AP English Language and Composition/CE English 151
Summer Reading and Viewing Program (2016)
To maintain—rather than lose (i.e., the summer effect)—the valuable thinking, reading, and writing skills that you developed throughout the 2015-2016 school year and to prepare you for the academic challenges of English 151/AP English Language & Composition, you are instructed to complete a variety of summer reading or viewing assignments. These assignments reinforce skills that you have previously learned and will apply throughout the new school year, provide research for a number of essays that you will write, and introduce terms that will help you grow as “skilled readers of prose written in a variety of contexts” and as “skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes” (College Board).
All assignments are due the first day of the 2016-2017 school year. A completion score will be entered in the formative category (10%) for quarter one. Other assignments associated with the summer reading during first semester also will be entered in the formative category (10%). Because late work will not be accepted for the completion scores, avoid waiting until August to complete the assignments. Plan! Add reading/viewing times to your summer activities calendar.
Assignment List
· Assignment One: Nonfiction book about writing; journal and presentation
· Assignment Two: Weekly current events article; rhetorical précis
· Assignment Three Part One: Nonfiction book of choice; reading journal
· Assignment Three Part Two: 2 Documentaries; SOAPSTone notes
· Assignment Four: Rhetorical terms definitions (new or unfamiliar terms only)
I encourage you to enjoy your summer with family and friends as well as devote time to your continued academic growth. Please contact me at if you have any questions concerning the assignments.
Have a fun summer! See you in September.
Mrs. Ide
Assignment One: Reading about Writing
· Read a nonfiction book about writing. Suggested Titles: Zen and the Art of Writing, Anguished English, Nonsense: Red Herrings, Straw Men, and Sacred Cows, Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments, Thank You for Arguing, On Writing—A Memoir of the Craft, Woe is I, Eats Shoots and Leaves, I never metaphor I didn’t like.
o As you read, note in a reading journal at least 10 strategies that you find valuable and that will apply to your own writing throughout the school year.
o Create a presentation for the class that explains three of the ten strategies you recorded. Provide enough examples so that your classmates have a clear understanding of each concept. (PowerPoint, Google Slides, other)
o Presentations will take place during the first few weeks of the 2016-2017 school year.
Assignment Two: Current Events Journal
· Read at least one article per week from the New York Times, Atlantic, Star Tribune, or other reputable newspaper or magazine. Complete a rhetorical précis for each article. (For a review of the rhetorical précis, go to http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl201/modules/rhetorical-precis/sample/peirce_sample_precis_click.html) Basic instructions are given in the chart that follows. Organize entries by topic. (When you write AP argument 40-minute essays throughout the year, you current events journal will become a valuable resource.)
The Rhetorical Précis Format
a)In a single coherent sentence give the following:
-name of the author, title of the work, date in parenthesis;
-a rhetorically accurate verb (such as "assert," "argue," "deny," "refute," "prove," disprove,""explain," etc.);
-athatclause containing the major claim (thesis statement) of the work.
b)In a single coherent sentence give an explanation of how the author develops and supports themajor claim (thesis statement).
c)In a single coherent sentence give a statement of the author's purpose, followed by an "in order"phrase.
d)In a single coherent sentence give a description of the intended audience and/or the relationship theauthor establishes with the audience.
Assignment Three: Essay Portfolio—Topic Exploration
For English 151, students will write three academic essays that explore a relevant, debatable issue: Explaining a Concept, Reviewing Opposing Viewpoints, and Arguing a Position. Students are encouraged to use the same general subject for all three essays, narrowing the topic to fit each essay’s purpose. Thus to decrease the amount of time devoted to topic selection and initial research and to increase the amount of time dedicated to writing and revision during the school year, you can use the summer months to explore possible topics and conduct some initial research. Consider choosing a book that relates to your anticipated field of study (college) or future career—perhaps it will lead you to a current, debatable issue among those involved in that field.
