Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

Westmont High School 2007 Summer Work for

Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition

Instructor: Andy Evans

Website: http://schoolnotes.com/95008/mrevans.html

email: aevans@cuhsd.org

Assignments:

 

I.  Review of a Shakespearian play that you see after June 10, 2007.  Due date: the first day of our class.  No exceptions.  The four elements described below must be on separate pages and stapled together in the following order:

 

            1.  Proof (A ticket stub or playbill).

 

2.  After viewing the play, write a detailed review of the performance.  You can critique the acting, set design, lighting, sound effects, special effects, props, gestures, machinery, costumes, direction.  What did you enjoy?  Detest?  This writing assignment can be formal or informal.

           

3.  Diction Choices.  In the review, bold your six most effective vocabulary choices.  Then, in this section of the review, argue how and why your choices are powerful and effective.  Why did you choose these words? Why are they significant?  What other synonyms could you have chosen and why is your word more effective?

 

4.  Powerful sentence.  In the review, underline your most effective sentence.  Then, in this section, explain why this sentence is the best one in your review.  What makes it powerful? Diction? Syntax? Examples?

 

  ¥Please refer to the review example by Megan Hoewisch found later in this packet.

 

  ¥Please refer to the following website for tips on writing a review:

            http://www.angelfire.com/ego/westmontdrama/How2Critique.html

 

  ¥Some local spots for Shakespearian plays include:

1.  Shady Shakespeare Company (Saratoga): www.shadyshakes.org  (Macbeth and The Tempest). Admission is free.

            2.  California Theater Center (Sunnyvale):  www.ctcinc.org

3.     Los Gatos Shakespeare Festival:

http://www.festivaltheatreensemble.org/ (Pericles and Julius Caesar).

4.  Shakespeare Santa Cruz: www.shakespearesantacruz.org  (Much Ado About Nothing and The Tempest).

5.  The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival: www.sfshakes.org (A Midsummer NightÕs Dream).

6.  The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland, OR.).  www.osfashland.org (As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, and The Taming of the Shrew).

 

 

II.   Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.  Due date: the first day of our class.  No exceptions. 

 

1.  There will be a multiple choice test on this novel.  Students should be familiar with sentence patterns (see website) and literary terms (see website).  Students will need their book to take the test.  Please review the sample test in this packet.

 

2.     Be prepared to answer the following five questions. Bring notes/writing.  You will be evaluated on your responses.

 

i.  Shelley has uniquely framed her story (chronology, narrators).  Explain her framing and how this impacts the meaning of the novel.

 

ii.  In literature, minor characters play a pivotal role.  Pick a character from the provided list, explain his role in the novel and his impact on the meaning.  Characters: Alphonse, Justine, De Lacey, M. Waldman, M. Krempe.

 

iii.  The full title of the story is:  Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus.  Explain ShelleyÕs allusion and how this (the allusion) fits her story.

 

iv.  Theme: Intelligence is both a blessing and a curse.  How is this true for Victor?  For the creature?  For others?

 

v.  Theme:  Good vs. Evil.  Does Shelley argue that humans are inherently good or that humans are inherently evil?  Support with examples.

                       

 

III.   Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton.  Due date: the second day of our class.  No exceptions.

 

1.     There will be a multiple choice test and a timed essay on this novel (the prompt will come from one of the previous AP English essay questions found later in this packet).  Students should be familiar with sentence patterns (see website) and literary terms (see website).  Students will need their book to take the test.

 

2.     Be prepared to answer the following five questions.  Bring notes/writing. You will be evaluated on your responses.

 

i.  AuthorÕs style.  Paton vividly describes the various settings in his novel.  What did you notice about his word choice and imagery with the particular settings (StephenÕs home, ArthurÕs home, Johannesburg, etc.)?

 

ii.  Stephen Kumalo continually loses his innocence (he becomes less and less na•ve).  List in chronological order all the events that lead to his loss of innocence.

 

iii.  Theme:  (HereÕs something we can all relate to) Children disappointing their parents.  How/when/where in the story do sons (James and Absalom) reconcile with their fathers?

 

iv.  Msimangu:  List 5-6 adjectives to describe this character.  Provide a quote by him that best describes him.  Provide an explanation of this quote.

 

v.  Theme:  Racial injustice.  List five moments in the story where you see racism.  Then, list all the moments where James Jarvis supports/aids Stephen Kumalo.

