Mount Olive High School. Summer Reading Program. English IV AP Literature & Composition

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1 Mount Olive High School Summer Reading Program English IV AP Literature & Composition June 2018 Dear Super Senior Scholar (since that s what you are!): It is with great pleasure that I pass along this and some materials including two books! -- to welcome you to next year s AP Literature & Composition class, or as I prefer to call it, Literature Geekdom. You can look forward to a year of close reading and introspection; intensive writing and analysis, and the ability to discuss and even present to your peers your views on a full range of literature, including classic and contemporary novels, prose, poetry, short stories and plays. Our goals in English IV AP Literature & Composition truly follow the core words in the title of the course; focusing on literature, looking at author purpose and how this purpose is manifested through the use of literary devices, and writing about this in sophisticated, original, analytical and cohesive prose. In addition, class will also encompass the instruction and activities you have become familiar with and have enjoyed over your Language Arts career here at Mount Olive High School: grammar/language skills; vocabulary work; research; multi-media projects and even creative writing. The AP Literature & Composition Summer Reading Assignment has been designed to not only get you acquainted with the course, but to also allow you to delve into the level of work that is to come. In the first month of class we will be focusing on F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby and Ayn Rand s The Fountainhead, as well as poetry. Both these titles thematically touch on the American Dream and personal dreams, the Human Condition, focus on character development, symbols and narrative voice, and are wonderful examples of how authors illustrate their ideas and purpose via their use of literary devices. For your summer assignment half of which is due to me our very first class, meaning one of the two books, The Great Gatsby! -- you are to read, Double Entry Journal, AND IN THE CASE OF THE GREAT GATSBY ONLY thoroughly annotate the book. You should already be familiar with the Double Entry Journal format (or two-column, Cornell Notes-type structure, if these are words that are more familiar to you), with text on the left, and connections, questions, comments on the right. Be sure to type all your DEJ s, and use page numbers for your text references, as you will need this evidence in our classroom discussions and projects, and for all your AP-style/9-point rubric assessed essays. Rubrics for both the Gatsby annotations and the Double Entry Journals for both books are attached to help you in your endeavors. More specifically for the summer assignment:

2 For The Great Gatsby, focus on how the narration and the narrator s credibility affects your view of the characters here and author purpose. In addition, look at the symbols Fitzgerald uses to manifest his ideas and connect this to the poem I am giving you in this packet, Robert Frost s Nothing Gold Can Stay. Look at the poem s content, meaning and style and comment on this at the close of your Double Entry Journals when you have finished the full novel. Be aware that you will also be writing your first AP style essay on this novel your first week back, using the attached prompt on symbols, which will be assessed using a 9-point AP style Free Response Essay rubric. YOUR COMPLETED READING, THE ANNOTATED NOVEL AND YOUR DEJ S ARE DUE OUR FIRST DAY IN CLASS! For The Fountainhead, focus on characters/characterization, and the idea that several pairs of characters here could be considered foils. Show how this manifests the author s theme and purpose. While I will not be collecting these, you may want to post-it note some key characterization/text as you go along so you can not only use this text for your DEJ s here, but also to support your class commentary. And know that upon our return to school, you will be researching Rand s philosophy of Objectivism, for a deeper understanding of the book (you can feel free to Shmoop, or do this on your own, prior to us meeting if you re feeling bold!). THE DOUBLE ENTRY JOURNALS FOR THE FOUNTAINHEAD ARE DUE THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER 2018, PROBABLY THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 17 th. Know that these two novels are just the beginning of a literary journey that will take you through other works which may include Death of a Salesman, A Streetcar Named Desire, One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest, Things Fall Apart, Slaughterhouse-five and selections from Welcome to the Monkey House, Taming of the Shrew, The Scarlet Letter, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Ethan Frome, As I Lay Dying, Wuthering Heights, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Waiting for Godot, Mrs. Dalloway, The Hours, Hamlet, and Snow Falling on Cedars, along with scores of short stories and poems ranging from classic to contemporary pieces. Also know that I read every word my students write, and I am very familiar with the range of online sources that are available about our literary works, including teacher websites. One of the overarching goals in this class is to get you to read, think, and write critically and originally meaning it s all about your ideas and words, not those of others! I do check over the summer, so feel free to contact me at astrahl@mtoliveboe.org (preferably though I also check my gmail account, audrey.strahl@motsd.org) if you have questions or comments. You will also have a Google classroom set up for September, with our syllabus and other key items. Enjoy! Look forward to having you in class in September. Ms. Strahl

3 Here s the Robert Frost poem you are to analyze, annotate, write up and connect to your work in your Gatsby Double Entry Journals: Nothing Gold Can Stay Nature s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf s a flower; But only so an hour. 4 Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay. 8

4 ANNOTATION/POST-IT NOTING RUBRIC (A range 90 to 100 points) *Text has been thoroughly annotated with questions, observations and reflections of the content as well as the writing. *Comments demonstrate analysis and interpretation thinking beyond the surface level of the text. Thoughtful connections to the components and purpose of the literary work, including the elements of fiction (or poetry, prose, drama) and literary devices. *Annotation covers full length of work attention paid to all chapters, verses, paragraphs and acts/scenes. (High B range 86 to 89 points) *Text has been annotated reasonably well with questions, observations and/or reflections of the content as well as the writing. *Comments demonstrate some analysis and interpretation thinking somewhat beyond the surface level of the text. Attempts at making connections to all elements, devices of the work have been made. *Annotation covers most of work covering a thorough range of the material. (Lower B range 80 to 85 points) *Text has been somewhat annotated with at least one of the following: questions, observations, and/or reflections of the content and possibly the writing. *Comments demonstrate an attempt to analyze and/or interpret the text. *Annotation covers some of work covering some aspects of the material. *Text has been briefly annotated. (C range 71 to 79 points) *Commentary remains mostly at surface level. Little or no effort to analyze/interpret the text. *Commentary suggests thought in brief sections of work. (Minimal/Failing range 70 points and below) *Little or no effort has been made to annotate the text, or cover the material. Name:

