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 inclass 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 doubleentry 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
contain twenty-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) from Outliers 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’s Life of Pi. Your journal should look like this, with the same level of thought
and interaction with the text. Your journal must have twenty-five total entries and cover the entire book.
Text
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).
Response
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 (Andrew.mulkey@douglas.k12.ga.us) 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
• 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
A
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***