AP English Language and Composition
Branham High School English Department
www.facebook.com/BHS AP Lang 2015/16
Ms. Nancy Freschi nfreschi@cuhsd.org
Ms. Tobie Schweizer tschweizer@cuhsd.org
AP English Language and Composition
Summer Assignment
Congratulations on your decision to take AP English Language and Composition! To prepare you for this
college-level course, we would like you to complete a summer assignment that will help you develop an
understanding of the ways we use and interpret language. Please use the facebook page or e-mail us should
you have any questions or concerns regarding this assignment. Have a safe and enjoyable summer; we look
forward to seeing you in the fall!
Assignment Objectives:
1. To introduce you to important vocabulary and concepts for rhetorical analysis.
2. To present material that will introduce you to the level of rigor expected in this course.
3. To build background knowledge that will help you analyze complex writings as well as make strong
arguments.
Part 1: ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
Using 3x5 cards, make a flashcard for each of the terms on the list of rhetorical devices (p. 3). Leave room on
each flashcard to add examples as you encounter them throughout the year.
Def:
ETHOS
Examples:
An appeal
to authority
Part 2: RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF NONFICTION
Read and annotate one (1) of the following books, making notes about significant issues raised
as well as your reactions to the text. See a sample annotated page on p.5. Additionally, pay
attention to the author’s use of rhetorical devices throughout the entire book. Ask yourself:
what is the EFFECT of each rhetorical device? In the first week of school, you will write a
rhetorical analysis essay on a specific passage from your book. Refer to the rubric on pp. 6-7.
READING LIST (choose 1)
Levitt, Steven and Dubner, Stephen. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist
Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. Levitt and Dubner take us inside their thought process and teach us all to
think a bit more productively, more creatively, more rationally – to think, that is, like a Freak. They offer a blueprint for an
entirely new way to solve problems, whether your interest lies in minor lifehacks or major global reforms.
Urrea, Luis Alberto. The Devil’s Highway.
The Devil’s Highway describes the deadly journey of 26 Mexicans who, for a variety of compelling reasons, decide to
cross the border into one of the most barren and brutal deserts on the continent.
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes
us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most
successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?
1
PART 3: NEWS JOURNAL
This year, we will be discussing and debating many issues as we study the art of rhetoric
and argument. Therefore, it is important that you begin building your knowledge of current
issues and events. In order to do this, you will need to follow the news using credible
sources, either in print, online, television, or radio. Examples of sources would include major
radio and television news organizations (ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, PBS, BBC, NPR, Reuters)
as well as online and print newspapers and magazines (Wall Street Journal, NY Times,
Washington Post, San Jose Mercury News, Time, Newsweek). Social media sites are not
always credible and therefore should not be used for this assignment.
Please keep a journal of current events of major importance (national and world news)
throughout the summer. Make at least 2 entries per week for at least 6 weeks. Each entry
should include a brief summary of one of the most important news stories of that week.
Please do not write about one-time human interest stories. You are trying to increase your
knowledge about important issues of the day, not the latest weird news items. Each entry
should be a minimum of 5 sentences, enough to show your understanding of the
significance of the news item. Each entry should also cite the source of the information and
the date of publication.
SAMPLE ENTRY:
Week of May 13, 2015:
The FAA has issued a notice declaring Washington D.C. a “no drone zone” after
several incidents of drones landing on or near the White House grounds. Drones
are not allowed within a 15 mile radius of Washington DC’s airport. In January a
man landed a small manned aircraft on the White House lawn as a protest about
campaign finance; a bomb squad investigated the gyrocopter but nothing hazardous
was found. In another recent incident, a man was detained for flying a drone near
the White House. The Secret Service is concerned about the threats posed by the
developing technology of drones (Washington Post, May 14, 2015).
FACEBOOK PAGE:
We have created a class Facebook page to communicate during the summer. Please join it
and check it periodically for questions and updates. This page can also be used to ask
questions. The address for the page is www.facebook.com/BHS AP Lang 2015/16.
2
AP Lang Rhetorical Strategies
1. rhetoric
2. tone
3. diction
4. syntax
5. parallelism
6. repetition
7. anaphora
8. imagery
9. metaphor
10. simile
11. analogy
12. figures of speech
13. allusion
14. anecdote
15. statistics/data/expert quotes
16. satire
17. parody
18. hyperbole
19. understatement
20. irony
21. sarcasm
22. paradox
23. euphemism
24. alliteration
25. rhetorical question
26. antithesis
27. juxtaposition
3
28. aphorism
29. inductive logic
30. deductive logic
31. logical fallacy
A. hasty generalization
B. false cause
C. non sequitur
D. false choice
E. ad hominem
F. red herring
32. appeal to logic (logos)
33. appeal to credibility (ethos)
34. appeal to authority (ethos)
35. address counter-claim (ethos)
36. appeal to emotion (pathos)
37. denotation vs. connotation
38. literal vs. figurative meaning
39. objective vs. subjective
40. cliché
41. active vs. passive voice
42. independent/subordinate clauses
43. compound sentence /complex sentence
44. cumulative (loose) v. periodic sentence
45. prepositional phrase
46. appositive phrase
4