Summer Reading Assignment and Future Reading Titles

AP Language and Composition 2015-2016

Summer Reading Assignment and Future Reading Titles

You will need the following books for class. Please purchase them as soon as possible (search amazon.com for used copies between $0.01 and $5.00).

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell (summer reading)

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (we will read this later in the semester)

Beloved by Toni Morrison (we will read this later in the semester)

Columbine by Dave Cullen (We will read this later in the semester)

***While you may be tempted to purchase electronic copies of the books for the sake of convenience, you will need a physical copy of each book. At certain points in the semester, I will allow you to use the books during in-class assignments; however, phones will not be permitted, so if the books are on your phone, you will not have access to them***

For the summer assignment, you will need to complete the following tasks:

1)  Read and annotate Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers

2)  Complete a double-entry journal for Outliers (this will be easy if you annotate as you read).The double-entry journal is due on Friday, August 7th.

a.  Type and print the journal, and place it in a three-ring folder.In addition to the annotations and double-entry journal, you will be assessed on the book at some point in the first week of school. Your overall summer assignment grade will count as a major assessment grade (10%).

Instructions for double-entry journal entry:

As you read the book, annotate it—this will aid in creating the double-entry journal. The journal must containtwenty-five entries, typed, and presented in MLA format.

Divide the paper into two columns (I suggest creating tables on Microsoft Word). In the left column, write the text (quote) fromOutliers that you find significant, interesting, controversial, etc.Cite the page number in parentheses.In the right column, write your response to the passage. You may want to include some summary to remind you of what is happening, but most of the entry should be your commentary or analysis: a question that you have, why you think the passage is significant, your reaction to the passage, why you disagree with Gladwell, reflections, etc. Essentially, you are providing me with evidence that you THOUGHT about what you read (this step is essential to success in AP Lang). All responses must be written in thorough, complete sentences.

This example is from Yann Martel’sLife of Pi.Your journal should look like this, with the same level of thought and interaction with the text. Your journalmust have twenty-five total entries and cover the entire book.

Text / Response
My greatest wish - other than salvation - was to have a book. A long book with a never-ending story. One I could read again and again, with new eyes and a fresh understanding each time” (262). / Everyone wants to learn, and stretch his or her mind. Sure I hate school and dread getting out of bed before the sun rises, but I enjoy learning. I long to find out something new; experience something I never have before. Pi longs to learn. He longs to occupy himself with knowledge as he states, “with my new eyes and a fine understanding each time.” I try to understand the thoughts and feelings other people have. I want to learn something new every time I read a book. Pi wants one book that will give him increased knowledge every time he reads it. Wouldn’t that be nice to read?
“Very few castaways can claim to have survived so long at sea as Mr. Patel and none in the company of an adult Bengal tiger” (400). / This quote is significant because it brings a powerful image to my mind. One of the very events Mr. Okamoto, through all his earlier doubts, doesn’t seem to believe: Pi’s story. However, he shows in this quote his belief in the story of Piscine Patel. This quote presents a symbol to the reader. It almost gives a chance for the reader to disagree with whether Pi’s story is fact or fiction. This event relates secularly to the saying “seeing is not believing, believing is seeing.”

Assignment Tips:

·  Take the time to write down anything in relation to the text that pops into your mind. If you are intrigued by certain statements or certain issues, write your response.

·  Make connections with your own experiences. What does the reading make you think of? Does it remind you of anything or anyone?

·  Make connections with other texts, concepts, or events.

·  Ask yourself questions about the text (this is an essential step to success in this class).

·  Try agreeing with the writer. Write down supporting ideas. Try arguing with the writer. On what issues do you disagree? Write down arguments against the writer.

·  Write down notable words, images, phrases, or details. Speculate about them. Why did the author choose them?

·  Describe the author’s point of view. How does the author’s point of view shape the way he presents the material?

·  Please avoid the temptation to copy commentary from a peer or other source on the internet. It’s usually painfully obvious, and you will receive a zero for the assignment, which automatically subtracts 10 total points from your final grade. If fear of a poor grade tempts you to plagiarize, remember that I simply want to see significant effort and evidence of critical thinking—those two things will take you further than anything else in AP Lang.

·  Email me if you have questions () or look online to define terms or concepts you fail to understand; success in college is all about taking the initiative to find the answers for yourself.

Rubric

A / • 25 detailed, meaningful passages included
• Thoughtful interpretation and commentary; avoids clichés
• Makes insightful personal connections and asks thought provoking, insightful questions
• Coverage of text is complete and thorough
• Journal is neat, organized, and professional looking; student has followed directions in the organization of the journal
B / • Less detailed, but 25 meaningful passages included
• Some intelligent commentary; addresses some connections
• Some personal connections; asks pertinent questions
• Adequately addresses all parts of the book
C / • Fewer than 25 passages included/some passages are seemingly insignificant
• Most of the commentary is vague, unsupported, or summary
• Limited personal connections; asks few or obvious questions
• Addresses most of the book but commentary is insufficient or lacking
D or F / • Fewer than 25 passages/very few significant passages from the text (if any)
• All commentary is summary
• Limited personal connections; no good questions
• Limited coverage of the book; commentary way too short (1-2 sentences)

***This assignment does not have to be daunting or stressful. Balance your reading according to your summer schedule and annotate as you read***