Welcome to AP Language and Composition!!!!!!
Teacher Summer Contact:
Ms. Rew
jrew@gsastl.org
rewsclass.weebly.com
In order to prepare you for the AP Language class, you will need to continue practicing
your critical reading and writing skills throughout the summer. These assignments are
not designed to torture you, but to help keep your brains working for the summer and to
assist you with understanding the class as soon as you walk in the door. You are
encouraged to purchase a copy of the summer’s assigned reading so that you can take
notes in the margins and highlight information, however, you can also check out free
copies from local libraries. This summer’s assignments have been created to give you an
introduction to the kinds of reading you will see throughout the course and the types of
analysis you will be required to do for that reading. You MUST pace yourself and trust
yourself to carry this workload.
This is a college-level reading, writing, and speaking course and you are expected to
do college-level work both in difficulty and volume. At the end of the year, a passing
score of three or higher on the AP exam has the potential to earn you your first college
credits. Most universities will accept this credit and excuse you from one of the entry
level English composition courses. This saves you both time and MONEY in the long run.
During the year and as part of your summer homework, you will analyze the stylistic and
rhetorical structure of mostly non-fiction works. You will learn to write persuasively
with precision, concision, and clarity. This is NOT a creative writing class.
The volume of work is generally estimated to be 50 percent more than a non-AP English
course. On average you can expect about an hour of homework each night, up to eight
hours per week. Part of any AP class includes required summer work in order to (1)
adequately prepare you for the upcoming year and so that (2) the entire class shows up
to school the first day with the same set of knowledge. Our goal is to make the best use
of the limited class time we share together.
This completed summer packet is due on the FIRST day of school. Failure to turn it in
will result in consequences, the least of which being the possibility of removal from the
AP course. This course DOES count toward your GPA so it is imperative you take these
assignments and our class seriously. Be prepared to discuss these assignments on the
first day. You must pace yourselves over the summer, not leaving this for the last minute.
Create a product that is tidy and easy for me to navigate and grade. Follow ALL
formatting guidelines and do not hesitate to contact me with questions. There will be up
to 3 study sessions throughout the summer. These are not required but may help you
with the work. Sign up for remind 101 and email notifications for dates.
Step One:
Sign-up for Rew’s Remind101 so that you receive updates and reminders over the
summer and during the year. This is also how I will let you know when study sessions
will take place over the summer should you wish to attend.
Text: @jk3567gh to 636-614-1103 and follow the instructions.
You will not be able to see my number and I will not be able to see yours; this is just a
messaging service from me to you to let you know when things are coming up and to
remind you of important dates.
Step Two:
Go to rewsclass.weebly.com and favorite the class website so that you will have access to
the things I post all summer.
Step Three:
Send me an email with your name and the subject AP so that you get put on the AP mail
list for the summer.
Materials you will need this summer and next year:
3 pronged folder, report book, or ½ inch binder for presenting your summer homework
3 subject Spiral notebook (for first day of class)
Book: The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White 1999 edition (summer)
Book: The Best American Essays of the Century by Robert Atwan and Joyce Carol Oates
(Summer) ISBN: 978-0618155873
Book: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (summer)
SUMMER HOMEWORK
PACE YOURSELVES – THIS IS COLLEGE LEVEL AND IT WON’T BE EASY
All work must be typed in 12 pt., Times New Roman font.
Set-up folder steps:
1. Set up your folder with 4 dividers (you can make these by cutting a manila folder
in half and hole punching the side with the tab).
2. In front of the first tab, insert the attached calendar. Fill out the calendar with
your planned summer schedule. Make sure you spread the work out and tackle it
one piece at a time. It will be easier for you in the long-run.
3. Label the first divider “Literary Terms”
4. Whole punch your typed glossary and put it here. Skip lines between definitions
so that I am NOT looking at one solid block of text.
