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AP/IB English 11 Summer Reading

Hello! Welcome to AP/IB English 11 and congratulations for accepting the challenge of a college-level course. We feel confident that you will learn a great deal in this class and will be a better reader and writer by the time you will have completed the course. This year’s summer ​ assignment has two components: literary and film. ​ ​

Literature

1) Read Big Fish by Daniel Wallace and be prepared for a book “did you read it” test at ​ ​ the start of the year. The first of two books we will cover at the start of the year is ​ Daniel Wallace’s Big Fish. You need to acquire and read this book in preparation for a ​ ​ test the first day of school. Remember to read carefully and mark significant passages ​ ​ for discussion.

2) A list of personal vocabulary words for each chapter. These should be words that are ​ unfamiliar to you as you read. For some chapters you might have a lot of words, and for some chapters you might not. This is fine; the idea is that you learn new words. Please keep in mind that any word in the book is fair game for a quiz when you return, so skimping on this activity is not a good idea. For each word, you need a definition, and ​ ​ you must use the word in YOUR OWN sentence. Copying sentences from the Internet ​ instead of writing your own will constitute plagiarism.

3) Acquire the book Reading Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. You should ​ ​ ​ bring this book with you the first week of school. We will be using in conjunction with Big Fish.

Film

1) The focus of the first semester will be analyzing the relationship between literature and film. We would like you to practice watching a film analytically. Please select ONE film ​ from EACH list (a total of 2 films) below, watch them, and take detailed NOTES for each. ​ Although each of the films listed is critically acclaimed and award-winning, some have controversial content. We encourage you to select a film with which both you and your parents will be comfortable. We suggest that you take a look at IMDB.com to help you select films you like, and your parents can use the parent guide to help you make your choice. We also encourage you to select films you HAVE NOT already seen, and to watch DIFFERENT films than what your friends are watching. Some films have been made more than once and some have sequels, so be sure to watch the version that matches the ​ year listed. ​

After you make your film selections, select THREE of the categories in the Questions to Consider section to serve as the focus for your film notes. Make sure your notes are ​ detailed and thorough. We will be using these notes for an assignment when you return to school, so your notes should include specific examples from the films.

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The films:

Film List #1 (Rated PG, 1976) ​ (Rated R, 2007) ​ (Not Rated, 1967) ​ (Rated PG, 1979) ​ Beasts of the Southern Wild (Rated PG-13, 2012) ​ Pleasantville (Rated PG-13, 1998) ​ The Cider House Rules (PG-13, 1999) ​ Yankee Doodle Dandy (Not Rated, 1942) ​ (Rated PG, 1989) ​ Jane Eyre (Rated PG-13, 2011) ​ Fences (Rated PG-13, 2016) ​ Schindler’s List (Rated R, 1993) ​ Nosferatu (Not Rated, 1922) ​ Psycho (Not Rated, 1960) ​ True Grit (Rated PG-13, 2010) ​ Pan’s Labyrinth (Rated R, 2006) ​ Dunkirk (Rated PG-13, 2017) ​ (Rated PG-13, 2016) ​

Film List #2 (Rated PG, 1952) ​ Marie Antoinette (Rated PG-13, 2006) ​ The Grand Hotel (Rated R, 2014) ​ Singin’ in the Rain (Not Rated, 1952) ​ Empire of the Sun (Rated PG, 1987) ​ Amistad (Rated R, 1997) ​ (Rated R, 2006) ​ Cool Hand Luke (Rated PG, 1967) ​ (Rated PG-13, 1990) ​ A Beautiful Mind (Rated PG-13, 2001) ​ (Rated R, 1989) ​ Sunset Boulevard (Not Rated, 1950) ​ The King and I (Rated G, 1956) ​ The Color Purple (Rated PG-13, 1985) ​ Chicago (Rated PG-13, 2002) ​ The Last of the Mohicans (Rated R, 1992) ​ Pride and Prejudice (Rated PG, 2005) ​ Moonstruck (Rated PG, 1988) ​

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FILM QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

**Here are some things to consider when taking notes over the films. You don’t have to ​ address all of these questions (that would be crazy!), but select THREE categories to focus on ​ for your notes. Make sure your notes are thorough and contain detailed examples! ​ ​

You should not be trying to do more than one thing while watching these films: don’t mess around with your phone, or try to listen to music, etc.

*Make sure you list the title/stars of the film you selected.

1. Plot/Point of View - How is the story told in order (chronological, flashbacks, ​ flashforwards, etc.)? How is the film narrated? Describe the point of view. Is it consistent or does it alternate? Which film seems most effective in telling the story? What seems to be the message of each story? 2. Setting - How important is the setting? How do shots that show the setting affect the ​ mood of the viewer? In which film does the setting seem to play the most significant role? 3. Characters - How are the characters costumed and made up? What does their ​ clothing and/or makeup reveal about their social standing, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or age? How do costume and makeup show the viewer who the character is? In which film(s) does costuming and makeup seem most important? 4. Shadow/Light - Do the films use a lot of shadow and light? Do you notice any colors ​ being used more than others? Why might that color be used more often? How does the use of color affect the film? Does any one film seem to use more color and light than the others? 5. Camera/Photography - Pay attention to camera use. Is the camera really close in on ​ things, or far away? Does the camera stay on one scene for a long time, or does the scene change frequently? Does it ever look like the camera is using filters? Does the camera move around a lot? Does it ever look like the camera is shaking? 6. Music/Sound - How does the music fit with what is happening on screen? Does the ​ film use music that existed before the film, or does it seem that the music was created for the film? Which film uses music most effectively? 7. Symbolism - Are there places, people, or objects in the film that might be symbolic? ​ What might that person, place, or object represent? What makes you believe this? Does one film seem to use more symbolism than the others?

******Check out this Padlet for help analyzing your films! https://padlet.com/biesterba/filmanalysis

We look forward to meeting you in August and sharing a lot of good books and good thinking!

Sincerely,

Ms. Herring and Ms. Biester

P.S. If you have questions, please feel free to e-mail: [email protected] ​ [email protected] Page 3 of 3 ​ ​