AP English III Summer Assignment 2013

AP English III Summer Assignment 2013 Mrs. Fernandez

AP Language and Composition is a college-level course focusing on close and critical reading, many of nonfiction texts. Students will also write extensively, mastering three basic types of writing: analysis, argument, and synthesis. In order to prepare for our readings and writings, you should first become aware of the pressing issues in your larger world. These issues may be political, environmental, cultural, military, social, global, economic, educational, scientific, etc.

Some of the best writers in America today are columnists and journalists whose writings about our world are syndicated by major American newspapers. What you will notice about these writers is that they have a “voice,” a unique personal style that reveals their control of language. What they have to say is important, as is how they say it.

The assignment: Read, annotate, and analyze 10 columns from a reputable journalist/columnist published in a reputable newspaper, magazine, or blog. The lists above and below will help you choose credible sites and writers. If you would like to read a columnist not on these lists, choose one from a major newspaper, magazine, or blog. If you have questions, you may email me at [email protected] .

For each column do the following:

1. Print the article, making sure the date, title, author and source are present. Read and annotate the article. Please note: simply highlighting, underlining, or circling does not fulfill the requirement of annotating.

2. Concisely summarize the main points of the article. (1st paragraph)

3. Agree with, disagree with, or qualify the main points. (2nd paragraph)

4. Discuss the style of the article. Some things you may notice: word choice (diction), tone, metaphorical language, organization, use of anecdote, etc. (3rd paragraph)

5. Write a rhetorical précis. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS ARE ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE

Each column will be worth 10 points. Each column will be assessed using the following scale: effective analysis (10 points); adequate plus analysis (9 pts); adequate analysis (8 pts); adequate minus analysis (7 pts); needs improvement analysis (6 pts); incomplete analysis (3-5 pts); no analysis (0 pts)

This assignment is due the first day of school and will be a major grade.

Remember you will be turning in two parts for each column:

 The multi-paragraph summary (instructions above)  The rhetorical précis (instructions on the following page)

For each column that you read, you should annotate or respond in the margins. I will grade your annotations by seeing if you have done the following:

 Comment on what the write is saying

 Agree or disagree with him or her

 Question what the writer is saying

 Underline or highlight interesting ideas

 LABEL sections of the column that appeal to the emotions (pathos), logic (logos), and a sense of doing the right thing (ethos).

Instructions for the rhetorical précis:

In a four sentence format, the rhetorical précis offers a short account of an article, essay, or resource that does more than summarize its content.

Sentence 1: Name of author, the genre and title of the work, date in parentheses, a rhetorically accurate verb (such as “asserts,” “argues,” “suggests,” “implies,” “claims,” etc.) and a THAT clause containing the major assertion (thesis statement) of the article or essay.

Sentence 2: An explanation of how the author develops and/or supports the thesis, usually in chronological order.

Sentence 3: A statement of the author’s apparent purpose, followed by an “in order” phrase indicating the change the author wants to affect in the audience.

Sentence 4: A description of the intended audience and the relationship the author establishes with the audience.

Sample:

Sheridan Baker, in his essay “Attitudes” (1966) asserts that writers’ attitudes toward their subjects, their audiences, and themselves determine to a large extent the quality of their prose. Baker supports this assertion by showing examples of how inappropriate attitudes can make writing unclear, pompous, or boring, concluding that a good writer “will be respectful toward his audience, considerate toward his readers, and somehow amiable toward human failings” (58). His purpose is to make readers aware of the dangers of negative attitudes in order to help them become better writers. He establishes an informal relationship with his audience of college students who are interested in learning to write “with conviction” (55). (Notice the paragraph follows the pattern that the rhetorical précis should follow.)

List of Syndicated Columnists:

Charles Blow – New York Times John Gould – Christian Science Monitor David Brooks – New York Times Bob Herbert – New York Times Art Buchwald – Washington Post Arianna Huffington – The Huffington Post Gail Collins – New York Times S. Amjad Hussain – Toledo Blade Maureen Dowd – New York Times Molly Ivins – Fort Worth Star Telegram Thomas Friedman – New York Times Garrison Keillor – Baltimore Sun Ellen Goodman – Boston Globe Charles Krauthammer – Washington Post Verlyn Kinkenborg – New York Times Kathleen Parker – Washington Post Leonard Pitts, Jr. – Miami Herald Frank Rich – New York Times Paul Krugman – New York Times Anna Quindlen – Newsweek Michelle Malkin – San Diego Sorce Brent Staples – New York Times Peggy Noonan – Wall Street Journal William Safire – New York Times George Will – Newsweek

You may also find columnists at: http://www.blueagle.com “Arts and Letters Daily” (ww.aldaily.com/)