Advanced Placement English Language and Composition

Dear Incoming Advanced Placement Students:

In order to be prepared for the rigor of AP English, please make time this summer to read! Read anything! As
documented in numerous articles and studies, summer reading is essential for academic success. Reading will
help you build the critical thinking skills necessary for success beyond high school graduation, as a college
student and as an effective employee. Consider these benefits:
➢ Better readers make better writers. Research shows “the more students read, the better their
vocabularies,” and students who “read a variety of well-written works are more likely to excel
at writing achievement” (Kat).
➢ Even if college is not in your future, reading will be important in the workplace. According to a
recent article in Forbes magazine entitled “If You Want to Succeed in Business, Read More
Novels,” readers even make better employees (Anderson).

Reading will keep your brain active and prepare you for the type of reading that you will encounter in the A.P.
class AND on the A.P. exam. Included in this packet are the terms that we will use to discuss text. In class
next year, you will need to be able to identify the use of these rhetorical devices in text, and analyze how an
author uses them to appeal to his audience. The texts that we have chosen are texts that we will refer to
throughout the year; they will be discussed in conjunction with other assigned reading for this class. While
we cannot require that you read them over the summer, reading ahead may help build a foundation for the type of
reading you will do in this class, and reduce some stress later, as you will not have to read them during the school
year.

If you have any questions, please see one of us: Mr. Kuglen room 2306; email: samkuglen@burbankusd.org
Mrs. Carman room 1209; email: mariacarman@burbankusd.org

You may wish to print out copies of the texts and annotate them. Take additional notes on back. These notes will
be useful when doing the assignments throughout the school year.
Mr. Kuglen and Mrs. Carman

As you read, familiarize yourself with the following ideas:

• TAGS: title, author, genre, subject
• Date: It’s important to know when a text was written. The historical, social, and/or political
climate of the time period influences the meaning.
• Who is the intended audience of the article or essay? Think about how the text is received by the
particular group of people who would have read it or heard it delivered to them.
• Who is the speaker? Is it the author or is it someone else?
• How does the speaker appeal to his audience? By using logic (logos), or by playing to feelings
(pathos), or by playing to the audience’s ethics (ethos)?
• How does the speaker use rhetorical strategies and literary devices to create a particular effect on
the audience? Does the speaker seem credible or logical? Why? Does the audience have an
emotional reaction? What is it? Why?
• What is the author’s message or claim?
• What is the purpose of the essay? What does the author want the audience to do or think as a
result of their interaction with this text?
 • What tone does the speaker convey? (tone = the speaker’s attitude towards the subject)
Example: “The author’s tone is _____________ because…”
“The author’s tone is _____________, yet because

Reading: These texts have been chosen for their use of rhetorical strategies and devices, their historical and
cultural relevance, and their connection to other texts that we will read in class.

1. John Winthrop A Modell of Christian Charity 1630

http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/a-model-of-christian-charity/

2. The Declaration of Independence 1776

http://www.constitution.org/us_doi.pdf

3. Abraham Lincoln
The Gettysburg Address 1863 http://www.learntheaddress.org/static/media/uploads/docs/gettysburg-address.pdf
First Inaugural Address 1861
http://www.arcofhistory.org/U.S._History/Civil_War_Reconstruction_files/Abraham%20Lincoln's%20Inaugural
%20Addresses.pdf

4. Ralph Waldo Emerson Self-reliance 1841

http://lhsela.weebly.com/uploads/7/9/0/8/7908073/_emerson_self_reliance_excepts.pdf

5. Walt Whitman “I Sing the Body Electric” 1855

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45472/i-sing-the-body-electric

6. Langston Hughes “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain” published in The Nation: 1926
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/g_l/hughes/mountain.htm

7. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I Have a Dream 1963
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/i-have-a-dream-speech/
The Power of Nonviolence 1957
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/the-power-of-non-violence/

8. Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm 1969

Equal Rights for Women: Address To The United States House Of Representatives, Washington, DC: 1969
http://gos.sbc.edu/c/chisholm.html

Other Reading:
Some student like to familiarize themselves with the Opinion section of a daily newspaper like the New York
Times, the Washington Post, or the Los Angeles Times. These Opinion pages cover a wide variety of local,
national, and international topics, like politics, education, culture, science and religion. You may also find
interesting articles and essays on current topics in The Atlantic and The New Yorker. Kids who score well on the
exam do so because, in the words of Dr. Steven Jolliffe, “they know stuff.” You will “know stuff” if you read!
Note: Dr. Jolliffe is the author of Writing America, our main textbook, and a lead scorer and author of the AP exam.
Terms Definition
Explaining something complex by
Analogy
comparing it to something simpler.
The combination of reasons,
Argument evidence, etc. that an author uses to
convince an audience of their position.
Three different methods of appealing
Aristotelian
to an audience to convince them—
appeals
ethos, logos, and pathos.
The writer's personal views or feelings
Attitude
about the subject at hand.
Who the author is directing his or her
Audience
message towards
Discussing the similarities and
Compare and differences between two things to
contrast some persuasive or illustrative
purpose.
The implied meaning of a word; words
Connotation can broadly have positive, negative, or
neutral connotations.
The extra-textual environment in
Context
which the text is being delivered.
The argument(s) against the author's
Counterargument
position.
Deductive A form of logical reasoning wherein a
Example/Explanation
"An amateur playing in a professional
game is like an ibex stepping into a
lion's den."
Too comprehensive a concept for a
single example! In effective rhetoric,
every phrase serves to further build
the argument.
See ethos, logos and pathos.
Difficult to convey in a short example,
but something like "the deplorable
state of this school" would convey that
the author has a negative attitude
towards the school.
When you create a resume, your
audience is potential employers.
“Hybrid cars have a much smaller
carbon footprint than traditional
midsize vehicles.”
conscientious = positive connotation
fussy = negative connotation
If I am delivering a congratulatory
speech to awards recipients, the
immediate context might be the
awards presentation ceremony; the
broader context might be the purpose
or significance of the awards
themselves.
If I want to eliminate the dress code, a
counterargument might be that this
will place a burden on students of a
lower socioeconomic status, who must
now afford an entire school wardrobe
or risk unwanted attention.
If all planets orbit a star, and Theta II
reasoning general principle is applied to a is a planet, then it must orbit a star.
specific case.

