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AGENDA:

The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter is an 1850 romantic work of fiction in a historical setting, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and is considered to be his magnum opus.^[1] Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, Massachusetts, during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt.




Moby Dick

Moby-Dick; or, The Whale (1851) is a novel by Herman Melville considered an outstanding work of Romanticism and the American Renaissance. Ishmael narrates the monomaniacal quest of Ahab, captain of the whaler Pequod, for revenge on Moby Dick, a white whale which on a previous voyage destroyed Ahab's ship and severed his leg at the knee. Although the novel was a commercial failure and out of print at the time of the author's death in 1891, its reputation as a Great American Novel grew during the twentieth century. William Faulkner confessed he wished he had written it himself,^[1] and D. H. Lawrence called it "one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world", and "the greatest book of the sea ever written".^[2] "Call me Ishmael" is one of world literature's most famous opening sentences.
The product of a year and a half of writing, the book is dedicated to Nathaniel Hawthorne, "in token of my admiration for his genius", and draws on Melville's experience at sea, on his reading in whaling literature, and on literary inspirations such as Shakespeare and the Bible. The detailed and realistic descriptions of whale hunting and of extracting whale oil, as well as life aboard ship among a culturally diverse crew, are mixed with exploration of class and social status, good and evil, and the existence of God. In addition to narrative prose, Melville uses styles and literary devices ranging from songs, poetry and catalogs to Shakespearean stage directions, soliloquies and asides.
The work was first published as The Whale in London in October 1851 and then under its definitive title Moby-Dick in New York in November. There were hundreds of slight but important differences between the two editions. The London publisher censored or changed sensitive passages and Melville made revisions as well, including the last-minute change in the title for the New York edition. The whale, however, appears in both editions as "Moby Dick", with no hyphen.^[3] About 3,200 copies were sold during the author's life, earning him a little more than $1,200.

Everything is Illuminated

Everything Is Illuminated is a 2005 biographical drama film, written and directed by Liev Schreiber and starring Elijah Wood and Eugene Hütz. It was adapted from the novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer, and was the debut film of Liev Schreiber both as a director and as a screenwriter.^[3]

Everything Is Illuminated (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

        

Everything Is Illuminated
Everything Is Illuminated movie poster
Directed by	Liev Schreiber
Produced by	Marc Turtletaub Peter Saraf Matthew Stillman
Screenplay by	Liev Schreiber
Based on	Novel: Jonathan Safran Foer
Starring	Elijah Wood Eugene Hütz Boris Leskin Laryssa Lauret
Music by	Paul Cantelon Sergei Shnurov
Cinematography	Matthew Libatique
Edited by	Andrew Marcus Craig McKay
Distributed by	Warner Independent Pictures
Release dates	September 16, 2005 (2005-09-16)
Running time	104 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English, Russian, Ukrainian
Budget	$7,000,000[citation needed]
Box office	$3,601,974[2]

Everything Is Illuminated is a 2005 biographical drama film, written and directed by Liev Schreiber and starring Elijah Wood and Eugene Hütz. It was adapted from the novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer, and was the debut film of Liev Schreiber both as a director and as a screenwriter.^[3]

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Summer Reading for AP Lang 2015-2016

Summer Reading AP English Language 2015-2016

Advanced Placement

English Language and Composition

School of the Arts



OVERVIEW:

This summer you will read at least one novel or nonfiction book from the RCSD Reading List for AP LANG and AP English Lit (your choice from either list).  We will hold book circle discussions about your summer reading.

In addition, you will need to read the following reading selections in preparation for
Advanced Placement English Language and Composition this fall semester. Your first
compositions in class will be based on one or more of these readings, and we will study
them further during the first unit; therefore, you should make sure that you have a
thorough understanding of these works.


1. Eats, Shoots and Leaves Lynn Truss (for grammar review, available in library)

2. The Elements of Style Strunk and White (for style review, some available in library?)

3. In addition to the books above, read at least five essays from among the following essayists (many of these writers have essays online) or from the link below:

Joseph Addison, Margaret Atwood, Francis Bacon, James Baldwin, Wayne C. Booth,

Joan Didion, Annie Dillard, W.E.B. Dubois, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ellen Goodman,

Nadine Gordimer, William Hazlitt, bell hooks, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King,

Charles Lamb, Barry Lopez, Norman Mailer, Nancy Mairs, Toni Morrison, George

Orwell, Carl Sagan, Richard Steele, Henry David Thoreau, James Thurber, Alice Walker,

Eudora Welty, E.B. White, or Virginia Woolf.

Here is a website to find more essays:

http://grammar.about.com/od/60essays/a/classicessays.htm


In your essay, try to answer the following questions for EACH essay in a well-developed 5 paragraph essay of 1-2 pages, double-spaced, 12 pt. font (Times New Roman).  Your 5 essays should be handed in on the first day of school and you will receive an A for 20% of your first marking period grade for this summer work.  So, do a good job on these essays of literary analysis to practice for the AP exam Question #2.

 

Use these questions as a guideline, but be sure to QUOTE from the texts you have read in order to make your CLAIMS about the author's PURPOSE and STRATEGY, noting the way the author achieves this PURPOSE using RHETORICAL DEVICES!

· What is the author’s SUBJECT?

· What is the OCCASION?

· Who is the AUDIENCE?

· What is the PURPOSE of the essay?

· Who is the SPEAKER (what kind of person is the author based on and how he/she
writes the essay)?

· What is the TONE of the essay?

• How does the essay begin? (i.e. with an anecdote, or question or description, etc.)

