summer English homework

The epitome of uselessness in which English teachers are pressured by their social studies, science or math counterparts to hand out some form of quantified work over the summer, usually in the form of drawing, or as they put it, "visual response." It typically does not require reading the actual book but spending a few minutes glancing over Sparknotes or Shmoop may turn out to work to the student's benefit. Despite the uselessness and the lack of effort that it requires (or generates from students, for that matter), English teachers tend to grade rather harshly and criticize a student's artistic capabilities to send the message to future students that summer English homework should emulate the quality of works by Monet, Gogh, or da Vinci.