GCCISD AP Summer Assignment: English IV
I. Course Information
Overview
“An AP English Literature and Composition course engages students in the careful reading and
critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students
deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and
pleasure for their readers. As they read, students consider a work’s structure, style and themes, as
well as such smaller-scale elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism and
tone.” --AP English Literature College Board Course Description
Goals
“The course includes intensive study of representative works from various genres and periods,
concentrating on works of recognized literary merit. The pieces chosen invite and reward
rereading and do not, like ephemeral works in such popular genres as detective or romance
fiction, yield all (or nearly all) of their pleasures of thought and feeling the first time through.
The AP English Literature and Composition Development Committee agrees with Henry David
Thoreau that it is wisest to read the best books first; the committee also believes that such
reading should be accompanied by thoughtful discussion and writing about those books in the
company of one’s fellow students.” --AP English Literature College Board Course Description
Expectations
The expectation for any student enrolled in AP Literature is that all works be read analytically
and deeply. Students should be prepared and willing to enter into a multi-layered discussion of
the link between the writer’s structure, including literary devices, and meaning. Students will
write with both multiple revisions of longer essays and timed essays.
Benefits
The benefits for any student enrolled in AP Literature include a life-long appreciation of the
master works of a culture and the ability to read and write both analytically and quickly.
II. Rationale for Summer Reading and Assignments
The purpose of the summer reading assignment for AP Literature is to avoid lapses in critical
thinking during the summer break as the students engage with a canonical but accessible work of
literary merit, ensuring immediate opportunity for class discussion at the opening of school, both
building from a common reading experience and allowing the application of new analytic skills
to this work. The common summer reading of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology allows the students
to incrementally build the knowledge of mythology needed for many of the senior year’s
readings and analyses. Jane Eyre, a classical novel by Charlotte Brontë, is frequently listed as a
choice for the open essay on the AP Literature exam.
ELA Vertical Team, May 2014
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GCCISD AP Summer Assignment: English IV
III. Required Resources
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Mythology by Edith Hamilton
Goose Creek CISD English IV AP Summer Assignment
Computer access
Printer access
IV. Important Deadlines
1.) Complete the Jane Eyre Summer Reading Assignment, and bring a printed copy to class on
the first day of school. In 2014, the first day is Monday, August 25.
2.) Complete the Mythology reading (Part V: Famous Families and Part VIII: Norse) and prepare
to be tested during the first grading cycle.
3.) Students will be provided with directions to upload their assignment to www.turnitin.com on
the first day of school.
V. Assignment Details
Objective
To demonstrate command of sentence structures
To demonstrate paragraph-writing skills
PART 1: 50 TOTAL POINTS (10 sentences at 5 points each)
Write ONE SENTENCE SUMMARIES of the following chapters: 4, 10, 11, 16, 23, 27, 28, 33,
36, and 38. These sentences should encompass the full meaning of the chapter but not all the
details; they should also demonstrate excellent and varied sentence structure. Please number the
sentences by chapter number.
Penalties
No credit given for sentences with structural issues or for summaries that are more than one
sentence. Compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences are encouraged.
Sample Sentence Summary
Chapter One - Jane Eyre, an orphan living with her relatives, the Reeds, fights with her bullying
cousin John and is sent to the “red room” as punishment.
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GCCISD AP Summer Assignment: English IV
PART 2: 50 TOTAL POINTS (1 paragraph at 50 points)
Write an INSIGHTFUL THEMATIC SUMMARY PARAGRAPH about what you believe is the
theme of Jane Eyre. You may begin by answering the question, “What is the primary meaning
that Charlotte Brontë expected the reader to get from her novel?”
Helpful literary terms for understanding: bildungsroman, foil, early Victorian Age, hero/heroine,
naïve narrator (or hero) narration, protagonist, domesticity, feminist and gender criticism,
Marxist criticism, gothic/gothic novel, Romantic Period, mystery fiction. You may wish to
consider these as you write and think. They are NOT a checklist for inclusion. Think about
them BEFORE you write; use them to inform and enlighten your writing.
Successful paragraphs begin with topic sentences; answer the question thoroughly by giving
concrete details; use MLA parenthetical citations for any quotations used, and end with wrap-up
sentences. Use the eleven-sentence paragraph pattern that follows.
