AP Language & Composition
Summer Assignment
In order to prepare for AP Language and Composition, you will need to continue practicing your critical
reading and writing skills throughout the summer. You will have two major assignments to complete for
class. Hopefully you will also do some reading and writing of choice as well – you don’t want your brain
to atrophy over the vacation! You are certainly welcome to purchase your own copies of the two texts you
will be reading, or you can check out copies from me or the library. You will be required to do some
annotating, and while annotation is an extremely valuable tool that we will use extensively next year, you
do not have to buy the summer reading books to annotate them. You can use Post-it notes or separate
sheets of notebook paper instead.
Assignment Specifics
These assignments will be due the first day of school!
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Come prepared to discuss and be tested over the books you’ve read.
Annotate both books – good notes tend to enhance comprehension and retention of ideas. You
will turn in your annotations (either in the book or on separate paper). Your annotations should
be handwritten.
Type all other assignments. Please double space and use Times New Roman, 12 point font.
Assignment One
Text: Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman
ISBN: 014303653X
Review: “ From the author of Teaching as a Subversive Activity comes a sustained, withering and thought-
provoking attack on television and what it is doing to us. Postman's theme is the decline of the printed
word and the ascendancy of the ‘tube’ with its tendency to present everything: murder, mayhem, politics,
and even weather as entertainment. The ultimate effect, as Postman sees it, is the shriveling of public
discourse as TV degrades our conception of what constitutes news, political debate, art, even religious
thought. Early chapters trace America's one-time love affair with the printed word, from colonial
pamphlets to the publication of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. There's a biting analysis of TV commercials
as a form of ‘instant therapy’ based on the assumption that human problems are easily solvable. Postman
goes further than other critics in demonstrating that television represents a hostile attack on literate
culture.”
Availability: I have 15 copies of this book available for summer check-out. Simpson has one copy of
this book, as does the Indianola Public Library. It’s available for purchase at Amazon.com: $11.20 for a
new copy ($14 is the list price) or they also offer previously owned copies for less. A little tip: if you
want to buy both books new, you can get free shipping from Amazon when your purchase is $25 or
more. Also see my FYI at the end of this handout for your textbook for the fall.
Tasks:
• Critically and closely read the text. Keep in mind that Postman is creating an argument here. Your
job is not to agree or disagree with him necessarily, but as a student of language and composition
you should critique his argument. Read closely to determine what his argument is, how he
constructs it, and the strategies he uses in order to persuade his reader to believe it.
• You need to TYPE a two-paragraph summary of Postman’s main idea/argument in chapter 1.
• You need to TYPE a two-paragraph summary of Postman’s main idea/argument in chapter 2.
• You need to choose one quote/passage from chapters 3-11. The quotes you choose should focus on
the main ideas of the chapters. These should be the passages that capture the essence – the true
meaning – of the text. Each quote also needs to be accompanied by a TYPED paragraph
response; that’s nine paragraphs altogether! In each paragraph you need to:
o explain how the passage "fits" into the chapter.
o discuss the importance of the passage to the chapter’s main argument.
o react to the passage as a reader. Make me understand WHY you have selected this passage.
To generate responses, you can consider the following:
§ Why does the passage impress, intrigue, horrify, or puzzle you?
§ Do you find the author’s use of language appealing or powerful? Does the passage
jump off the page as a great descriptive passage?
§ Does it prompt a strong response from you as you read it? Does it present itself as
so well-crafted that you just love the sound of it? Is the language beautiful,
descriptive, graphic?
§ Is it particularly meaningful?
§ Do you find yourself in agreement/disagreement with the ideas expressed?
§ Does the passage remind you of a situation you have lived as well?
§ Does the passage make you laugh out loud? Melancholy? Something else?
§ Does the author raise intriguing questions or issues?
§ Does the passage challenge or expand your thinking?
You are not limited to the above list, nor do I expect you to answer all of the above. But your responses to
the passages should clearly explain to me WHY these passages mean something to you, WHY these
passages caught your attention, and HOW these passages illustrate Postman’s ideas.
Assignment Two
Text: Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser
ISBN: 0060838582 OR you can get the P.S. version, ISBN: 006116139X
“On any given day, one out of four Americans opts for a quick and cheap meal at a fast-food restaurant,
without giving either its speed or its thriftiness a second thought. Fast food is so ubiquitous that it now
seems as American, and harmless, as apple pie. But the industry's drive for consolidation,
homogenization, and spe ed has radically transformed America's diet, landscape, economy, and workforce,
often in insidiously destructive ways. Eric Schlosser, an award-winning journalist, opens his ambitious
and ultimately devastating exposé with an introduction to the iconoclasts and high school dropouts, such
as Harlan Sanders and the McDonald brothers, who first applied the principles of a factory assembly line
to a commercial kitchen. Quickly, however, he moves behind the counter with the overworked and
underpaid teenage worke rs, onto the factory farms where the potatoes and beef are grown, and into the
slaughterhouses run by giant meatpacking corporations. Schlosser wants you to know why those French
fries taste so good (with a visit to the world's largest flavor company) and ‘what really lurks between
those sesame-seed buns.’ Eater beware: forget your concerns about cholesterol, there is--literally--feces in
your meat.