5 Section: DEJ (Double Entry Journal Rubric) Component Content (20 pts./x4) Journals are clear and specific. Strong detail presented. Journals are less clear. Details are less appropriate, could use clarification. Journals seem off topic. Details are random, and are not connected to focus of assignment. Organization (10 pts./x2) Journals are well organized, with strong text on left, and detailed questions, observations and reflections on right (or in a reasonable facsimile). Journals are somewhat organized, with some important text, and reasonably clear questions, and/or observations and reflections. Journals need structure. Format seems random, with text choices and commentary lacking organization and focus. Scope (10 pts./x2) Journals cover full range of work. Journals cover some of work. Journals cover very little of work. Connections (25 pts./x5) Connections are thorough, establishing relationships to text, self and life. Connections are somewhat clear, establishing some relationship to text and/or self and life. Connections are unclear, lacking focus and relevance to text and/or self and life. Interpretation/ Analysis (25 pts./x5) Comments display a thorough and original analysis and interpretation of work and main ideas/purpose. Comments demonstrate some clear analysis and interpretation of work and main ideas/purpose. Comments remain mostly at surface level of work. Lack depth and understanding of work and main ideas/purpose. Conventions (10 pts./x2) Writer shows strong command of grammar, punctuation and proofreading. Writer makes fair attempt at using proper grammar, punctuation and proofreading skills. Writer shows limited understanding of proper grammar and punctuation, and needs to proofread! Final assessment (up to 100 pts. or can be scaled down accordingly)

6 AP Literature and Composition Scoring Guidelines Free Response Essay/Question #3 The score reflects the quality of the essay as a whole its content, its style, its mechanics. Students are rewarded for what they do well. The score for an exceptionally well -written essay may be raised by 1 point above the otherwise appropriate score. In no case may a poorly written essay be scored higher than a These essays offer a persuasive analysis of the work and presents an insightful look at the task set up by the prompt, including looking at required elements of the author s style, and their function in the work and what it reveals about the meaning of the work as a whole and author purpose. Although these essays offer a range of interpretations and choose to emphasize different ideas, they also provide convincing readings of the prompt in question and the work and demonstrate consistent and effective control over the elements of composition in language appropriate to the analysis. Their textual references are apt and specific. Although they may not be error-free, these essays are perceptive in their analysis and demonstrate writing that is clear and sophisticated, and in the case of an essay that earns 9 points, especially persuasive. 7 6 These essays offer a reasonable response to the prompt and literary work and an effective analysis of the relationship between them. Such essays demonstrate the ability to express ideas clearly with references to the text, although they do not exhibit the same level of effective writing as those in the 9 8 range. They are less thorough or less precise in their discussion, and their analysis of the relationship between the two is less convincing. Essays scored 7 6 are generally well written, but those earning a 7 demonstrate more sophistication in both substance and style. 5 These essays may respond to the assigned task with a plausible reading of the literary work, but they may be superficial in their analysis. They often rely on paraphrase, but paraphrase that contains some analysis, implicit or explicit. Their analysis may be vague, formulaic, or minimally supported by references to the texts. There may be minor interpretations of the work. These essays demonstrate control of language, but the writing may be marred by surface errors. They are not as well conceived, organized, or developed as those in the 7 6 range. 4 3 These lower-half essays fail to offer an adequate analysis of the work. The analysis may be partial, unconvincing, or irrelevant, or it may ignore a key element of the prompt. Evidence from the work may be slight or misconstrued, or the essays may rely on paraphrase only. The writing often demonstrates a lack of control over the conventions of composition: inadequate development of ideas, accumulation of errors, or a focus that is unclear, inconsistent, or repetitive. Essays scored a 3 may contain significant misreading and/or demonstrate inept writing. 2 1 These essays compound the weaknesses of those in the 4 3 range. Although some attempt has been made to respond to the prompt, assertions are presented with little clarity, organization, or support from the literary works themselves. The essays may contain serious errors in grammar and mechanics, may offer a complete misreading, or may be unacceptably brief. Essays scored a 1 contain little coherent discussion of the literary works. 0 These essays do no more than make a reference to the task. These essays are either left blank or are completely off topic.

7 Ms. Strahl s Super Senior Scholars Intro Packet AP Prompt for First Open-Ended In-class Essay Taken from 2009 test: A symbol is an object, action or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the character or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. AP Prompt for Second Open-Ended In-class Essay Taken from 2008 test: In a literary work, a minor character**, often known as a foil, possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of the minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil to a main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning of the work. You may choose a work from the list below or another appropriate novel or play of similar literary quality. Do not merely summarize the plot. **(Note: you will be pairing up two major characters from The Fountainhead).

8 AP 9 POINT RUBRIC GRADE CONVERSION SCALE Scores Point Value Percent Value