English 12AP Summer Assignment 2016 / Ms. A. Giorgio

There are three parts to this assignment. Please email me with any question . The first two assignments are due on the first day of classes. The date for the Review Book is stated in the section below.

Part 1: COLLEGE ESSAY

You must write the final draft of your college essay by selecting one of the Common Application questions below. You can access information for the Common App by going to The Common Application will retain the current set of first-year essay prompts for 2016-17, without any edits or additions.The essay length will continue to be capped at 650 words. This essay must be typed, 12 pt. font and double-spaced. It is to be submitted on the first day of school.

Theessay prompts are as follows:

  1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
  2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
  3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
  4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
  5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

Part 2: LITERATURE

Read and annotate The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien.

The following questions will help guide your reading. You are expected to submit brief (minimum 250 word) written responses to each. Additionally, you should take notes and are prepared to engage in a lengthy and in-depth analytical discussion. While not on a daily basis, note that we will be using the text in class the first few weeks of school so it is advised that you own your own copy.

  1. When describing the uncertainty and confusion of combat, writers often use the term “the fog of war.” In a short response, explore how Tim O’Brien dramatizes this phenomenon in the stories of The Things They Carried. Be sure to mention specific sections, incidents and characters.
  2. Friendship is one of the linchpins of literature, and The Things They Carried is particularly rich in this kind of relationship. Select two important friendships from the book. In a short response, not only compare and contrast those friendships, but also discuss how they relate to its vision of the Vietnam experience.
  3. In the course of The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien draws a distinction between “happening-truth” and “story-truth.” In a short response, support, oppose, or modify O’Brien’s contention that “story-truth is truer sometimes than happening-truth.” Be sure to use textual evidence to support your position.
  4. Read the section of The Things They Carried entitled, “Style.” Then, in a brief response, discuss how the author uses the resources of language to create a meaningful scene without explicit commentary.
  5. Read the section from “The Lives of the Dead” that begins “Linda was nine then” and ends “But he was dead” carefully. Then, in a short response, discuss how the author uses diction, imagery, and selection of detail to create a portrait of innocence.
  6. Several works of classic literature involve ghosts. The ghosts in The Things They Carried may not be literal, but they are powerful. In a brief response, trace the pattern of ghosts, spirits, and hauntings in the book. Be sure to apply these incidents and images to the overall meaning of the text.

Part 3: REVIEW BOOK

We will be using the above Barron’s review book throughout the year. Please purchase the 6th edition of Barron’s AP Literature and Composition. This book will be used on a regular basis and must be brought with you to class on a daily basis. Please have this book with you no later than Monday, September 19, 2016.