Welcome to AP Language and Composition!

Please carefully read through this entire packet. It contains important information about the course
and directions for the summer assignment. If you have any questions, please contact your teacher.
PHS - Mrs. Sanchez at jsanchez@pthsd.net
PHHS - Mr. Kadar at wkadar@pthsd.net or Mrs. Wall kjwall@pthsd.net

About AP Language and Composition

AP English Language and Composition is an introductory college-level composition course. Students

cultivate their understanding of writing and rhetorical arguments through reading, analyzing, and
writing texts as they explore topics like rhetorical situation, claims and evidence, reasoning and
organization, and style. Key assignments for AP Language and Composition include the following:
● Annotations of short informational texts
● In-class writing, close reading, and group assignments
● Targeted skill instruction, modeling, and practice
● End-of-course exam (3 hours and 15 minutes)
○ 45 Multiple Choice Questions
○ 3 Free Response Questions
■ Synthesis Question: After reading 6–7 texts about a topic (including visual and
quantitative sources), students will compose an argument that combines and cites at
least 3 of the sources to support their thesis.
■ Rhetorical Analysis: Students will read a nonfiction text and analyze how the writer’s
language choices contribute to the intended meaning and purpose of the text.
■ Argument: Students will create an evidence-based argument that responds to a given
topic.

Rigor and Expectations

Throughout the year, we will focus on the nuance of reading and writing by analyzing hundreds of
informational texts on a variety of topics, writing dozens of papers in different styles, and revising
work frequently. In other words, this college-level course is not easy, and we recommend it only for
those willing and able to meet the high expectations of the program.

Summer Assignment

This assignment is designed to give you an idea of the content and expectations of the course, and it
will also provide your teacher with an estimate of your reading and writing level. The assignment is
due on the first day of class, printed, and it will be graded for content.

First, read Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” starting with the contextual information on pages
280-281. Then, read the first three chapters of the textbook, completing the corresponding activities
in this packet to apply the content and skills to King’s letter. You do not need to complete the
activities within the chapters or the culminating activities at the end of chapters.

AP Language and Composition Summer Assignment 1

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Rhetoric

The Rhetorical Triangle (p. 1-4)

On the diagram below, label each point of the rhetorical triangle for Dr. King’s letter. Who is the
speaker? Who is the audience? What is the subject? What kind of relationship do you see between
each of these three elements? You should have a note for each point and each line.

AP Language and Composition Summer Assignment 2

SOAPS SPACECAT (p. 5-7)

Your textbook, published in 2013, occasionally contains outdated information. The old analysis
acronym, SOAPSTONE, has been replaced by the new one, SPACECAT. Practice identifying each
element of SPACECAT below for Dr. King’s letter. Annotate the letter by labeling each part of
SPACECAT. Next to each label, answer the questions in the chart below.

SPACECAT Questions to Ask When Analyzing

Who wrote this piece? What do we know about them? What DON’T we know about
Speaker
them? Does this text have a particular meaning because of WHO wrote or said it?

What is the speaker hoping to accomplish by putting this text out into the world? (i.e.,
Purpose
to inform, to persuade, to inspire, to convince, etc.)

Who is the actual audience of this text? Was that the intended audience? What did
Audience the speaker assume about their audience? How do those assumptions impact what
they say and how they say it?

What was going on in the world when this text was produced? What were the biggest
Context
issues on the speaker’s mind, which they might be directly or indirectly addressing?

Why “NOW” for the speaker? What was the spark or catalyst that moved the speaker
Exigence to act? Note that the context is “happening” all the time, but usually an event serves
as exigence.

What moves does the speaker make to enrich the text? Why does the writer make
Choices
each choice?

Where does the speaker appeal to logic or reason? What about ethics, values, or
Appeals
credibility? What about emotion?

What is the speaker’s attitude at different places throughout the text? How can you
Tone
tell this is their attitude? Where does the tone shift in the piece?

AP Language and Composition Summer Assignment 3

The Three Appeals (p. 7-20)

1. Appeal to Ethos: Do you think Dr. King speaks with automatic credibility, or does he need to
build it in this text? Annotate the letter by labeling evidence for your answer.
2. Appeal to Logos: Where does Dr. King concede a point? Where does he refute a
counterclaim? Annotate the letter by labeling evidence for your answer.
3. Appeal to Pathos: Where does Dr. King use emotional language to reach his audience and
achieve his purpose? Annotate the letter by labeling evidence for your answer.

Rhetorical Analysis of Visual Text (p. 21-22)

After reading the analysis of the image on page 21, carefully consider the ACLU ad on page 15, and
answer the questions below:
What rhetorical strategies does the ad use to achieve its purpose in this image? Pay particular
attention to the interaction of the written text with the visual elements. How does the
arrangement on the page affect your response? How does the ACLU appeal to ethos, logos,
and pathos? How effective do you think the advertisement is in reaching its intended
audience?

Effective and Ineffective Rhetoric (p. 23-29)

Consider the public statement written by the eight Alabama clergymen, printed on the first and
second pages of Dr. King’s letter in the grey box. Annotate the grey box by adding your answers to
the following questions in the margins: What elements of this statement are ineffective rhetoric? In
other words, how does it fail to consider its audience?

