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AP English Language and Composition
AP LANGUAGE
TO DO LIST:
SUMMER READING
ASSIGNMENT:
1. Choose from one of three
novels, A Good Man is Hard
to Find, In Cold Blood, or The
Joy Luck Club, and complete
the Thematic Close Reading
assignment.
2. Write a two-page essay
based on your note cards.
3. Review the top 20
rhetorical terms list and
create flash cards for them
****The above assignments
will be your first three grades
in AP Language.
CLASS SUPPLIES
1 A composition notebook for
daily note-taking.
2. A flash drive for research
3. Highlighters in yellow,
green, blue, and pink
4. Pens (black or blue)
5. Pencils
6. A dictionary and Thesaurus
for home use
7. Loose-Leaf Paper
ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND
COMPOSITION TEACHER:
Mrs. McQueen
gmcqueen@noscihigh.org
New Orleans Charter Science and
Mathematics High School
What is AP English
Language and
Composition?
Welcome to the Advanced Placement
course in English Language and
Composition. The purpose of the course is
to engage students in becoming skilled
readers of prose written in a variety of
periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts
and in becoming effective writers who
compose for a variety of purposes.
Students will learn the necessary skills
for analyzing voice, synthesizing
information, developing arguments, and
critically thinking to a degree that
transcends previous English courses.
Homework is frequent, and expectations
are in adherence with the College Board.
The ultimate goal of SciHigh’s Advanced
Placement English Language and
Composition class is devoted to
developing the skills necessary to read
with subtlety and write with clarity and
power.
Students are expected to:
• Produce a research paper that meets the
standards of a college-level course;
• Attend class consistently;
• Analyze and interpret good writing, and
identify and explain an author’s use of
rhetorical strategies and techniques;
• Write in a variety of genres and contexts,
both formal and informal;
• Study rhetorical theory and
argumentation.
Required AP Summer Reading
Students entering AP® English
Language & Composition in the fall
need to complete the Summer
Reading Assignments for one of
several books: In Cold Blood, A
Good Man is Hard to Find, or The
Joy Luck Club. The assignment
must be completed by the time
students report to school on August.
As a way to verify the student’s
summer reading efforts, each
student is to annotate the novel,
complete the Thematic Close Reading
assignment, and write a short essay on the
reading. Students will also need to review
the sheet with the top 15 rhetorical terms.
The summer reading assignment will be
used in class this fall as part of a Socratic
Seminar on the books. Students will need
to be familiar with their selected books for
class discussions and writing assignments.
Directions for the assignment are on the
back of this flyer. Students with questions
concerning the assignment may contact
Mrs. McQueen via email at
gmcqueen@noscihigh.org.
AP LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT: IN COLD BLOOD
The following thematic elements are central to Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. While reading the book, collect
related quotations on index cards and keep them in a labeled envelope. Ultimately, the passages you select will
support your arguments for a Socratic Seminar. You should create a minimum of three cards for each of the
following sections: “The Last to See Them Alive,” “Persons Unknown,” “Answer,” and “The Corner.”
DIRECTIONS:
1. Select one of the five listed themes.
2. On the front of the envelope, write your name, date, and theme.
3. In the envelope place a total of 12 index cards
4. Use the index cards to write a quote that supports the theme on your envelope. The front of the index card
should include the quote, character, and the page number (parenthetical citation). On the back of the card write
your commentary analyzing the quote and tell how it is linked to the theme.
CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING THEMES:
Family Life
Socioeconomic Status
Self Image
Mental Illness
Death and Crime
AN EXAMPLE FOR THE THEME, “GENERATIONAL CONFLICTS BETWEEN FATHERS AND SONS” FROM THE BOOK FENCES.
FRONT OF ENVELOPE:
Derrick Jones
AP Language & Composition
August 9, 2014
Theme: “Generational Conflicts Between Fathers and Sons”
Fences, by August Wilson
FRONT OF INDEX CARD
ON BACK OF CARD (YOUR COMMENTS):
"You got to take the crookeds with the straights. That's
what Papa used to say." (Lyons, Page 46)
Lyons is repeating something his father, Troy, used to say to him. It is a
moment when Lyons is reflecting on his life and realizes that some of his
father’s views may be right. Lyons looks at how tough his life has been,
based on the decisions he has made because of his dream of being a
successful jazz musician. He now understands that you have to accept
the bad, just as much as you accept the good, and that both are a part of
life. I think Lyons regrets some of the actions he has taken to reach his
goal because he has not held down a steady job and he still depends on his
father for financial support, which is the basis for most of the arguments
and conflicts he has with his father.
AP LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT: A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND
The following thematic elements are central to Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find. While reading the
book, collect related quotations on index cards and keep them in a labeled envelope. Ultimately, the passages you
select will support your arguments for a Socratic Seminar. You should create a minimum of one-to-two cards for
each of the novel’s 10 short stories.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Select one of the five listed themes.
2. On the front of the envelope, write your name, date, and theme.
3. In the envelope place 12 index cards
4. Use the index cards to write a quote that supports the theme on your envelope. The front of the index card
should include the quote, character, and the page number (parenthetical citation). On the back of the card write
your commentary analyzing the quote and tell how it is linked to the theme.
CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING THEMES:
The Sky, Nature, and Weather
Racism
Disgust with the World
Language as Physical Violence
The Impact of Evil
AN EXAMPLE FOR THE THEME, “GENERATIONAL CONFLICTS BETWEEN FATHERS AND SONS” FROM THE BOOK FENCES.
