Mr. Delaney
AP English 11 Summer Assignments
2015-2016
Advanced Placement English 11 Summer Assignments
The Required Commitment . . . to achieve success will be substantial. Please read the following pages
carefully and then sign and date the attached form.
The Course . . . . will focus on the central theme of how language impacts our lives, and how we can control it
effectively. Given the rigorous nature of the course and the AP English Language and Composition exam, we
will need to begin preparing, reading, and writing over the summer. The work you do over the summer will be
tied to major assessments which will impact your first quarter grades. In addition to impacting assessments and
grades, the skills gained through these assignments will form the basis of much of our class discussions and
activities throughout the school year, so it is crucial that all tasks are completed.
Part I: Fiction reading
All AP English 11 students must read The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. Copies are available in the
school book room.
After You Have Read:
1) Select one of the following prompts and write a well-argued, well-supported, formal analysis essay.
Remember to have a clear, strong thesis; specific details from the text (cited in correct MLA format); and
explanations of how the specific details prove your thesis. You may cite from secondary sources; if you choose
to cite outside works, be sure to cite using MLA and include a Works Cited page. Edit and proofread all work
carefully. This essay must be at least three pages, in MLA format. They must be turned in to turnitin.com
by the second day of school. Our class ID for turnitin.com is 9972108 and our password is apenglish.
1. Consider the role of the narrator throughout The Things They Carried. Closely examine the use of the
first person and third person narrators. Analyze why O’Brien vacillates between the two types of
narratives and how the different narrative styles enhance the stories. What does O’Brien gain in using
these two narration styles?
2. The Greek philosopher and playwright Aeschylus said, “In war, truth is the first casualty.” Tim
O’Brien’s novel, The Things They Carried is very much concerned with the truth of war. Analyze
O’Brien’s distinction between the “happening-truth” and the “story-truth.” How does each function in
the story and in war? How does storytelling—the use of fiction—allow for a greater sense of truth than
factual reporting might?
3. The Things They Carried follows a very non-linear structure. O’Brien often tells what happens at the
end of the story long before the telling of the rest of the story. At various times in the novel the
character Tim O’Brien is shown in elementary school, college, his second day of war, late in war, and
post war. What does O’Brien achieve through this use of nonlinear structure? O’Brien refers to his
work as a novel. Does The Things They Carried deserve that label based on traditional definitions of
novels?
2) The Assessment of your thorough reading of these texts will occur the second week of the first semester.
The assessment will consist of a series of passages from The Things They Carried for which you will have to
write the following:
1. The context of the passage (basically who’s speaking, when, and where? We will discuss this in much
more detail and practice in week one)
2. The significance of the passage with a focus on character and theme
This will count as a 100-point test for the first marking period. Please make sure you have access to this book
in September as you will be using it within the first month of school.
Mr. Delaney
AP English 11 Summer Assignments
2015-2016
Part II: Nonfiction book
Select one of the following non-fiction books. Most, if not all, of these will be available from the public library.
You may want to purchase your own copy to allow for annotation of the text. Please email me your book
selection by August 1st. You will need to have access to this book in the fall for some assignments.
If you would like to choose another book not on this list, please see/email me for approval by August 1st. Know
that I will likely not approve any book that I know has a movie version of it or memoirs/biographies; these
books need to be academic in nature and will likely require a list of sources in the back of the book—if there is
not one there, I likely won’t approve it.
Note: some of these books may have mature themes/ideas; these books are frequently assigned texts at the
college level which the AP class mimics.
● The Tipping Point or Blink by Malcolm
Gladwell (but not The Outliers)
● 1776 by David McCullough
● Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
● The Gatekeepers by Jacques Steinberg
● A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
● Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
● An Omnivore’s Dilemma or In Defense of
Food by Michael Pollan
● Columbine by Dave Cullen
● Savage Inequalities, Amazing Grace, or The
Shame of the Nation by Jonathan Kozol
● Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's
Killer by James L. Swanson
● Anything by AJ Jacobs
● Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our
Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder by
Richard Louv
● Country Driving: A Chinese Road Trip by
Peter Hessler
● The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of
Depression by Andrew Solomon
● The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson
● Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
● Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
● How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman
● The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir
● Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink
● Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World
That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
● Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam
● The Boys in the Boat by Daniel Brown
● Traffic: Why We Drive The Way We Do by
Tom Vanderbilt
● The Soprano State by Bob Ingle and Sandy
McClure
● The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman
● Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and
Surprising Appeal of Living Alone by Eric
Klinenberg
● The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by
Rebecca Skloot
● Rome 1960 by David Maraniss
● The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth or The
Overachievers by Alexandra Robbins
● Everything Bad Is Good for You: How
Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making
Us Smarter by Steven Berlin Johnson
● Consider the Fork: A History of How We
Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson
● Detroit City Is the Place to Be: The Afterlife
of an American Metropolis by Mark Binelli
● Kings of the Road: How Frank Shorter, Bill
Rodgers, and Alberto Salazar Made
Running Go Boom by Cameron Stracher
● Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save
America, One Step at a Time by Jeff Speck
● You Will Die: The Burden of Modern
Taboos by Robert Arthur
Mr. Delaney
AP English 11 Summer Assignments
2015-2016
Your assignment for your nonfiction book has three aspects:
1) Use sticky notes or bookmarks to mark passages as you read. Every time you encounter a particularly
important, provocative, dramatic, surprising, even disturbing passage, mark it with a note. When you are done
reading your book, select one of the passages as “The Quote of the Book.” This should be that one passage that
captures the essence – the true meaning – of the book for you, the reader. In a well-written paragraph explain
exactly HOW this passage is the one perfect quote from the book. Think of this as the one passage that you
would absolutely want saved should your book ever be lost or destroyed. Submit to turnitin.com by day two
of school.