5. Label the second divider “TBAEOTC”
6. Whole punch and put your reader responses here, in ORDER. Follow the essay list
7. Label the third divider “Elements of Style”
8. Put your formal outline here.
9. Label the fourth divider “In Cold Blood”
10. Put your reader quote responses here in order by page number.
Part 1: Define the literary terms list below. (You are creating your own
working glossary, which we will refer to throughout the year)
Literary terms are labels for the precise language tools used to create meaning. Your
understanding and use of these tools is crucial to your success in this class and your
achievement on the AP Language test. While deconstructing a piece of writing,
identifying the tool or technique the author uses is also crucial. Knowing how and why an
author used a tool is even more important. Define each of these terms concisely and in
your OWN words. Do not just cut and paste from an online dictionary. This will not
help you understand the term and how to use it. You must interpret the definition for
yourself. You will be required to use these terms correctly throughout the year and on
the AP exam. When you search, make sure you are using the literary/writing definitions.
I’ve grouped the terms by usage as best I can.
A. Word Use and Meaning (all tools are used for a literary effect, even cliches)
Diction
Prose
Verse
Alliteration
Onomatopoeia
Connotation
Denotation
Colloquial Language
Slang
Imagery
Sensory Detail
Figures of Speech/Figurative Language
Metaphor
Extended Metaphor
Simile
Abstract and Concrete Language
Hyperbole
Understatement
Cliché
Irony
Literary Tone
Literary Style
Literary Theme
Satire/Humor
Sarcasm
Voice
B. Sentences and Paragraphs
Syntax
Parallelism
Repetition
Clause
Phrase
Sentence
Paragraph
Juxtaposition
Climactic order
Rhetorical question
Anecdote
C. Literary Genres/Rhetorical Modes
Novel
Non-fiction
Short story
Dramatic literature (plays)
Memoir
Autobiography
Biography
Diary
Expository essay
Narrative essay
Cause-and-effect
Compare and contrast
Classification
Process analysis
D. Fictional Elements
Point of View (POV)
Plot
Setting
Exposition
Rising action
Climax
Falling action
Resolution/denouement
Episodic
Ambiguous ending
Protagonist
Antagonist
Archetype
Personification
Anthropomorphism
Objectification
Audience
Dialogue
Symbol/symbolism
Parable
Allegory
Motif
Foreshadowing
Flashback
E. Argument and Persuasion
Rhetoric
Ethical Appeal (Ethos)
Rational Appeal (Logos)
Emotional Appeal (Pathos)
Thesis
Claim
Evidence
Concession
Inductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning
Oxymoron
Paradox
Logical Fallacies
Part II: Reading The Best American Essays of the Century (TBAEOTC) by
Robert Atwan and Joyce Carol Oates
The AP folks expect you to have read hundreds of different essays written by hundreds of
different authors about dozens of different subjects. This collection of essays is just the
beginning of the type of reading and analyzing we will be doing in this course to prepare
you for the AP exam. This text will provide a solid base from which we can build on your
exposure to effective non-fiction writing. I would highly recommend purchasing this
book for yourself so that you can make notes and highlight to better help you with your
responses. These should be double-spaced. Free copies can be borrowed from the library.
1. Reader Responses for TBAEOTC (14 total)
a. You will create a typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman response on a
separate sheet of paper for EACH of the 14 essays listed. These responses
must be done and kept in ORDER by year. Be clear and concise in your
writing and follow the formatting guidelines stated here.
b. Analyze each essay for any one or more of the four aspects listed below. You
must provide CLEAR EVIDENCE to support your analysis. Make sure you
are using quotations from the piece.
c. Vary your analysis. Do NOT repeat the same type of analysis for every essay.
That’s just silly.
d. Vary your application of the literary terminology from your glossary. I
expect you to be using these words in your responses. Do not repeat/use the
same terms more than a few times. Challenge yourself to find literary tools
that each writer uses uniquely.
Writing your analysis: Analyze each essay according to one of the aspects of SPAM.
