RE: AP English Literature and Composition Summer Coursework and Course Introduction 2015

Dear Student,
Greetings and welcome to AP English Literature and Composition here at Alamosa High School! I would like to congratulate
you on challenging yourself in taking a rigorous course. While this class may challenge you, the reward for the successful completion
of this course will benefit you in all linguistic and thinking capacities as you will learn to confront the written wordand the world
surrounding written languagefrom your own critical point of view. Allow me to quote Walt Whitmans words from the second
section of Song of Myself:
Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems,/ You shall possess the good of the earth and the
sun (there are millions of suns left,)/ You shall no longer take things at second or third handnor look through my eyes of
the dead,/ nor feed on the spectres in books,/ You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,/ You shall
listen to all sides and filter them for yourself.
Your goaljust as Whitman proclaims is to encounter and filter literature for yourself. You may not be an expert by next May,
but you will be able to read and analyze with a critical eye. Our goal is to understand how to encounter literature.
With a goal in mind, you (the student) must appropriately prepare for the course over the summer. The tasks that I have
assigned are not intended to be viewed as tedious or intimidating; instead, these tasks are designed to prepare you for the course. The
summer tasks assigned will allow you to encounter: 1.) some crucial language and terminology that will commonly be used; 2.) a
sample of a typical reading that we be required; and 3.) an opportunity to analyze the reading at an appropriate level of thought. If
done correctly and with fidelity, the summer tasks will allow us to start our study of literature immediately as everyone should have
the same background knowledge and practice prior to class.
As you read through the attached documents, you will find a handout outlining the basic requirements for the course, a
reading assignment, a writing assignment, and a handout outlining my expectations for your writing assignment, due dates, and a
summer coursework contract. If you should need any further assistance, you may contact me via email after carefully reading the
attached documents at ajlopez@alamosa.k12.co.us. You may also visit our class website at http://www.aplopezchat.weebly.com for
another copy of these documents.
Once again, congratulations on your decision to challenge yourself! I look forward to a great year!
Best Regards,

Mrs. Lopez

Course Introduction and Requirements

Course Description: The AP English Literature and Composition course is designed to guide young readers in developing a critical
eye. Students will learn to interpret literature independently and semantically while considering both external and internal influences
on any given literary work. This course provides students with a wide range of literature and literary genres in order to allow students
multiple opportunities to interpret language from various angles: students will study works by contemporary and classic American and
British authors as well as translations of classic world literature. Through reading, students will confront historical and societal issues
that influence cultures around the world. While studying literature, students will be given the opportunity to interact with the language
through writing in order to explore, connect, analyze, synthesize, and interpret. Students will study college-level texts and are
expected to approach all materials maturely and with an open mind.
Required Materials: Students must be prepared with pens (blue/black ink only), course notebook (two inch binder), college ruled
paper, highlighters or colored pencils, sticky notes, and a USB storage device.
Writers Notebooks: Throughout the course of the year, students are expected to organize and maintain a writers notebook. This
notebook should be a two inch binder containing seven sections:
1.) A section for dialectical responses in which students closely study, annotate, and analyze various passages.
2.) A vocabulary bank that students are expected to supplement and utilize throughout the year when both writing and speaking.
3.) A free response section in which students will annotate passages and respond to specified prompts regarding analytical and
evaluative tasks designed for each unit.
4.) An inquiry section designed for students to prepare for Socratic Seminars and research.
5.) An AP practice section.
6.) A poetry/ short story section to collect works assigned throughout the year.
7.) A symbols/ archetypes/ allusions section in which you will compile key literary elements used to study literature.
Writers notebooks will be scored weekly. Notebooks should demonstrate evidence of continuously improved writing ability. Writing
ability includes idea development, organization, fluency, mechanics and usage, diction, and voice.
Writers Workshops: Students will engage in bi-monthly workshops designed to offer students the opportunity to evaluate one
anothers writings or to refine personal writing skills. Students are expected to provide their peers with honest evaluations that focus
on the craft and defining principles of strong writing. Students are also expected to value one anothers feedback and time by
presenting writing that demonstrates quality thinking and efforts. In addition, students will meet with the teacher twice per semester to
discuss writing progress outside of class time. All workshops are designed to support revision.
Socratic Seminars: Students will engage in bi-monthly Socratic Seminars in order to discuss literature and concepts of study. Socratic
Seminars are designed to allow students the opportunity to express and support interpretations and evaluations in a safe environment.
Socratic Seminars will be prepared outside of class and all work will be emailed to me before the class session in which the Seminar
will take place.

Timed Writings: Throughout the year, students will engage in timed writings in preparation for the AP Exam. Students will complete
a minimum of one timed writing task per unit. Timed writings will be a combination of teacher created prompts and previous AP
prompts. Timed writings must be completed in class. Timed writings will be scored by the teacher and conferenced during writers
workshop time.
Formal Essays: Students will compose multiple essays over the course of the year. All essay prompts are designed to allow students
to form a thesis that demonstrates critical thinking and originality, as well as offer students the opportunity to demonstrate their
understanding of texts and concepts covered in class. Essays will be assigned in advance with set due dates. Students are expected to
complete most essays out of class. Formal essays will be the focus of many workshops throughout the year.
Academic Integrity: AP English Literature and Composition Courses require students to think, speak, and write in new and
challenging ways. It is crucial that students are diligent about citing sources and crediting appropriate ideas. With writing maturity
comes responsibility. Students are indisputably responsible for all assignments turned in and will earn a zero for any instances of
blatant or accidental plagiarism.