2) Choose 7 other passages. Copy them into a word processing file. For each, explain in a few sentences what
you like about the quote or why it stands out to you. Submit to turnitin.com by day two of school in the
same file as “The Quote of the Book.”
3) Finally, you need to write a reflective letter to me about reading this book and finding the quotes. Write to
me about the thoughts, feelings, observations, and new insights you experienced while reading it. Some ideas to
think about for your letter:
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Share with me what you think you did well: what worked, really worked
Show me where you were drawn into the book and where you were pulled away from the book.
Identify in your opinion the author’s – or the story’s – greatest strength and weakness
Discuss in what ways the book is similar to your life
Explore what value, besides entertainment, this book has
Share your overall impressions of the book
Discuss if you found yourself changing your mind about the book and/or the assignment
How this assignment helped sharpen your skills of literary analysis
Again, you should not be aiming to answer all these questions; these are just suggestions of topics you might
want to discuss. Your letter is your chance to “talk” with me about your book, your project, and your
experiences in completing this assignment. With your letter, make me see your work – and your learning –
through your eyes. The letter is also a way to introduce yourself to me and see your work ethic/personality.
Print this out and bring it to me on day two of school.
Adapted from Montgomery County Public Schools (MD)
Mr. Delaney
AP English 11 Summer Assignments
2015-2016
Conclusion
As you can see, each of these components will form a large basis for the first months of the school year.
Because of this, it is vital that you make the commitment to these tasks. I am available throughout the next few
weeks before the summer break to discuss any concerns you may have about the summer assignments or the
course in general.
Lateness policy: There will be no latenesses. I will not accept lateness on any assignment; follow the due dates
for the assignments and have your other work ready go to for the second day of school.
I will post a copy of this and other assignments at sites.google.com/site/delaneyenglish1. You can also submit
your book choice at this site.
The task you are about to embark on is a challenging one, but one that you will find rewarding in the end. Feel
free to contact me throughout the summer via my email below. I will usually be able to respond within a day or
two throughout the summer (it may become more sporadic throughout August). Have a wonderful summer.
Happy reading and I look forward to seeing you in September!
Mr. Delaney
sdelaney@woodburysch.com
Checklist
Use this check list to help you keep track of the assignments this summer:
____ Read The Things They Carried (more than enough copies in the bookroom for this)
____ Write a three-page response to one of the prompts; turnitin.com by September 5
____ Read a non-fiction book; mark/note key passages as you read (bring book to school during September)
____ Email Mr. Delaney your selection or fill in the form on the class website by August 1
____ “Quote of the Book” paragraph and 7 reflective quote explanations; turnitin.com by September 5
____ Reflective letter; turning it in in person on September 5.
Again: Our class ID for turnitin.com is 9972108 and our password is apenglish.
Mr. Delaney
AP English 11 Summer Assignments
2015-2016
English 11 AP Summer Reading Commitment Contract
I have read and understood the summer reading and work requirements for the 11th grade English Language and
Composition course. I also understand that the assessments for this work will likely have a substantial impact
on my first marking period grades. Even if I enroll in the course after the summer (i.e. the second days, weeks,
or months of school), I acknowledge that I must complete all of this work. If I change classes from AP to
college prep over the summer, I acknowledge that I will still be responsible for completing summer work for
that course. (Students who make last minute course switches out of AP may still be held responsible for
completing the AP summer assessments).
Student Name
Student Signature
Date
____________________________
____________________________
____________
Mr. Delaney
AP English 11 Summer Assignments
2015-2016