 

3.  On  8 1/2 x 11 paper, students will place one word that best represents the theme of the novel.  This word can be accompanied by other artwork, drawings or collages to make a highly visual piece of art.

 

IV.  Hamlet by William Shakespeare.  Due date: the third day of our class.  No exceptions.

 

1.  There will be a test featuring quotes, a multiple choice exam, and a timed essay on this play. Students should be familiar with sentence patterns (see website) and literary terms (see website).  Students will need their book to take the test.

 

2.     Be prepared to answer the following three questions.  Bring notes/writing.

You will be evaluated on your responses.

.

i.  Barnardo begins the play by asking, ÒWhoÕs there?Ó  How might ÒwhoÕs thereÓ be a theme to the play?

 

                        ii.  Poison is a motif.  List all of the times that poison appears in the play.

 

iii.  The most quoted line from literature comes from the play when Hamlet poses the question, ÒTo be or not to be?Ó  When does he provide the answer to this question?

 

3.  How are Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras foils?  Create a Venn Diagram that shows their similarities and differences.  Please refer to Venn Diagram example in this packet.

 

3.     A student must also bring in a tangible, physical object that symbolizes a character in the play.  Be prepared to explain the symbolism.  You will be assigned a character on the second class day.

 

 

 

 

Expectations  (You will be tested on and held accountable for the following):

 

¥Rules for writing assignments:  MLA format, double-space, 12-point Times New Roman font, creative title, citing of sources, Works Cited page.

 

¥Proper heading is:

                                                                                                                        Last Name 1

  Wonderful Student

  Mr. Evans

  AP English 1

  June 20, 2007

 

¥Know all of the literary terms listed on these websites:

            http://www.schoolnotes.com/95008/apliteraryterms.html

            http://www.schoolnotes.com/95008/apliteraryterms2.html

 

¥Know the sentence patterns on this website:

            http://www.schoolnotes.com/95008/sentencepatterns.html

 

¥Know the elements of a strong thesis statement (argument and divisions of proof that use parallel structure).

 

¥Know the elements of a strong introduction (attention-getter, clarification/explanation of attention-getter, funnel/segue to thesis, thesis). 

 

¥Have several challenging topics in mind for your Senior Project Research Paper.

 

¥Understand the Ò7 Methods to Understanding LiteratureÓ and be able to apply them to all items on our summer reading.  Please refer to handout in this packet.

 

¥Supplies: All students should have the following supplies in class every day. 

  *Black pens/red pens/pencils.           *Class books.

  *A large three ring binder divided into the following seven sections:

    1. Syllabus (Summer handout goes here).   2. Notes and Handouts.

    3. Word/Quote of the Day.                          4. Returned Work.

    5. Sr-Pro Returned Work.                           6. Sr-Pro Handbook.   7. Blank Paper.

 

¥Deadline Policy:  All assignments must be placed in the homework tray BEFORE the class bell rings.  No exceptions. There is no late work.

 

¥Understand the validity/importance of structure.

 

¥A positive attitude, maturity, responsibility.

 

¥A passion for literature, writing, and oral discussion.

 

¥2007-08  Literature:

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, The Chosen by Chaim Potok, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, The Stranger by Albert Camus, Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines, Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, Candide by Voltaire, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.  Students are encouraged to purchase copies of these literary works for their personal use.  However, the school will also provide copies if needed. In addition, other literary works will also be evaluated (poetry, music, essays, plays, short stories, novels) and these titles will be announced in the future.

 

¥AP English Test Information:

 

1.  The first hour consists of 50-60 multiple choice questions on poetry and prose passages.  The format is similar to the sample multiple choice questions for Frankenstein found later in this packet.

 

2.  The second part of the test lasts two hours.  Students must write an essay on a poetry passage, on a prose passage and on a novel of their choice from a specific prompt (please refer to all previous prompts found later in this packet).  Notice that if a student writes three four-paragraph essays in two hours, that means the student should spend 40 minutes on each essay and 10 minutes on each paragraph. Wow!  Whew! Whoa Nellie!

 

¥Other items in this packet:

            ¥Megan HoewischÕs play review.

            ¥Venn Diagram example.

            ¥Ò5 Methods to Understanding Literature.Ó

            ¥Sample multiple choice questions, answers and analysis for Frankenstein.

            ¥All previous AP timed writing questions.

            ¥Timed Writing-The Introductory Paragraph.

            ¥Writing Errors and Tips.