· How does the essay end? You will need to turn in your essays on the first day of
class.


The SOAPSTone Analysis Strategy

SOAPSTone (Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone) is an acronym for a
series of questions that we must first ask themselves, and then answer, as we begin to plan
our compositions, or if we’re analyzing others’ essays and writings.



Who is the Speaker?
The voice that tells the story. Before we begin to write, they must decide whose voice is going
to be heard. Whether this voice belongs to a fictional character or to the writers themselves,
students should determine how to insert and develop those attributes of the speaker that will
influence the perceived meaning of the piece.

When analyzing others’ writing, we ask ourselves who is speaking? Is it the writer? A persona?
How can we tell? What does the writing say about the speaker?
What is the Occasion?
The time and the place of the piece; the context that prompted the writing. Writing does not
occur in a vacuum. All writers are influenced by the larger occasion: an environment of ideas,
attitudes, and emotions that swirl around a broad issue. Then there is the immediate occasion: an
event or situation that catches the writer's attention and triggers a response.

Why are we writing? What am I concerned with? Or, when analyzing others’ writing, what are
they writing in response to? What’s happening in the larger world? What is the specific reason
the person is writing (or speaking)?


Who is the Audience?
The group of readers to whom this piece is directed. As we begin to write, we must determine
who the audience is that we intend to address. It may be one person or a specific group. This
choice of audience will affect how and why we write a particular text.

When analyzing others’ writing, we have to determine who the writer had in mind, as well, and
why.

Questions to keep in mind: Is the writing intended to challenge a predicted point of view? To
build on a predicted shared point of view? Is the audience a peer group? Superiors? Other? Are
there both intended and unintended audiences?


What is the Purpose?
The reason behind the text. We need to consider the purpose of the text in order to develop the
thesis or the argument and its logic. We should ask ourselves, "What do I want my audience to
think or do as a result of reading my text?"

When analyzing others’ writing, we need to determine this same answer in regard to the purpose.
What am we, as readers, supposed to think or do as a result of this person’s writing?



What is the Subject?
We should be able to state the subject in a few words or phrases. This step helps us to focus
on the intended task throughout the writing process.

As well, when reading others’ writings, we should be able to state the subject in a few words or
phrases, as well, especially if the writing is done well.
What is the Tone?
The attitude of the author, often toward his or her writing and/or topic. The spoken word
can convey the speaker's attitude and thus help to impart meaning through tone of voice. With the
written word, it is tone that extends meaning beyond the literal, and we must learn to convey this
tone in our diction (choice of words), syntax (sentence construction), and imagery (metaphors,
similes, and other types of figurative language). The ability to manage tone is one of the best
indicators of a sophisticated writer.

Additionally, we should read others’ writings carefully to understand tone, because this meaning
is central to understanding. We look for clues that help us “hear” the writer, and thus make
judgments about his or her tone.

Source: This handout adapted from AP Central for Teachers

 

College Essay Prompts

AGENDA:


Common Core Exam   8:15-11:15!



There are hundreds of college essay prompts that various colleges and universities have used in recent years. If you are required to write a “Personal statement” along with your college application, then the prompt below may help you. Universities may not use the exact prompts that are listed here, but these will give you a good idea of what they will ask.

• Tell us about an experience where you were not successful and what you learned from the experience.
• Recall a situation when you took a risk and you know you did the right thing.
• Answer this question. How can I prepare educationally to survive in today’s global society?
• What has been your most profound intellectual experience?
• Select a novel, a movie, a poem, a musical masterpiece , or other work of art that has influenced your view on the world and the way you view yourself.
• Describe an experience you had that caused you to question or change a value that you have.
• Please provide information about yourself that you feel will completely and accurately portray you, e.g., your background, personal traits, goals, etc. Be sure to describe what influenced these factors.
• What tasks have you undertaken or done in the last year or two that has nothing to do with academics.
• If you could have a conversation with someone (living or deceased) that you consider important, who would that person be and what would the conversation be about?
• If you could be any animal you wanted, what would it be and why?
• Describe how the negative experiences in your life (death, injury, illness) have had a positive effect on your life.
• What single adjective do you think your friends and family would use to best describe you and why?
• If you could choose one quotation to describe yourself, what would it be and why?
• If you were completely free of money and family obligations, where would you spend the summer before starting college?
• If you could become someone else (real or fictional), who would it be and why?

These are just examples of college essay prompts. Colleges change their prompts from year to year, so just remember to be as complete and personal as you can. This essay will help in the determination of your educational future.

Social Issues and Current Events – Many colleges use this topic to see how up to date you are with what problems we are facing in today’s society.

• What do you feel is the most important problem that society is facing, and why?
• Pick a controversial issue on college campuses and how you would fix them.
• What do you feel is the greatest threat to our environment?

Personal Achievements – Colleges are seeking students that have achieved something in some part of their life. Don’t be surprised to see them asking you to brag about yourself a little.

• How have you demonstrated leadership both in school and in your personal life?
• Describe what sets you apart from everyone else.
• Tell us your most meaningful experience and what it means for your future.

Background and Personal Influences – Colleges want to know who you are affiliated with and where you have been. They will ask you to write about your background and what influences you have had.

• Choose one experience from your life and describe how it has affected your development.
• Name one person in your life that has been your biggest influence, and why?
• How has your family’s background encouraged the way you see the world?
• How has your education changed who you are today?

Goals and Dreams – Colleges are looking for students that have a plan for their life, and may ask what you goals you have set for yourself.

• Tell us your long-term and short-term goals.
• Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
• Why do you want to attain a college degree?