Summer AP 2016--Welcome APES (AP English Students)!
This page is for incoming AP English Language and Composition Students. Your summer assignments are the first chance I will have to gauge your skills. Do a good job! Once school starts, we will graduate to the AP page.
Remember you must either blog about the books or keep double entry (dialectical) journals on them. To blog: Click on the button at right. Choose the correct book title, and fill in the information requested (make sure your user name allows me to identify you). This will register you to comment. Read all previous comments before adding your own. I am looking for something that adds to the conversation, insightful, personal, critical, responsive. "I agree with......" without saying why receives no credit. Nothing abusive or inappropriate will be approved. The more you blog, the better you will understand the book (and the more points you may receive). I consider one comment per section to be adequate (adequate is "C" level). Do not become upset or freak out if your comment does not post right away (especially the first time). Most will have to be approved (at least at first) before they appear. What should I say? Try the following: Three Levels of Interpretation Your blog comments should attend to all three levels of thinking as listed below; however, the majority of your comments should be Level Two (interpretive / analytical) : Level 1 --Literal (found directly in the text) Questions/Notes that check for understanding Level 2--Interpretive/Analytical (found by making inferences) Questions/Notes about the author's choices Level 3-- Universal/Thematic (found outside of the text) Questions/Notes about how the text relates to the world outside the text, including how it relates to my life and what I know If you choose the double entry (dialectical) journal option, I expect at least 10 entries per section of the book. This would be adequate ("C" level). More (in this case) is better.
Don't forget to purchase texts (5 Steps to a 5--Writing the English Essay and Rhetorical Devices; The Overachievers-The Secret Lives of Driven Kids by October and Between the World and Me by January). We will begin using the workbooks immediately as part of the Summer Packet. Contact me NOW if this is not possible for you (no questions asked). I will make sure you have a text. |
BlogClick on the button to use.
The button above will take you to the blog page for this class. Read the instructions to the left about blogging your comments first.Assignments
June 3—Stop at “What Writing Is”; blog comment due June 10—Stop at “On Writing”; blog comment due June 17—Stop at “On Living: A Postscript”; blog comment due June 24—Finish book; blog comment due For Thank You for Arguing, follow the schedule below (blog comment due by date): July 1--Introduction July 15--Offense July 22--Defense July 29-- Advanced Offense August 5--Advanced Agreement Complete The Other Hand Experiment; The Other Other Hand Experiment; and the Fool on the Hill Experiment from the Argument Lab section in the Appendices. Read and complete: 5 Steps to a 5--Writing the AP English Essay Chapters 1-3 Rhetorical Devices pps. 3-16. Do not go further. Finally, explanation and reflection on Socrates and the allegory of the cave. CALLING ALL AP STUDENTS:
Do you like to read aloud? Act? Discuss important issues? Make people laugh? Give speeches? Over-come your fear of speaking in public? Or just have a good time? Join Speech Team, Debate Team or Ethics Bowl team. Why not all three? Ask me how. |