AP English Language and Composition (ELCAP) Summer Reading Assignment 2015
Austin High School: FBISD
Welcome to ELCAP! The AP English Language and Composition course is primarily centered on
analyzing nonfiction works and creating well-developed, convincing arguments. With this in mind, we
have selected one nonfiction work and a novel that will begin to prepare you for the sort of analysis that
we will do on a daily basis in ELCAP.
First, purchase (or borrow) and read the following works:
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
It is strongly recommended that you annotate both books. Annotations will not be checked or graded, but
success in this course depends highly upon detailed, close reading of works, and annotating a text is one
of the best ways to ensure thorough, effective reading. Below, I have attached a guide for what to look in
your annotation—this will help you identify and analyze key rhetorical, literary, and stylistic elements
that we will discuss in class when we return in August.
Assignment: Fast Food Nation Discussion and Essay Questions—due on the first Friday of the
2014-2015 school year.
We will hold extensive discussion over both works when we return to school in August. Below are some
of the major areas that we will focus upon in our discussion of Fast Food Nation. I advise you to prepare
for the discussion by preparing notes and/or annotations for all of the following questions, though you
will ultimately select 5 for the following essay assignment.
Essay Reponses: Complete thoroughly developed, typed, essay-style answers for 5 of the
questions of your choice that you feel you can most completely and fully discuss. You will
submit these to Turnitin.com at the end of the first week of school. A rubric is included below
the questions. Remember to follow MLA format: use 12-point, Times New Roman font, and
include a proper MLA heading on the top left of the first page. Include a header with your last
name and page number on all pages.
Introduction: Readers must trust the good character, fairness, and reliability of the
Writers before they are willing to accept his arguments. The philosopher Aristotle called
this quality ethos. Analyze the ways Eric Schlosser establishes his ethos, helping the
audience to trust the writer and see the importance of his investigation of the fast food
industry. Be sure to explore the chapter fully, particularly the second half.
Chapter 1: Some readers find it counter-productive to Schlosser’s argument against the fast food
industry that he would create such a sympathetic portrait of fast food pioneer, Carl Kartcher.
Discuss the relevance of providing this background information in formulating an argument.
Chapter 2: Analyze how Schlosser’s strategy of comparison between Disney and McDonalds,
and their founders, makes important points about the fast food industry and their marketing
strategies.
Chapter 3: Logos appeals to the mind; Pathos appeals to the heart. Pretend you are sociologist
Robert Leidner who predicted that as businesses increasingly sought greater efficiency and
output, workers would become increasingly “interchangeable”. Write a short response to the fast
food industry, in the voice of Leidner, which points out the dangers of this policy toward
employees. Referencing this chapter, appeal to both the logos and pathos of your audience. You
do not need to use a letter format.
Chapter 4: Analyze how Schlosser explores irony in this chapter titled “Success” through his
focus on Dave Feamster’s Little Caesar franchise and the concluding spokespeople (especially
Reeves) at the sales seminar.
Chapter 5: Scientifically, Schlosser argues that a key factor in the success of the fast food
industry is artificial flavor and coloring. What is the effect of his description of “A typical
artificial strawberry flavor, like the kind found in a Burger King strawberry milkshake, …”
Chapter 6: “For a moment, we sat quietly on top of the hill, staring at the speedway bathed in
twilight, at this oval strip of pavement, this unsettling omen” (135). What is the primary rhetorical
purpose of the sentence, in relation to the entire chapter?
Chapter 7: Upton Sinclair argues in his novel The Jungle “Human beings, had been made ‘cogs
in the great packing machine.”’ Who is Schlosser arguing are the “Cogs in the Great Machine” in
this chapter? Evaluate the analogy.
Chapter 8: Schlosser concludes “The Most Dangerous Job” accounting the trials of Kenny
Dobbins. What is the effect of his placing the dramatic story at the conclusion of the chapter
rather than at the beginning of the chapter? Do you see similar patterns of organization in other
Schlosser’s chapter? If so, which chapters?
Chapter 9: Analyze how Schlosser combines logical and emotional appeals in this chapter to
create an effective message. In other words, how does he manage all this scientific data, making
it easier to understand and read? Cite specific strategies such as diction, analogy, facts, cause and
effect.
Chapter 10: History, places, people and events are often alluded to in this chapter. Cite at least
three specific examples, and explain how these are appropriate illustrations for advancing
Schlosser’s argument.
Epilogue: An epilogue is actually a conclusion, which, generally, looks to the future from where
a book ends. Explain how the content of this chapter is an appropriate conclusion to Schlosser’s
criticism of the fast food industry. How, and why, does he employ specific facts and
illustrations?
Afterword: An afterword is included to provide additional information after the initial
publication of the book. Why would this additional information be relevant to his argument?
Discuss how the content of this chapter helps bolster, or discredit Schlosser’s ethos, particularly
the section titled “wrong wrong wrong”.
Assessment: A range (90-100%) – Essay answers indicate critical and close reading, thoughtful
engagement and analysis. Very few if any grammatical or formatting errors are
present. Academic voice. All directions are followed.
B range (80-89%) – Essay answers predominantly critical and close reading, and
mostly thoughtful engagement and analysis. Some, although few, grammatical or
formatting errors may be present. Academic voice. All directions are followed.