FRONT OF ENVELOPE:
Derrick Jones
AP Language & Composition
August 9, 2014
Theme: “Generational Conflicts Between Fathers and Sons”
Fences, by August Wilson
FRONT OF INDEX CARD
ON BACK OF CARD (YOUR COMMENTS):
"You got to take the crookeds with the straights. That's
what Papa used to say." (Lyons, Page 46)
Lyons is repeating something his father, Troy, used to say to him. It is a
moment when Lyons is reflecting on his life and realizes that some of his
father’s views may be right. Lyons looks at how tough his life has been,
based on the decisions he has made because of his dream of being a
successful jazz musician. He now understands that you have to accept
the bad, just as much as you accept the good, and that both are a part of
life. I think Lyons regrets some of the actions he has taken to reach his
goal because he has not held down a steady job and he still depends on his
father for financial support, which is the basis for most of the arguments
and conflicts he has with his father.
AP LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT: THE JOY LUCK CLUB
The following thematic elements are central to Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club. While reading the book, collect related
quotations on index cards and keep them in a labeled envelope. Ultimately, the passages you select will support
your arguments for a Socratic Seminar. You should create a minimum of three cards for each of the four sections:
Feathers from a Thousand Li Away, The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates, American Translation, and Queen Mother of
the Western Skies.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Select one of the five listed themes.
2. On the front of the envelope, write your name, date, and theme.
3. In the envelope place a total of 12 index cards
4. Use the index cards to write a quote that supports the theme on your envelope. The front of the index card
should include the quote, character, and the page number (parenthetical citation). On the back of the card write
your commentary analyzing the quote and tell how it is linked to the theme.
CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING THEMES:
The Challenges of Mothers and Daughters
Love and Marriage
Language As Barrier and Bridge
Dreams, Hopes, and Plans
Sacrifice and Suffering
AN EXAMPLE FOR THE THEME, “GENERATIONAL CONFLICTS BETWEEN FATHERS AND SONS” FROM THE BOOK FENCES.
FRONT OF ENVELOPE:
Derrick Jones
AP Language & Composition
August 9, 2014
Theme: “Generational Conflicts Between Fathers and Sons”
Fences, by August Wilson
FRONT OF INDEX CARD
ON BACK OF CARD (YOUR COMMENTS):
"You got to take the crookeds with the straights. That's
what Papa used to say." (Lyons, Page 46)
Lyons is repeating something his father, Troy, used to say to him. It is a
moment when Lyons is reflecting on his life and realizes that some of his
father’s views may be right. Lyons looks at how tough his life has been,
based on the decisions he has made because of his dream of being a
successful jazz musician. He now understands that you have to accept
the bad, just as much as you accept the good, and that both are a part of
life. I think Lyons regrets some of the actions he has taken to reach his
goal because he has not held down a steady job and he still depends on his
father for financial support, which is the basis for most of the arguments
and conflicts he has with his father.
AP LANGUAGE RHETORICAL TERMS
1. Allusion – A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be historical, literary, religious, topical, or mythical. 2. Analogy – A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. An analogy can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or pointing out its similarity to something more familiar. 3. Antithesis – the opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite. 4. Clause – A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main, clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent, or subordinate clause, cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause. The point that you want to consider is the question of what or why the author subordinates one element should also become aware of making effective use of subordination in your own writing. 5. Connotation – The non-­‐literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning. Connotations may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes. 6. Denotation – The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color. (Example: the denotation of a knife would be a utensil used to cut; the connotation of a knife might be fear, violence, anger, foreboding, etc.) 7. Diction – Related to style, diction refers to the writer’s word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness. For the AP exam, you should be able to describe an author’s diction (for example, formal or informal, ornate or plain) and understand the ways in which diction can complement the author’s purpose. Diction, combined with syntax, figurative language, literary devices, etc., creates an author’s style. 8. Paradox – A statement that appears to be self-­‐contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity. (Think of the beginning of Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....”) 9. Parallelism – Also referred to as parallel construction or parallel structure, this term comes from Greek roots meaning “beside one another.” It refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity. This can involve, but is not limited to, repetition of a grammatical element such as a preposition or verbal phrase. (Again, the opening of Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities is an example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of believe, it was the epoch of incredulity....”). 10. Prose – one of the major divisions of genre, prose refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms. 11. Repetition – The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern. 12. Rhetoric – From the Greek for “orator,” this term describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively. 13. Syntax – The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences. Syntax is similar to diction, but you can differentiate them by thinking of syntax as groups of words, while diction refers to the individual words. 14. Tone – Similar to mood, tone describes the author’s attitude toward his material, the audience, or both. Tone is easier to determine in spoken language than in written language. Considering how a work would sound if it were read aloud can help in identifying an author’s tone. Some words describing tone are playful, serious, businesslike, sarcastic, humorous, formal, ornate, sardonic, somber, etc. 15. Transition – A word or phrase that links different ideas. Used especially, although not exclusively, in expository and argumentative writing, transitions effectively signal a shift from one idea to another. A few commonly used transitional words or phrases are furthermore, consequently, nevertheless, for example, in addition, likewise, similarly, on the contrary, etc. More sophisticated writers use more subtle means of transition. 16. Figurative language – Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid. 17. Atmosphere – The emotional nod created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author’s choice of objects that are described. Even such elements as a description of the weather can contribute to the atmosphere. Frequently atmosphere foreshadows events. Perhaps it can create a mood. 18. Imagery – The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. On a physical level, imagery uses terms related to the five senses: visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory. On a broader and deeper level, however, one image can represent more than one thing. For example, a rose may present visual imagery while also representing the color in a woman’s cheeks and/or symbolizing some degree of perfection. 19. Metaphor – A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity. Metaphorical language makes writing more vivid, imaginative, thought provoking, and meaningful. 20. Narrative – The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.