AP History Summer Assignment 2017.pdf
To: Students enrolled in AP US History 2017-2018 From: Ms. Aronson ([email protected]), Dwight Morrow High School / Academies@Englewood Dear Student, I am so pleased that you have enrolled in AP US History! You will find this to be a rigorous, thought-provoking, anxiety-producing, but ultimately fulfilling experience. We move at a relentless pace all year long because we need to cover everything from America in 1491 to America at 9-11. When you take your AP US History exam next year, you will be competing against students from all over America, and in fact from all over the world. Many of these students, from states like Florida and Arizona, begin their school year in early August, but we ALL take the exam on the exact same date: Friday, May 11, 2018 (save the date!). This means that when we begin school, we are already lagging behind your competitors by 6 weeks; that is why we need to hit the ground running. TO THAT END, please come to school with a 3-inch binder (including about 10 dividers). Label the binder with your first and last name and the words “AP US History.” If you are tempted to just use the binder of a friend who has taken the class already, I recommend that you contact the Guidance Department to withdraw from the class. Academic integrity is the penultimate requirement to surviving an Aronson class. Learn to live in my world, or you’ll have to find another one. You will complete TWO assignments this summer: 1) Complete the US History 2 Honors assignment for The Jungle. The book offers invaluable insight into an important era for you to know. 2) Read Lies My Teacher Told Me WITH A PEN IN YOUR HAND. Annotate throughout (highlight, underline, and make notes in the margins). If your family is not in a position to purchase the book, please contact me at [email protected] and I will get one for you. High school students hate history. When they list their favorite subjects, history always comes in last. They consider it the most irrelevant of twenty-one school subjects; bo-o-o-oring is the adjective most often applied. In response, James W. Loewen has written Lies My Teacher Told Me, in part a telling critique of existing books but, more importantly, a wonderful retelling of American history as it should - and could - be taught to American students. Beginning with pre-Columbian American history and ranging over characters and events as diverse as Reconstruction, Helen Keller, the first Thanksgiving, and the My Lai massacre, Loewen supplies the conflict, suspense, unresolved drama, and connection with current-day issues so appallingly missing from textbook accounts. A treat to read and a serious critique of American education, Lies My Teacher Told Me is for anyone who has ever fallen asleep in history class.
To keep your skills sharp, watch Crash Courses and youtubes on American history, and of course WATCH THE NEWS (both Fox and CNN); it is where history happens! Stay positive and know that you can do it – we travel this APUSH journey together -- and stay in touch with me this summer at [email protected].
U.S. History II Honors and AP US History Summer Reading Assignment: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair DUE DATE: FIRST DAY OF CLASS – SEPTEMBER, 2017 (no exceptions) Teachers: Mr. Hanson / Ms. Aronson Synopsis: “This 1906 novel was written by Upton Sinclair, a brief resident/owner (from November 1906 to March 1907) of a commune on Englewood’s East Hill named Helicon Hall, which was consumed by fire. This muckraking classic exposes the plight of the working class and exposes the graft and corruption embedded in the meat packing industry. It depicts the harsh tones of poverty, the absence of social programs, and the unpleasant living and working conditions, as well as the social injustices prevalent in Chicago’s packing town, which were all fostered by the corruptive powers of the ruthless meat barons and union chiefs.” ASSIGNMENT: Read The Jungle in its ENTIRETY, all 31 chapters (just like Baskin-Robbins flavors). It is readily available online via the internet. Make certain you fully understand the terms MUCKRAKER and MUCKRAKING. 1. For EACH & EVERY chapter, based on its contents, CREATE A BRIEF AND CLEVER TITLE. Again, you must do FOR EACH OF THE 31 CHAPTERS. 2. For EACH chapter, WRITE* A BRIEF SUMMARY/SYNOPSIS of what took place. It does not need to be lengthy or detailed, rather it should include all relevant incidents that are significant, memorable, or strikingly important. *BULLET POINT SUMMARIES ARE ACCEPTABLE. 3. IDENTIFY 3 THEMES that run throughout The Jungle (see Synopsis section above). IDENTIFY KEY PASSAGES that contribute to its MUCKRAKING theme. BRACKET/IDENTIFY specific chapter and page number for themes and key passages you identify. 4. VOCABULARY: While reading The Jungle, CREATE A LIST OF WORDS that are unfamiliar to you or whose use seems unique or inventive. LOOK UP THESE WORDS in a dictionary and RECORD THEIR MEANING, and it is best to also WRITE DOWN A SYNONYM for each word you search. You should create a MINIMUM list of 25 words. 5. CREATE A BOOK JACKET/COVER (front and back, keeping in mind and utilizing the space that runs the width/thickness of the book) thematic to The Jungle. As is often located within/appearing on and inside book covers, 1) write a review of the book; 2) create a summary of what the reader has to look forward to reading; and 3) write a brief biographical sketch about Upton Sinclair, its author, along the inside flap. 6. SELECT your favorite character and WRITE a summary of his/her character development and the character’s key moments/scenes that contribute to the novel’s plot and muckraking theme.
