AP English Language and Composition
Summer Assignment for Ms. Pruden and Ms. Heaney
2015
Summer Assignment:
1.Carefully read the school-wide reading book: I am Malala (Young Readers Edition) and complete your I am Malala (Young Readers Edition) Close Reading Summer Assignment (located in this packet and on the school website).
2.Carefully read ONE of the five non-fiction books and thoughtfully complete a well-written Introduction to Analyzing Arguments assignment.
*Be prepared for a test on the readings [I am Malala (Young Readers Edition) and your choice non-fiction book] when you return. The books are available at the library for check-out on June 15. There are limited numbers of each text in the library, so if your selection is gone, you may see Ms. Pruden on June 17 to see what is available or obtain the books on your own.
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrongby James W. Loewen
The Overachievers by Alexandra Robbins
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbra Ehrenreich
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
On Writing Well (30th Anniversary Edition) by William Zinsser
*Study your Rhetorical Strategies Glossary (Be ready for a test) andcomplete the Rhetorical Strategies: in Application chart.
3. Read a second non-fiction book from the above list and successfully complete the assignmentIntroduction to Analyzing Arguments assignment for extra credit.
On the first day you return to school (September 1), you will hand one of us:_____ Completed and typed I am Malala (Young Readers Edition) School-wide Assignment
_____Completed and typedRhetorical Strategies: In Application chart for your non-fiction book
Due September 8:
_____ Completed and typed Introduction to Analyzing Arguments assignment for your non-fiction book.
_____ Extra Credit (Completed and typed second Introduction to Analyzing Arguments assignment for a 2nd book you read.)
(Note: These are all individual assignments and not “partner work.”)
Contact Information: Ms. Pruden and Ms. Heaney are here to help you over the summer. Your first assignment is to sign up for the AP Summer Class on BOTHRemind and Google Classroom. You may sign-up using your cell phone or e-mail for Remind. Please see the last page of this packet for information about Remind. For Google Classroom, the code is a852u7
Your first assignment for the course is to enroll in the class on Remind AND Google Classroom by June 17. If you do this, you will receive extra credit next year and you will help create your ethos as a scholar. If you miss the deadline of the 17th, you will miss the extra credit, but you will still be receiving the occasional update or clarification if you join. If you have a question this summer, please e-mail Ms. Pruden at (if your last name begins with A-M) or Ms. Heaney at (if your last name begins with N-Z).
Guidelines:
Do your own work! We, of course, are looking to see your original insights. No act of plagiarism will be tolerated, so it is best not to even show your paper to any other student. There have been cases when a student claims he just “showed” his paper to another student and did not know that student would copy his ideas and words. Giving your paper to another student is as bad as copying from another student, so please do not engage in this risky behavior. Anyone caught plagiarizing another source or person will earn a zero and a Saturday school at the very least. Anyone caught showing his or her work to be plagiarized will earn a zero and a Saturday school at the least. Though you will turn in a hard copy of your work on the first day of school, your work will be submitted to Turnitin.com during the first week of school. Beyond the risk of getting caught, you want to live your life in the most ethical way possible, so please be the good person we know you are.
Type! Type your work. You will be submitting two files to Turnitin.com (one per assignment), so save your work on your school Google Drive.
Be creative and correct! Not only will we be looking at your amazing analysis and insights, but we will also be assessing your writing ability. Proofread what you type and use grammar and spell check carefully. These take a long time for us to grade, so we want to be reading your best work.
I am Malala (Young Readers Edition) School-wide Assignment
Since we will be working with this book at the beginning of the year, please use this assignment to keep track of your thoughts and analyses.
*Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors, are expected to turn in a typed, completed, and printed assignment to their English teacher on the first day of school.
*You will submit this to Turnitin.com during the first week of school, so please make sure your words and ideas are your own. This is an individual assignment. Please do your own work.
Author: / Publishing Year:Themes:A theme is a message; it is a comment by the author about society, people’s behavior, or the human condition. A theme is a complete idea. It is a sentence; it is not just a word. After reading the novel, what two themes could you find?
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______
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______/ Evidence for one theme: Write and cite a line from the book that supports one of your themes. After you have done that, highlight or circle the theme you have selected.
“______
______
______
______
______”
( ).
Figurative Language:Figurative language refers to similes, metaphors, personification, or hyperbole that should not be taken literally. Please quote your favorite example of figurative language and write if it is a simile, metaphor, personification, or hyperbole.
“______
______
______
______” ( ).
Type of Figurative Language: ______/ Figurative Language Analysis:Using your quoted example of figurative language from the left-hand side of this box, analyze (look at something closely in a methodical way) the language used. What effect does this type of figurative language have on characterization or theme? (Please answer using complete sentences.)
Purpose:The purpose of a text is the reason the text has been written. Consider the reasons whyYousafzai wrote this book. Based on your reading, select two purposes that you believe she had for creating this book. (Sample purposes: to entertain, to reflect, to describe, to evaluate, to inform, to argue, to persuade, to instruct). Using the sample purposes above, write two statements that are more specific that show two purposes Malala had. (Example: Malala wrote I am Malala in order to inform ______about ______so that they would ______.)
1.
2. / Foreshadowing: Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives the reader a hint about events to come in the story. Malala Yousafzai says, “I’d had a strange, gnawing feeling that something bad was going to happen.” (9) What does this foreshadow? Why does she foreshadow? (Please answer using complete sentences.)
Why do you think education is important to Malala? (Please answer using complete sentences.) / How does the author show that Malala is BOTH an ordinary teenager and an educational activist? (Please answer using complete sentences.)
Plot and Structure:The book is divided into five parts (see the table of contents). Please write a brief summary in your own words about each of the five sections. You may expand this box if you are typing (tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders) or attach a separate sheet of paper (if you are an incoming ninth grader). Use complete sentences.
Response: Share your thoughts about the characters, their stories, your reactions, and more. You may expand this box if you are typing (tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders) or attach a separate sheet of paper (if you are an incoming ninth grader). Use complete sentences.
One question derived from the reading you would like to discuss when we return: / One comment about the reading you would like to share when we return:
Introduction to Analyzing Arguments: A Step-by-Step Start
We are looking to see a multi-paged assignment (not one full essay; this is a series of essay-type responses) that clearly states the central argument in the book, provides effective textual examples (properly cited, of course) for each answer, and explores the very nature of your non-fiction book. Please make sure your responses for each number are in paragraph(s) form, are word-processed, and are articulate. As you compose each written response, make sure you are having complete responses. Please use MLA format (double spacing, 1-inch margins, 12-point font) and number your responses.
Logos/Logic: Use cited and embedded textual evidence and plenty of your own prose for each question.
1.What is the topic? Be as specific as you can as you summarize the issue, but don’t forget about style. Being logical does not mean that you cannot showcase a sophisticated prose style. In this response, tell us what the book is about, major characters, events, and more. Remember, you are establishing your ethos right here.
2. What is the main claim/thesis/overall, main message? The claim is a statement of what the argument is about, or what listeners (or readers) are expected to accept. Therefore, any effective argument will present a clear and unambiguous claim.Claims should be debatable and tend to be controversial. The author is not just writing a story; this is an argument. Please state the argument and provide cited textual evidence.
3. Is there reliable evidence to support the claim? Facts, statistics, surveys, polls, studies, testimonies, anecdotes, and interviews are all examples of ways a person can provide evidence for support. Discuss some of the evidence (again, use textual support) and comment on its usefulness and credibility.
4. What do these details tell you about the writer’s assumptions about the knowledge and experience of the readers? Explain the intended audience and the writer’s assumptions about that audience.
Ethos/Credibility—Why should we listen to this author? Use cited and embedded textual evidence and plenty of your own prose for each question.
5. Is the author well informed? How do you know? Give examples and comment on them.
6. Does the piece offer different sides of the argument (counter-arguments)? Explain, provide examples, and comment on them. (Note: in the past, students have mentioned that they could not find these. They are there…in each book. When does the author show the other side of his or her argument?)
7. How does the author portray himself or herself as a credible individual? Look at if he/she introduces himself/herself, establishes authority, and establishes a connection with the reader and the subject. Provide examples and commentary on the establishment of credibility.
Pathos/Feelings/Passion—Why should we care? What is the significance? Use cited and embedded textual evidence and plenty of your own prose for each question.
8. Describe the tone and why it is used. Provide two words that describe the tone and provide examples and commentary about the effectiveness and purpose of the tone.
9. Describe the diction and discuss its effect and purpose. Diction is the writer’s choices of words. How would you describe the diction? (Example: Is it scholarly and elevated? Informal and casual? These are just examples. There are thousands of ways to describe diction.) You are not limited to the previous suggestions; please use other more appropriate descriptors for the diction in your book. Please discuss a quotation, and focus on individual words and phrases that were chosen. Comment on the purpose and effect of the diction in your quotation.
10. Big picture. Does the author say how the issues affect him/her and society? Please explain with support and commentary.
11. How does the author help you feel connected to the issue? What techniques does he/she use as a writer? Explain and give examples.
Evaluation Use cited and embedded textual evidence and plenty of your own prose for each question.
12. What is the purpose of the argument, do you think?
13. Overall, is the argument sound? Does the author make logical claims and prove them well? Sum up and discuss.
14. Did the author convince you of his or her point of view on any issues? It is possible to hear a good argument and still not be fully persuaded to change. Discuss what you will take away from this argument and how much your point of view was supported, enlightened, or changed.
15. How do you feel now that you have read this book? What is your reaction and overall evaluation of the book?
16. Reflection. What moment from the book stands out to you now? This is the section, story, point of the book that you will most remember.
Connections Use cited and embedded textual evidence and plenty of your own prose for each question.
17. Connect this work to another text you have read, and explain the connection and significance of the comparison.
18. Connect this work to some aspect of your own life, and explain the connection and significance of the comparison.
19. Connect this work to some event from the world outside of your sphere (a current even or historical event), and explain the connection and significance of the comparison.
Citation
20. Because you have used plenty of parenthetically cited quotations in your assignment, you will need a work cited page attached to the end. Please refer to your Godinez Writing Handbook, your notes from sophomore year, or a proper MLA website for examples of a correct MLA 2009 works cited.
Here is an excerpt (not a complete answer) from a response for #7. This does the job and would earn a B. To earn an A, you need to really go above minimum expectations. This is the year to push yourself!
Alexandra Robbins portrays herself as a credible individual because "as a journalist, she views her role as that of an observer, not a participant" (5). She also establishes her authority as a former Whitman student who has witnessed first-hand accounts of what it is like to be an overachiever. She shows herself as more knowledgeable than another writer because she is both a journalist and a former high school overachiever. Robbins is credible because she does not interfere with the ideals of the overachievers, and because she is a journalist, she has the access of interviewing professionals who have access to statistics and anecdotes to help her attain and showcase her knowledge on the subject. For example, Robbins interviewed a college guidance counselor named Vera who conveys Julie as "not a great student who isn't getting into a top college" (5). This comment about a wonderful student epitomizes the argument that it is not enough (to some) to have perfect grades while balancing a normal life. Robbins’ interviews add assurance to her stance and establish a connection that readers can relate to because it persuades the reader to sympathize with the overachievers. The author is able to communicate with both professionals and the high-schoolers, so her credibility helps the audience gain multiple perspectives of the issue of an overachiever culture.
The above answer is meant to show you that the writer properly embedded quotations, gave a thoughtful response, maintained an academic writing style, and showed himself/herself as a student interested in the world. To earn an A, you will need to bring in your own voice and additional analysis.
Tips:
- Do not wait until the last minute. That is when you may feel the pressure to partake in unsavory practices like not reading the book or plagiarizing.
- Refer to the writer by the full name once and then by the last name only every other time. You wouldn’t write about Shakespeare by calling him William, give these writers the same respect.
- Give a thoughtful response for each question.
- Send a polite e-mail to Ms. Pruden or Ms. Heaney (depending on your last name) if you have a question.
- Take notes in your book, so you will remember it for the test and for this assignment.
- Analyze; do not praise. Tell me how the simile supports an author’s message – not that the author is a good writer for using a simile.
- Eliminate “I think,” “I believe,” “In my opinion” phrases. These are hedge phrases that unconfident writers hide behind.
- Proofread! Nothing ruins your ethos more than errors.
Rhetorical Strategies Glossary
Rhetorical strategies are techniques writers use to create a particular effect. All writers use some type of rhetorical strategies to help them express ideas and evoke responses in their readers.(This handout should be placed in your AP English Language Binder for the year!)
Directions: Make sure you review these terms and think carefully about their use in your choice book so that you will be ready to take a test on them, can apply them throughout the year, and can appreciate their aesthetics and function for a lifetime.