 S: Stylistic devices and rhetorical (persuasive) strategies used in the piece. Use the
literary terms list to identify and briefly explain what tool(s) the author used and
why. AP Comp is mostly about how well you can deconstruct and construct an
argument.
 P: Purpose (thesis or main point) for writing the piece. What are your clues?
 A: Audience. For whom do you think the piece was written? How do you know?
 M: Meaning of the piece to you. This is where you can (briefly) elaborate about
your personal reaction to the piece. Specific textual evidence to support your
thoughts is crucial to the analysis.
In each analysis, include the author and the title of the essay. Explain what specifically
in the essay is effective and how and why something was effective. NEVER, ever flatter
an author and NEVER, ever criticize an author. These are the best essayists of their
generation and you are a high school student. Whether you like the essay or not is not
important. Be objective, clear, and concise. Do NOT summarize. Summary is not
analysis. We will continue to analyze essays in this manner throughout the year.
There are hundreds of authors on the AP Comp must-read list and TBAEOTC contains
quite a few of them. Some will confuse you and that’s OK. Don’t focus on what
confuses you; look for what is effective, interesting, artistic, weird, or powerful.
TBAEOTC list of essays for analysis (14 out of 55 essays in the text).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
1901: Mark Twain, Corn-poneOpinons
1909: John Muir, Stickeen
1923: Ernest Hemingway, Pamplona in July
1925: H.L. Mencken, The Hills of Zion
1928: Zora Neale Hurston, How It Feels to Be Colored Me
1937: Richard Wright, The Ethics of Living Jim Crow: An Autobiographical Sketch
1941: E.B. White, OnceMore to the Lake
1949: Langston Hughes, Bop
1955: James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son
1957: Eudora Welty, A Sweet Devouring
1967: N. Scott Momaday, The Way to Rainy Mountain
1970: Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
1972: John McPhee, TheSearch for Marvin Gardens
1980: Richard Rodriguez, Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood
Scoring Guide for your Reader Responses
(0-1 is bad, 4 is perfect; no one is perfect all of the time).
Use this score guide to determine what you must do to craft a successful analysis of a
writing piece.
4
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3
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2
0/1
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Each aspect of SPAM analysis was addressed thoroughly and thoughtfully.
Student supported analysis with appropriate textual references; quotations formatted and framed seamlessly.
Students identified author’s stylistic and rhetorical choices by using a variety of appropriate literary terminology.
Student conducted effective background research about the author, the era or period, and the piece of writing to determine
audience and context.
Student made connections to historical, political, cultural, or his or her personal life, conveying a sense of scope larger
than the text analyzed.
Student’s voice (personality) is apparent in the writing; student conveys their own defined sense of style.
Writing is mature; language choices are clear, concise, and academic; no common errors, writing flows from idea to idea
and paragraph to paragraph.
Student has a clear and confident command and control of their own syntax and diction.
Annotation of piece shows constant and intelligent interaction with the text.
Most aspects of analysis were not as developed as a 4.
Each aspect of SPAM analysis is addressed.
Student offered quotations as evidence of author’s choices.
Student used some literary terminology to identify author’s writing choices.
Language choices are mostly appropriate; few errors, flow is interrupted or less developed than a 4.
Student conducted superficial research to determine audience or simply guessed: all adults, literature human beings, all
Americans, anyone with a pulse, etc.
Some language choices are less academic and mature: got, a lot, kind of, clichés, cheesy phrases, high school slang or
colloquialisms (not on purpose for effect), etc.
Response lacks voice; the analysis is complete but there is no detectable personality.
Student has some command of their own syntax and diction.
Annotation is engaged but not always deep or constant.
Most aspects of analysis were not as developed as a 3.
Aspects of SPAM are thinly analyzed.
Student offered very little textual evidence to support analysis (or used very long quotations to fill page).
Student used few literary terms to identify basic author choices (diction and syntax).