“Schlosser's investigation reaches its frightening peak in the meatpacking plants as he reveals the almost
complete lack of federal oversight of a seemingly lawless industry. His searing portrayal of the industry is
disturbingly similar to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, written in 1906: nightmare working conditions, union
busting, and unsanitary practices that introduce E. coli and other pathogens into restaurants, public
schools, and homes. Almost as disturbing is his description of how the industry ‘both feeds and feeds off
the young,’ insinuating itself into all aspects of children's lives, even the pages of the ir school books,
while leaving them prone to obesity and disease. Fortunately, Schlosser offers some eminently practical
remedies. ‘Eating in the United States should no longer be a form of high-risk behavior,’ he writes. Where
to begin? Ask yourself, is the true cost of having it "your way" really worth it?”
* All reviews are taken from Amazon.com
Availability: I have 15 copies of this book available for summer check-out. Indianola Public Library has
one copy of this book. The list price for the paperba ck is $14.95. The new book price on Amazon.com is
$9.42 or you can get previously owned for even cheaper.
Tasks:
• Critically and closely read the text. Again, keep in mind that your reading isn’t about whether you
agree or disagree with Schlosser, just that you can pinpoint and analyze the way in which he
constructs his argument and attempts to sway his readers’ opinions. Determine whether his
strategies are successful and come up with reasons for that success or failure.
• Familiarize yourself with the attached handout outlining three tenets of rhetoric (ethos, pathos, and
logos). If you need more info, you might do a little research on these rhetorical appeals.
• TYPE two one -page analyses of how Schlosser utilizes two of the three tenets of rhetoric (ethos,
pathos, or logos). Each one -page assignment should address only one tenet. Remember you are
not summariz ing his argument, but rather analyzing his use of ethos, pathos, or logos to advance his
argument(s) in the book. Don’t forget to include quotes from the text to support your argument and
illustrate your ideas. Document them using MLA style.
• Possible questions to address: By using this tenet of rhetoric, is Schlosser’s argument made
stronger/weaker? How is it improved? How is it not improved? Why does he use this rhetorical
tenet to argue? Does the argument lend itself to this particular appeal?
Other Important Information
FYI: The textbook we’ll use is called Everything’s an Argument with Readings by Andrea A. Lunsford,
John J. Ruszkiewicz, and Keith Walters ISBN: 0312407246. This is the RED THIRD EDITION. You
are not required to purchase your own textbook. However, many AP students find it valuable and
convenient to do so because it allows them to make notes right in their book. In addition, this textbook
will be a nice resource for you even after AP Language is over as a comprehensive writing text that you
can refer to in future high school or college courses. The book is available from Amazon for $61.95 by
typing in the ISBN number (shipping would be free), or, as always, you can find it previously owned.
IF you plan to buy several books new from Amazon, you will be eligible for free shipping if you buy at
least $25 at once. Therefore, it is to your advantage to plan ahead. If you go with the used copies, you’ll
pay shipping for each book separately. Depending on the prices you find, you may come out pretty even.
Just shop around and decide what you want to do.
If you have questions over the summer about the course, your books, or the assignments, check out the
course website: www.indianola.k12.ia.us/aplit. There you’ll find all kinds of resources AND your
summer assignment posted. Add it to your favorites now as it will be an integral part of our class next
year. Also feel free to email me at kim.thompson@indianola.k12.ia.us. Enjoy your summer! You’ve
earned a nice break. =) But don’t put your assignment off until August either—you’ll kick yourself when
you’re spending the last two weeks of break doing nothing but reading and writing papers!
Classical Rhetoric and Aristotle
Aristotle defined rhetoric as "an ability, in each [particular] case, to see the available means of
persuasion. Some means are external to the argumentation, i.e. blackmail or threats. However,
others means of persuasion are internal to an argument: logos, pathos, and ethos.
Logos
The main concern in an argumentation-persuasion presentation should be with the logos, or
soundness, of your argument. This includes the facts, statistics, examples, and authoritative
statements you gather to support your viewpoint. This supporting evidence must be unified,
specific, sufficient, accurate, and representative. Imagine, for instance, you want to convince
people that a popular charity misappropriates the money it receives from the public. Your
readers, inclined to believe in the good works of the charity, will probably dismiss evidence that
enhances your position unless your reasoning, or Logos, is very sound.
Pathos
Sensitivity to the pathos, or the emotional power of language, is another key consideration for
creators of argumentation-persuasion presentations. Pathos appeals to a viewpoint or course of
action. The pathos of a piece derives partly from the communicators choice of language.
Connotative language, for example, are words with strong emotional overtones and have the
ability to move the audience to accept a point of view and may even spur them to act. Adolf
Hitler, during World War II, was very effective with the use of propaganda filled with elements
of pathos in order to convince the country and rally support for his cause.
Ethos
Finally, whenever presenting any argument or persuasion, the establishment of ethos, or
credibility and reliability is very important. The audience cannot be expected to accept or act on
your viewpoint unless you convince them that you know what you're talking about and that
you're worth listening to. You will come across as knowledgeable and trustworthy if you present
a logical, reasoned argument that takes opposing views into account. It is also important to make
sure that the appeals to emotion are not excessive. Too much emotionalism tends to undercut
credibility.
Overall
The delivery of any good argumentation-persuasion presentation involves an interplay of logos,
pathos, and ethos. The exact balance among these factors is determined by the audience and
purpose, that is, whether or not you want the audience simply to agree with your view or whether
you also want them to take action. For the execution of this, the presentation should be tailored
to the audience and its needs: how much the audience knows about the issue, how they feel about
you and your position, what their values and attitudes are, and what motivates them should all be
taken into account.
Information accessed at http://www.ou.edu/class/engl3143/group3/