May 10, 2013
Dear Prospective Student:
Welcome to AP Language and Composition. The fact that you have been accepted into this course is a testament to your analytical skills, your writing skills, and your respect for your peers. One of my goals this year is to help build your writing skills, paying close attention to syntax and diction. In addition, you will develop your ability to learn independently as well as collaboratively. The pace of this course is fast. Expect homework to be constant and late work to be unacceptable. The effort you expend will well be worth it; by the end of this school year, you will be better prepared for university-level English courses.
To begin this preparation, I am asking that you read The Awakening by Kate Chopin and In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. You may find either copy at the library, or you may purchase the books through Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble, among other stores. After reading both novels, please read and complete the attached writing assignment.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via e-mail at . Please note that I may not respond immediately to your query, but you will receive a response in a timely matter.
I look forward to seeing you next year. Have a great summer and keep reading.
Sincerely,
Mr. Jeremy M. Boesch
English Language Arts Teacher
Timberland High School
Encl.
AP Language and Composition
Summer Reading Assignment
1. Read The Awakening and In Cold Blood
2. Complete the following writing assignment:
Choose one of the following writing prompts for your summer essay (100 points).
The Awakening is complex and subtle. Protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess "that outward existence which conforms, the inward life which questions." In a typed 1,500 word essay, Analyze how Edna conforms outwardly while questioning inwardly. Then write an essay in which you analyze how this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid mere plot summary. Your essay must reference quotes from the novel to support your points and be MLA formatted. Four reliable outside sources must be used to support your thesis statement.
OR
In Cold Blood presents a conflicted image of the notion of the American Dream. The text portrays the prosperous, homogenous, middle-class community of Holcomb, Kansas, that is forced to question its values and its sense of safety and security when the Clutter family is murdered. In a typed, 1,500 word essay, analyze the American Dream for three characters from the novel. You will need to reference the novel and four reliable outside sources for your support. Avoid simple plot summary and be sure to follow MLA formatting.
Essays must be typed and a rough draft needs to be present the first day of school. A final draft will be submitted the first week of school to Turnitin.com. The novel you didn’t choose for your summer essay will be used for your in-class multiple choice test. If you are not keeping your book for the first two weeks of school, you should take notes over both novels for referencing in class.
3. Finally, please study the AP terms packet. We will have weekly quizzes over these words after the first week of school, and some of the terminology will arise in The Awakening and In Cold Blood multiple choice tests.
To access the terminology packet, please visit www.quia.com/pages/jboesch/tap, click on “AP Terms” at the top of the webpage, and it will open as a Word document.