2016 Summer Reading ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ All English Students: Hello Everyone, While the summer is a time to recuperate and enjoy time away from the stresses of school, too often our students do not find themselves in front of a book which challenges them intellectually, spiritually, and personally. Consequently, students return from summer break in a literary rut, which hinders them from immediately succeeding in their English classes. Therefore, beginning in the summer of 2016, the English Department is implementing required summer reading for all English classes for all grades. The novels chosen are relative to particular genres and origins associated with each English class. For example, sophomores will be reading an American author in preparation for their class in American Literature. In addition, the English Department has chosen novels which they believe are relative to the expected reading grade level and allow for students to form a connection to the characters and ideas in the novel. Finally, the English Department considered novels which would capture the reader’s imagination, making this experience more enjoyable and engaging. Novels may be purchased with ease at any book store, or students may go to their local library and check the book out. The department is not requiring any specific edition of the texts below. It is suggested that the students have the book for the first two weeks of school, as each class with have different formal assessments which will be explained during the first two or three days of the school year. Now, there is temptation for students to potentially skirt corners and watch the movie of a novel if it is available. Students are warned that movies often change plot elements and characters for different effects than the novel anticipates. Furthermore, the formal novel assessments will rely on student reading and work with the novel, not watching the movie. Enjoy your summer vacation, and while you are relaxing on a beach, camping, or flying to your favorite vacation spot, pull out a book and immerse yourself in a fictional world. This assignment is also posted on the school website by clicking on the “Academics” tab and selecting the English Department page. If you have any questions, please contact either Mr. Dineen or Mr. Wolffersdorff. Sincerely, Mr. Dineen Mr. Wolffersdorff [email protected] [email protected] Novel Titles for 2016/2017 School Year Incoming Freshmen (Class of 2020) Lord of the Flies – William Golding Incoming Sophomores (Class of 2019) Into the Wild -­‐ Jon Krakauer Incoming Juniors (Class of 2018) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson Incoming Seniors (Class of 2017) Life of Pi -­‐ Yann Martel Please note that students in AP Language and Composition and AP Literature and Composition have their own separate, independent summer reading assignments and are not to complete the above assignment. AP Junior English: A.P. Language and Composition—Summer Reading Welcome to A.P. Lang and Comp! Hopefully you all are up and ready for the challenge, because it’s going to be a challenge. It’s going to be a journey where you will become a better writer than you ever thought possible. But to get there you are expected to be dedicated and self-­‐disciplined, teachable and self-­‐motivated. I want to have fun with this class but in order to have fun, you need to put in the work. No hard work = no fun. No fun = sad Ms. Larson. Don’t make a sad Ms. Larson. Here’s a brief list of expectations for this course: ! Focus on nonfiction (personal essays, autobiographies/biographies, newspaper articles, non-­‐fiction novels, etc.) • This means not as much work with novels and short stories. If studying fiction was your expectation…please change that expectation. ! You will write (and write and write and write). • Did I mention you are going to write? ! You will analyze other author’s pieces and be the author of your own. ! You will study grammar. • Yes, the dreaded grammar. You will become one of those “annoying” (aka super smart and awesome) grammar aficionados. ! This is considered a college-­‐level course, therefore, students will be treated like the mature, honest, responsible, self-­‐motivated people they are. ! You MUST be able to trust yourself to keep up with the workload. • This class will rely heavily on personal responsibility. Your grade, and eventual A.P. score, is completely reliant on you and the amount of work you put into the class. Your first test, summer reading and writing! 1. Summer Vocabulary a. A.P. Language and Composition will consist of the use of many technical terms in order to successfully analyze the rhetoric of writing. Some of these terms may be familiar and some will be completely new. To get a head start on some of the technical vocabulary, you will be required to learn and know the attached vocabulary words. Be prepared for a quiz on the terms one of the first couple days back to school. 