Summer Reading Assignment 2008

All students enrolled in AP Literature and Composition (12 th grade) are required to read the following books:

• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

All students enrolled in AP Literature and Composition (12 th grade) are required to complete all three assignments:

Part 1: School-Wide Out-of-Class Assignment :

You will write a five-paragraph essay (at least two full pages) answering the following prompt:

In your three 12 AP summer reading novels, courage is displayed in various ways by different people. Choose one of the three AP summer reading novels, and write a five-paragraph essay in which you either agree or disagree with one of the following quotations about courage. Identify people and events from the novel to give clear examples of your position.

• “One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.” –Maya Angelou

• “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.” –Eleanor Roosevelt

• “Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” –Winston Churchill

• “Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.”

–Eddie Rickenback

The completed assignment is due the first day of school— Tuesday, August 26, 2008 . This grade will count as 5% of your first quarter grade in English.

Part 2: AP Literature Out-of-Class Assignment:

This completed assignment is due the first day of school— Tuesday, August 26, 2008 . For each of the three novels you read this summer, answer the following prompts. We expect each novel to be typed on its own page. We also require that students complete their own work without relying on Cliff Notes, Sparknotes , and other such websites. Students will be required to submit this assignment to Turnitin.com when they return to school. Plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment with no chance of resubmission. This assignment will be worth 60 points (20 points for each novel) in the Homework category.

In outline form, for each of the three novels:

1. Identify at least four major characters in the novel; for each character, describe her/his personality and identify a scene which demonstrates her/his role in the novel.

1. Identify three major themes within each novel (You will have a total of nine themes!) For each of the nine themes, identify and describe in detail three scenes that best illustrate each theme in the novels. (You will have a total of 27 scenes!).

Note: Themes are not expressed as one-word statements. They are expressed as sentences.

Non-Example: “The theme of the book is love.” This statement does not express a theme; it only expresses the subject or topic of the novel.

To create a theme, ask yourself, what did you learn about that subject or topic after reading the novel.

Example of a theme: “The search for love can form identity”

Part 3: AP Literature In-Class Assignments :

You will write an in-class AP Literature essay within the first two weeks of school on one of the novels. This essay will be worth 50 points in the essays/projects category.

Rubric for Part 1: School-Wide Assignment

• 6 The paper is clear, forceful and convincing. The writer's insights are highly original and the details are gripping, unique and enriching. Uses a precise organizational strategy which enhances the purpose. The writing seems flawless. The writer uses standard writing conventions effectively and purposefully.

• 5 The paper has support/ elaboration which enhance ideas, although these may not completely fulfill the purpose. Uses an effective organizational strategy that is consistent with the purpose. The writing has no errors in usage or conventions that interfere with meaning.

• 4 The paper has support and elaboration which may be uneven or incomplete. Uses an inconsistent or unevenly applied organizational strategy. The writing has few, if any, errors in usage or conventions that interfere with meaning.

• 3 The paper has incomplete or unclear elaboration and support for development of ideas. Uses an organizational structure that is inconsistent or unclear. The writing has errors in usage or conventions, some of which distract the reader and interfere with meaning.

• 2 The paper has support and elaboration that is inadequate. Uses an unstructured or confusing organizational strategy. The writing has errors in usage and conventions, some of which interfere with meaning.

• 1 The writing has no elaboration or support, or the development does not support the writing purpose. Uses little or no organizational structure. The writing has errors in usage and conventions which interfere with meaning.

Rubric for Part 2: AP Literature Out-of-Class Assignment