Ind Rdg Booktalk

AP English
Independent Reading

Booktalk

Rather than writing a paper over this independent reading book, I’d like you to prepare a booktalk.  This will still demand some preparation time and require you to look critically at your novel.  However, you’ll be able to skip the writing time.

You should include all of the following in your presentation:

• Author, title, and year your book was written

• Biographical and historical info on your author and his/her cultural context

• BRIEF plot synopsis

• Analysis of the novel:  what is the POINT of the book (theme/the author’s argument about society, humanity, life, etc.) and what aspects of the author’s writing show that (this is your evidence--discuss symbols, characters, setting, etc.)

• Overview of at least two pieces of professional criticism on the particular text you read or the author’s work in general.  (Do not choose criticism over another text by the same author and try to make it work.) You need professional criticism written by scholars of literature.  This criticism should come ONLY from EBSCO’s Literary Reference Center OR a print source from the MC or Dunn Library.  Sources that are not really criticism will not receive credit!

• Do some research to determine the impact of your particular text and/or author on the literary world.  What later works were inspired by this one?  Which authors/texts inspired your author?  Why is this author/text considered to be great?  (Notice I have not asked for your opinion on whether it’s great.  If you’re reading it, it is.  Instead, I want you to focus on what makes it great.)

The only thing I will collect from you is a works cited page documenting all the sources you used in preparing your presentation, including your independent reading book.  (This should be at least four sources.)  Do it right!  I’m grading for real now and you will not have a chance to re-do it.

Final Exam Study Guide

AP Language & Composition

1^st Semester Exam Study Guide

Rhetoric/Argument Terms

Matching—I’ll pull from key terms in your textbook.

Short Argument Analysis

Multi-choice and short answer—I’ll provide you a NYT article.  You’ll read it and answer questions similar to what you’ve been doing with the NYT this week.

Good Readers & Good Writers

These questions will revolve around the essays by Nabokov, Frost, and Perrine.  Go back and review those essays as well as your reading journals and/or notes.

Connections in Literature

This section will focus on your 2^nd quarter readings.  Firstly, you should be able to not only provide critical interpretations of the literature, but also pinpoint how the author uses the rhetorical model of writing to achieve his/her purpose.  Also, pay attention to the effect of literary devices—not just that they’re there, but how they function in the author’s overall purpose.  In other words, why does the author use them?

Secondly, look at the connections between the pieces of literature.  Pay attention to direct allusions, parody, etc. as well as more subtle connections.  Make sure you understand the value and purpose of connecting to previously written literature.  How does each contemporary author add to his/her purpose and overall effect by using these connections?  Be prepared to compare and contrast the audience, purpose, and meaning of each text.

Everything’s an Argument

This section will test you on your understanding of key concepts from the textbook.  Review your annotations, notes, or reread sections of the textbook with which you’re not totally comfortable.  You’ll also want to review the various kinds of writing we’ve covered this semester as there will be questions pertaining to the various rhetorical strategies in this section of the exam.

AP Multiple Choice

I’ll give you one section of an AP exam (a prose passage and the questions following).

AP Essay Prompt

I’ll give you one essay question for which you should allow yourself 40 minutes.  Remember, it’s important that you pay attention to what the prompt is asking of you and that you respond to all parts of it.

Reading Journal Conference--Written!

This must be submitted to Turnitin by midnight on Thursday.  This is an informal write-up (as if you were actually having a conversation with me) and can be brief but thorough.

1.  Evaluate yourself as a critical reader using Nabokov's standards (have EVIDENCE!!!)

• strengths and weaknesses (which rules are you following and which are you not)
• note improvement from 1st quarter

2.  Discuss your reading of each of this quarter's pairs.  Discuss the connections you see between the works and how critical reading helped you to understand that.

• Jungle and FFN
• Devil stories
• Poe and Gilman

3.  Set your READING goal for next semester.  What can you focus on to continue to improve your critical reading?