2. Reading Assignment #1: Non-­‐Fiction Book a. You will be required to read one non-­‐fiction book from the list of books given. Most of these books should be very easy to purchase or find at a library. If you are proactive, I might also have some of the books in my bookcase or in the English “library” room (no guarantees though). b. With the book you pick, you will write a formal essay that will be graded according to the attached AP Language rubric and will be due IN PRINTED FORM on the first day of school. Use proper MLA formatting when writing your essay. Do not arrive to class on the first day asking to go print. Part of the assignment is planning ahead and not procrastinating. In addition, you will be submitting your essay to turnitin.com within the first day or two back. c. Essay Prompt: i. Works of non-­‐fiction, whether implicitly or explicitly, present an argument to the reader and support this argument with different types of evidence and rhetorical techniques. Using the non-­‐fiction book you chose, briefly identify the work’s central argument. Then, analyze the evidence and techniques the author uses to support his or her argument. Finally, evaluate the effectiveness of the argument as a whole. Avoid summarizing the text and focus on analyzing and evaluating the evidence. 3. Reading Assignment #2: Essays a. Print, read, and annotate (close reading style) the following essays that are free on the internet. You will be using these essays with a project in the beginning of the year. Web addresses follow titles. If you find that the link is no longer working, you can Google the title and find the essay in another location. These essays can also be found in a great anthology entitled 40 Model Essays: A Portable Anthology by Jane E. Aaron. It is not required but I recommend that you purchase it if it is at all possible. The ISBN # is: 13: 978-­‐0-­‐312-­‐43829-­‐6. This book can be purchased used online. i. (Description) Once More to the Lake -­‐ E.B. White 1. http://wheretheclassroomends.com/wp-­‐
content/uploads/2013/07/White_OnceMoretotheLake1.pdf ii. (Narrative) Shooting an Elephant -­‐ George Orwell 1. http://www.online-­‐literature.com/orwell/887/ iii. (Example) Black Men and Public Space -­‐ Brent Staples 1. http://www.mrspelletier.com/data/uploads/english-­‐1/just-­‐walk-­‐on-­‐by.pdf iv. (Classification) The Plot Against People-­‐ Russell Baker 1. http://www.gmsdk12.org/Downloads/plotagainstpeople.pdf v. (Process Analysis) Dumpster Diving -­‐ Lars Eigner 1. http://bedfordjfhs.sharpschool.net/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=1204
1589 vi. (Comparison and Contrast) Neat People vs. Sloppy People -­‐Suzanne Britt 1. http://officeinstructor.com/EssayWriting/EssayPDFs/Neat%20vs%20Sloppy.pdf vii. (Definition) I Want A Wife -­‐Judy Brady 1. http://www.columbia.edu/~sss31/rainbow/wife.html viii. (Cause and Effect Analysis) Cultural Baggage-­‐ Barbara Ehrenreich 1. http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/05/magazine/hers-­‐cultural-­‐baggage.html ix. (Argument and Persuasion) A Modest Proposal -­‐Jonathan Swift 1. http://emotionalliteracyeducation.com/classic_books_online/mdprp10.html !
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Non-­Fiction Books Choices Into the Wild by John Krakauer ! The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story by Diane Amazing Grace by Jonathon Kazol Ackerman The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe ! Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser ! Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in David Sedaris America by Barbara Ehrenreich ! How Starbucks Saved my Life: A Son of Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else by by Alexandra Robbins Michael Gates Gill There are no Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz ! Escape by Carolyn Jessop Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman ! The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez ! Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Son’s Addiction by David Sheff Chbosky ! Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden ! The Innocent Man by John Grisham She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie ! Freakonomics by Malcolm Gladwell Bernall by Misty Bernall ! The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger Catch Me if You Can by Frank Abagnale Generic AP English Language and Composition Rubric 9 Essays earning a score of 9 meet the criteria for a score of 8 and, in addition, are especially sophisticated in their argument, thorough in their development or impressive in their control of language. 8 Effective Essays earning a score of 8 effectively analyze* how [Author] uses rhetorical strategies to [present message to audience]. They develop their analysis with evidence and explanations that are appropriate and convincing, referring to the passage explicitly or implicitly. The prose demonstrates a consistent ability to control a wide range of the elements of effective writing but is not necessarily flawless. 7 Essays earning a score of 7 meet the criteria for a score of 6 but provide more complete explanation, more thorough development or a more mature prose style. 