2012-13 AP Lang Students' Summer Assignment

AP Language & Composition

Summer Assignment

In order to prepare for AP Language and Composition, you will need to practice your critical reading and writing skills throughout the summer.  You will have two major assignments to complete for class. You are certainly welcome to purchase your own copies of the two texts you will be reading, or you can check out copies from me or the library.  You will be required to do some annotating, an extremely valuable tool that we will use extensively next year.  To do your annotations, you can buy the book and write in it, use Post-it notes, or take notes on separate sheets of paper.  If you borrow someone else’s book that has already been annotated, please clearly mark your own annotations in a different technique or color and label it in the front cover.

Assignment Specifics 

Bring your annotations to class on the first day of school.  The written assignments will be due before you arrive in class on the first day.  In August you'll receive a reminder email from me and a welcome email from Turnitin.com.  You'll submit your documents to Turnitin. The summer assignment will be a large part of your first quarter grade—do not begin the year with zeros!

• Come prepared to discuss and be tested over the books you’ve read.
• Annotate both books – good notes tend to enhance comprehension and retention of ideas. You will turn in your annotations (either in the book or on separate paper).  Your annotations should be handwritten.
• Type all other assignments.  Please double-space and use Times New Roman, 12 point font.  Follow the other formatting rules of MLA as well.

Assignment One

Text: Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman

Availability:  I have copies of this book available for summer check-out.  Simpson has one copy of this book, as does the Indianola Public Library.  It’s available for purchase at Amazon.com new or previously owned.  A little tip:  if you want to buy both books new, you can get free shipping from Amazon when your purchase is $25 or more.  You might also borrow or purchase the books from a former AP Lang student.

Tasks: 

• Critically and closely read the text.  Keep in mind that Postman is creating an argument here.  Your   job is not to agree or disagree with him.  As a student of language and composition you should critique his argument.  Read closely to determine what his argument is, how he constructs it, and the strategies he uses in order to persuade his reader to believe it.
• Postman structures his argument by clearly defining his thesis in the first two chapters and supporting it with the rest of the book. After reading the first two chapters, TYPE a one-page summary of his main idea—the point he will argue for the rest of the book.
• As you read the rest of the book, choose 10 passages from a variety of chapters that strike you as important to his argument.  They can be passages that you think strengthen his argument or passages that you feel weaken it.  TYPE the quotes out with an MLA citation that shows where the quote came from.  Then write a paragraph for each quote explaining why you noticed the passage, how it connects to Postman’s argument, and what is interesting about the way he wrote it.  You will end up with a total of 10 quotes accompanied by 10 paragraphs.
• Consider the following questions to help you write your paragraphs:

1. Why does the passage impress, intrigue, horrify, or puzzle you?
2. Do you find the author’s use of language appealing or powerful? Does the passage jump off the page as a great descriptive passage?
3. Does it prompt a strong response from you as you read it? Does it present itself as so well-crafted that you just love the sound of it? Is the language beautiful, descriptive, graphic?
4. Is it particularly meaningful?
5. Do you find yourself in agreement/disagreement with the ideas expressed?
6. Does the passage remind you of a situation you have lived as well?
7. Does the passage make you laugh out loud? Melancholy? Something else?
8. Does the author raise intriguing questions or issues?
9. Does the passage challenge or expand your thinking?

You are not limited to the above list, nor do I expect you to answer all of the above. But your responses to the passages should clearly explain to me WHY these passages mean something to you, WHY these passages caught your attention, and HOW these passages illustrate Postman’s ideas. 

 Assignment Two

Text:  Fast Food Nation:  The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser

Availability:  I have copies of this book available for summer check-out.  Indianola Public Library has one copy of this book.  It's also available on Amazon or from previous students.

