English 3 AP – Summer Assignment – 2015/2016
Welcome to English 3AP – Advanced Placement Language and Composition! I look forward to
working with you, and I wish you great success in this phase of your journey to becoming a
sophisticated reader, writer, and thinker. We will have a very busy year, so we’d better get started!
"The AP Language and Composition course assumes that students already understand
and use standard English grammar. The intense concentration on language use in this
course should enhance their ability to use grammatical conventions both appropriately
and with sophistication as well as to develop stylistic maturity in their prose. . ."
-The College Board
English 3AP is a rigorous and fast-paced course, designed for mature readers and writers who desire
to examine the rhetorical value of writing while also exploring a broad sampling of challenging
American literature from a wide range of genres. The primary focus of the course is to improve those
skills that will be most effective in assisting students in preparation for the AP Language and
Composition exam in May 2015. Because this is an advanced course, it is expected that all students
bring advanced-caliber skills and work ethics with them to class. This is not a course for instruction
of basic English grammar and composition skills, but for enhancement and expansion of those skills.
Students who have trouble meeting stringent deadlines and understanding complex literature may
find themselves at a disadvantage in this course. Students should expect to participate actively,
speak intelligently and respectfully, read daily (both in and out of class), write regularly and deeply,
and be quizzed and/or tested frequently.
This summer, please read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Catcher in the Rye by J.D.
Salinger. We will be discussing and interacting with these novels in the first part of the year. If you
read them early in the summer, it is strongly recommended that you refresh your memory on their
contents near the beginning of the school year. In the first days of the school year, you should expect
in-class discussion of the novels, as well as quizzes, tests, and/or written assignments (i.e. essays).
The guiding question for your reading should be these: WHAT is the author doing with this
novel? – and – HOW is he/she doing it? Read the novels with an eye for each author’s style of
writing and how that style relates to meaning and purpose. Look for recurring words, ideas, symbols,
themes, and situations. Think about organization, diction, tone, simile, metaphor, personification,
and other ways each author’s language develops the purpose of each novel. You may want to take
notes on these ideas as you read. These sorts of observations will serve you well on our assignments.
Because active, close reading is an essential skill to develop for this course (and for college), you are
strongly urged to purchase your own copy of each novel we read (beginning with Mockingbird and
Catcher) and write in margins, making notes to yourself about passages that are particularly striking
or that relate to the assignment requirements. Purchasing your own copy of the novels, however, is
not an absolute requirement for success. You may check out the novels from the public library as
well, or borrow copies from others. If you are working with a borrowed copy of a novel, it is
strongly suggested that you use sticky-type notes to track observations, questions, and thoughts as
you read.
Please see the details of your summer assignment on the following pages. If you have questions
during the summer, you can email me at [email protected] (I will check email periodically, but not
daily) or call me at (209) 604-9646. If you need to leave a message, please speak slowly and clearly
and leave me a call-back number. Have a wonderful summer, and I’ll see you in class in the fall!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Duff
Assignment 1: Analytical Response Logs
Complete an Analytical Response Log for both To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye,
following the guidelines below.
Due on the first day of classes – NO LATE WORK ACCEPTED!
Analytical Response Log Guidelines:
An analytical response log is an effective way to keep a record of your reading responses (positive
or negative, sure or unsure). It offers a chance to respond, to ask questions, to wonder, or to reflect
on the literary elements, writing techniques, or language of a text. Do not summarize! Instead,
record your analytical observations of the author’s use of the resources of writing and language.
Directions (NOTE – THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST BE TYPED):
1. Must have two columns – divide the page in half – SEE SAMPLE FORMAT BELOW
• Title the column on the left “Quotations from the Text”
• Title the column on the right “Responses to the Text”
2. Choose, copy, cite (by page number) and respond to 10 passages from the text of each novel
(20 entries total) that you find intriguing in some way related to the author’s writing choices,
strategies, purpose, etc.
3. Responses should aim for analysis of the author’s use of detail, imagery, diction, language,
and/or structure/organization/syntax in the quoted passage you have chosen. You may choose
to begin your responses with such sentence stems as:
• “The imagery in this passage reveals...”
• “The author’s choice of the word(s) ________ seems to suggest/indicate ...”
• “The author seems to feel...”
• “The tone of this section is...”
• “This situation/statement is ironic because...”
• “An interesting word/phrase/sentence/thought in this passage is...”
4. Generally, each response to a quotation should be 3-5 sentences long and should include your
analysis of the literary and rhetorical techniques present in the quotations, or an analysis of
the author’s attitude, purpose or tone in the chosen passage.
5. You are required to complete 10 journal entries per novel (20 entries total) – evenly balanced
from content throughout each novel – submitted as separate packets for each novel (number
your entries, please – SEE EXAMPLE), indicating that you have read the entire text by
responding to the book evenly from the first to the last page. This means you should keep
paper/sticky notes and pen/pencil with you as you read, or that you should mark your chosen
passages and complete the log entries after completing the novel.
6. Make sure to number each entry and that you note the page number for the quoted passages
in the left-hand column (SEE EXAMPLE). Your response log will be used to determine your
comprehension of the text; be sure that your responses are thorough and thoughtful. Please
remember that these logs are not meant to be personal diaries. They are meant to be read by
others and should be related only to the assigned material. You may be asked to share your
reading logs in class, so keep this in mind as you write. When sharing you will have the
opportunity to confirm, clarify, and modify your responses through discussion. You will also
find that your response logs can be helpful in writing analytical essays about the novel, which
you will be asked to do in the early days of the school year!
