primary documents for their summer work. Please note the instructions at the top of the document.

  • The American West

    Summer reading will be posted here by June 2, 2023.

  • American Military History: From Rebels to Rough Riders

    All students are required to read For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United States from 1607 to 2012 by Allan R. Millett, Peter Maslowski, and William B Feis. Please read the following sections: 
    • Introduction
    • Chapter 1
    • Chapter 2
    • Chapter 3

  • Breaking a Nation

    All students are required to read My Country by Kassem Eid.

  • Economics and Finance 101

    Students enrolled in the Economics and Finance course (not the ASR Economics) should plan to read Jacob Goldstein, Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing (published 2020).

  • Lincoln-Douglas Debate

    No summer reading required.

  • Economics in Theory and Practice (ASR 1)

    Welcome to the 2023-24 ASR Class, Economics in Theory and Practice. To get you thinking during the summer, and to get us some foundational understanding in common so we can hit the ground running in August, please read the documents in this folder carefully.

    Don’t just do it while watching TV or engaged in something else that requires your attention. I suggest printing them out and reading each over the course of a few days or a week. Annotate as you read. And since you will be starting the year writing summaries, analyses, and responses to these, it would benefit you to write out some response to each reading … if for no other reason than to keep them straight in your mind.

    I suggest that you go in the following order:
    1. Tim Harford, Undercover Economist, Chapter 1. This excerpt aims to introduce you to some of the fundamentals of economic thought as they relate to modern life. It specifically looks at how certain products are valued based on the concept of scarcity.
    2. Todd G. Buchholz, New Ideas from Dead Economists, Chapter 2. This excerpt looks at how many of the principles first written about in depth by the so-called founder of economics, Adam Smith, are still fundamental to how we think about economics and economic policy today.
    3. Steven G. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, Freakonomics, Chapter 1. This section introduces you to the concept of behavioral economics – kind of a mashup of psychology and statistical analysis.
    4. Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens, Chapter 10. This book is an excellent study of how modern human systems evolved. I highly recommend the whole book. Here, you are reading about the earliest types of money and how groups of people collectively choose to believe that certain tokens have value.
    5. Jacob Goldstein, Money: The True Story…, Part 2. This section takes us through the next era of economic history and the birth of modern capitalism. The author looks at more recent developments like banks, stock markets, and modern government-controlled currencies.
    6. George A. Akerlof and Robert J. Schiller, Animal Spirits, Chapter 6. This chapter poses the question, “Why do economies fall into recession?” The authors examine why people’s choices lead to changes in what is known as the business cycle – the shifts between booms (growing economy and low unemployment) and busts (shrinking economy and high unemployment) and back to booms at the national level. To do so, the section covers the US during the 1890s and 1920s-'30s.
    7. Yuval Noah Harari, Homo Deus, Chapter 6. This book is written by the same author as Sapiens. Here, he examines the structures in which we live today and how people are trying to shape them in the future. This chapter, entitled “The Modern Covenant,” is focused on the modern economy, including its promises, its benefits, and its difficult problems.

  • Ideas and Inventions (ASR 1)

    All students are required to read The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore.

  • International Gender Movements (ASR 2)

    International Gender Movements (ASR 2) Summer Reading

    You will need the THIRD EDITION of GENDER: Ideas, Interactions, Institutions, edited by Lisa Wade and Myra Marx Ferree (W.W. Norton, 2022). 

    Please read and annotate / take notes on Ch 1 “Ideas”; Ch 2 “Bodies”; Ch. 3 “Performance.”

    If you took Gender Studies last year, you have read an older version of Chapters 1 and 2. Even though you might recognize some of the material, much has been updated. I’d like you to feel really confident about the vocabulary and concepts, so please re-read to refresh your thinking.

    Make note of what surprises you, what resonates with you, and what you disagree with. Note also what questions or ideas you have based on this reading. 

    I advise that you start your reading near the end of the summer so that it is fresh in your mind, but pace yourself! This is too much to read in one or two sittings.

    We will read the remaining chapters of this book in the first few weeks of the course. Please bring it with you on the first day of class.

    The book can be purchased from the W.W. Norton website in hard copy or as an e-book at this link: https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393892864

    It can also be purchased in hard copy or as an e-book on Amazon.com. Please make sure you are purchasing the THIRD EDITION, published in 2022.

2023 Order Textbooks Online

Upper and Middle School families, plan to order your textbooks for the 2023-2024 school year online. CA works with MBS DIRECT, a virtual bookstore that sells both used and new textbooks. Enjoy FREE SHIPPING for orders over $99, placed July 17-23.
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