Part 1
Texts:
Read Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare and Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. (Both of these tragedies are acclaimed works of literature that have appeared on the AP exam. Check this list to see the names of other works that have appeared on the exam.)
Respond to the following AP essay prompt to write about each of these works. Your first essay will be due on July 15. Your second essay will be due on July 31. Share your work with me via Drive. (Click here to view the grading rubric.)
Prompt: It has often been said that what we value can be determined only by what we sacrifice. Consider how this statement applies to a character from the play or novella. Select a character who has deliberately sacrificed, surrendered, or forfeited something in a way that highlights that character’s values. Then, write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how the particular sacrifice illuminates the character’s values and provides a deeper understanding of the meaning of the work as a whole.
Note: You can click this link to view the actual question from the 2014 AP exam along with sample student responses.
Procedure:
1. Read the literary work. (The titles, above, are linked to electronic versions of the text, so you don't need to buy the books.)
2. While you read, keep in mind the prompt, and take notes using a dialectical journal.
3. Write a claim that asserts a theme and addresses the prompt.
4. Use the writing process as well as your knowledge of literature, history, and the authors to draft the essay.
5. Do not use secondary sources. This paper must reflect your thinking about these texts. Students whose essays contain plagiarism will receive a score of zero for the assignment.
6. Include text citations and references. (This is where your dialectical journal should be helpful.)
(To read sample student essays along with the scoring guidelines, click here and scroll down to "2013: Free Response Questions.")
PS This link will take you to an interactive audio book with text version of Ethan Frome that is available on YouTube. Here is a link to a segment of the 1993 movie adaptation starring Liam Neeson.)
And because it's so good, here is Mark Antony's speech, "Friends, Romans, and countrymen...'
Part 2
Next Task:
Carefully read and annotate "The Black Walnut Tree" by Mary Oliver. Then, write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how Oliver conveys the relationship between the tree and family through the use of figurative language and other poetic techniques. (Note: this prompt comes from the 2013 AP Lit exam.)
Follow the procedure guidelines, above, for this assignment, which will be due in Drive by August 7.
Follow the procedure guidelines, above, for this assignment, which will be due in Drive by August 7.
