English III AP Language and Composition
Summer Reading 2016-2017
Required Reading
Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi
The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
Course Overview
Advanced Placement (AP) Language and Composition engages students in the study of rhetoric,
“the use of language for persuasive purposes” (Corbett and Connors). Students become skilled
readers, using a variety of deconstruction methods. The selections of the course are a
combination of texts representative of the literary movements of American literature in addition
to texts grouped by rhetorical mode. The analysis of prose and, in turn, the student’s writing
focuses on higher purpose, audience expectations, writer’s attitude, and conventions of writing
and language as a means of effective communication. Students become mature readers and
writers through interpretation, class discussions, inquiry, and written discourse of texts; all of
which, allow students to prepare for AP Language and Composition exam as the ultimate
culminating assessment for the course.
Task
Read the above two books and annotate them. Annotations should reflect that you engaged with
the text, made your reading relevant, and considered how your notes could help your future
readings of the text. You may use colors and tabs to help you organize, but it’s not required.
Some students like to add sticky notes to the text if there isn’t enough room in the margins.
Consult this link from AP Central for general guidelines on annotating:
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/197454.html.
Just remember that highlighting complements annotating, but highlighting by itself does not
count as annotating. Pay attention to literary devices you’ve already studied this year, especially
imagery, figurative language, voice, tone, mood, symbol, setting, and characterization.
The deadline for having these books read is the first day of fall semester (8/10).
IMPORTANT: On the first day of class (Wednesday), I will collect your annotated book as
your first formative assessment (quiz). You will be assessed on your understanding of both
summer reading books the first week of school (summative).
Registering for this course indicates a commitment on the student’s part to follow through with
all course assignments. A failure to complete summer reading assignments is not a valid reason
to request a schedule change at the beginning of fall semester. If you have any questions about
the reading or the course, please contact Dr. Oetinger.
English III Honors
Summer Reading 2016-2017
Required Reading
The Republic of Imagination, Azar Nafisi
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
Assignment:
You will need to complete 10 double-entry journals for each text.
As you read, choose what you think are the ten most significant passages from the book (each
passage should only be approximately 4-5 sentences—do not choose page-length passages). This
is an individual assignment, ie: your work should not use all the same passages as someone else.
Select your passages based on their significance to the novel as a whole and analyze each
passage for specific literary devices. What do you see? Metaphors? Imagery? Characterization?
Symbolism? Motif? Can you identify themes in this work? Identify any devices you see in your
significant passage.
Next, think about and answer the following question for each quote: What literary device(s) are
used and what effect does it have on the text? Why is the quote significant? What do the literary
devices used add to your understanding of the text? Compose your response into a coherent
paragraph.
This should be neatly organized, typed, printed, and ready to submit on the first day of school
(8/10). You will be assessed on your understanding of both summer reading books the first week
of school (summative).
Warning: do not use Spark notes or any other online helps that are directly related to this
specific text. This will constitute as an honor code violation. Explicit forms of plagiarism
will result in a zero as well as an honor code infraction write up.
AcademyoftheHolyNames
SummerReading2016-2017
EnglishIIICP
The focus of the Junior English program is the study of American Literature and its historical,
philosophical, and theological context. The goal of the summer reading program is to allow an
opportunity for students to read significant literary works at a leisurely pace. They must read two novels
for this assignment. Students will be expected to complete an accompanying assignment, a dialectical
journal for each of the novels. The selections are as follows:
Required-IKnowWhytheCagedBirdSingsbyMayaAngelou(non-fiction)
EllaMinnowPeabyMarkDunn(fiction)
ANEXAMPLELAYOUTANDCONCEPTSTO
WRITEABOUT
During the reading process, students should choose important quotes or ideas and write them on the left
side of the page. On the right side they should write their interpretation of the significance of the passages
chosen; explain, basically, why it was chosen. The purpose of the dialectical journal is to identify
attitudes and opinions about what they are reading, to demonstrate critical reading skills, and to track their
thought process on the journey through the piece. The students should choose quotes throughout the
entire piece and indicate page numbers for reference. (It is reasonable to expect the journal for each
book to be comprised of 4-5 pages when complete). Students will be supplied with an example of a
double entry journal to help them with the assignment. There really is no wrong way to do this, as long as
the student is keeping up with their reading and recording their thoughts.
Left-Hand Side
Quote from the text (pg
#)
Quote from the text (pg
#)
Quote from the text (pg
#)
Right-Hand Side
Visual commentary (drawings,
visual analogies, doodles)
Reactions (“This bugs, annoys,
moves . . . me because . . .”),
reflections (”I wonder if. . .”),
musings (“Hmmm…”),
questions (“I wonder why…”)
with possible answers (“Maybe
because . . .”)
Connections
§
§
§
Quote from text (pg #)
Quote from text (pg #)
Text to other text(s)—
print, visual, aural
Text to self
Text to world
Significance in relation to piece
as a whole; relating part to whole.
(Theme of the book)
Social Questions (Race, class,
gender issues)
Quote from text (pg #)
Naming Literary Techniques
(symbolism, motif,
foreshadowing, etc.)
While this is optional during the summer, it will eventually be collected as a required homework
assignment when you begin school in the fall; however will not be collected on the first day). There
will also be a fact-based comprehension test of the summer books during the first week. Students
may read any standard hard copy or electronic edition of the novel.
ACADEMY OF THE HOLY NAMES
ENGLISH III CP – SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT
Dialectical Journal – CAN BE TYPED OR HAND-WRITTEN
DIRECTIONS:You will divide your page into two with a vertical line down the center. On the left side, you
will copy down short quotes from the original text that you find interesting in some way or that you need
clarification on. In the right column, you will write your personal responses to the quotes on the left.
Write your reactions to the quote that you chose. Your reactions can include your own opinions,
disagreements, interpretations, events in your life that the quote reminds you of, comments about grammar,
and guesses about the meaning of new words – The sky is the limit). In effect, you are talking back to the
author or speaker as you write your responses. (YOU SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST THREE reactions to
EACH chapter