***I do not expect you to be an expert at analyzing rhetorical techniques (yet), so don’t panic if you
aren’t feeling like an expert while completing this analytical response log. We are going to spend
nearly the entire class working with rhetorical analysis. Focus on using the analytical techniques
you learned in your previous English classes, and write about the things you find interesting or
engaging about HOW the author writes.
Sample Analytical Response Log: To Kill a Mockingbird
DO NOT USE THIS ENTRY IN YOUR LOG – YOU WILL RECEIVE NO CREDIT!
Quotations from the Text
Responses to the Text
1.) “‘He might have hurt me a little,’ Atticus
1.) The tone here is matter-of-fact. Atticus admits
conceded, ‘but son, you’ll understand folks a
that Mr. Cunningham could have harmed him, but
little better when you’re older. A mob’s always he explains in logical, clear statements that Mr.
made up of people, no matter what. Mr.
Cunningham’s actions were not entirely his own;
Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he he was influenced by the crowd as is common for
was still a man...So, it took an eight-year-old
many people. Atticus’ dialogue is nearly always
child to bring ‘em to their senses didn’t it?’”
like this – logical, straightforward, clear.
(159-160)
Response Log Rubric:
 A/B: 80-100%
Successful: Synthesis and evaluation of the text
o Features detailed, meaningful passage selections
o Coverage of text is complete and thorough
o Journal is neat, organized as instructed, and professional looking
o Uses thoughtful interpretation and commentary; avoids clichés or superficial observation
o Makes insightful connections and/or comparisons to text
o May ask thought-provoking and insightful questions
o Indicates a strong interest in the material through an awareness of levels of meaning
o Predictions are thoughtful and keenly observed
o Recognizes the author’s writing choices and reasons for those choices (rhetorical, stylistic)
o Recognizes the energy and deliberateness of the writing process – realizes that authors make
choices to achieve purpose
o Awareness that their own personal beliefs may differ from those expressed in the text
o Demonstrates an awareness of point of view
 C: 70-79%
Adequate: Some evidence, understanding and appreciation of the text
o Uses less detail, but good quote selections
o Adequately addresses all parts of the reading assignment
o Follows directions for organizing the journal; journal is neat and readable
o Uses some intelligent commentary
o Addresses some thematic connections
o Does not summarize, but rather reflects upon the narrative
o Predictions are plausible
o Demonstrates some understanding of character motivation
o Show student’s engagement in the text
 D/F: 0-69%
Unsuccessful: Literal surface encounter with the text
o Only a few good details from text; quotes may be incomplete or not used at all
o Most commentary is vague, unsupported, or plot summary
o Journal is relatively neat, but may be difficult to read
o Student has not followed directions for organizing the journal (no columns, no page #s, etc.)
o Shows limited personal connection to text
o Asks few or obvious, superficial questions
o Address only part of the reading assignment
o Predictions are unrealistic or improbable
o Uses stereotypical responses
o Entries are brief or off-topic
Assignment #2 –Visual Argument – Illustrated Quotation Poster
The Task –
The combination of words and images is a powerful tool in rhetoric and argument, and this
assignment gives you a chance to use that combination and create your own “visual argument”
presenting a representation of your beliefs, your values, your aspirations, your history, your
future, yourself.
Find/Choose a relatively brief quotation (approximately 20 words or less) that reflects, in some
way, the essence of who you are or something in which you deeply believe. This assignment is
intended, in part, to help your classmates (and your teacher) learn more about you, so choose
wisely. Once you have found an appropriate quotation, create a vibrant, aesthetically engaging
poster featuring your quotation and your visual interpretation of its meaning. Please include, on
the back of your poster, a thorough and thoughtful paragraph (preferably typed) explaining
your reasons for choosing the quotation as a representation of yourself. Be prepared to share your
poster (and your explanation) with your classmates.
The Materials –
You may choose any materials you wish to create your poster, but it should be of reasonable
size for wall display (please ask me if you need definition, exemplification, or clarification on
this). Interesting materials may include such things as paints, ink, magazine/newspaper cutouts,
fabric, tissue, natural items (leaves, bark, etc.), gift wrap, labels, photographs, or “found objects”
(a fancy term for random stuff).
Creativity rules.
The Grade –
Your grade for this assignment will be determined by your creativity, apparent effort, and the
clarity, thoroughness, and thoughtfulness of the explanation your paragraph offers.
*PLEASE NOTE –
1.
Do not rely on SparkNotes, CliffNotes, or similar resources to complete your assignments or prepare for tests in this course. Such
dependency on the work of others will not serve you well as a student of language and critical thinking, and it will put you at risk
for failing the course. I take academic integrity VERY SERIOUSLY.
2.
As with every class assignment, all summer reading work should be original. Do not wait until the last minute to begin your work.
Most students plagiarize because they feel that they do not have enough time to be honest. I am interested in your original thoughts
and ideas, so leave yourself enough time to carefully and thoughtfully complete this assignment.
3.
You will not be allowed to change classes simply because you fail to complete these summer assignments; if you do not complete
them, you will begin the year dealing with the consequences of a reduced grade. Do not place yourself in that situation. Do the work.