C range (70-79%) – Essay answers indicate some critical and close reading and analysis,
although understanding of the text may be tangential or superficial. Very few if any
grammatical or formatting errors are present. Academic voice. All directions are
followed.
D or F – (0-69%) These responses are not acceptable for AP-level work. It is unclear
whether the book was read, or understood. Multiple errors in grammar, voice and
formatting may be present.
Annotation Guide: Once again, I will not collect or check annotations, but you will not be prepared for
our discussions at the start of the year without completing these annotations.
1. As you read, mark passages that you find interesting, meaningful, profound, or that stand out
for some other reason.
2. Select 3-5 of these passages for deeper analysis (and discussion when we return in the fall).
These should be sections of approximately 1-2 pages that we can analyze in depth through
discussion. Endeavor to select passages that you deem especially vital to the work as a whole,
and to the author’s central argument or meaning.
3. Annotate your selected passages using the following analytical/annotation acronyms and
strategies:
SOAPSTone: Use these annotation elements to better understand the rhetorical context of the
piece. I advise you to independently research these aspects of the text, as doing so will give you a
much more thorough understanding of the rhetoric of the text.
Note: You do not need to do a SOAPSTone analysis of each passage—it is an overall, bigpicture sort of analysis. Therefore, do the research suggested above, and look for clues that
would allow us to draw additional subtle inferences about the author and context from the
text.
1. Speaker: Think about how who the writer is and what he/she knows is communicated.
This should help you decide the author’s credibility.
MAKE NOTE OF:
 Introductory facts: author backgrounds and relationship to the topic, bias, etc.
 Ethos- how the author establishes credibility and character on the given topic
 Note words and language that indicate the author’s attitude or tone and where it
shifts or changes and why
 When the author directly of indirectly states how he/she feels
 Note key lines that stand out as crucial to the author’s argument
2. Occasion: Think about what caused the author to write about this topic and whether or
not it is a valid reason.
MAKE NOTE OF:
 The author’s reasons for writing- what is the motivation?
 Historical, political, social issues surrounding the topic
 The author’s personal reasons and well as the greater world/national reasons for
the piece
 Evidence of views characteristic of the time period and culture surrounding the
work
 Descriptions of class judgments, racism, gender biases, stereotypes, etc.
3. Audience: Think about what kind of person or people the author intended as the
audience and whether or not the author is able to connect with that audience effectively.
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MAKE NOTE OF:
Evidence of who (and it can be more than one) the author is trying to reach.
Where the author directly or indirectly address a specific audience
Any “Call to Action” that the author is issuing to the reader.
Pathos- where the author appeals to your sense of emotion through anecdotes and
figurative language
4. Purpose: Think about the author’s purpose in writing this book and whether or not they
are effective in that purpose.
MAKE NOTE OF:
 Specific reasons for writing: informing, persuading, arguing, refuting,
exemplifying- but make sure you note specifics.
 Logos: the author’s appeal to reason. Examine how he/she makes the reader
believe in that purpose.
5. Subject: Think about what the book is discussing and whether or not the author shows
why this subject is important.
MAKE NOTE OF:
 Elements related to the problem and issue
 How the author develops or deepens the aspects of the problem/issue
 How the author show the complications related to the subject and the implication
of it to you, the nation, the world, etc.
6. Authorial Devices and Structures in the Argument: Think about the author’s techniques
in delivery and how effective author’s methods are for rhetorical purposes - the use of
subtleties, patterns, style, structure, etc.
MAKE NOTE OF:
 Changes in point of view/emphasis
 Crucial language/vocabulary- not just a word that you don’t understand, but one
that seems crucial to understanding the argument- look these up.
 Stylistic techniques: irony, satire, humor, exaggeration, repetition/patterns,
possible symbols, significant metaphors and other notable literary and rhetorical
devices
 How the author’s structure of the argument/book influence the reader and relate
to the subject, audience and purpose
 Mark passages that seem especially important or interesting to the work. Choose
passages that would be useful to talk about in a discussion over the work.
Be prepared to discuss to discuss the following as well:
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Compare and contrast the messages of both works—what are the claims made in Fast Food Nation?
What are the themes in The Jungle? How are the messages conveyed and developed in each of the
works?
Debate the ideas presented in each work—to what extent do you agree or disagree with the ideas in
each book?
For what audience(s) is each work intended? How do you know? How successful is each book in
convincingly conveying its message and ideas to that audience?
What are the major stylistic aspects of each work, and how do they contribute to the messages?
What exigency prompted each writer? That is, what caused each writer to write the work?
How does the background of each author affect the work? I recommend doing some research over
Sinclair and Schlosser.
Finally, be prepared for a rigorous exam over both books shortly after we return to school. The
exam will include both reading comprehension questions as well as analysis-level questions. Read
carefully and be sure to finish both works in their entirety.
I look forward to meeting you in August, when we will kick off what will no doubt be a challenging, fun,
and exciting year. Enjoy the reading!
You may email me with questions at Daniel.johnson@fortbend.k12.tx.us. Please include “Summer
Reading” in the subject line. I will respond at my earliest convenience.