Summer Reading/ Writing Assignment

You are required to read one text over the summer. In addition to the required text, I have also provided suggestions for other texts that
you may choose to read in preparation for the course.
Required Text:
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (You may use any addition, preferably one with an introduction.)
This text may be checked out from the local library, or you may purchase a copy. Amazon.com sells copies of the text starting at
$0.99. You will want to have a copy of the text for the first few weeks of school.
Suggested Texts/ Sources:
Foster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature Like a Professor. New York: Harper, 2003. Print.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. Modern Language Association, 2009. Print.
http://www.thepoetryfoundation.org
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Writing Task:
As you read Northanger Abbey, you will write one to two paragraphs for each of the assigned Key Terms and Concepts. The terms
are intended to help to read the text critically; be sure to read over them before starting the text. Please observe the following:

Type your written responses as one MLA-formatted document.

Indicate each term/ concept with bold, centered headings. There is no need to add extra spaces between each term.
Explain how each term is present in the text. Feel free to speculate about the importance of this element within the text.
Some sections may be longer than others. This is okay. If it takes you two paragraphs to explain narration, but only a few

sentences to discuss a literary device, that is fine.

Please cite when necessary. Avoid citations for summary.
Please feel free to research any key term/ concept. Just be sure to include a works cited page at the end of your paper citing
the novel and any other sources you may have used. (Remember that plagiarism is not just taking someone elses words, but
also ideas.)

Key Terms/ Concepts #1

Archetype: Literary archetypes are common way that many critics read and analyze literature. Simply stated, an archetype is a pattern
that occurs in most forms of literature and art. The word archetype comes from the Greek word arkhetupon which can be literally
translated as first molds or something molded first from a model. It is important to remember the origin of the word because it
serves as a reminder that archetypes are theorized to be symbols and patterns that appear universally in all forms of literature, no
matter when or where it was written. Common archetypes include light/ dark, colors, numbers, and character types. Please choose two
to three and discuss.
Motif: A motif is a recurring symbol, theme, or idea in a text. The motif is usually important and symbolic in nature. For example,
doors are a motif in A Lesson Before Dying, representing the thresholds of identity and mockingbirds and honesty are motifs in To Kill
a Mockingbird. (Please find no more than two.)
The Sublime: The concept of The Sublime is a complex psychological theory that Edmund Burke proposed in his 1757 book A
Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of the Sublime and Beautiful. Essentially, an individual experiences a sublime moment when
confronting something terrifying that also induces excitement or pleasure. For example, an individual might be standing on a cliff,
looking out into the ocean. It is terrifying to feel so small and vulnerable, but gratifying to feel free. This concept is common in Gothic
literature, which Jane Austens novel is said to parody. Please note that characters are not actually injured during sublime moments.
Satire: There are two main types of satire: Horatian and Juvenalian.

Horatian satire is light-hearted satire. It is usually an ironic and witty way to mock or ridicule a situation.
Juvenalian satire is a bitter or angry version of satire. It often uses sarcasm (and irony and wit) to ridicule a situation.

Please dedicate this section to identifying the type of satire used in the novel. Provide an example of satire and explain what makes it
satirical.
Apostrophe: This literary version of an apostrophe is not a form of punctuation. An apostrophe is a figure of speech in which
someone (in this case a character) addresses an abstract quality or non-existent character. A famous example is Charlotte Brontes line,
Reader, I married him in Jane Eyre. Please find one to two examples and discuss.
Entrapment: This is a Gothic horror device. Often times a character is physically trapped, but as Gothic novels evolved, the character
becomes trapped in a situation. The situation can be societal entrapment as in To Kill a Mockingbird or more personal/internal
entrapment. Please consider how entrapment occurs within the novel. Who is entrapped? Why?
Narrator: You all know this one! A narrator is the voice telling the story. Think about the type of narrator in this novel:

Unreliable Narrator- This is the type of narrator whose bias is questionable. You may not be able to believe everything that

is told because s/he is untrustworthy or have an opinion.

Nave Narrator- A nave narrator may be nave, or unknowing, in regards to experience or a specific situation. A nave

narrator may not be giving all of the information because they do not know everything that they need to.
The Detached Observer- This narrator simply tells the story, no emotion or narrative voice will be evident.
The Commentator- This narrator will tell the story, but will take time to provide personal commentary or observations.

Due Date:

You must have all summer coursework completed on the first day that you have this class. Please come to class prepared with your
binder. Students may submit a copy of the assignment electronically as early as August 17. Students who turn in their assignments
early will be awarded extra credit as it helps my grading load.

***EXAMPLE***
Dickens 1
Charles Dickens
Mrs. Lopez
AP English Literature and Composition
08 August 1842
Key Terms and Concepts #1: Place Your Brilliant Overall Title Here
Archetype
Start writing your first section in regard to the first literary term/ concept. You must cite any sources you use. Secondary
sources, such as Spark Notes, must be cited as well. Be honest; never take credit for an idea that is not entirely your own.
Motif
Write about the next term/ concept. Now stop reading this. Why are you still reading this? Shouldnt you be working on your
summer coursework for AP English Literature? Surely you will never write an obscure story about a couple of cities at this rate
Have a good summer.

Student Contract
As a student in AP Literature and Composition, you must affirm that you have received and agree to the requirements for the course.
By signing this document, you are certifying that:
1.

You have received the 2015 version of the AP English Literature and Composition Summer Coursework and Course

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Introduction packet.
You agree to the due dates provided.
You agree to purchase or check out the assigned text from the library.
You agree to compile all work with integrity. You agree to the outlined consequences for plagiarism.
You are aware of the required materials and agree to obtain all materials.
You agree to approach all materials and course meetings maturely.

Signed _______________________________________________

Date ______________________________