11th Grade AP English Language Summer assignments- 2015
You will be reading a variety of texts that explore a wide range of topics. This class will enable you to
create and sustain arguments based on readings, research, and personal experience. You will analyze and
interpret samples of good writing, identifying and explaining an author’s use of rhetorical devices and
techniques. Please purchase a durable notebook for literary notes. We will call this our reader’s
notebook. You will start the notebook in the summer and continue using it during the course of the school
year. The summer entries will be due the second week of school. ( September 19th)
Organizing the reader’s notebook: On the title line, record the title of the work along with the author.
Fold the paper in half so that you have 2 columns. In the left column, you will paraphrase or quote
resources (quotes are preferred). Note the page number/s in parentheses. In the right column, you make
observations. These could be about literary concepts, diction, style choices, connections, questions,
explanations as to why you feel the quote is important…
You will read two novels over the summer: Into the Wild and Fahrenheit 451. Additionally, you will find
current and interesting events to summarize.
1. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
 Please collect 10 passages (these may be brief) which you find important.
Record them in the reader’s notebook. Explain what intrigued you about
the passage. Make a connection to something you have experienced, read,
or heard about.
 write a personal/ reflective response to the following question: Did
Christopher McCandless die happy? Use text and show your knowledge of
the book from start to finish. Also, try to make connections to your own
life, choices, and experiences. This should be around 500 words. This
may be informal. Demonstrate your knowledge of essay structure. This
response will be submitted to turnitin.com
2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
 As you read the novel collect 10 passages which you find of thematic,
stylistic or symbolic importance. Explain them and why they are
important in your reader’s notebook.
 In an essay, identify one aspect of American life that Bradbury seems to
critique in the novel. Bradbury has been heralded as a prophet, one who
recognizes issues that prove to be problematic in our world today. Define
a problem that Bradbury seems to highlight. Bradbury’s critiques might
reflect upon values, hobbies, relationships, political correctness, and
censorship. Then defend, challenge or qualify the validity of this critique
in our modern world. In this essay you are showing not only your
knowledge of the novel; but also your ability to connect to current issues.
Essay Submission: You will submit your writing assignments (Into the Wild happy
response and Fahrenheit 451 societal criticism) via Turnitin.com. For those of you
who have never used this site and/or have forgotten how to enroll, the directions
are as follows:
 Go to http://www.turnitin.com/static/index.html
 If you have an account, login.
o If you do NOT have an account use the following link:
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http://www.turnitin.com/login_page.asp?err=1&lang=en_us
Click on "create a user profile" and follow the instructions
 Next, you need to enroll...use the following:
 Class ID: 10039784
 Password: APlang
Once you have completed this, find the Assignment for each novel and submit the
essays. Into the Wild is due by Aug. 15th and Fahrenheit is due by Aug.22th.
Please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns:
melisa.macgillivary@uticak12.org
Or contact me via schoology with the access code N4SCH-JDJ5S (the last two
are number 5 and letter s) Please do not sign up until after June 12th because I
need to delete my current students.
3. Find three interesting newspaper or magazine articles (an online publications such
as the New York Times or CNN.com are fine) which are at least 250 words. You
will need to these articles and then highlight the thesis or main idea in it. For
these you will write a précis- this is a very succinct summary, with very definite
instructions. The form of a précis follows. It is only a 4-5 sentence summary.
This will be typed and included with the current article. This is due on the second
day of school.
Precis Format:
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Name of author [optional: a phrase describing author], genre and title of work
[date and additional publishing information in parenthesis]; a rhetorically
accurate verb (such as "assert," "argue," “suggest," "imply," "claim," etc.); and a
THAT clause containing the major assertion (thesis statement) of the work.
An explanation of how the author develops and/or supports the thesis, usually in
chronological order – always identifying the rhetorical mode(s) employed. This
is the longest sentence in the essay
A statement of the author's apparent purpose (introduce with the infinitive “to”).
A description of the intended audience and/or the relationship the author
establishes with the audience. Many times we incorporate tone here also.
Student example- follow this formula:
Bell Hooks, in her essay “Women Who Write too Much”(1999), suggests that all dissident writers,
particularly black female writers, face enormous time pressures, for if they are not prodigious, they
are never noticed by mainstream publishers. She supports her position first by describing her early
writing experiences that taught her to “not be afraid of the writing process”; second, by explaining
her motives for writing, including “political activism”; and lastly, by affirming her argument,
stressing that people must strategically schedule their writing and “make much of that time.” Her
two-pronged purpose is to respond to critics and to encourage minority writers to develop their own
voice. Although at times her writing seems almost didactic, hooks ultimately establishes a
companionable relationship with her audience of both critics and women who seek to improve the
effectiveness of their own writing.