Costello AP Lit

AP ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION SUMMER COURSE WORK 2012-2013

Dear AP Literature Student, Welcome to AP English Literature and Composition! Boy, are you in for it! I meanI look forward to us collectively trying to find both academic and personal growth through the universality and timelessness of literature! Yeah, thats it. Oh, and preparing for that pesky AP Lit test next May. Well do that too. Now, by choosing the AP English route, you end up leapfrogging over American Literature, which most juniors take. But fret not!.....have you stopped fretting? Ok. So this summer, well be studying two novels that explore the American Dream, as presented by two classic American writers. F. Scott Fitzgerald and Edith Wharton are known for their novels that explore the pitfalls of luxury, wealth, and social status that so many Americans strove for at the beginning of the 20th century. And yet now, a century later, many of the themes continue to ring true. Funny how that happens! In this packet, you will find the summer work assignments for this course. Read the material carefully BEFORE beginning the assignments. If you have any questions, dont hesitate to email me. I dont mind emails during the summer. In fact, I crave them.

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Required Materials Here is a list of the required materials necessary for completion of summer work. They should be obtained before Friday, June 8th: o Your own paperback copy of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald o ISBN#: 978-0743273565 [must be this edition; cover shown on front of packet] o Your own paperback copy of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton o ISBN#: 978-0486420493 [must be this edition; cover shown on front of packet] Amazon.com has new and used editions of both novels ranging from $1-$11. o Two composition notebooks (smaller size, cardboard cover, no wire spiraling) o one labeled Vocab Journal (will be used during summer) o one labeled Reading journal (will be used during school year) o Highlighter and pen for annotations and notes Summer Coursework Requirements 1. If you havent already, establish ONE consistent email address to use for everything related to AP Lit. You will be required to use this AND ONLY THIS email address for ALL web components of AP Lit, including, but not limited to email communication with Mr. Costello, Turnitin.com, and Blogger.com. While not required, I would encourage you to make sure youre using an email that at the very least includes your last name. As you start applying to colleges, its helpful to have an email address thats a bit more professional than Rebeldude@gmail.com, teamkatniss@yahoo.com, or iliketoconfusepeople@hotmail.com

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2. Create a Blogspot Some of our summer work will be turned in electronically by publishing to personal blogs. This will also allow us to read and comment on each others thoughts/insights to both supplement and prepare us for class discussion. This will also help inform and clarify our understanding of the novels. o Go to www.blogger.com o Click on Get Started (top left side of screen) and follow instructions a. When registering your blog, and when doing anything related to AP Lit, use ONE consistent email that you check frequently. o You may title the blog anything you like a. I would encourage you choose a title that in some way reflects your persona, voice, tone, motto, philosophy, approach to literature, etc. o When prompted to create your blogs URL address, you MUST follow this format: a. [your last name]aplit.blogspot.com i. No spaces, and no brackets of course ii. If the address is already taken, add an initial or a number after your last name Send Mr. Costello an email from your ONE consistent email that you check frequently with the URL address of your newly created blog. This is due before 11:00pm on Thursday, May 31st. Other notes regarding your Blogspot o Once youve got yours set up, be sure to visit my blogspot (costelloaplit.blogspot.com) and start to follow it, so that you can stay up-to-date throughout the summer. o I encourage you to start following your classmates blogs as well. I will add links to everyones page as theyre emailed to me. o Your blog MUST be set to the proper time zone (Eastern) a. From your blogspot dashboard, go to Settings and then Language and Formatting o Your blog MUST allow commenting on your posts a. From your blogspot dashboard, go to Settings and then Posts and Comments o Use the summer to play with your format, layout, features, widgets, etc. a. Make sure your blog is easy on the eyes and entertaining! o Somewhere in your layout, you MUST post a picture of yourself reading one of the novels in a strange, unusual, or exotic place. Best picture wins a prize! Post the picture before 11:00pm on Thursday, August 9th.

