Summer Assignment 2015
Riverbend High School
A.P. English Literature and Composition Dual Enrollment English
Mrs. Julia Olson Mr. Andrew Young
Welcome to either A.P. Literature or Dual Enrollment English. These courses are designed for students who wish to pursue a rigorous course of study in preparation for the demands of a 4-year college or university. Both courses fulfill the requirements for the county’s English 12 course and provide an opportunity to earn college credit.
The following assignment is designed for both the Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition course and the Dual Enrollment English 12 course. Students are expected to complete the assignment and present all parts of it on the first day of class. There are two components to this assignment: Reading and Writing.
Reading Component for the 2015 Summer Assignment:
All students need to obtain copies of the following two texts:
· Foster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature Like a Professor
A very accessible and informative text that presents students with common approaches to literary analysis. Emphasis is placed on traditional forms, archetypes, motifs, and intertextual connections.
· Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World
A dystopian novel examining a futuristic society. Topics addressed in the novel include: consequences of technological advancement, decline of family and interpersonal relationships, collectivism vs. individualism, education and social conditioning, among others.
Instructions:
1) Begin by reading How to Read Literature Like a Professor in its entirety. How to Read Literature Like a Professor needs to be treated like a text book. It is a guide to approaching literature. You will be asked to apply what you have read in HTRLLAP to your interpretation of Brave New World and other texts covered in the 2015-2016 school year.
2) As you read, compose Cornell notes on each chapter. These notes should include key points and memorable examples for each of Foster’s 26 chapters. We estimate that you should be able to address about 3 chapters per page, resulting in 8-9 pages of single-spaced, typed, Cornell-style notes. Don’t forget to include the one-sentence summary at the end of each section. Remember to ask questions in the left column. These may include questions you still have about the content after reading the chapter or key questions Foster poses for evaluation.
What can I do to improve my reading and analysis?
Effective readers and successful students practice constant engagement with a text. The best way to do this is to annotate a text. This means that you read with a pen or pencil in hand and underline, circle, or bracket important passages. You also write notes to yourself in the margins. These notes may be questions that you have, patterns you’ve observed, or adjectives that you want to use to describe a new development. Annotating makes it easier to track motifs and other strategies authors employ in presenting a text to an audience. There are a few questions you want to keep in the back of your mind as you are reading:
o What is the big picture here? Why did the writer choose to tell this story?
o What choices did the writer make to convey his or her purpose?
o Was the writer effective in reaching his or her audience?
o How is this story relevant?
o You may also consider writing such phrases as: “I don’t get his.” “Def. need to ask a question about this.” **Questions you have about the text are just as valuable as your observations. We expect you to come in with more questions than answers. You are NOT expected to “get” everything immediately.
Some helpful advice…
Begin your reading early in the summer. Do not wait until the last minute to try to get everything done. This work will serve as the foundation for your first essay. You need to be thoughtful and thorough in your construction. It is imperative that this assignment be completed and ready to turn in on the first day of class. Late assignments will be penalized.
If you have questions or concerns while working on the assignment, do not hesitate to contact your instructor. Our contact information is listed below:
A.P. English Literature and Composition Dual Enrollment English
Mrs. Julia Olson Mr. Andrew Young