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.