Paragraph Pattern (11 Sentences):
Sentence 1- Sentence telling the primary meaning of Jane Eyre
Sentence 2 - First reason you think this
Sentences 3 & 4 - Two sentences explaining why you think this (include a blended quotation)
Sentence 5 - Second reason you think this
Sentences 6 & 7 - Two sentences explaining why you think this (include a blended quotation)
Sentence 8 - Third reason you think this
Sentences 9 & 10 - Two sentences explaining why you think this (include a blended quotation)
Sentence 11 - Wrap-up sentence (significance, thematic reinforcement)
Checklist for Insightful Thematic Summary Paragraph:
□ Do you have eleven sentences?
□ Can someone else highlight your topic sentence, three reasons, and wrap-up?
□ Did you use literary present tense when appropriate?
□ Did you remove all first and second person pronouns?
□ Did you vary your sentence structure (i.e. simple, compound, complex)?
□ Did you use a variety of rhetorical strategies?
□ Did you search the literary terms for understanding on the web?
□ Did you put this in your own words OR did you document anything directly copied?
□ Did you write about the literature with thought and maturity?
□ Did you run SpellCheck?
□ Did you reread for coherence before you printed it?
□ Did you format correctly? Each problem will cost -10.
 Times New Roman 12 or Arial 12
 Indent paragraph; double space
 Heading only on first page; last name and pagination in header
 Include the title, author, and genre in your topic sentence
 Italicize the title of the novel
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GCCISD AP Summer Assignment: English IV
Your Name (First Name Last Name)
Your Teacher’s Name (Mr./Mrs. Last Name)
Course Name (English IV AP)
Date (25 August 2014)
Title
The excerpt from To the Lighthouse is marred with hesitation and reluctance exemplified
through Virginia Woolf’s brilliant utilization of personifications and analogies, enhancing
immensely the contemplations and concerns plaguing her character. Through this tactic, Woolf
reveals how the woman feels about artistic creation, suggesting that one’s creation is a form of
one’s soul laid freshly in front of others to be judged, revered, or mercilessly attacked. Using the
personification of the artist’s canvas, depicting it as having a “white and uncompromising stare”
(12), Woolf suggests that the canvas is plain and empty. In a sense, it is pure, unmarked by
personal opinions or untouched by cruel realities, not yet influenced, not yet tarnished, not yet
tainted. The stark white then holds no meaning until she begins her craft, and that terrifies the
artist in a “painful but exciting” (31) way. Woolf mentions that there exists a difference between
planning and actually making the first mark, implying that artistic skill does not reflect artistic
vision. This noticeably affects the artist’s performance in the passage. She paints nervously at
first, aware that she could, at any moment, conjure a mistake. Brazenly she illustrates her image,
resolute in her decision, and gradually adjusts to a rhythmic pattern. As soon as one suspects all
will be fine, the artist discovers an irrevocable flaw in the form of an “ancient enemy” (58). She
falls prey to doubt and the fear of being judged.
*NOTE The above sample of an INSIGHTFUL THEMATIC PARAGRAPH is based on an
excerpt from To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, as written by an AP student from RSS
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GCCISD AP Summer Assignment: English IV
VI. Grading Criteria
PART 1 and 2 of this assignment will be combined for a major grade. Each sentence summary
from PART 1 will be worth 5 points. PART 2 will be graded using the following rubric.
PART 2 Rubric: Insightful Thematic Summary Paragraph
Score
Points Awarded
9/8
50
7/6
40
5
30
4/3
20
2/1
10
Defining Characteristics
persuasive analysis with convincing thematic examination
and text support; few mechanical problems
reasonable analysis but less thorough with less precise
thematic examination and text support; few mechanical
problems
plausible but superficial analysis with minimal text
support; marred by mechanical problems
inadequate analysis dependent on paraphrase; marred by
mechanical problems
weak analysis lacking clarity or support; serious
misreading; plot summary; severe mechanical problems
VII. Need Help?
Should you require further guidance regarding the AP Summer Assignment for English IV,
please contact a representative from your campus or feeder pattern.
High School Content Specialists and English IV Advanced Placement Teachers
GCM - Susan Cannariato
[email protected]
GCM - Jennifer Clary
[email protected]
REL - Kurt Bouillion
[email protected]
REL - Kayla Logan
[email protected]
RSS - Karen Rohach
[email protected]
RSS - Tina Wash
[email protected]
RSS - Angela Buehring
[email protected]
RSS - Joseph Bernard
[email protected]
District Instructional Specialists
GCM Feeder Pattern - Tonora Benard
REL Feeder Pattern - Victoria Blalock
RSS Feeder Pattern - Sarah Flusche
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
ELA Vertical Team, May 2014
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