Tasks: 

• Critically and closely read the text. Again, keep in mind that your reading isn’t about whether you agree or disagree with Schlosser, just that you can pinpoint and analyze the way in which he constructs his argument and attempts to sway his readers’ opinions.  Determine whether his strategies are successful and come up with reasons for that success or failure.
• Familiarize yourself with the three tenets of rhetoric (ethos, pathos, and logos) information below.  If you need more info, you might do a little research on these rhetorical appeals.
• In two pages, show how Schlosser utilizes each of the three tenets of rhetoric (ethos, pathos, and logos).  Split the pages evenly among the tenets so that you cover all three equally. Remember, you should NOT summarize his argument—I know what his argument is. Instead, analyze his use of ethos, pathos, and logos to advance his argument(s) in the book.  Be sure to include quotes from the text to support your argument and illustrate your ideas.  Document them using MLA style.
• Possible questions to address:  By using this tenet of rhetoric, is Schlosser’s argument made stronger/weaker?  How is it improved?  How is it not improved?  Why does he use this rhetorical tenet to argue?  Does the argument lend itself to this particular appeal?

Classical Rhetoric and Aristotle

Aristotle defined rhetoric as "an ability, in each [particular] case, to see the available means of persuasion.  Some means are external to the argumentation, i.e. blackmail or threats. However, others means of persuasion are internal to an argument: logos, pathos, and ethos.

Logos

The main concern in an argumentation-persuasion presentation should be with the logos, or soundness, of your argument. This includes the facts, statistics, examples, and authoritative statements you gather to support your viewpoint. This supporting evidence must be unified, specific, sufficient, accurate, and representative. Imagine, for instance, you want to convince people that a popular charity misappropriates the money it receives from the public. Your readers, inclined to believe in the good works of the charity, will probably dismiss evidence that enhances your position unless your reasoning, or Logos, is very sound.

Pathos

Sensitivity to the pathos, or the emotional power of language, is another key consideration for creators of argumentation-persuasion presentations. Pathos appeals to a viewpoint or course of action. The pathos of a piece derives partly from the communicators choice of language. Connotative language, for example, are words with strong emotional overtones and have the ability to move the audience to accept a point of view and may even spur them to act. Adolf Hitler, during World War II, was very effective with the use of propaganda filled with elements of pathos in order to convince the country and rally support for his cause.

Ethos

Finally, whenever presenting any argument or persuasion, the establishment of ethos, or credibility and reliability is very important. The audience cannot be expected to accept or act on your viewpoint unless you convince them that you know what you're talking about and that you're worth listening to. You will come across as knowledgeable and trustworthy if you present a logical, reasoned argument that takes opposing views into account. It is also important to make sure that the appeals to emotion are not excessive. Too much emotionalism tends to undercut credibility.

Overall

The delivery of any good argumentation-persuasion presentation involves an interplay of logos, pathos, and ethos. The exact balance among these factors is determined by the audience and purpose, that is, whether or not you want the audience simply to agree with your view or whether you also want them to take action. For the execution of this, the presentation should be tailored to the audience and its needs: how much the audience knows about the issue, how they feel about you and your position, what their values and attitudes are, and what motivates them should all be taken into account.

Information accessed at http://www.ou.edu/class/engl3143/group3/

Other Important Information

FYI:  The textbook we’ll use is Everything’s an Argument by Andrea A. Lunsford, John J. Ruszkiewicz, and Keith Walters  ISBN: 0312407246.  This is the RED THIRD EDITION.  You are not required to purchase your own textbook but many AP students find it valuable and convenient to do so because it allows them to make notes right in their book.  The book is available from Amazon as a previously owned book.  Do not buy the new blue edition—it is NOT the same!

You may also consider purchasing an MLA Handbook.  You will use this book extensively in AP Lang, AP Lit (if you take it as a senior), and in college.  It is roughly $20 from Amazon.  If you don't have reliable internet at home, this is a purchase that is worth your money.

You DO NOT have to buy ANY books for this course.  However, IF you plan to buy several books new from Amazon, you can get free shipping if you buy at least $25 at once.  Therefore, it is to your advantage to plan ahead.  If you go with the used copies, you’ll pay shipping for each book separately.  Depending on the prices you find, you may come out pretty even.  Just shop around and decide what you want to do.

If you have questions over the summer about the course, your books, or the assignments, check out the resources her on the AP Lang blog.  Add it to your favorites now as it will be an integral part of our class next year.  Also feel free to email me at ms.kim.grissom@gmail.com. Enjoy your summer!  You’ve earned a nice break. =)  But don’t put your assignment off until August either—you’ll kick yourself when you’re spending the last two weeks of break reading and writing papers!