Sarasota Military Academy
AP Language and Composition
Class of 2014-2015 Introduction
Summer Reading & Assignment List
To: 2014-15 Advanced Placement English Students
From: Captain Wells
Subject: Welcome!!
e-mail: Joeline.wells@sarasotacountyschools.net
Important Dates:
1. All writing assignments are due on the first day of class, 08/18/15 (if you end up being scheduled for the spring
semester, your work is due 01/12/15).
2. Summer Reading Assessment, first week of class
Welcome:
Welcome to AP English Language & Composition. This is an advanced course for students interested in both upper-level
reading and writing. This class is meant to mirror the type of work you will do during your freshman year of college. It is
a class that will be rigorous, thought provoking and intensive. To ready you for these challenges, I am asking you to
complete a portion of the course’s work over the summer months. I do not ask you to do this to punish you; rather, I want
to provide you with every opportunity to be fully prepared for the Advanced Placement test you will be taking May of
2015.
Reading Assignments and Assessments:
Over the summer you will be reading, writing, and thinking about two selections, The Solace of Open Spaces, by Gretel
Ehrlich and Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich. To successfully begin the course in the fall (or spring), you must
also complete the following tasks:
1. Complete a journal on each book. Follow the example of the Double Entry Chart for Close Reading, the sample
Reading Log Entries, and the handout titled A Guide to Close Reading: At the AP and college level. All of these
handouts will enhance your analysis of the texts. These journals will assist you during your test the first week of
class. (consider using a composition book or one subject spiral)
2. Develop questions for and be ready to participate in Socratic seminars about the summer reading material. Please
review the handout on Generic Seminar Questions and use this as a guide to developing your own questions. You
will learn more about the seminars in the fall.
3. Write an essay of 500 words about the summer reading text The Solace of Open Spaces. You must explain how
Ehrlich’s change in environment affects her process of self discovery when she makes a dramatic change in
lifestyle from the city to remote Wyoming.
4. Complete a series of final assessment the first week of class that will ask you questions about each of the two
selections. You will be using your journals on the assessments, and you will also be writing an essay on Nickel
and Dimed within the first quarter of the class.
Writing Assignment Due Date: The 1st Day of Class: August 18, 2014 or January 12, 2015.
Grading
This is the first paper in the course – one that serves as a base point for charting you progress as readers and writers over
the year. With a focus on author’s purpose, you will discuss rhetorical context- purpose, audience, and strategies of the
author. The summer reading journal and first test will count for a sizable portion of your first quarter grade. Therefore,
thoughtful reading, writing, and studying over the summer and fall months will increase your chances for success in AP
English Language and Composition.
Summer Reading Test
You will be given a test on the two books the first week of class. It will be your responsibility to keep notes on the works
and review independently. You will be expected to know each novel’s major characters, plot developments, themes, and
symbols.
AP Study, Reading, and Writing Resources
Early preparation for the AP exam increases your chances for success in the course and on the exam. Here are some
helpful resources and web addresses to be aware of over the summer.
Resources:
There are a number of study guides that can be purchased for AP English Language and Composition. Some of these are
inexpensive; some are pricier. No matter what you buy, it will be helpful because it will contain reading lists, questions,
study tactics, and practice exams. The more you know, the better off you will be come fall. There are text copies that I
will assign in the fall, or a couple of titles you will see at local bookstores will be:
Cliffs AP: English Language and Composition
Cliffs AP: English Language and Composition Preparation Guide
Websites:
1. http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/sub_englit.html Homepage for the College Board AP English
Literature program
2. http://als.lib.wi.us/Collegebound.html American Library Association list of books for college bound students. This is
an excellent list of books.
5. http://www.collegeboard.com/ap/students/english/write001.html College Board Writing Tips for doing well on the AP
writing test
6. http://www.bartleby.com/141/ This site is the Shrunk Elements of style. This is a nuts and bolts site about sentence
and paragraph construction.
7. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ This is a great website if you are seeking online writing help & tutorials.
Final Note:
Welcome to the AP program! If you have any questions about the books on this list or where to locate them, please do not
hesitate to ask. Remember, e-mailing me is the best way to get a hold of me. Have a great summer and happy reading