Spring 2016
Dear AP Language and Composition Students,
Ronald W. Wilson Reagan High School
3750 Transou Road
Pfafftown, NC 27040
(336) 706-6776
website:
http://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Domain/1153
Summer vacation can offer learning opportunities that are less stressful and yet still
valuable to your academic future. Reading a good book is such an opportunity because
the AP Language course focuses on analysis of argument and voice in a variety of
genres of literature. This summer reading assignment encourages you to begin
thinking in a new way about what you read. To begin your education in formal
rhetoric, you are required to complete the following assignments before school begins
in August:
PART I:
Read There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other
America by Alex Kotlowitz (ISBN: 978-0385265560, Publisher: Doubleday)
PART II:
Select and read two shorter pieces of your choice from the following list.

“Who Shot Johnny?” by Debra Dickerson
http://tinyurl.com/johnny-dickerson

“The Ballad of the Landlord” by Langston Hughes
http://tinyurl.com/ballad-hughes

“I Want a Wife” by Judy Brady
http://tinyurl.com/wife-brady

“Indian Education” by Sherman Alexie
http://tinyurl.com/indian-alexie

“Share our Wealth” by Huey P. Long
http://tinyurl.com/wealth-long
AP English Language Teacher
Michelle Collins
[email protected]
PART III:
Complete a dialectical (2-sided) journal for all three texts: left side = one meaningful
quote, right side = your reaction to or insight into the quote. Create 10 entries for No
Children and 3 entries for each of the shorter pieces. Entries should be your personal
reflections on the ways socioeconomic themes are portrayed in the pieces. A sample
dialectical journal can be found at the following link:
http://tinyurl.com/dialecticalsample.
See reverse side for Notes and MLA Guidelines for typed work.
Notes:
1. You are encouraged to use supplemental sources as needed to aid in your understanding of the assigned texts, as well
as any pertinent contextual information to support your understanding of the author and/or the texts themselves.
2. In addition to submitting the typed portion (Part III), you should also expect that within the first week or two weeks
of class there will be a test, essay, and graded discussion concerning the summer assignment in its entirety.
MLA Guidelines- A Quick Review
Your typed assignment must follow the criteria as listed:
 1” margins (top, bottom, left, and right)
 Double-spaced text
 12 point font (Times New Roman or Arial)
 Titles of published novels must be italicized OR underlined
 See sample dialectical journal for page citations e.g. (Kotlowitz 32) = There Are No Children Here pg 32.
*If you need assistance or have formatting questions, please visit the following site. They have many self-guides, and
they even offer LiveChat assistance. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
I will see you in August, and I look forward to working with you during your junior year! Enjoy your summer and
your reading!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Michelle Collins
AP English Language and Composition
Ronald W. Reagan High School