AP Language and Composition
Teacher : Britt Moseley
Email: [email protected]
Below you will find a description of the AP Language and Composition Course as put forth
by The College Board. I just want to add a few guidelines to consider as you make your course
selections:
This is a college level course, and it is not easy.
Many will not earn an A, but the value and rigor of the course on your transcript will help
you gain admittance to a university and help you succeed once you get there.
This course is about rhetoric (persuasion) and covers non- fiction writing.
You will be required to read and write, starting with your summer assignments.
Please review the following course description; I hope to see you next year.
Mrs. Moseley
The Course Introduction
An AP course in English Language and Composition engages students in becoming
skilled readers of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts, and in becoming
skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and their
reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes,
audience expectations, and subjects as well as the way generic conventions and the
resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing.
Goals
The goals of an AP English Language and Composition course are diverse because
the college composition course is one of the most varied in the curriculum. The college
course provides students with opportunities to write about a variety of subjects from
a variety of disciplines and to demonstrate an awareness of audience and purpose.
But the overarching objective in most first-year writing courses is to enable students
to write effectively and confidently in their college courses across the curriculum
and in their professional and personal lives. Therefore, most composition courses
emphasize the expository, analytical, and argumentative writing that forms the basis
of academic and professional communication, as well as the personal and reflective
writing that fosters the development of writing facility in any context. In addition,
most composition courses teach students that the expository, analytical, and
argumentative writing they must do in college is based on reading as well as on
personal experience and observation. Composition courses, therefore, teach students
to read primary and secondary sources carefully, to synthesize material from these
texts in their own compositions, and to cite sources using conventions recommended
by professional organizations such as the Modern Language Association (MLA),
the University of Chicago Press (The Chicago Manual of Style), the American
Psychological Association (APA), and the Council of Biology Editors (CBE).
As in the college course, the purpose of the AP English Language and
Composition course is to enable students to read complex texts with understanding
and to write prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate effectively
with mature readers.
While the AP English Language and Composition course assumes that students
already understand and use standard English grammar, it also reflects the practice of
reinforcing writing conventions at every level. Therefore, occasionally the exam may
contain multiple-choice questions on usage to reflect the link between grammar and
style. The intense concentration on language use in the course enhances students’
ability to use grammatical conventions appropriately and to develop stylistic maturity
in their prose. Stylistic development is nurtured by emphasizing the following:
• a wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively;
• a variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination
and coordination;
• logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence, such
as repetition, transitions, and emphasis;
• a balance of generalization and specific illustrative detail; and
• an effective use of rhetoric, including controlling tone, establishing and
maintaining voice, and achieving appropriate emphasis through diction and
sentence structure.
When students read, they should become aware of how stylistic effects are achieved
by writers’ linguistic choices.
Upon completing the AP English Language and Composition course, then,
students should be able to:
• analyze and interpret samples of good writing, identifying and explaining an
author’s use of rhetorical strategies and techniques;
• apply effective strategies and techniques in their own writing;
• create and sustain arguments based on readings, research, and/or personal
experience;
• write for a variety of purposes;
• produce expository, analytical, and argumentative compositions that
introduce a complex central idea and develop it with appropriate evidence
drawn from primary and/or secondary sources, cogent explanations,
and clear transitions;
• demonstrate understanding and mastery of standard written English as well
as stylistic maturity in their own writings;
• demonstrate understanding of the conventions of citing primary and
secondary sources;
• move effectively through the stages of the writing process, with careful
attention to inquiry and research, drafting, revising, editing, and review;
• write thoughtfully about their own process of composition;
• revise a work to make it suitable for a different audience;
• analyze image as text; and
• evaluate and incorporate reference documents into researched papers.
AP SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENTS :
On Writing and Tuesday’s with Morrie
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE DIALECTICAL JOURNAL
These instructions will assist you as you complete your journal.
• Using 50 quotes from throughout the book, complete dialectical entries (sample entry
included).
• The dialectical journal is a double-entry note taking system. It helps one to read critically and
encourages the habit of reflective questioning. It is a place to record and explore ideas
using writing as a tool for learning.