AP Language and Composition Summer Assignment 4

Chapter 2: Close Reading

Analyzing Style (p. 39-44) and Talking with the Text (p. 44-47)

This section discusses the foundations of rhetorical analysis: diction (the words), syntax (the
arrangement of words within sentences), and tone (the overall attitude conveyed through diction and
syntax). Carefully consider the helpful list of questions on page 47 as you closely read paragraphs
1-4 of Dr. King’s letter, keeping in mind that the speaker uses particular words in a particular
arrangement, which convey a particular tone, to create a desired effect in a particular audience. In
this case, Dr. King’s audience is the eight Alabama clergymen who wrote the public statement in the
grey box.

Annotate paragraphs 1-4 of Dr. King’s letter, labeling the following elements:
1. Diction: Find five (5) words or short phrases that are tailored to the audience
2. Syntax: Find three (3) examples of sentence structure that are tailored to the audience
3. Tone: What is the speaker’s overall attitude toward this situation in this section (paragraphs
1-4)? Label the tone in your annotations, and explain why you think so in a sentence or two.

Annotating (p. 48-54)

After looking over the models in this section, add at least two (2) annotations per page on Dr. King’s
letter. You might note organizational elements, such as the use of a thesis, claims, evidence, or
commentary; style elements, such as those listed on pages 78-80 at the end of Chapter 2; or
questions you have about the text.

From Close Reading to Analysis (p. 54-68)

Apply the skills modeled for you in this section to write a thesis statement analyzing Dr. King’s letter.
Here is an AP Lang-style prompt:

In 1963, while Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was in Birmingham, Alabama, eight clergymen
published a letter in the Post-Herald criticizing his presence and his strategies. From the cell
where he was jailed for demonstrating, King responded by writing what has come to be known
as “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Write an essay that analyzes the rhetorical choices King
makes to urge the elimination of segregation laws.

Write your thesis in the space below.

AP Language and Composition Summer Assignment 5

Chapter 3: Analyzing Arguments

What is Argument? (p. 81-85)

Dr. King’s letter is clearly one of civil discourse (p. 83), not of polemic (p. 13), yet it is still an
argumentative piece. This text is complex in that it contains both an overall argument against
segregation and several smaller arguments made in support of that position. Annotate Dr. King’s
letter to identify three specific arguments he makes.

Staking a Claim (p. 85-94)

After reading over the three claim types, annotate an example of each style in Dr. King’s letter. In the
margin, put the claim in your own words. Why do you think it is a claim of this style?
1. Claim of Fact: Asserts that something is true or not true
2. Claim of Value: Argues that something is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable
3. Claim of Policy: Argues for a change

From Claim to Thesis (p. 94-97)

Consider the following prompt: How do Dr. King’s different claim styles work together to achieve
his purpose? In the space below, answer the prompt in each of the three thesis styles.

Closed Thesis (list claim styles):

Open Thesis (do not list claim styles):

Counterargument Thesis (concede an alternative analysis and refute it):

AP Language and Composition Summer Assignment 6

Presenting Evidence (p. 97-111)

Think about the quality of evidence Dr. King uses in his letter. Annotate a few paragraphs in the
letter, explaining in the margins where Dr. King’s evidence is relevant, accurate, and/or sufficient.

Next, consider the claims and evidence Dr. King argues against, and point out in what way this
thinking is fallacious. Select any five (5) instances from the bulleted list of claims and evidence
below, and annotate in the margins of these sections what fallacy Dr. King is exposing as he refutes
this point. See pages 140-143 for a comprehensive list of fallacies.
● Para. 3: Dr. King and his supporters are “outsiders coming in.”
● Para. 5: The clergymen find the Birmingham demonstrations to be “deplorable.”
● Para. 6: Leaders of the Black community should negotiate in good faith with city leaders.
● Para. 10: Direct action, sit-ins, and marches are not necessary; negotiation is the better path.
● Para. 12: The actions of Dr. King and his supporters are “untimely.”
● Para. 15: Demonstrations must not break the law.
● Para. 21: Dr. King’s style of civil disobedience breaks norms.
● Para. 24: It is the demonstrators who are causing tension.
● Para. 25: Dr. King and his demonstrators are acting in a way that will cause violence.
● Para. 26: The demonstrators are rushing things.
● Para. 27: The demonstrators’ actions are “extreme.”
● Para. 37: Changing segregation laws is enough progress.
● Para. 45: The Birmingham police have behaved commendably.

Shaping Argument (p. 111-131)

This section is detailed and most likely contains a great deal of new information. We will discuss it
throughout the year. For now, annotate Dr. King’s essay by labeling the following organizational
points:
● Introduction
● Narration
● Conclusion
● An instance of inductive reasoning
● An assumption shared by the speaker and his audience

Analyzing Visual Texts as Arguments (p. 131-137)

Use the visual argument checklist to annotate the photograph on the following page. This photograph
features a statue in Kelly Ingram Park, located in Birmingham, Alabama. The statue commemorates
the Foot Soldiers of the Birmingham Civil Rights movement. The checklist appears at the top of page
132, and then it is modeled for you on the pages that follow.

AP Language and Composition Summer Assignment 7

AP Language and Composition Summer Assignment 8