The literal, dictionary-definition The denotation of "chair" is "a place to

Denotation
meaning of a word. sit."

You might say "What's up, loser?" to

The style of language used; generally
your little brother, but you would
Diction tailored to be appropriate to the
probably say "How are you doing
audience and situation.
today?" to your principal.

"Given my PhD in the subject and

Setting up a source as credible and
Ethos years of experience in the field" is an
trustworthy.
appeal to ethos.

If I were arguing that Anne is a good

The information presented meant to
student, I might reference her straight-
Evidence persuade the audience of the author's
A report card and her 1500 SAT score
position.
as pieces of evidence.

Figurative The use of language in a non-literal

"The sky's like a jewel box tonight!"
language way; i.e. metaphor, simile, etc.

Broader categories include "novel"

The specific type of work being and "play," while more specific genres
Genre
presented. would be things like "personal essay"
or "haiku."

Any descriptive language used to

evoke a vivid sense or image of "The water was a pearl-studded sea
Imagery
something; includes figurative of azure tipped with turquoise."
language.

"Watch your wallet around Paul,"

When something is suggested without implies that Paul is a thief without
Implication
being concretely stated. coming out and saying "Paul is a
thief."

All of the planets in this solar system

Inductive Making a generalization based on
orbit a star, so all planets probably
reasoning specific evidence at hand.
orbit stars.

At the most basic sense, saying the

opposite of what you mean; also used "I do so hope there are more papers
Irony to describe situations in which the to sign," is something that might be
results of an action are dramatically said ironically.
different than intended.

Placing two very different things
Juxtaposition
together for effect.
Appealing to someone's sense of
Logos
concrete facts and logic.
The reason or moment for writing or
Occasion
speaking.
How the different parts of an argument
Organization are arranged in a piece of writing or
speech.
An Aristotelian appeal. Involves
Pathos
appealing to someone's emotions.
Purpose The author's persuasive intention.
Re-using a word or phrase repeatedly
Repetition
for effect or emphasis.
The use of spoken or written word (or
Rhetoric a visual medium) to convey your ideas
and convince an audience.
The relationship between the author,
Rhetorical
the audience, the text/message, and
triangle
the context.
The persona adopted by the author to
deliver his or her message; may or
Speaker
may not actually be the same person
as the author.
The author's own personal approach
Style to rhetoric in the piece; similar to
voice.
Symbolism
Using a symbol to refer to an idea or
"There they stood together, the
beggars and the lords, the princesses
and the washerwoman, all crowding
into the square."
Citing peer-reviewed scientific studies
is an appeal to logos.
When giving a graduation speech, the
occasion is graduation.
Think about the outlines you write in
preparation for drafting an
argumentative essay and you'll have
an idea of what organization is.
Animal shelters ads with pictures of
cute sad animals and dramatic music
are using pathos.
If you are trying to convince your
mother you should get a dog, your
purpose in addressing an essay on
the subject to her would be to
convince her that you should get a
dog.
"We run, and we run, and we run, like
rats on a wheel."
Almost everything is an example of
rhetoric!
The author communicates to the
reader via the text; and the reader and
text are surrounded by context.
Similar to the difference between
author and narrator in a work of
fiction.
We might say the Taylor Swift's
songwriting style is straightforward
and emotive.
"Fire" is commonly used a symbol for
 concept. passion and/or anger.

"She likes pie," is syntactically simple.

On the other hand, "As it so
happened, when Barbara got out of
class early she liked to have a piece
of pie—key lime or pecan, always—at
the corner diner; while she was there
The way sentences are grammatically
Syntax she watched the people passing by
constructed.
the window and imagined herself
inside each of their lives, riding in their
heads for moments and moments until
the afternoon was whiled away and
she'd become fifty people," is
syntactically complicated.

Combining sources or ideas in a A typical research paper involves

Synthesis coherent way in the purpose of a synthesizing sources to make a
larger point. broader point about the topic.

Some themes you will probably hear

in your high school graduation speech
Overarching ideas or driving premises include leaving behind a legacy,
Themes
of a work. moving into the great unknown,
becoming an adult, and changing the
world.

Only a narrow distinction from attitude.

The phrase "the deplorable state of
The use of stylistic devices to reveal this school" reveals a negative
Tone
an author's attitude toward a subject. attitude, but the word choice of
"deplorable" is part of the author's
tone.

Think of the way that you can

An author's unique sound. Similar to
Voice recognize a pop singer on the radio
style.
without hearing who it is first.
Other Sources:
Anderson, Erika. “If You Want to Succeed in Business, read More Novels.” Forbes.com. Forbes. 31 May 2012.
Web. 6 May 2015.

Cohen, Kat. “The Truth about Outside Reading.” HuffPost College. HuffPost Education Group. 12 Dec.
2014. Web. 6 May 2015.

Jolliffe, Steven F. Pearson Education Test Prep Series for AP English Language and Composition to
Accompany Writing America Language and Composition in Context AP Edition. New York:
Pearson Education Inc., 2014. Print.

McCammon, Ellen. “The 55 AP Language and Composition Terms You Must Know.” blog.prepscholar.com/ap-
language-and-composition-terms. Web. 4 May 2016.