Instructions:
1. Draw a line down the middle of the paper, making two columns.
2. The left column is used for notes - direct quotations or summaries from the reading.
3. The right column is used for commenting on notes in the left column. Personal reactions to
the notes on the left go here. The comments on the right may include:
• what the passage prompts in thinking or memory associations;
• feelings toward the author’s words;
• words or passages not understood;
• words or passages that look important; and
• connections among passages or sections of the work.
As you take notes in your journal, you should regularly reread the previous pages of notes and
comments, drawing connections in a right-column summary before starting another page of the
journal.
The following is an example of a student journal on the short story “A & P” by John Updike.
Student Model Dialectical Journal on John Updike’s
“A & P” NOTE-TAKING/FACTS
NOTE-MAKING/FEELINGS
I stood there with my hand on a box of HiHo
crackers, trying to remember if I rang it up or not
(p. 12)
The sight of the 3 bathing suited girls is enough
to make Sammy lose his concentration!?
I know it made her day to trip me up (p. 13)
Negative attitude! He thinks everyone’s out to
get him?
She was the queen (p. 12)
He’s singled out one girl—placed a high status on
her by calling her Queenie. He places her on a
pedestal from appearance alone.
What makes him refer to people as sheep? Is he
bored with people, seeing them day after day
shopping? Is he mad at them?
The sheep pushing their carts down the aisle (p. 13)
Hello Prospective AP English Literature Students!!
The following information will guide you through your summer reading assignments. The reading is required
and should be looked at as your first opportunity to demonstrate your ability and desire to succeed as an
independent college-level student. A word of warning: If you’re a slacker, you will have a VERY difficult year –
simply ask anyone who has taken this class in the past.
The first thing is to become familiar with my website. http://pritchardclasses.pbworks.com
Go there before we are out of school to make sure that you can access this site. If you have any problems
getting on my website, let me know immediately!
The user name is: student
The password is: duck9peach
Your class will have a page on this site. Your page is called: INCOMING AP ENGLISH LIT 2014-2015
Once you access my website, click on the INCOMING AP ENGLISH LIT 2014-2015 page. Everything you will
need to know regarding your summer reading assignments (like the information in this handout) will be on
this page.
Okay, first things first…
YOUR BOOKS:
EVERYONE is expected to read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and How to Read Literature Like a Professor by
Thomas C. Foster.
We will let Barnes and Noble near the Tyrone Mall know that these books have been chosen for summer
reading, but your cheapest alternative is to order them on line. Order them now! It can take up to two weeks
(if not more!) for online items to be delivered.
In addition to Jane Eyre, and How to Read… you will also be expected to read three additional works. These
will be works of your choice, although there are certain criteria that you must keep in mind when selecting
your works.
Work 1: This selection must be a book of literary merit from the Modern literary period
(approximately 1910-1945)
Work 2: This selection must be either one of Sophocles plays, or one of the two great epics The Iliad
or The Odyssey. (If you “read” The Odyssey in 9th grade but really didn’t read it, you can choose to
ACTUALLY read it now – but you’d better read every single word!!)
And for something a little different…
Work 3: This selection must be ONE of these graphic novels:
Maus by Art Speigelman
Persepolis by Marjane Sartrapi
La Perdida by Jessica Abel.
Yes, you read the above information correctly. You have five (5) works to get through this summer. You will
be TESTED on Jane Eyre the first week of school. We will be using the other four works for various projects
during first semester.
SUGGESTIONS AS YOU GET STARTED
Keep a dialectic notebook. This is for your benefit alone. I am not collecting these journals, but you will find
that if you record your impressions and observations through a journal, your reading will be more focused and
analytical. That means you will internalize information and be better able to discuss and write about it later.
Please consider keeping a dialectic notebook.
If you have any questions, email me. I will most definitely respond: [email protected] (…and that’s a
lower case “L” after “pritchard,” not the numeral 1.)
For those of you who are returning to me as big, bad seniors, just remember…I knew you when you were
babies. I’ve been waiting four years for this chance! ϑ Have a great summer!
Mrs. P
Summer Reading: Dual Enrollment Comp I and/or Comp II
For Dual Enrollment, students read and take notes on the following sections
of the Purdue Owl:
General Writing: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/
Writing Process: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/1/
Academic Writing: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/2/
Common Writing
Assignments: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/3/
Mechanics: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/4/
Grammar: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/5/
Punctuation: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/6/
ENGLISH I HONORS – SUMMER READING INFORMATION
Hello Prospective English I Honors Students!!
