AP Literature & Composition
Putnam City North High School
Jamie Causey
jamiec@putnamcityschools.org
Summer Reading Assignments 2015
Task 1: Choose at least two books from the following list to read. As you read, make notes
either in the book itself or on Post-it notes of patterns, significant diction or syntax, thematic
statements, or anything else you notice. The notes you take are for yourself and will not be taken
as a grade. When you come back to school, you should be prepared to discuss intelligently the
novels you read and work with them in class, and those notes will be helpful in reminding you of
what you noticed.
The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde
A Passage to India – E.M. Forster
The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
Slaughterhouse Five – Kurt Vonnegut
The Road – Cormac McCarthy
Invisible Man – Ralph Ellison
The Joy Luck Club – Amy Tan
Task 2: Choose one of the novels you read and write a 2-3 page literary analysis using the
following question. This will be due on the first day of school (to receive a 2 day late pass on a
major assignment later in the year) or by September 8. It must be turned in to Turnitin.com. You
can find information for accessing Turnitin.com and the comments I will use to mark the paper
on the attached pages. It will be assessed on thoughtful analysis, style of writing, and the quality
of your quote selection. I encourage you to use the concrete detail/commentary/commentary
format for your body paragraphs. Please ask me for more information on this if you have
questions. Do not copy any portion from any written or online source. Plagiarism will result in
a zero.
Question: Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are
alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed. Choose a
novel or a play in which such a character plays a significant role and show how that
character’s alienation reveals the surrounding society’s assumptions or moral values.
Task 3: Go to a Shakespeare in the Park play. This summer, their productions included The
Winter’s Tale (Shakespeare), You Never Can Tell (Shaw), and Wittenberg (Davalos). After you
watch the play, write a one-page review of the production of the play. Avoid summarizing plot,
and instead focus on literary analysis you can make after having viewed it. This will be due on
the first day of school (to receive a 2 day late pass on a major assignment later in the year) or by
September 8. It must be turned in to Turnitin.com. Bring the program to school to turn in
separately.
Please feel free to email me over the summer with questions or thoughts about the reading. My
email address is jamiec@putnamcityschools.org. I will check that email often, but not everyday.
Please be patient in waiting on a response.
Correction and Commendation Guide
The number below and the accompanying remarks will replace some comments usually
made by the scorer (teacher or peer assessment). Use the guide in two ways: first, to note
corrections necessary to improve writing generally and this paper particularly; second,
note the successes you have had in the writing of the paper and continue to practice these
stylistic patterns. From Gretchen Polnac.
Introduction of Essay
1) Introduction needs to develop the concept you wish to discuss more completely. Give more
emphasis to the background of your topic and why it is important.
2) Introduction is strong and illuminating; a good start reflecting organization and interest.
3) Thesis is weak; this critical statement lacks sequenced and related ideas needed to build a
clear argument; name concepts you will discuss in the essay. Thesis should guide your
reader through the paper.
4) Thesis has a basic premise but you need to develop a rationale.
5) Polish the word choice in your thesis.
6) Polish the sentence structure in your thesis. Work on a fluid statement.
7) Thesis works well making an intelligent and interesting argument.
Body Paragraphs
8) Assert a clear idea at the beginning of the paragraph as part of the topic sentence (consider
this a body thesis). Make it a sharp and precise statement of the issue you will prove. Do not
assert an element of plot, or a fact, as the topic sentence.
9) Strong topic or body thesis that helps control the paragraph.
10) More evidence will help prove this point. Examples are too few to convince the reader of
validity of the argument.
11) Examples make a good point for your assertion; nice choices and analysis.
12) Explain how this example makes your point; discuss the example and draw more from it.
13) Examples are well-explained providing good analysis and support.
14) Close a paragraph with an idea that concludes what your topic sentence and examples have
proven; do not simply mimic the assertion nor end with your last point. Draw a large idea
that is the logical extension of your points made in the body.
15) Effective conclusion to the paragraph
Essay Conclusion
16) Concluding paragraph is weak and thereby ineffective. Draw a larger idea at the essay’s
close that grows out of the assertions you have given. Leave the reader with a better
opinion of the logic and correctness of your essay.
17) Enrich the thematic statement; usually the theme follows the several sentences wrapping
up the essay; then move to making an observation about the human condition, ambition, or
motivation.
18) Strong thematic observation. Effective closure; you successfully draw together assertions
and examples.
Spelling/Grammar/Syntax/Reference
19) Spelling error; use spell check or the computer, a dictionary, or a peer editor
20) Effective word choice (diction)
21) Ineffective and/or weak word choice (diction)
22) Effective sentence structure (syntax)
23) Revise for sense and logic—idea lost in current phrasing and syntax
24) References to title and author nicely made and subordinated to principal idea
25) Refer to author and title at start of essay or paragraph
26) Sophisticated, confident, and knowledgeable voice
27) Grammar error.
28) Sophisticated use of grammatical choices
29) Correct the form and placement of heading
30) Effective use of MLA heading (left side of first page—no cover sheet)
31) Sentence fragment; learn to recognize the basic writing error; have a peer editor read paper
before submitting.
32) Nice use of the “effective fragment”
33) Use present tense in literature discussion and analysis
34) Effective verb tenses consistently used to help literature live
35) Indefinite reference; this, that, these are used incorrectly when they carry the weight of a
large idea. Restate the idea; clarify the connection between indefinite pronoun and the
noun it replaces.
36) Clear references that effectively clarify ideas
37) Avoid absolute words: all, every, each, any, anyone. These words suggest naïve thinking and
weak logic.
38) Effective use of transition which helps the whole
39) Provide a transition between ideas both within a paragraph and when moving to another
paragraph
40) Effective use of quotations; embedded nicely into your own syntax.
41) Ineffective/Awkward use of quotations. Quotations should be nicely embedded into your
own prose.
42) Effective style throughout, pleasant and enjoyable read. Nice Job!
43) Cite Source
44) Punctuation Error
45) Clarify
46) Incorrect verb tense or agreement
47) Connect idea to Topic Sentence and/or Thesis
48) No contractions
49) Avoid Passive Voice
50) Use only 3rd Person; Avoid 1st and 2nd Person
Using Turnitin.com
1. Go to www.turnitin.com and click on the "Create Account" link next to the "Log In"
button
2. Click on the "Student" link in the "Create a New Account" section
3. The "Create a New Turnitin Student Account" form must be completed to create a new
student user account
4. Enter the class ID number and the case sensitive Turnitin class enrollment password.
1. Class ID: 9722285
2. Enrollment Password: 20158
5. Enter the user first name, last name, and a valid e-mail address to use as the login for
Turnitin
6. Create a user password. The user password must be between six and twelve characters
long and contain at least one letter and one number.
7. Re-enter the password to confirm it
8. Select a secret question from the drop-down menu. Enter the answer for the question.
Remember and keep this information.
9. Review the user agreement. To continue using Turnitin, click on "I agree -- create
profile"