• AP English Language and Composition

    Summer Reading Assignment

    Welcome to AP Language!

    This course promises to be challenging and enlightening. On our journey into the English language, primarily through non-fiction, we will explore grammar, rhetoric, and argument. To begin this study, you will be required to read two current non-fiction books 

    Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

    What The Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell.
     
    Each book offers a strong argument and many points to talk about along the way.

    Blink

    From Malcolm Gladwell's website: //www.gladwell.com/blink/index.html

    What is the difference between choking and panicking? Why are there dozens of varieties of mustard-but only one variety of ketchup? What do football players teach us about how to hire teachers? What does hair dye tell us about the history of the 20thcentury?

     

     

    You are encouraged to buy both books so you may continue to use the annotation strategies you learned in English 10. We have contacted Talking Leaves… Books on Main Street and Elmwood (Shop local when you can---) and Barnes and Noble on Niagara Falls Boulevard, so they will stock extra copies of the book. If for some reason you cannot purchase the books, we will have copies in the main office that you may borrow – but not write in – starting in mid-July.

     
    Quiet
    At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer. (blurb from  //www.goodreads.com/book/show/8520610-quiet)

     

    Your assignment:

    As you read the books, you will comment and respond to the reading on an online blog set up for your class. You can access the blog on my website through Kenmore West's home page: (https://www.ktufsd.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=620)

     

    You are required to read one of these books and then post your reading reflections on our Kenmore West AP English Language website.  The outline for the discussion posts is to follow.  For now, all you need to know is that you must post four times  with your reactions to the reading and respond four different times reacting to the posts of your classmates during the time frame of July 7- August 16.  A final longer reflection is to be posted between August 25 and August 29.  It is up to you to purchase or otherwise obtain the book.  It is up to you to pace yourself and have access to the school website to post on our blog.  And it is up to you to make the most of this...it actually can be quite interesting, thought-provoking, and fun!

     

    As we are going to have a forum with students discussing separate books, please make sure that you are clear in your post as to what exactly you are talking about (the book you are reading and the topic of your post). Remember, the first lesson of good writing is that it must make sense to someone who doesn’t know exactly what you do.

     

    Once you have the page, bookmark it, so you never have to type that address again.

    On the summer reading page, you will see a chart with links to the blog pages. Due to the size of the class, we have split you into three groups – this way you do not have to read 60 responses to each assignment. In the column for your group – if your group letter is A – click on the link for group A, and this will bring you to the blog page for that book.

    There are 4 assigned postings for your book. Each posting needs to be at least 250 words long.

     

    AND
    For each assignment there is an extra response asking you to respond to what your group members have said in the assignment. Obviously, you do not have to respond each group member, but your response should clearly address one or more of the postings from the assignment. This should be an online conversation.

     

    After you have your book, and completed the 4 postings and 4 reactions (8 total), the final assignment asks to reflect on the whole summer reading/blog experience. Connect what you have read to the world around you. This posting needs to be at least 500 words long.

    Notes on the blog

    • type your response using a word processor then cut and paste it into the blog – this way you have a copy if the net hiccups and loses your response
    • your posting will be listed under a screen name you create – only I will know who is who
    • postings will not appear on the site until we approve them. I will try to do this frequently, but may actually go outside over the summer, so it may be a day or two before the posts appear on the site

    Due dates:

    In the past,  some students did not take this assignment very seriously and we've had to make some adjustments to how it's done:

    • You must email us your screen name and group number before June 25.
    • You must start by July 9. The blogs will be up and running by July 7, but not before. If you do not begin by July 9, you will be docked credit for 1 blog post per day until you begin. (Each post is worth 25 points, except for the final, which is worth 50).
    • You may not post more than one entry per day. No bombing the blog to get it all done in one day.
    • Blog entries close at 9 PM on August 12th. No exceptions.
    • Your final reflection cannot be posted until the week of August 26 – if you finish early, cool your jets and let everything sink in until then. Blogs will open at 8 AM on August 20 and end at 9 PM on August 31st . No exceptions.
    • Keep an eye on the website for times when posts will not be approved because of the ongoing humanity and family lives of your instructors….
    • If for any reason you are unable to meet these requirements (travel conflicts, camp, etc.) you must contact us BEFOREHAND to arrange an alternative method of submission. If unforeseen events crop up during the summer that may conflict with your assignment, it is your responsibility to contact us via email before any due dates, etc.
    • If you encounter technical difficulties in posting, email us with your issue as soon as it happens (along with an attachment of your post)—the time stamp of the email will count as the time of your submission. If your computer crashes, there are plenty of computers accessible at the public library.
     

    Good luck!

    Sincerely,

    Mrs. Lee and Mr. Rigney

    clee@ktufsd.org

    jrigney @ktufsd.org

     
Last Modified on June 26, 2018