Student’s language choices are immature; several common errors, little evidence of proofreading.
Student has poor command of word choice and sentence structure; response flow is choppy.
Annotation of original text is sporadic or simplistic (highlighted a few phrases here and there).
Most, if not all, aspects of analysis were not as developed as a 2.
Student summarized or retold the information from the text; analysis is missing or simplistic.
Student did not use a single quotation as evidence or support.
Student’s language choices are immature, redundant, and vague; paper riddled with common errors.
Annotation of original text is sporadic or non-existent.
Part III: Reading the Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White
1. This is a style, grammar, and usage book. I don’t expect you to curl-up with this book
in front of the fire or out on the beach, intimately absorbed in each unfolding plot point.
No. I expect you to trot through this short book, taking note of advice you desperately
need and ignoring some of the obvious points. It’s a reference book, so don’t labor over
each page. But learn this stuff because I will point out those confusing or careless choices
in your writing.
2. Craft a concise formal outline of this short text, listing only the most significant points
(in your opinion). If you don’t know what a formal outline looks like as a high school
junior, figure it out. Your research binder from Writing One should help you with this.
3. Watch this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNIZvTIyFy0
Part IV: Reading In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Because you are asked to read, analyze, explain, and interpret the items we are reading in
the course of the year, it is important that you do not substitute Cliffs Notes, Spark
Notes, or other summaries or condensations, nor should you rely on the movie versions of
the books, since they are often different. The best way to be successful with this
assignment, or any other assignment during the next year, is to read the books carefully
and thoughtfully. The bottom line is that you must do all the reading
assignments…therefore, be sure to begin summer reading early in order to complete
the assignments on time. Those students who wait until August to begin the summer
reading cannot give the reading assignment the full concentration it requires.
*Be prepared for writing/quizzes/tests on any of the books read this summer.
(Keeping a good journal would be very helpful for your tests and/or quizzes)!!
1. Complete your reading journals for In Cold Blood.
2. Each journal should be aproximately half a page in length. You should have no
more than 2 responses per typed-double spaced page.
3. Select one quotation or passage for approximately every 20-25 pages of text.
Respond to the quotations, focusing on the ways in which the author uses
language (terms from your list) to create a specific effect. What is it about the
language that stands out and makes the passage distinctive? How does the
passage reflect the author’s style and reveal larger themes of the work? I expect
responses to be developed thoughtfully and intellectually. Responses should be
approximately 60 words or ½ a page in length. The journals should be
constructed as follows.
Quote:
“Write the quote from the book with the correct MLA citation” (page number).
Response:
Use 1of the following ways to respond to the quote you chose in paragraph form.
 Raise questions about the beliefs and values addressed in the text
 Give personal reactions to the passage (similar to in your essay responses)
 Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of the author or a character.
 Tell what it reminds you of in your own experience
 Write about what it make you think and feel
 Argue with or speak to the character or author
EVERYTHING must be in COMPLETE SENTENCES. Pace yourselves and DO NOT
procrastinate. You CAN do this! And I am here to help you. If you get stuck or
overwhelmed, never hesitate to contact me.
Good Luck and Happy Learning,
Ms. Rew
Dear parents,
I would like to congratulate you on your student’s tremendous achievement of being
placed in the AP Language and Composition course for next year. This is a college level
course and is not for every student.
Your student will be pushed to think harder and do more than they have ever done before
in hopes of earning their first college credits. This all starts with summer homework.
Please review this packet with your child and stress the importance of time management
and commitment. Each of the students receiving this packet is capable of performing at
this level, but they will need your love and support in order to be successful.
Parents are encouraged to sign up for remind 101 and to sign up for email reminders just
as much as the students. I am excited for a new year and the opportunities our students
will have. Please read over the information with your student and complete the form
below. Have your student return this page to me no later than Friday May 23.
Best regards and happy summer,
Ms. Rew
________________________________________________________________________
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Sign parent name
Date
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