Charleston Charter School for Math and Science AP English Language and Composition Summer Assignment Ms. Allen Completed summer work is mandatory for enrollment in AP Language and Composition. Overview I ask that students read two separate books and complete two separate assignments for summer work. Students are to read the required memoir, Angela’s Ashes and are to choose one work of nonfiction (see list provided). Assignments accompany each book (refer to information below). A PDF of terminology for the course is also provided. Students must print and keep the vocabulary in their binder for class. mallen@charlestonmathscience.org 1. Required Summer Reading Book 1 Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCourt The following assignments accompany the memoir Angela’s Ashes. Assignment Part One: Close Reading Please read Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir (ISBN-­‐13: 978-­‐
0684842677) and purchase this copy using the provided ISBN number. A close reading requires you annotate while you read paying close attention to author’s style: diction, tone, imagery, details, and syntax. Thus you should have ideas, questions, and comments written in the margins of your book. Use sticky notes to mark important passages and pages. Part Two: Close Reading Analyses You will analyze McCourt’s style by writing five analyses concentrating each analysis on one point of style: diction, tone, imagery, details, and syntax. You will find that many of our in-­‐class conversations come back to author’s style and we will delve into close readings to analyze short passages and sentences. You are required to write five analyses of 1 page minimum each (typed, MLA format). I recommend while annotating that you actively decide which passages qualify for an analysis. Because you must write about each point of style once, you should pay careful attention to diction, tone, imagery, details, and syntax while reading so that you may write an effective analysis explicating how McCourt employs an element for an effect. As these essays require that you dive deep into meaning, you must use evidentiary support within each analysis. Go beyond what is surface level. Questions to Consider for Analysis: • What impact does the element have on the passage? The overall purpose? • Is McCourt successful in his use of the stylistic element? • McCourt employs irony and humor in his memoir. Consider what purpose these elements play in contributing to tone. • Consider if McCourt’s use of imagery or details accentuate a motif, theme, or character. • To what extent does syntax (sentence structure) affect McCourt’s meaning? Do you find he writes long, ambling sentences or does he employ short, choppy declarative sentences? Charleston Charter School for Math and Science AP English Language and Composition Summer Assignment Ms. Allen 2. Required Summer Reading Book 2 (students are allowed to select their book) Nonfiction Choices: • Well-­‐Behaved Women Seldom Make History by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich “In 1976, in an obscure scholarly article, Ulrich wrote, "Well behaved women seldom make history." Today these words appear on t-­‐shirts, mugs, bumper stickers, greeting cards, and all sorts of Web sites and blogs. Ulrich explains how that happened and what it means by looking back at women of the past who challenged the way history was written” (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/). •
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Ingenious Pursuits: Building the Scientific Revolution by Lisa Jardine “In this fascinating look at the European scientific advances of the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, historian Lisa Jardine demonstrates that the pursuit of knowledge occurs not in isolation, but rather in the lively interplay and frequently cutthroat competition between creative minds” (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/). Dead Man Walking: The Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty That Sparked a National Debate by Sister Helen Prejean Confronting both the plight of the condemned and the rage of the bereaved, the needs of a crime-­‐ridden society and the Christian imperative of love, Dead Man Walking is an unprecedented look at the human consequences of the death penalty, a book that is both enlightening and devastating” (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/). •
Global Weirdness: Severe Storms, Deadly Heat Waves, Relentless Drought, Rising Seas, and the Weather of the Future by Climate Central “Global Weirdness summarizes everything we know about the science of
climate change, explains what is likely to happen to the climate in the future,
and lays out, in practical terms, what we can do to avoid further shifts. In fifty
easy-to-read entries, Climate Central tackles basic
questions…” (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/). •
The Undead: Organ Harvesting, the Ice-­‐Water Test, Beating-­‐Heart Cadavers—How Medicine Is Blurring the Line Between Life and Death by Dick Teresi “What is death, and how do people in the medical profession determine it? In this fascinating examination of the increasingly blurred line between life and death, consciousness and unconsciousness, science journalist Dick Teresi introduces us to the coma specialists, organ transplant surgeons, ICU doctors, and many others who are faced with this issue daily” (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/). Charleston Charter School for Math and Science AP English Language and Composition Summer Assignment Ms. Allen The following assignments accompany the nonfiction selection Assignment 1 Close Reading and Argument Organizer A close reading requires you to annotate while you read. Find at least 10 notable passages within your text that exemplify your author’s argument and mark them using sticky notes. After reading, type the following organizer and answer the following questions about your nonfiction book. 1. Speaker – who is the author of your book 2. Occasion – context for writing; circumstances that inspire argument 3. Audience – who is the intended audience—be as specific as possible 4. Purpose – what is your author’s intended purpose—inform, persuade to action, teach 5. Subject – what is your author’s subject—be as specific as possible 6. Tone – what is the author’s tone—does it change at points? 7. Write a paragraph summarizing your author’s argument. Assignment 2 Argumentation Essay Write an essay between 500-­‐600 words in which you defend, challenge, or qualify your author’s argument. Support your argument with specific references to the nonfiction text as well as specific evidence gathered from history, current events, or personal observations. Assignment Format All assignments must be word-­‐processed and adhere to MLA guidelines: Paper: white, 8½ x 11 Heading: Top Left, Your name, Mrs. Allen, AP English Language and Composition, submission date Running Head (pagination): Top right, Last name, page number Margins: 1 inch, top/bottom; left/right Font: 12 point, Times New Roman Line Spacing: Double Grading Rubric Together, these assignments equal a test grade (40%) Students will be graded on the following criteria: • overall completeness, adherence to guidelines, and relevance and accuracy of content • style analyses and argumentative essay: format, grammar and mechanics, accuracy and content, ability to relay ideas in clear, cohesive manner • class discussion and preparation