HAVE A GREAT SUMMER AND READ

READ THESE BOOKs FOR AP LITERATURE

Reading list 1 (with summaries)

Reading list 2 recommended by Posternack

Your Final

AP Language TED Talks

Speak with Authority

You have the opportunity to speak for 2-3 minutes maximum about a topic of your choice.  You will present your own TED Talk to our class.  

Advice on Ted Talk presentation 

Rubric

Start by checking out these ted talks

A Quality TED Talk has the following qualities:

• connects with a wider audience
• has evidence of research
• enthusiasm!!!
• contains useful information and thought provoking information
• reflective
• makes a difference
• contains credible sources (2 is recommended)

Consider:

• what are you curious about?
• what do you think others should know about? 
• what are you interested in?
• what message would you like to share in your personal statement that you can build upon? 

Points: 25 

Examples: 10 things you never knew about Navy Seals 
                   How to prepare sushi and why should you care  
                   What family means and how do I know? 
                   Digital scrapbooking and why should anyone care 

Use your talent, imagination, and passion - what message / advice do you want to share

Request a letter of recommendation

What to give your teacher 

1. Request letter of recommendation in writing 

I am writing to ask whether it would be possible for you to provide a reference for me. I am applying to ....

If you were able to attest to my qualifications and the skills I attained while a student in your class, I would sincerely appreciate it. 

Please let me know if there is any information I can provide regarding my experience to assist you in giving me a reference. I can be reached at jsmith@abcd.com or (111) 111-1111.

Thank you for your consideration.

2. What to give your teacher

• Deadline information.
• Your full name, address, e-mail, and telephone number.
• Two copies of any forms they need to fill out (one copy to be used as a rough draft, and one to be used as a final draft).
• The name and address of the institution you are applying to, along with a copy of your completed essay and application. Provide a stamped, addressed envelope for their convenience.
• Information about the school (e.g., viewbook).
• A copy of your résumé, activities, accomplishments, and achievements.

Personal Statement

OPTION #1: Common Application Essay
Please write an essay of 250 – 500 (250 = 1 page double spaced approx. and 500 words = 2 pages double spaced) words on a topic of your choice or on one of the options listed below, and attach it to your application before submission. Please indicate your topic by checking the appropriate box. This personal essay helps us become acquainted with you as a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will also demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself. NOTE: Your Common Application essay should be the same for all colleges. Do not customize it in any way for individual colleges. Colleges that want customized essay responses will ask for them on

a supplement form.

_ _ Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

_ _ Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.

_ _ Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

_ _ Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

_ _ A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an

experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.

_ _ Topic of your choice.

Additional Information Please attach a separate sheet if you wish to provide details of circumstances or qualifications not reflected in the application.

OPTION#2: UC Personal statement

Your personal statement should be exactly that — personal. This is your opportunity to tell us about yourself — your hopes, ambitions, life experiences, inspirations. We encourage you to take your time on this assignment. Be open. Be reflective. Find your individual voice and express it honestly.
As you respond to the essay prompts, think about the admissions and scholarship officers who will read your statement and what you want them to understand about you. While your personal statement is only one of many factors we consider when making our admission decision, it helps provide context for the rest of your application.

Directions

All applicants must respond to two essay prompts — the general prompt and either the freshman or transfer prompt, depending on your status.

• Responses to your two prompts must be a maximum of 1,000 words total.
• Allocate the word count as you wish. If you choose to respond to one prompt at greater length, we suggest your shorter answer be no less than 250 words.

The essay prompts

Freshman applicant prompt

Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

Transfer applicant prompt

What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field — such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities — and what you have gained from your involvement.

Prompt for all applicants

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

OPTION #3: An essay prompt from a private university 

College Project

I introduced the college project today. This is due June 6th on google docs or on paper.

Extra Credit

Extra Credit will not be accepted past tomorrow. If you are absent on Tuesday - you need to find a way to get it to me on Tuesday by 2:30.

Essay Reminders

AP Language Exam Reminders

Successful writers do the following:

o   Use a wide range vocabulary appropriately and effectively

o   Use a variety of sentence structures

o   Use a logical organization enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence such as judicious repetition, strong transitions, and appropriate emphasis

o   Use a balance of generalization and specific illustrative detail

o   Use an effective rhetoric and a controlling tone.  They establish and maintain a voice.  They achieve appropriate emphasis through diction and sentence structure.

o   High Scoring Essays use analogies, complex sentence patterns, rhetorical questions, parallelism, figurative language, etc.!  They demonstrate critical thinking and avoid logical fallacies!

