Humanities AP 12 2017 Summer Assignment Dear Humanities Senior: Welcome to Humanities Senior Year! We congratulate you on completing your third year in the program and look forward to teaching and learning with you next year. Our hope is that you spend the summer relaxing, visiting friends and relatives, reading, and, of course, working on the beloved Senior Independent Project (SIP). Your senior year teachers have designed several assignments that will prepare you for the challenge of AP Human Geography and AP English Literature and Composition in the fall. AP Human Geography: Over the course of this summer, you will need to complete the following assignment. Please complete phase 1 early in the summer, so that you have enough time through the remainder of the summer to give proper consideration to the other phases. Phase One: In 1992, Benjamin Barber wrote an essay titled “Jihad v. McWorld,” in which he laid out what he saw at the time as the unfolding reality of global politics and human interaction. You should read this essay (I will provide a print copy, but it can also be found on The Atlantic’s website) and write a two page critique of his arguments, given the developments of the last two decades. In your written critique, please move straight to the point and avoid spending time summarizing; I will know that you’ve read the essay based on the strength of your arguments. Phase Two: After you’ve read and critiqued the Barber essay, keep your eyes and ears trained on world events as they transpire over the summer. I would like everyone to find three different events from around the world to focus on for this phase of the assignment. For one of the events, I would like you to find an article in an established news media source (i.e. CNN.com, the Washington Post, Newsweek), print out/cut out the article and then write a one page evaluation of whether this event seems to support or contradict Barber’s arguments. You must make specific references to Barber in your writing, so you should try to find events that allow you to do so in a relatively direct manner. For your second event, I would like you to find a visual source. This might take the form of a photo or a political cartoon, but does not need to be limited to those options. Again, you should write a one page evaluation of whether the event that is captured in your visual source either supports or contradicts Barber’s arguments. For your third event, I would like you to find a description of the event from a non‐traditional news source. You can use your creativity in this case to come up with a source that falls outside of the tradition news media establishment. While I do not want to limit your creativity, an example of what I am referring to might include a Twitter feed from someone directly involved in the event or a viral video taken by someone who was reportedly witness to the event. Again, you should write a one page evaluation of whether the event that is captured in your non‐traditional source either supports or contradicts Barber’s arguments. Phase Three: After completing the second phase, I would like you to revisit Barber’s essay. For this phase of the assignment, I would like you to write a proposal to Barber regarding how he might consider revising his arguments, given recent events. Regardless of whether you basically agree with him or disagree with him, you should use the events of this summer to help him either strengthen his arguments or remodel them altogether. This should take the form of a two page paper. General Notes: 1) I would like all of the work to be submitted in one binder/folder. 2) Please include bibliographic information for each of your sources, including your non‐traditional source, to the fullest extent possible. 3) All of your written work should be single‐spaced, 12 point font, with standard margins. 4) For each of your writing assignments, you should focus on the substance. In other words, please don’t worry about filling space with summaries or recaps. I will know that you’ve done the reading through the power 5) This critique will be turned in on Tuesday August 26, 2014, the second day back to school. AP English Literature and Composition: For your English literature summer reading assignment, please read Zora Neale Hurston’s classic novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. We want you to enjoy the central character’s journey through several stages of life – “with Nannie,” “with Logan,” “with Joe,” “with Tea Cake,” and “on her own” – but we also want you to appreciate the design of the story as a work of literature as well. I.
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Notes: As you read, take careful notes on any patterns of language, characterization, and other literary devices that you notice. For each chapter, please record at least one note on each of the following topics: Characterization of the central character, Janie Characterization of a minor character Key literary techniques – symbol, figurative language, imagery, interior monologue Key lines – record an especially well‐written passage (1‐3 sentences) and analyze what makes the passage effective. These notes will be checked as a 10 point completion grade. Essay with map: After devising a creatively designed map to illustrate the various settings in Janie’s life (this can look any way that makes sense to you), write an essay (25 formative points) that explores how the author’s depiction and use of setting reveals a deeper theme of the novel. In the essay you should highlight and analyze the important traits of the settings, including the racial, economic, and social dynamics of the communities, Janie’s progression through them, and their influence on her journey of self‐discovery. Remember that theme is a central idea (not a topic) that must be expressed as a complete thought or declarative statement. Rubric for the essay (the accompanying map is worth 10 formative points and
will be evaluated for its originality, professionalism of presentation, and
relevance to the essay)
All three assignments (the notes, the map, and the essay) will be due the
second day of school (Wednesday, September 6th)
9-8 (24-25 pts)
These essays offer a well-focused and persuasive response to the prompt. Using apt and specific textual support , these essays
fully explore the use of setting in the novel and draw insightful conclusions about it. Although not without flaws, these essays
make a strong case for their interpretation and discuss the literary work with significant insight and understanding. Generally,
essays scored a 9 reveal a more sophisticated analysis and more effective control of language than do essays scored an 8.
7-6 (21-23 pts)
These essays offer a reasonable response to the prompt. These works have insight and understanding, but the analysis is less
thorough, less perceptive, and/or less specific in supporting detail than that of the 9-8 essays; the conclusions drawn may be less
sophisticated or specific or may rely on a less nuanced reading of the text. Still, these essays successfully complete all aspects of
the assignment. Generally, essays scored a 7 present better-developed analysis and more consistent command of the elements of
effective composition than those scored a 6.
5 (19-20 pts)
These essays offer a plausible response to the prompt, but they tend to be superficial or underdeveloped in analysis. They often
rely upon plot summary that contains some analysis, implicit or explicit. Although the students attempt to fully discuss the issue
raised in the prompt, they may demonstrate a rather simplistic understanding of the work. Typically, these essays reveal
unsophisticated thinking and/or immature writing. The students demonstrate adequate control of language, but their essays lack
effective organization and may be marred by surface errors.
4-3 (17-18 pts)
These lower-half essays offer a less than thorough understanding of the task or a less than adequate treatment of it. They reflect
an incomplete or oversimplified understanding of the work, or they may fail to fully respond to the prompt. Their assertions may
be unsupported or even irrelevant. Often wordy, elliptical, or repetitious, these essays may lack control over the elements of
college-level composition. Essays scored a 3 may contain significant misreadings and demonstrate inept writing.
2-1 (16 pts)
Although these essays make some attempt to respond to the prompt, they compound the weaknesses of the papers in the 4-3
range. Often, they are unacceptably brief or are incoherent in presenting their ideas. They may be poorly written on several
counts and contain distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. The remarks are presented with little clarity, organization, or
supporting evidence. Essays that are particularly inept, vacuous, and/or incoherent must be scored a 1.
0
These essays make no more than a reference to the task.
-These essays either are left blank or are completely off topic.