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3. Study literary terms (see Literary Terms packet) o In your composition notebook labeled Vocab Journal, dedicate one side of each page to three literary terms (there are roughly 100 of them). Your work in this composition notebook must be neatly handwritten. o Each page should have 2 sections for each term (template example included in packet), in order to do the following 2 tasks: o Define & Find. o Write the terms complete meaning as defined in the Literary Terms packet (yes, handwrite them) o Find the literary term/device being used in literature (preferably, but not required, to come from the summer novels), directly quoting and citing page numbers if the example if comes from summer novels. i. You MUST find examples of the literary term/device in use for half of the terms. You choose which ones. o It is strongly recommended that you complete the definitions portion of this journal before Thursday, June 7th. o You MUST complete this process BEFORE you begin studying the novels.

You will turn in your vocab journal on Monday, August 13th.

o Expect quizzes over these terms, starting in the first week of school.

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4. Study two summer reading novels (info on front and back page of packet) o You must purchase your own copy of each book, in order to highlight/annotate for reference/use in class o When purchasing each novel, make sure you are ordering according to the ISBN number (on 2nd page of this packet).

THERE ARE TWO COMPONENTS TO YOUR STUDY OF THE NOVELS:

#4.1: Annotations of your paperback copies of both novels o Before you begin studying the novels, read the article How To Mark a Book found in this packet (on page 9), as well as at http://slowreads.com/how-to-mark-a-book/ o Use the articles justification for marking a book as you read to guide your annotations. o The article, if read on the web, includes further links to give you ideas on what style of annotating a text works well for you. o This is a process to be done as you read, not after youve read. It should be a reflection of your initial thoughts, not expert analysis. o This will be used as the visual representation of how closely you studied the novels, so they are to be consistently thorough throughout the novel. You will receive points for this work. You will turn in your paperback copies of both novels, complete with annotations, on Monday, August 13th. o Also, expect a Socratic seminar as well as a timed writing regarding the two novels upon our return to school in the fall. o You will be able to use your novels for these assignments, so the more thorough, the more helpful!

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#4.2: Reading Blog via Blogger.com This assignments focus is NOT pinpoint accuracy of analysis. These blog entries should be a reflection of your initial understanding, confusion, questions, epiphanies, insights, and analysis. Its expected and likely that after more time and discussion, you will look back on your blog entries and notice the growth that has come with further studying of the material. You should feel no pressure to prove you have the right answer. Merely prove that youre thinking about what youre reading. Your blog entries should convince me that you have read and thought carefully about each novel. If your understanding of the work is wrong, yet your blog entries clearly prove that you studied the material, you may well receive full credit. Your grade is based on content what you have to say, how well you say it, your thoughts and feelings about the literature, and your analysis of the literary techniques at work! You must complete 15 blog entries for each novel o Each entry MUST range from 10-20 sentences. o You MUST spread your 15 blog entries evenly throughout the entire novel (dont write 10 blogs about the first 50 pages; dont ignore the last 50 pages)

Your grade is also based on the following guidelines: To receive full credit, you MUST include the following in each entry: The novels title italicized The authors name A quotation from the work directly quoted or embedded with your own writing, properly punctuated and parenthetically referenced An absence of mere plot summary Careful thought

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In addition to the MUSTs, you may choose any of these OPTIONS to guide your response. You should cycle through them, trying most of them out at some point. Youll notice that most of them ask you to analyze HOW various literary techniques help reveal meaning. This is why its important that you begin studying your literary terms packet before you begin studying the novels. Analysis of a major character (flat/round, static/dynamic, internal/external conflicts, dominant traits, significant actions, personal relationships, etc.) Comparison/contrast of related characters (protagonist/antagonist, foils, doubles, stock characters, etc.) Discussion of the role(s) played by a minor character Analysis of plot (exposition, narrative hook, rising action, turning point, climax, falling action, resolution, structure, patterns, etc.) Analysis of the novels speaker, narrator, point of view, etc. Analysis of the effect of setting (time, place, circumstances, etc.) Analysis of symbolism Discussion of validity and development of theme(s) Detailed response to a specific word, phrase, line, sentence, passage, or scene Comparison to another work (story, song, poem, play, film, etc.) Analysis of writers style (figurative language, imagery, sentence structure, diction, connotation, denotation, etc.) Analysis of literary techniques from your literary terms packet A statement relating an aspect of the novel to your own experiences An explanation of confusion in understanding the novel Your opinion of the work, good or bad