Essay Reminders:

o   You will be given 15 minutes to read all three essay sections. However, you will not be allowed to open and write in the actual test booklet until the end of the 15 minute period.  Annotate the text!  The synthesis essay will be first, and you will have 15 minutes to read the sources. Begin writing the essay in the extra space on the booklet; copy it onto your test paper once the test begins. You will have a total of two hours to write the essays.  Each essay carries the same weight, so do not spend an inappropriate amount of time on any one essay. Write the time that you must be finished for each (40 minutes).

o   Your introduction and conclusion need not be more than 2-3 lines.  Make sure you have a clear thesis with 3 points at the end of your introduction!

o   Keep your quotes short.  A direct quote of more than one or two lines of text is too much. You need not always write out the actual quotations; use ellipses to get to the heart of your analysis. The synthesis essay will require you to incorporate sources.

o   Have an appropriate tone.  Do not use a conversational or informal tone, “you most likely know people like this,” “there is a lot of junk in the world,” etc.

o   Use the transitions! Many reverted back to first, next, lastly or used none.  You may hate initially, furthermore, ultimately, in conclusion/ in summation, for example, for instance, additionally, however, indeed, similarly, likewise, in contrast, but they improve your writing dramatically! Don’t run naked on the day of the exam; the shell is your AP Essay underwear!

o   You must write neatly and legibly. If your cursive is too small or ornate, print.  If you tend to write small, write larger so that you will have an appearance of more length.

o   All essays of 6 or higher have been at least 2 ½ pages long, and many are 3 or 4. 

o   For every essay, you must have a clear thesis that directly addresses the task of the prompt and lists your 2-4 major ideas.  You must use these “big” ideas for the topic sentence of each paragraph. The ideas need to be listed from weakest to strongest.  Your paragraphs should follow the order of the ideas in the thesis.  Remember the triangle is the strongest shape; the strongest and most focused essays will most likely have three points in the thesis. Many people had a lengthy first body paragraph, but their 2^nd and 3^rd body paragraphs were short and weak.

o   Use AP diction (syntax for sentence structure, diction for word choice, parallelism for similar grammatical structure, repetition, counterargument, rebuttal, imagery for language appealing to five senses, tone for the attitude of the piece, juxtaposition, antithesis, etc.) and sophisticated vocabulary (demonstrates, illustrates, exhibits, mechanisms, strategies, devices, elements, utilizes, elaborates, emphasizes, fosters, etc.)

o   Don’t be baffled by the complexity of the passage. You are smart and you know how language works.

o   Aim for a 9!!!!

o   Look at the released exams from College Board AND the released, scored student essays from 2007 to the present.

o   You can take a position on whatever position and synthesis prompts that they give you; remember you successfully debated whether or not Oreos or Chips Ahoy were a better cookie. You can do this!

o   Take the free, online practice tests if you have study time available before the test.

Key Elements

Synthesis Essay

Ø  It will be first. You will know it is the synthesis because it will be the longest and it includes sources.

Ø  Underline your specific task in the prompt.

o   Many people wrote that Global Warming existed or did not exist; they failed to realize the prompt asked you to take a position on the key issues that corporate leaders should consider when making policies that may affect global warming.

Ø  Use the 15 minutes to peruse the sources and make notes about how each source fits into the assigned topic. Does it support it? It is against it? Does it offer an interesting insight?

Ø  You must take a position.  You cannot qualify on this prompt.  Even if it says “qualify,” essays are considered stronger when they choose a side. Your reader should know exactly where you stand by the end of your essay.

Ø  The best essays addressed the counterargument/counter-position in the first body paragraph (or introduction) and then built their position and support in the next three paragraphs.  They briefly mentioned the counterargument in the conclusion or last body paragraph but the essay clearly demonstrated one position.  You can simply start out with a general statement about the topic. State the opposite by using Indeed.  Contrast with However, and thesis statement. Indeed, television may provide benefits to children such as educational learning.  However, television is detrimental to today’s youth because it causes harmful health effects, destructive social behaviors, and poor academic performance.

Ø  Don’t simply summarize the sources.  Have a position and develop your position by incorporating and analyzing the sources. You must use and cite at least 3 sources.

Ø  Don’t be intimidated. You have an opinion. Imagine Oprah asked you for your position on the topic or someone offered you a million dollars for your position; you would find something to say in this circumstance.  

Ø  Your 3 body paragraphs do not need to each be about one source but instead should discuss an idea from your thesis incorporating the different sources.

Argumentative/Position Essay

Ø  Underline your key task found in the prompt. Brainstorm ideas for the following: Defend (agree), Challenge (disagree), and Qualify (both can be true).

