• E319 AP Language and Composition 2024

    Summer Reading 2024

     

    Mr. Cedeno acedeno@d211.org

    Mr. Davis dgdavis@d211.org

    Mr. Klinger nklinger@d211.org

    Ms. Ksiazek kksiazek@d211.org

    Mr. Peterson mpeterson@d211.org

    Ms. Ryan rryan@d211.org

     

    Greetings, Scholars!  As Honors-level students, many of you are already familiar with the general idea of summer reading.  Over this particular summer, we expect that you read and annotate The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea.  You will also complete a triple entry journal (LINKED HERE and in the Schoology Group) to be handed in upon the start of the school year.

    We have created a Schoology group where we will be posting information about the readings and resources. It will also serve as a hub for people to ask questions, check in for updates, and share reactions. The access code for our AP Summer Lang Reading 2024 is: WNRN-ZFM6-M6SB8

    The Devil's Highway

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    “In May 2001, a group of men attempted to cross the Mexican border into the desert of southern Arizona, through the deadliest region of the continent, the ‘Devil's Highway.’ Three years later, Luis Alberto Urrea wrote about what happened to them. The result was a national bestseller, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a ‘book of the year’ in multiple newspapers, and a work proclaimed as a modern American classic”  (Courtesy of Amazon).

     

     

     

    While reading The Devil’s Highway, focus your annotation on the rhetorical triangle: what can you tell about the speaker of the text, who do you think his intended audience is, and what is his purpose throughout the book? To help you figure out these major areas of analysis, consider the following specific questions as you read in order to track the rhetoric:

    ●    What does the author try to make you think, feel, or do?

    ●    What diction (word choice) and syntax (sentence structures) does he use to help impact the audience?

    ●    What appeals does he rely on to help convince the audience (logos, ethos, pathos)?

    ●    Where do we see the author utilizing imagery and anecdotes (illustrative stories) to help achieve his purpose?

    ●    What tone(s) does the author use to write the book?

        o    Does it change in places throughout the text?

        o    If so, how?

             ▪    What is the effect of the shift?

    ●    Does the author seem to be balanced or biased in his narration?

    ●    What is the author trying to argue by the end of the text?  How/where can you tell so?

    ●    (How) does the author address any contrary or opposing perspectives? (Counterargument)

     

     

    Upon our return to school, you should be prepared to:

     

    1. Submit a complete Triple Entry Journal

    2. Conduct informal analysis of self-selected quotes from The Devil’s Highway

    3. Write an in-class rhetorical analysis essay or an argumentative essay responding to a passage from The Devil’s Highway

    4. Participate in Socratic Seminar discussion regarding the text

     

    FAQs

     

    Q: Must I annotate aggressively--similar to the annotation of a poem for close reading purposes?

    A: Not necessarily, no! You should annotate in a fashion and to an extent that is useful for you to produce organized analysis/writing.

    Q: Must I turn in my annotations for credit?

    A: That is not a requirement for our summer reading assignment, BUT you will be encouraged to use any notes that you take for any of our assignments or assessments. (It’s also important to remember that we reserve the right to collect evidence of annotation for diagnostic purposes so we can determine whether, or how, we need to re-teach annotation.)

    Q: What is a Socratic Seminar?

    A: A Socratic Seminar is a formal, student-lead, graded discussion based on the text. Prior to the first day of class, students can prepare for the discussion by thoroughly responding to the discussion questions and providing textual evidence when necessary. During a Socratic Seminar, students are expected to demonstrate their depth of understanding of the text while using their notes and their book to support their responses.

    When school begins and prior to the Socratic Seminar, students will learn about and practice effective discussion skills such as posing open-ended questions, responding to open-ended questions, drawing connections, expanding on other student comments, respectfully providing alternate or contradicting perspectives, and supporting thoughtful responses with textual evidence.

    The Socratic Seminar grade will be based on two parts: student's written responses and student's oral participation in the discussion.

    Q: What if I need help?

    A: Please post a question to our E319 Summer Reading Schoology page or email one of the instructors identified at the top of this document.