AP Language & Composition Summer Reading for 2017-18
- Secure and read a copy of unSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. (Mr. Restaino, room 115, has copies you may check out, but you are responsible for returning the book to him after the summer in good condition.) You may also find the book online.
- While reading unSpun:
- Take note of the types of spin tactics advertisers, speakers, politicians, writers, etc. use in the media to sway an audience.
- Collect at least three opinion articles/editorials to be used in the first week of school for spin evaluation. (See source list below.)
- Look for evidence of spin in everyday life (television, radio, the news, advertisements, books, conversations, etc.). Keep a journal of examples of spin (at least 5 entries) and be prepared to share and discuss your observations. Include the source (where you heard/saw the information) and some explanation about what spin technique(s) you observed.
- The ability to know and discuss what is going on the in world at large is a MUST for AP Lang & Comp. Begin to familiarize yourself with current events over the summer vacation. Begin by perusing any of these publications online (Some of them only let you read a certain number of free articles before they ask you to buy a subscription, but there are plenty choose from. These are good sources from which to find the opinion/editorial articles mentioned in #2 of this assignment.
Time Magazine
The Economist
NPR.org
The Atlantic
Forbes
Houston Business Journal
The New Yorker
Houston Chronicle
Dallas Morning News
The Wall Street Journal
The New Republic
The New York Times
Los Angeles Times
Boston Globe
Miami Herald
Newsweek
Chicago Tribunes
BBC.com
What You Need to Know about the Class:
- Completing the Summer Reading project is mandatory and will be assessed with no fewer than two major grades.
- The best way to be prepared for class is to do the reading and come ready to talk.
- Earning a passing grade on the AP Language & Composition exam has the potential to earn up to 6 college credits.
- AP Language & Composition is not your typical English class. We will be engaging heavily with nonfiction—news, argument/opinion, history, science, etc.—in addition to fictional works.
- Our emphasis will be on seeking to understand why writers do the things they do as we hone our analysis skills and improve the clarity and style of our own writing.
- You may contact me over the summer with any questions about the assignment and I will do my best to respond in a timely manner.
-Mr. R. F. Restaino, .