Again, remember that no matter which option youre choosing, they must always include all of the MUSTs listed above. It is also recommended that you read and comment on other classmates blogs throughout the summer as a way to simulate classroom discussion and contribute to a more well-rounded understanding of the novels. It is recommended that you incorporate connections youre making to other works of literature, film, music, history, art, pop culture, etc. Feel free to play around with video, pictures, links, etc. as well! Your 15 blog entries covering The House of Mirth must be posted before 11:00pm on Sunday, July 15th. Your 15 blog entries covering The Great Gatsby must be posted before 11:00pm on Thursday, August 9th.
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***Note Regarding Academic Purpose, Ability, and Integrity*** It is my expectation that you will not use outside sources, such as study guides (Internet or otherwise), to replace the close, active, and repeated reading of the material for this class, especially when used to aid in producing your summer assignments. Relying on these sites is problematic for three reasons: #1: The PURPOSE of this class is to learn the work, not learn about it. On the AP Lit test, you are asked to analyze literature, not read/regurgitate someone elses analysis. This class will help you improve your ability to analyze, but only if you avoid the short cuts that inhibit your academic growth. #2: It admits surrender and fear. You have the intelligence to excel in your analysis of the material. Using those sources as a crutch betrays your ABILITY. #3: It will violate your academic and personal INTEGRITY, as well as qualify and be treated as a violation of the Roncalli Cheating and Plagiarism policy. All summer work requires you to express your own ideas, not regurgitation or plagiarism of someone elses. These violations, no matter the assignment size and scope, will result in the consequences outlined in the student handbook. Let me be clear. I am not opposed to these resources as a method of clarification after youve first put in the work. I, too, will occasionally look to see what others have to say about the literature we study, especially when struggling. But that doesnt give license to present others ideas as our own or turn that information in when the assignment asks for original insight/analysis. Please be sure to contact me if you have any gray area questions on this matter, as it will avoid possible headaches in the future. Summer Work-Related Grades: Blog URL email [10 pts] Vocab Journal [55 pts] Annotations [45 pts] Blog Entries [65 pts] Socratic Seminar [25 pts] Essay [TBA] LATE WORK IS NOT ACCEPTED.
Throughout the summer, dont hesitate to email me with questions or concerns. If any extenuating circumstances arise, be sure to contact me well before due dates so that adjustments, if merited, can be made.
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How to Mark a Book written by a contributor to slowreads.com

From the looks of a lot of home libraries Ive been in, it would be presumptuous of me to start right in with how to mark a book. I might as well start in with how to destroy your garden. Most people would never mark a book. Most people teach their children not to color in books. (I think that coloring books are meant to wean us of this habit. Theyre a kind of nicotine patch for preschoolers.) Schoolchildren must lug around books all day and read them, but they must never mark in them. At the end of the school year, students are fined if the books have marks. So we have a nation that equates marking in books with sin and shame. To most adults, I think, books are rarefied or holy, perhaps too holy to interact with. Books crouch on shelves like household gods, keeping ignorance at bay. A small library on a homes main floor may amount to a false front, a prop to give neighbors a certain impression of their hosts intellectual life. Neighbors may get the idea that he holds a reservoir of learning that could pour out of his mouth at any twist of the conversation. But the presence of a book may have nothing to do with its impact on its owner. A lot of people never really get mad at a book. Few people ever throw a book, kiss a book, cry over a book, or reread a page in a book more than once or twice, if that. Some people never use a dictionary to find out what a big word in a book means. As a species, people dont interact with books much. Im not suggesting that you mark every book you own, any more than I would suggest that my dog mark every tree he sniffs. But you should be free to mark up most books in the most worthwhile core of your collection. My dog has his favorites, and so should you. Why mark in a book? I may retort, Why blaze a trail through a forest? I like hiking in forests, but Im a tenderfoot, and if Im going to blaze a trail, I want to do it only once per forest. Marking in a book is a great idea if you have a dreaming idea of picking the book up again someday. Its funny how people and bookstores sell used books on sites like Alibris.com and Amazon.com. The fewer the marks, the greater the price! This is backwards thinking, so take advantage of the bargains. People love the idea of a pristine forest, but wouldnt you compromise some of that pristine-ness for a well-marked trail if you wished to hike in that forest? Why annotate a book? I annotate a book for four reasons. First, I annotate a book to create trails as if I were the first person to hike through a particular forest. I may want to read the text, or part of a text, more than once. (Why else would I keep the book after Ive read it?) During my second reading, my first readings marginal comments and summaries quickly give me the gist of my first reading so I can take advantage of my second, which has its own charms. Its like Ive blazed a trail for my future self. Second, I annotate a book to interact with the author to hold up my end of the conversation. Without annotating, books are like lectures. I make reading a conversation instead by jotting down my reactions as well as new thinking a passage leads me to. Third, I annotate a book to learn what the book teaches. (To return to my dog and the trees, you might say I annotate to establish territory.) By the time I break in certain books, Ive gone beyond just the books facts and opinions. Ive learned more about subjects that interest me, and maybe Ive learned more about myself. By annotating, the book becomes my territory. In fact, the book sometimes becomes part of me in some way. Finally, I annotate my books to learn to write, or at least to learn how a book was written. My improvement in writing and in literary analysis involves close readings of writers I admire. There are patterns in the use of nouns, pronouns, verbs and other parts of speech; there are patterns in syntax and in sentence variation; and there are patterns in sound devices,