Welcome to the world of high school, and in particular, to the world of English I Honors.
You have a very large list of books to choose from, and we are confident you will be able to find something that interests you. You
will be required to read two (2) books this summer – one (1) fiction book and one (1) nonfiction book. (The list of nonfiction books
is on the back of this page.) It goes without saying that you should choose a book you have not read before. It is recommended
that you keep a Reading Journal or Log. A Reading Journal Template that you can print and complete is found on my website. This
journal will be for your use only; it will not be graded. On the first day of school, you will be assigned a project using one of the
books you read. You will have six weeks to finish that first project. When second semester starts, you will be assigned a project
that will use the second book you read over the summer, and, again, you will have six weeks to finish that project.
Choose one (1) from this list:
1.
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3.
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55.
13 Little Blue Envelopes, by Maureen Johnson
A Ring of Endless Light, by Madeleine L'Engle
A Separate Peace, by John Knowles
Abhorsen Trilogy / Old Kingdom Trilogy (series), by Garth
Nix
Along for the Ride, by Sarah Dessen
An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins
Anne of Green Gables (series), by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver
Betsy-Tacy Books (series), by Maud Hart Lovelace
Bloodlines (series), by Richelle Mead
Chaos Walking (series), by Patrick Ness
Circle of Magic (series), by Tamora Pierce
Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (series), by Louise
Rennison
Crank (series), by Ellen Hopkins
Daughter of Smoke & Bone, by Laini Taylor
Daughter of the Lioness / Tricksters (series), by Tamora
Pierce
Delirium (series), by Lauren Oliver
Discworld / Tiffany Aching (series, by Terry Pratchett
Divergent (series), by Veronica Roth
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Dune, by Frank Herbert
Earthsea (series), by Ursula K. Le Guin
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Fallen (series), by Lauren Kate
Feed, by M.T. Anderson
Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
Forever..., by Judy Blume
Gallagher Girls (series), by Ally Carter
Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
Gone (series), by Michael Grant
Graceling (series), Kristin Cashore
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman
House of Night (series), by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast
Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones
Hush, Hush Saga (series), by Stephanie Perkins
I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak
I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith
If I Stay, by Gayle Forman
Inheritance Cycle (series), by Christopher Paolini
It's Kind of a Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini
Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen
Leviathan (series), by Scott Westerfeld
Looking for Alaska, by John Green
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Matched (series), by Allie Condie
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom
Riggs
My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlsit, by Rachel Cohn, David
Levithan
Paper Towns, by John Green
Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
56. Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli
57. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by
Sherman Alexie
58. The Bartimaeus Trilogy (series), by Jonathan Stroud
59. The Blue Sword, by Robin McKinley
60. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
61. The Call of the Wild, by Jack London
62. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
63. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
64. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci (series), by Diana Wynne
Jones
65. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark
Haddon
66. The Dark is Rising (series), by Susan Cooper
67. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (series), by Patricia C.
Wrede
68. The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
69. The Gemma Doyle Trilogy (series), by Libba Bray
70. The Giver (series), by Lois Lowry
71. The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale
72. The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley
73. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (series), by Douglas
Adams
74. The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien
75. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
76. The House of the Scorpion, by Scott Westerfeld
77. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
78. The Hunger Games (series), by Suzanne Collins
79. The Immortals (series), by Tamora Pierce
80. The Infernal Devices (series), by Cassandra Clare
81. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
82. The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
83. The Lord of the Rings (series), by J.R.R. Tolkien
84. The Lullaby, by Sarah Dessen
85. The Maze Runner Trilogy (series), by James Dashner
86. The Mortal Instruments (series), by Cassandra Clare
87. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
88. The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
89. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
90. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
91. The Princess Diaries (series), by Meg Cabot
92. The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
93. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
94. The Shiver Trilogy (series), by Maggie Stiefvater
95. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (series), by Anne
Brashares
96. The Song of the Lioness (series), by Tamora Pierce
97. The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen
98. Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher
99. Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson
100. Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt
101. Twilight (series), by Stephenie Meyer
102. Uglies (series), by Scott Westerfeld
103. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman
104. Vampire Academy (series), by Richelle Mead
105. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
106. Weetzie Bat (series), by Francesca Lia Block
107. White Fang by Jack London
108. Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green, David Levithan
109. Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson
Choose one (1) from this list:
1.
Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps by Andrea
Warren
2. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
3. Autobiography of a Geisha by Sayo Masuda
4. Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other
Battles by Anthony Swofford
5. Nelson Mandela: The Authorized Comic Book by The Nelson
Mandela Foundation
6. Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Osama bin
Laden by Peter L. Bergen
7. Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted
Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah
8. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
9. The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
10. Saving Our Daughters - From a Man's Point of View
Vol.1 by Curtis Benjamin
11. Yell-Oh Girls!: Emerging Voices Explore Culture, Identity, and
Growing Up Asian American by Vickie Nam
12. Almost a Woman by Esmeralda Santiago
13. The Ditchdigger's Daughters: A Black Family's Astonishing
Success Story by Yvonne S. Thornton
14. Touching My Father's Soul: A Sherpa's Journey to the Top of
Everest by Jamling Tenzing Norgay
15. Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat
16. The Language of Blood by Jane Jeong Trenka
17. Little Daughter: A Memoir of Survival in Burma and the
West by Zoya Phan
18. Born in the Big Rains: A Memoir of Somalia and
Survival by Fadumo Korn
19. Suspended In Language: Niels Bohr's Life, Discoveries, And
The Century He Shaped by Jim Ottaviani
20. I am Malala by Malala Fousafzai
21. Operation Homecoming by Andrew Carroll
It will also be helpful to become familiar with my website. My name is Mrs. Pritchard, but even if you don’t have me as your English
teacher next year, the information about Summer Reading found on my website applies to all English I Honors students regardless
of their teacher.
Here is the site: http://pritchardclasses.pbworks.com
The user name is: student
The password is: duck9peach
Before school starts, your page is called: INCOMING FRESHMEN 2014-2015
Once you access the website, click on the red INCOMING FRESHMEN 2014-2015 link to take you to the correct page.
Everything you need to know regarding your Summer Reading selections will be on this webpage.
If you have any problems getting on the website, let me know by sending me an email immediately. My email address is
[email protected] (…that’s a lower case “L” after “pritchard,” not the numeral 1.) If you do not have access to a computer, you
can pick up a hard copy of the book list in the Guidance Office at Seminole High School.
Once again, welcome to Seminole High School!
Mrs. Pritchard and the Seminole High School English I Honors Teachers
SUMMER READING DIALECTICAL JOURNALS ENGLISH II HONORS SHS 2015
The term “Dialectic” means “the art or practice of arriving at the truth by using conversation involving question
and answer.” Think of your dialectical journal as a series of conversations with the texts as you read your
chosen texts this summer (and during the regular school year). The process is meant to help you develop a
better understanding of the texts you read. Use your journal to incorporate your personal responses to the
texts, your ideas about the author’s purpose in writing the text, and how he/she uses setting, plot, characters,
and theme to develop this purpose. You will find the journal a useful way to process what you’re reading,
prepare yourself for course projects, and gather textual evidence for your literary analyses.
SUMMER READING TEXT CHOICES
Choose one of the following nonfiction texts:
Rabbit Proof Fence by
Doris Pilkington
Eleanor
ISBN-10: 0702232815 ISBN-10:
ISBN-13: 978-0702232817
Parallel Journeys by
Ayer
0689832362
ISBN-13: 978-0689832369
Choose one of the following fiction texts:
The Good Earth by
The
PEARL BUCK
ISBN-10: 0743272935
ISBN-13: 978-0743272933 ISBN-10:
Angel With One Hundred Wings by
DANIEL HORCH
ISBN-13: 978-0312325992
0312325991
STEPS
o As you read, choose 25 passages for the non-fiction and the fiction text that stand out to you,
and record them in the left-hand column of a T-chart (ALWAYS include page numbers).
o In the right column, write your response to the text (ideas/insights, questions, reflections, and
comments on each passage).
o If you choose, you can label your responses using the following codes:
o (Q) Question – ask about something in the passage that is unclear
o (C) Connect – make a connection to your life, the world, or another text
o (P) Predict – anticipate what will occur based on what’s in the passage
o (CL) Clarify – answer earlier questions or confirm/disaffirm a prediction
o (R) Reflect – think deeply about what the passage means in a broad sense – not just to the
characters in the story. What conclusions can you draw about the world, about human nature,
or just the way things work?
o (E) Evaluate - make a judgment about the character(s), their actions, or what the author is
trying to say.
o Again, you need 25 entries per text (one Dialectical Journal for nonfiction text; one Dialectical
Journal for fiction text).
