Dear APLANG (AP English Language and Composition) students,
I hope you're having a wonderful summer.
This is just a reminder about summer work for AP English Language and Composition.
1. Please be sure to read Kindred (or Homer and Langley for 12th grade, if you're in 12th grade). You can find the summer reading lists and the AP work on the SOTA website sotarochester.org.
You will be asked to write a critical lens about the books sometime during the first weeks of school.
Also, check out apenglish9.blogspot.com! I'll be posting information about the books and the course on our class blog.
2. As for the grammar and style books ( Eats, Shoots, and Leaves and The Elements of Style)--They are intended to give you a review or a solid grounding in grammar and style that will be important when you take the AP test. If you are aware of grammatical/punctuation/ spelling problems you have in writing, please pay careful attention to these books. Copies of Eats, Shoots, and Leaves should still be in the SOTA library.
3. Finally, the FIVE ESSAY/SOAPSTONE ASSIGNMENT. This may take five nights of doing homework, so don't wait until the last moment! You may also want to email me with a first draft to see if you're on the right track.
Here's what you need to do:
1.Read each individual essay by different authors (you may double up on one author if you like his or her writing).
2.Print it out and make notes (annotate the essay) to help you analyze it using SOAPSTONE as a template of questions to address while analyzing the essay. Save your copies to hand in, too. When you write your essays, you do not have to follow the ordering of soapstone. Just use it to organize your information (like an outline). Do your own analysis.
***Be sure to to use text-based quotes in your essay!
3.Then, write your analysis in ESSAY FORM and TYPE IT, double-spaced, 12 point font, using an MLA heading (your name, course title, instructor, and date). 1-2 pages.
4.Be sure to include a title for your essay that indicates the title of the essay (using quotation marks) and indicating the author of the essay.
e.g. "Shooting An Elephant" by George Orwell
5. Do this for FIVE ESSAYS. You will be writing these five analysis essays as practice for the AP exam.
6. Bring in your summer reading/writing project DAY ONE of class. You will receive an A for doing all five essays well (and this is 25% of your 1st marking period grade). Also, we will be peer editing these essays in class and learning about the AP grading system during the first week, so write 5 analysis essays that you are proud of sharing with another student.
Again, I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer. Please, please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, drafts of essays, etc, or just to let me know that you received this email..
Finally, if you are not planning to take the course next year, PLEASE let Ms. Nicastro and your counselor know as soon as possible!
I am looking forward to working with all of you and to a challenging and productive school year. Do not hesitate to email me with any questions or concerns.
Enjoy your summer and stay cool!
Ms. Gamzon
I hope you're having a wonderful summer.
This is just a reminder about summer work for AP English Language and Composition.
1. Please be sure to read Kindred (or Homer and Langley for 12th grade, if you're in 12th grade). You can find the summer reading lists and the AP work on the SOTA website sotarochester.org.
You will be asked to write a critical lens about the books sometime during the first weeks of school.
Also, check out apenglish9.blogspot.com! I'll be posting information about the books and the course on our class blog.
2. As for the grammar and style books ( Eats, Shoots, and Leaves and The Elements of Style)--They are intended to give you a review or a solid grounding in grammar and style that will be important when you take the AP test. If you are aware of grammatical/punctuation/ spelling problems you have in writing, please pay careful attention to these books. Copies of Eats, Shoots, and Leaves should still be in the SOTA library.
3. Finally, the FIVE ESSAY/SOAPSTONE ASSIGNMENT. This may take five nights of doing homework, so don't wait until the last moment! You may also want to email me with a first draft to see if you're on the right track.
Here's what you need to do:
1.Read each individual essay by different authors (you may double up on one author if you like his or her writing).
2.Print it out and make notes (annotate the essay) to help you analyze it using SOAPSTONE as a template of questions to address while analyzing the essay. Save your copies to hand in, too. When you write your essays, you do not have to follow the ordering of soapstone. Just use it to organize your information (like an outline). Do your own analysis.
***Be sure to to use text-based quotes in your essay!
3.Then, write your analysis in ESSAY FORM and TYPE IT, double-spaced, 12 point font, using an MLA heading (your name, course title, instructor, and date). 1-2 pages.
4.Be sure to include a title for your essay that indicates the title of the essay (using quotation marks) and indicating the author of the essay.
e.g. "Shooting An Elephant" by George Orwell
5. Do this for FIVE ESSAYS. You will be writing these five analysis essays as practice for the AP exam.
6. Bring in your summer reading/writing project DAY ONE of class. You will receive an A for doing all five essays well (and this is 25% of your 1st marking period grade). Also, we will be peer editing these essays in class and learning about the AP grading system during the first week, so write 5 analysis essays that you are proud of sharing with another student.
Again, I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer. Please, please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, drafts of essays, etc, or just to let me know that you received this email..
Finally, if you are not planning to take the course next year, PLEASE let Ms. Nicastro and your counselor know as soon as possible!
I am looking forward to working with all of you and to a challenging and productive school year. Do not hesitate to email me with any questions or concerns.
Enjoy your summer and stay cool!
Ms. Gamzon