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such as alliteration and assonance. I mark these with different symbols or colors, and I connect these dots. Patterns emerge, and style emerges from patterns. To read like a writer, I have to annotate like one, too. How to annotate a book Speaking of style, youll develop your own annotation style very quickly. But like a writing style, your annotating style can always be improved even if your style works for you. So here are some ideas for annotating. First off, lets be clear: where does one annotate? In the books text and in its margins. Interlineations are notes you insert between the texts lines (difficult to do in most books). Marginalia are notes you write in the texts margins. Use marks. Use question marks to show what is unclear or confusing. Use exclamation marks or smiley faces to show your agreement or delight. Employ other marks, and invent still others with their own significance! Marginal comments serve many purposes. Summarizing a passages information in the margins can help you find information quickly and can help you go beyond a first-draft reading quickly the next time you read a passage. (Summarizing in the margins means youll never accidentally separate your summaries from the book summarized, as you might if you wrote your summaries in a notebook or somewhere else.) Stating your agreements and disagreements with the text helps keep your reading more conversational and may give you material for use in later assignments essays and discussions, for instance if youre reading for a class or book group. Reflecting on associations youre making with the text associations such as other books and movies, personal memories, and current events the text reminds you of makes the reading more personal and more valuable to you in the long run. Your books margins may begin to resemble a shorthand journal or diary! Associations, such as a song, a dream, or a stray memory, may seem random, but they may carry more psychic weight than you may realize at first. When you connect the dots during a subsequent reading, those connections can be powerful! (I love to write about how my experiences in reading a single text differ over time.) Highlight, bracket, or underline text you think will be the most significant to you when you read those pages again later. Consider labeling the text that you highlighted, bracketed, or underlined: youd be leaving a better trail for yourself for subsequent readings. Circle words youre not familiar with, look them up, and write their definitions in the margins beside them. Consider creating on a blank page in the books front or back matter a running glossary complete with the page numbers where the new words can be found in context. Mark and label a works literary and rhetorical devices. This will assist you in any assignment involving literary analysis by helping you to discover how the author gets across his material. It may also lead to an appreciation of the writers craft that could improve your own writing style! You may wish to use different shapes (triangles, rectangles, ovals) or colors to mark different literary devices. Draw a quick legend to later remind yourself of what each shape or color stands for. Make impromptu graphic organizers tables, diagrams, and the like in the margins to summarize your understanding of complicated passages. That way, you wont have to learn the material all over again in subsequent readings. Cross-reference topics and ideas that recur in the text. If youre interested in references to tragedy in a book about the history of theater, for instance, write the page number of the most important text on tragedy in the margins beside the books other references to tragedy. That most important reference to tragedy would also be a place to jot down the page numbers where all of the other references to tragedy youve discovered can be found. (You might even put letters such as T, M, or B after those page numbers to indicate that the information is at the top, middle or bottom of the page in question.) Youll be able to quickly find related material the next time you use the book!

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