Ø  Think of “Big World” examples found in our history and the world today.  For the position paper on conformity, many students simply wrote about teenagers’ conformity with clothes or drugs.  Think of “big” and complex issues that require a critical mind such as the Holocaust (conformity rather than truth), genocide and children abductions in Africa (news/media more focused on Brittany Spears than “truth” of real world events), the economy (majority of Americans in debt because they would rather conform to look of success than face truth of finances), forefathers of America (pursue truth than conform to ideas of England), etc.

Ø  Address the counterargument in the first paragraph or introduction (Indeed/However).  Use the next 3 paragraphs to build your position.

Analysis Essay

Ø  This essay will ask you to analyze the rhetorical strategies used

Ø  Remember rhetorical strategies include diction, syntax, imagery, choice of detail, structure, tone, figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification), rhetorical questions, parallelism, denotation and connotation, allusions, juxtaposition, antithesis, repetition, charged words (tyrant), word sound (euphonious-hearth, aroma AND cacophonous-pus, barf), etc.

Ø  FAT-P (format, audience, topic, and purpose) work well with this prompt. In your introduction you must include the author, the piece, and the purpose (consider the audience and context) and your thesis stating your 3 big ideas for the assigned task.

Ø  Don’t simply use one line from the text as an “example” in each paragraph and don’t simply describe where/what the elements are.  You should have multiple examples from the texts in your paragraph. Elaborate on your examples and say why the author used this device and how it impacts the piece. Never say the author used a device without giving an example. At the same time, limit your quotes.  You should not have a paper that simply rewrites everything in the prompt. 

Ø  Think of the prompt as a Thanksgiving Turkey. Tear it apart and get as much meat as possible.  Show the readers that you understand how language works! 

What AP readers Long to see

Success on the AP Exam or “What AP Readers Long to See”
A compilation of thoughts from readers of both exams
1. AP= “Answer the Prompt” Read the prompt. It hurts to give a low score to someone who misread the prompt but wrote a good essay. While readers try to reward students for what they do well, the students must answer the prompt. “In the countless essays I’ve scored, I’m always amazed at how many students fail to answer the question.”
2. Do everything the prompt suggests; in other words, answer all parts of the prompt. Always answer EXACTLY what the question asks.
3. Think before you write. Rarely, is your first thought, your best thought. If you are working on the “open house” think about which novel or play is the best for the prompt? Don’t limit yourself to supplied suggestions. Many of the best responses deal with selections that are not on the list. If you are working on the argument question think about your best support.
4. Plan and organize your response. At least 10 min per essay can be used for planning. Brainstorm and write down any ideas. Even make a quick outline if time permits. You needn’t outline extensively, but a little organization will help you avoid extensive editing, such as crossing out lines or, in some cases, whole paragraphs. It is best to know before you begin what the finished product will look like. Don’t let organization “just happen,” plan for it to happen. It’s no fun for the reader to pick over the remains and try to decipher sentences crammed into the margins.
5. Make strong first impressions. Build your opening response artistically. Do not parrot the prompt. The introduction is most important as it sets the reader’s expectations. Get your THESIS quickly. Another question Leader writes “Use the language of the prompt (questions) not the prompt itself. The student writer’s inclination to repeat the question verbatim is disadvantageous. Practically, the repetition is a waste of the writer’s time; moreover the practice of the student writer’s substitute the question for a first paragraph suggests a lack of sophistication and control as well as the inability to develop a viable thesis.” Remember that the question itself is NOT a thesis though its required tasks should be the skeleton of the student essay.
6. Begin your response immediately. Don’t beat around the bush with generalizations like “There are many great novels…” or “Since the beginning of time…”—Lose these timeworn platitudes! Here’s an example of a creative opening that immediately sets up a central idea/thesis:
An illuminated photograph of a father who “fell in love with long distance” sits on the mantle of the Wingfield’s apartment in Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie.”
  7. Use clear transition helping the reader follow the progression of your essay. Keep your paragraphs organized; don’t digress.
8. Many prompt end with the statement, “Avoid Plot Summary,” or a similar thought. BELIEVE IT! (You should have a brief précis at the beginning of the body of the open question.) Your essay can follow selected plot sequences in the order in which they appear in the work but your central idea/thesis– not the plot—should dictate your overall organization. You are proving an assertion, not telling a story.
9. Write to express, not impress. Keep vocabulary and syntax within your zone of competence. Students who inflate their writing, using a large vocabulary word incorrectly, often inadvertently entertain, but seldom explain. There is, however, no substitute for command of a good vocabulary. A Question Leader writes, “Avoid the terms positive and negative; these words are so overused in AP essays