· Part One: Read a nonfiction book about a topic of your choice. Discover popular non-fiction at http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/25962.AP_Non_Fiction , other online book sites, bookstores, or your local public library.
o As your read, complete journal entries. For every chapter of the book, summarize key concepts or memorable quotations and passages. Provide also personal reactions to the content.
· Part Two: View and analyze 2 documentaries related (if possible) to the topic of your nonfiction book.
The following websites link to a multitude of documentaries: www.pbs.org (Click on Programs and then on the Frontline icon to access documentaries.), www.topdocumentaryfilms.com/watch-online/ , www.watchdocumentary.org , or
Netflix (if you subscribe)
o Take notes. For each documentary that you view, make brief notes applying the SOAPSTone method. See sample note sheet below (by Denise Ferguson) and refer to Appendix A for SOAPSTone information.
· Be prepared to put together an oral presentation during which you will share information about your book and the documentaries. A presentation rubric and timeline will be supplied to you during the first or second week of the 2016-2017 school year.
Assignment Four: Rhetorical/Literary Terms
Most of these terms have been introduced and studied in Freshman Literature and Composition, American Literature and Composition, and AP Literature. Define any term on the list for which you are unfamiliar. Add the term(s) and definition(s) to your existing rhetorical/literary terms file.
*Schemes: Deviation from the ordinary pattern or arrangement of words, letters, sounds (transference of order).
**Tropes: Deviation from the ordinary and principal meaning of a word (transference of meaning).
APPENDIX A
SOAPSTone (Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone)
Originally conceived as a method for dissecting the work of professional writers, SOAPSTone provides a concrete strategy to help students identify and understand the main components of writing, including their own writing. SOAPSTone provides a series of questions that students must first ask themselves, and then answer, as they begin to analyze texts and/or plan for their own writing assignments.
S—Speaker Question: Who is the Speaker?
The individual or collective voice of the text. Whether this voice belongs to a fictional character or to the writers themselves, students should determine how a writer develops the personality/character/credibility of the speaker or narrator that will influence the overall meaning of the text. Think about: What assumptions can you make about the speaker? (e.g. age, gender, emotional state, etc.) What is the speaker’s point of view?
O—Occasion Question: What is the Occasion?
The context and catalyst that prompted the writing. All writers are influenced by the larger occasion: an environment of ideas, attitudes, and emotions that swirl around a broad issue. Then there is the immediate occasion: an event or situation that catches the writer's attention and triggers a response. Think about: What else was going on in the world when the author was writing?
A-Audience Question: Who is the Audience?
The group of readers to whom this piece is directed. It may be one person or a specific group. This choice of audience will affect how and why writers write a particular text. Think about: Who does the author want to be affected by the text?
P—Purpose Question: What is the Purpose?
The reason behind the text. Writers need to clearly consider the purpose of their text in order to develop the thesis or the argument and its logic, or in the case of fiction, to develop a theme. Writers should ask themselves, "What do I want my audience to think or do as a result of reading my text?"
S—Subject Question: What is the Subject?
The general topic of the text. What is the speaker literally saying?
T—Tone Question: What is the Tone?
The attitude of the author toward his/her subject. With the written word, tone is created by conscious choices in diction, syntax, figurative language, imagery and selection of details to extend meaning beyond the literal. Does the speaker seem sarcastic, aggressive, wistful, pessimistic, hopeful, bitter, reflective, skeptical, etc.?
DIDLS (Diction, Images, Details, Language, Syntax)
The acronym DIDLS is used to help students analyze the tone of a passage. By dissecting argumentative pieces, and considering their parts, passages should be much easier to comprehend.
D—Diction Questions: What words does the author use?
How do these words characterize the passage?
I—Images Questions: What images does the author create?
How do these images imbue the piece with sensory input?
D—Details Questions: Which details does the author include and omit?
How do these details inform your understanding?
L—Language Questions: What type of language doe the author use?
How will this type of language work with the audience the writer has in mind?
S—Syntax Questions: What types of sentences are used? How are words ordered?
Where are points of emphasis?