Newspaper/Magazine Editorial Reading Assignment



Grosse Pointe South High School

11 Grosse Pointe Boulevard

Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236

Telephone: 313.432.3513

Fax: 313.432.3502

Spring 2014

Dear AP Language and Composition Student:

Congratulations for selecting a rigorous college-level English course for this coming school year, 2014–2015. Advanced Placement Language & Composition focuses on reading and writing in the four rhetorical modes of narration, description, exposition, and argumentation. As we explore a wide variety of non-fiction works, you can learn to become a better writer, reader, and critical thinker.

In order to prepare for this class in September, please complete the first credited requirements over the duration of the summer. A printed copy of your completed work is due the first class session with your Advanced Placement Language and Composition instructor. As in most college courses, no late work will be accepted.

Each student will complete the following over the summer:

TASK 1: Read Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers

Obtain and read Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers. This intriguing work explores some interesting connections between culture and opportunity.

As you read the book, pay close attention to Gladwell’s arguments and use of language. Consider how he dispels common assumptions about opportunity and achievement. You are not required to take notes, but you will be allowed to use your own notes and the book on an in-class essay when you return to school.

TASK 2: Newspaper/Magazine Editorial Reading and Analysis Assignment

*HIGH-QUALITY STUDENT SAMPLES OF THIS ASSIGNMENT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH MY CLASS WEBSITE.*

Find at least five current (June ’14-Sept. ’14) editorials, commentaries, and/or opinion essays (not news articles or informational features) from a reputable newspaper or issues-based magazine. This is a college-level course, so the editorial essays that you choose to read, should be scholarly. You should mix-and-match your periodical sources and writers. Set aside enough time to find substantive, well-crafted essays. Each editorial/commentary/essay you select should be at least 500 words/2 printed pages or magazine pages in length.

The Grosse Pointe Public Libraries offer access to most of these periodicals, and many sources are available online. You are welcome to print from the online versions of these periodicals, or you can cut out articles from the print versions. Examples of suggested newspapers/magazines:

The Globe and Mail

The New York Times

The Guardian

The New Yorker

Harper’s

The National Post

The Washington Post

Utne Reader

The New Republic

The National Review

The Nation

The Weekly Standard

TheWeek (last page editorial)

Mother Jones

Atlantic Monthly

The Economist

Newsweek

Vanity Fair

Time





Next, write an evaluative analysis for each article:

#1) Briefly identify the main argument/idea of the article. This should not exceed four sentences.

#2) Respond to the article. Explore how the authors use language in order to relay their ideas. For this task, you may want to consider some of the ideas below:

• Judge the value of the writer’s arguments. Are the writer’s main ideas valid/logical/relevant?

o “Smith effectively conveys the long-term dangers of a foreign policy shift.”

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the evidence/examples the author employs to support his claim.

o “By describing cell phones as ‘addictive toys,’ the essay powerfully emphasizes…”

• Examine any confusing/unusual/contradictory arguments.

o “The essay neglects to explore how…”

• Consider if the editorial encourages you to learn more about the issue.

o “Carter recognizes that we may need to reconsider our current attitude toward…”

• Appraise the author’s writing style (tone, ideas, diction, descriptions, etc.)

o “The essay’s clever, satirical approach helps the author deflate assumptions about…”

• Explore whether your own prior knowledge or experiences connect to this editorial.

o “Although I didn’t know much about the situation in Syria, Canning reminds us that…”

• Describe what’s remarkable or engaging about the writer’s claims and/or language use.

o “By opening with a skeptical tone and closing with newfound confidence, the writer…”

• Uncover any notable rhetorical techniques and their larger purpose and effect.

o “In the middle of the article, Reiser’s extended metaphor allows her to…”

Avoid merely summarizing the article.

The response for each editorial should not exceed one typed, MLA-formatted page, so make every word count.

Secure all of your work in a three-tab folder or binder. Each response should be numbered and followed by your article printout/mounted clipping with the corresponding number.

Save the electronic file of your composition since you will be requested to submit your work to later.

Recommended Course Materials:

Notebook paper

Blue and/or black pens

Highlighters in at least two different colors

Three-ring binder

Handbooks/Grammar and Style Texts:

If you purchase them new, handbooks can be quite pricey. Consider buying a used version.

Online bookstores offer gently used versions of these writing guides for reduced prices. You

may also be able to find used versions through college bookstores. Some of the listed guides

focus more on grammar, usage, and proper citation, while others focus on the craft of writing.

Choose a book that best fits your needs. Students are expected to have a working knowledge of style and grammar issues.

If you’d like a preview of the exam itself, you may want to purchase an AP English Language & Composition workbook, such as one offered by Kaplan or Princeton Review. Please note that the Grosse Pointe libraries offer several of these workbooks for free.

If you decide to purchase a handbook, browse for a copy that includes the 2009 MLA update (7th edition).

A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker

On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser

Revising Prose by Richard A. Lanham

The Bedford Handbook by Diana Hacker

The Craft of Revision by Donald M. Murray

The Little, Brown Essential Handbook by Jane E. Aaron

The Penguin Handbook by Lester Faigley

Writing Well by Donald Hall and Sven Birkerts

Please note: This list is not an exhaustive list. Find a writing guide that will work for you.

Response Rubric:

A range

These essays offer a thorough explanation. Responses analyze specific and appropriate

evidence from the text. Writing is clear, precise and effectively organized. The writer’s

prose demonstrates an ability to control a wide range of the elements of effective

writing but is not necessarily flawless.

B range

These essays offer a reasonable explanation. These responses analyze specific and

appropriate evidence from the text but are less convincing or complex than an “A range” essay. These responses generally present their ideas with clarity and control but may contain some lapses in diction or syntax.

C range

These essays offer a superficial or uneven analysis. These responses may exhibit some ideas but they use little or thin evidence from the text that might tend toward summary. The writer’s prose may contain lapses in diction or syntax, but usually conveys ideas adequately.

D range

These essays offer an inadequate analysis. Often relying on summary, these responses

may misrepresent the author’s attitude, analyze evidence inaccurately, or offer little

discussion of specific evidence. These responses may be unfocused, repetitive, or

shallow. The writer’s prose generally conveys the writer’s ideas but may suggest

immature control of writing.

E

These essays convey an off-task response, such as merely repeating the prompt. They

may contain multiple errors that interfere with understanding. The writer’s prose

demonstrates consistent weaknesses in writing. No credit is earned.

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