7. If you have any questions about this assignment, please email me at: [email protected] or [email protected] . One of us should be able to answer your email within 2 or 3 days of receipt. GET STARTED NOW!
To keep your skills sharp, watch Crash Courses and youtubes on American history, and of course WATCH THE NEWS (both Fox and CNN); it is where history happens! Stay positive and know that you can do it – we travel this APUSH journey together -- and stay in touch with me this summer at [email protected].
U.S. History II Honors and AP US History Summer Reading Assignment: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair DUE DATE: FIRST DAY OF CLASS – SEPTEMBER, 2017 (no exceptions) Teachers: Mr. Hanson / Ms. Aronson Synopsis: “This 1906 novel was written by Upton Sinclair, a brief resident/owner (from November 1906 to March 1907) of a commune on Englewood’s East Hill named Helicon Hall, which was consumed by fire. This muckraking classic exposes the plight of the working class and exposes the graft and corruption embedded in the meat packing industry. It depicts the harsh tones of poverty, the absence of social programs, and the unpleasant living and working conditions, as well as the social injustices prevalent in Chicago’s packing town, which were all fostered by the corruptive powers of the ruthless meat barons and union chiefs.” ASSIGNMENT: Read The Jungle in its ENTIRETY, all 31 chapters (just like Baskin-Robbins flavors). It is readily available online via the internet. Make certain you fully understand the terms MUCKRAKER and MUCKRAKING. 1. For EACH & EVERY chapter, based on its contents, CREATE A BRIEF AND CLEVER TITLE. Again, you must do FOR EACH OF THE 31 CHAPTERS. 2. For EACH chapter, WRITE* A BRIEF SUMMARY/SYNOPSIS of what took place. It does not need to be lengthy or detailed, rather it should include all relevant incidents that are significant, memorable, or strikingly important. *BULLET POINT SUMMARIES ARE ACCEPTABLE. 3. IDENTIFY 3 THEMES that run throughout The Jungle (see Synopsis section above). IDENTIFY KEY PASSAGES that contribute to its MUCKRAKING theme. BRACKET/IDENTIFY specific chapter and page number for themes and key passages you identify. 4. VOCABULARY: While reading The Jungle, CREATE A LIST OF WORDS that are unfamiliar to you or whose use seems unique or inventive. LOOK UP THESE WORDS in a dictionary and RECORD THEIR MEANING, and it is best to also WRITE DOWN A SYNONYM for each word you search. You should create a MINIMUM list of 25 words. 5. CREATE A BOOK JACKET/COVER (front and back, keeping in mind and utilizing the space that runs the width/thickness of the book) thematic to The Jungle. As is often located within/appearing on and inside book covers, 1) write a review of the book; 2) create a summary of what the reader has to look forward to reading; and 3) write a brief biographical sketch about Upton Sinclair, its author, along the inside flap. 6. SELECT your favorite character and WRITE a summary of his/her character development and the character’s key moments/scenes that contribute to the novel’s plot and muckraking theme.
7. If you have any questions about this assignment, please email me at: [email protected] or [email protected] . One of us should be able to answer your email within 2 or 3 days of receipt. GET STARTED NOW!