6 Adequate Essays earning a score of 6 adequately analyze* how [Author] uses rhetorical strategies to [present message to audience]. They develop their analysis with evidence and explanations that are appropriate and sufficient, referring to the passage explicitly or implicitly. The writing may contain lapses in diction or syntax, but generally the prose is clear. 5 Essays earning a score of 5 analyze* how [Author] uses rhetorical strategies to [present message to audience]. The evidence or explanations used may be uneven, inconsistent or limited. The writing may contain lapses in diction or syntax, but it usually conveys the student’s ideas. 4 Inadequate Essays earning a score of 4 inadequately analyze* how [Author] uses rhetorical strategies to [present message to audience]. These essays may misunderstand the passage, misrepresent the strategies [Author] uses or analyze these strategies inaccurately. The evidence or explanations used may be inappropriate, insufficient or less convincing. The prose generally conveys the student’s ideas but may be less consistent in controlling the elements of effective writing. 3 Essays earning a score of 3 meet the criteria for a score of 4 but demonstrate less success in analyzing* [Author’s] use of rhetorical strategies to [present message to audience]. They are less perceptive in their understanding of the passage or [Author’s] strategies, or the explanation or examples may be particularly limited or simplistic. The essays may show less maturity in control of writing. 2 Little Success Essays earning a score of 2 demonstrate little success in analyzing* how [Author] uses rhetorical strategies to [present message to audience]. These essays may misunderstand the prompt, misread the passage, fail to analyze the strategies [Author] uses, or substitute a simpler task by responding to the prompt tangentially with unrelated, inaccurate or inappropriate explanation. The prose often demonstrates consistent weaknesses in writing, such as grammatical problems, a lack of development or organization, or a lack of control. 1 Essays earning a score of 1 meet the criteria for a score of 2 but are undeveloped, especially simplistic in their explanation or weak in their control of language. 0 Indicates an on-­‐topic response that receives no credit, such as one that merely repeats the prompt, or presents an open letter to the readers about testing in general. ___Indicates a blank response or one that is completely off topic. *For the purposes of scoring, analysis refers to identifying features of a text and explaining how the author uses these to develop the meaning or to achieve a particular effect or purpose A.P. Language and Composition: Summer Vocabulary Rhetorical terms (concepts and terminology related to rhetoric and argument) • Appeals (ethical, emotional, logical) • Argument • Defend, challenge, or qualify • Discourse • Rhetoric • Rhetorical devices • Rhetorical modes • Semantics • Style • Thesis Literary and stylistic terms (useful for a discussion of style) • Connotation • Denotation • Diction • Ellipsis • Equivocation • Euphemism • Hyperbole • Juxtaposition • Malapropoism • Mood •
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Non sequitur Pedantic Platitude Polemic Sarcasm Syntax Tone Transition Understatement Voice Literary and rhetorical devices (useful for a discussion of writer’s craft or tools a writer may employ) • Allegory • Alliteration • Allusion • Analogy • Anecdote • Irony • Metaphor • Motif • Oxymoron • Paradox • Parallel syntax (parallelism) • Parody • Pun • Satire • Simile AP Senior English Overview Incoming AP Literature students are required to read several books over the summer in preparation for the course and subsequent AP exam. One portion of the AP exam, the Free Response essay, demands that students have a wide range of challenging literary works on which they can draw when writing that essay. The goal of this summer’s reading, however, is not to prepare you for the exam but to initiate you into the conversation about ideas through books by both contemporary and classic authors. AP Literature is college; it not a preparation for college. If you are looking for ways around this reading assignment, you should not enroll in this class. If you have any questions, email me at [email protected]. Requirements Each student must do the following: • Choose one pair of books from the following list of books. • Read the chosen books, taking notes or annotating as needed to help you do well on the in-­‐class essay on these books. These notes are for you: I will not collect or evaluate them. Titles The following pairs of books comprise a conversation that should take place between you, the authors, and their characters. The books share a common idea, and while you read, attempt to identify and explore the different possibilities for connections between the two novels. 1. On the Road (Kerouac) The Odyssey (Homer) 2. Heart of Darkness (Conrad) Life of Pi (Martel) 3. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Kesey) Never Let Me Go (Ishiguro) 4. Their Eyes Were Watching God (Hurston) Jane Eyre (Brontë)