AP English Language and Composition
Summer Assignments for the 2014-2015 class
Instructor: Mrs. Penalora
Discussion Forum:
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Deadlines:
The finished Part 1 assignments are due Wednesday, July 23rd on our wikispaces web site.
o If you must submit your work by e-mail, send ONE Microsoft Word attachment to Mrs. Penalora at
penalora1@msn.com.
Remember that in all cases, Part 1 is due by Wednesday, July 23rd —no exceptions. If you do not meet the
deadline for any reason, you will be dropped from the class. Email submissions and wikispaces submissions will
be accepted until midnight of the 23rd.
o The finished Part 2 assignments are due on the first day of classes. If you fail to meet the second
deadline, you will be dropped from the class.
Texts:
Please obtain the following books: 1984, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I encourage you to purchase
your own copies of the novels so that you are able to highlight passages and write notes in the text as you read.
You will also need to read Macbeth online.
Part 1: Novels

The first two novels I would like you to read are 1984 by George Orwell and The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. They are very different in style, content, and setting.
a.
Dialectical journal: As you read each novel, you will take notes, writing down any comments,
questions, or observations you have in the left column, and your interpretation of the note, quote,
or question in the right column. One or two typed pages of notes will suffice for each book. DO
NOT USE ANY OUTSIDE SOURCES (i.e. Cliff Notes or Spark Notes). You need to rely on your
own interpretations. Bring your notes to class on the first day of school.
b. I will post TWO discussion forums on the content of the novels. One will be on 1984, and the other
will be on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. You have until Wednesday the 23rd to respond to the
discussion. I will lock the discussions at midnight. Click on to our discussion tab at the top of the
page. It looks like two bubbles. Click on the first topic. Read the instructions and then write your
response at the bottom of the page and post. Click on the second topic and do the same thing. These
responses will be at least one FULL paragraph in length.
c.
You will also write one letter for each novel to be posted on our wikispaces website. For the letters,
you are to assume the persona of a major character in each of your books. Write a letter to
someone outside the literary work, like President Lincoln or anyone appropriate for your character.
Choose a section of the novel at a point where you (your character) felt the most vulnerable,
defiant, inadequate or duty-bound. Explain your predicament and the choices that lie ahead.
Explain the choice you will make. Remember—you are writing from the perspective of the
character, not from your own. Make it the length of a thoughtful letter, two to three full
paragraphs.
Part 1 of the summer work is due on wikispaces by July 23rd. If there is a problem with wikispaces, create ONE
Word attachment, not several if you must turn in your work via email. It takes too long for me to open four
attachments for each student. Save copies of your own, which you may need to bring to class.
Part 2: Last Play

Macbeth
a.
For the play, Macbeth, read and take notes as you have done before for the earlier novels, writing
down any questions or observations you have about these works for class discussion. One or two
pages of notes and questions will suffice.
b. I will post a discussion question for Macbeth closer to the start of school.
The notes should be brought to class the first day of school.

Additional Studying:
o Go to our resources page for the following:
o Please learn the difference between the use of “every day” and “everyday.”
o Please learn how to use italics and quotation marks for titles.
o Please review the literary terms glossary.