Sample Dialectical Journal entry: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Quotes/passages from text
1. “-they carried like freight
trains; they carried it on their
backs and shoulders-and for all
the ambiguities of Vietnam, all
the mysteries and unknowns,
there was at least the single
abiding certainty that they would
never be at a loss for things to
carry”.
Pg
#s
Pg 2
Comments & Questions
(R) O’brien chooses to end the first section of the novel
with this sentence. He provides excellent visual details of
what each solider in Vietnam would carry for day-to-day
fighting. He makes you feel the physical weight of what
soldiers have to carry for simple survival. When you
combine the emotional weight of loved ones at home, the
fear of death, and the responsibility for the men you fight
with, with this physical weight, you start to understand
what soldiers in Vietnam dealt with every day. This quote
sums up the confusion that the men felt about the
reasons why they were fighting the war.
CHOOSING PASSAGES FROM THE TEXT
Look for quotes that seem significant, powerful, thought provoking or puzzling. For example, you might record:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Effective and/or creative use of stylistic or literary devices;
Passages that remind you of your own life or something you’ve seen before;
Structural shifts or turns in the plot;
A passage that makes you realize something you hadn’t seen before;
Examples of patterns: recurring images, ideas, colors, symbols or motifs;
Passages with confusing language or unfamiliar vocabulary;
Events you find surprising or confusing;
Passages that illustrate a particular character or setting.
RESPONDING TO THE TEXT
You can respond to the text in a variety of ways. The most important thing to remember is that your
observations should be specific and detailed. You can write as much as you want for each entry. You can
use loose-leaf paper for your journals or complete a word-processed version similar to one above.
Basic Responses
o Raise questions about the beliefs and values implied in the text
o Give your personal reactions to the passage
o Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of the author or character(s)
o Tell what it reminds you of from your own experiences
o Write about what it makes you think or feel
o Agree or disagree with a character or the author
Higher Level Responses
o Analyze the text for use of literary devices (tone, structure, style, imagery)
o Make connections between different characters or events in the text
o Make connections to a different text (or film, song, etc…)
o Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of the author or character(s)
o Consider an event or description from the perspective of a different character
o Analyze a passage and its relationship to the story as a whole
NOTE: During the first grading period, you will be given credit for your Dialectic Journals as part of your grade
(200 points). You will also use the journal entries to complete commentaries and analyses as you connect
them to texts we will be reading as part of the course.
Questions? Contact Donna Hanak ([email protected]), Evelyn Healey ([email protected]) and/or Jessica Thornton ([email protected])
English III Honors
Summer Reading
Incoming English III Honors students will be required to read two books over the summer.
Students will select one fiction and one non-fiction book, from the provided list.
1. Concerning the Fiction selection made, students will need decorate a tissue box, the
following should be included:
• On one of the long sides of the tissue box illustrate a memorable scene from the novel
you read.
• On the other long side include a typed summary of the novel you read
• On the two short ends of the tissue box include list and give descriptions of the
novel’s main characters
2. Students will be required to complete the following vocabulary assignment while reading
their non-fiction selection. Students will need to select at least 50 new or unfamiliar
words throughout the text and define as well as provide the sentence from which the
word was taken.
Students will be expected to turn in these assignments by the first day of the fourth week of the
first grading period.
English 4 Honors: Summer Reading
Read 2 books from the list – ONE fiction and ONE non-fiction – your choice
Keep a dialectal journal for each book. You will use the journal as a resource for your
assignment, which will be given the first week of school.
Nonfiction – choose 1
Freakanomics by Steven D Levitt, Stephen Dubner
Outliers by Malcom Gladwell
Fiction – choose 1
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry – Rachel Joyce
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy