McKinney ISD

11th Grade AP English

Summer Reading

May 2013

Dear Incoming 11th Grade AP English/Humanities III Student and Parent or Guardian,


Statistics prove continued reading improves test scores and increases student success. With this in mind, McKinney ISD requires a summer reading assignment for all 9th-12th grade PreAP and AP English students. This assignment reflects the content and grade level while promoting skills critical to student success on the Advanced Placement exams.

This year the 11th grade AP teachers at McKinney Boyd High School have selected 1984 by George Orwell and The Wal-Mart Effect by Charles Fishman. In addition to the reading, students will be required to annotate both books. Details about the assignment follow the text of this letter. The purpose of the annotations is to guide the students in their reading and understanding of the themes presented by the authors. Also, during the first week of school, students will take an objective assessment of 1984, as well as write an essay to reflect his or her critical thinking skills over both books. If you or your child has any questions, please email Christina Cantrell, lead teacher for 11th grade Advanced Placement English language and composition at .

As a district, McKinney ISD embraces the life-long love of reading; it is our goal to instill this in our students. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

The English Department of McKinney Boyd High School

Prior to attending your Advanced Placement English language and composition course (AP English III/Humanities III) on the first day of school, please complete the following requirements:

1.  Read George Orwell’s 1984, annotating for the elements suggested below. Include in your annotations* where Orwell’s purpose emanates as well as connections you can make to the modern world.

2.  Read Charles Fishman’s The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World’s Most Powerful Company Really Works after you have read and annotated 1984. Annotate for connections you see between Fishman’s nonfiction treatise and Orwell’s dystopian warning as well as for the elements suggested below.

3.  Prepare for a subjective exam covering 1984 and an argumentative timed writing incorporating both 1984 and The Wal-Mart Effect within the first week of class.

*if you have an electronic version, annotations are still expected either on the device or in a dedicated notebook.

Annotating allows you to have an active dialogue with a story. Reading is an active process. As you read a text, you should have questions, predictions, and opinions about what you are reading. Annotating also helps you navigate the book again when you need to prepare for tests, essays, and class discussions.

Annotating is a selective process. You do not want to mark everything because then nothing would stand out. You must annotate in your own way, but to help you determine what to mark, here are some suggestions:

BASIC ELEMENTS OF STYLE AND STRUCTURE

·  Setting – make notes about the time, place, etc.

·  Characters – make note of each character’s name the first time you see it. Also mark the passages that describe the character’s

o  Physical appearance

o  Motivations behind his/her actions

o  Relationships to other characters

o  Personality (especially changes in personality)

·  Plot – events of rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution

o  Identify conflict types (Man vs. Man, Man vs. Self, Man vs. Nature, etc.)

o  At the end of each chapter, jot down a short synopsis of important developments

·  Vocabulary – define words you do not understand. When you find a definition for the word, you may want to write a synonym out to the side.

·  Tone – tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject matter. The following elements may help when identifying tone in literature:

o  Diction – why were specific words chosen? what are the implied connotations?

o  Imagery – appeals to one of the five senses

o  Details – important and noteworthy facts

o  Language – the style of the text (formal, informal, colloquial, etc.)

o  Syntax – basic sentence structure, punctuation, arrangement of words in a sentence, etc.

o  Point-of-View – the way the events of the story are communicated from the author to the reader (1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person, etc.)

FOCUS ON QUOTES

Quotes can be any length, but try to be clear, concise, and focused in your selections. The following suggestions may be helpful in identifying quotes:

·  Important or Striking Passages

o  Make note of quotes that you find interesting or that speak to you in some way.

·  Confusing Passages

o  If you find yourself baffled or offended, you may want to write a question in the margin to mark that passage for clarification or discussion at a later time.

·  Thought-Provoking Passages

o  Look for passages that might provoke discussion about the book.

o  Make connections to movies, current issues, history, or other pieces of literature.

o  Look for commentary on issues of a social, emotional, ethical, or spiritual nature.

o  Examine human nature in general and how the book does or does not hold true today.