SS Exam Prep

Monday is the in-class essay portion of the short story exam.  You will read a very short story and analyze how the elements of fiction contribute to the overall meaning/effect.  This is strictly a skill-based portion of the test.  If you've been studying, reading, practicing your critical reading skills and interpretation, you'll just show what you can do.  No real preparation necessary...or possible.

Tuesday is the multiple choice section. This is the portion that you can and should prepare for.

• First section:  multiple-choice questions written over the stories we read and discussed.  Look through your reading journal at the notes you made while reading the stories for the unit as well as the notes you took in class discussions.
• Second section:  multiple-choice questions over "How to Tell a True War Story."  Reread the story, look at your RJ, reflect on your class discussion and make notes while it's still fresh.
• Third section:  really short story to read and multiple-choice questions over it.  Like the essay, this is strictly skill-based.  There is no real preparation for this section; the course so far has been your prep.

Bring your textbook and your reading journal to class with you on Tuesday!

"How to Tell a True War Story" RJ Questions

1.  How does O'Brien's plot structure work and why does he do it this way?  How does this structure contribute to the story's overall meaning/effect?

2.  As you read, note the diction, imagery, tone, and style the author uses.  Once you've finished the story, go back and look at what these elements add to the story.

3.  What kind of narrator does O'Brien use?  Neutral?  Reliable?  How do you know?  Where do you think O'Brien stands in relation to the narrator?

4.  Track places where setting is highlighted.  Why does O'Brien do that?

5.  What symbolism do you see in the story?  Try to come up with clearly defined and supported analysis of its meaning.

6.  Make note of particular details, phrases, or vignettes that strike you as interesting, important, or intriguing.  Once you've finished the story, go back and consider those items.  What do they mean?  Why does O'Brien include them?

7.  What critical lenses could you use to look at this story for further depth?  Pick two and use them to help you tie all of these aspects of the story together to come to O'Brien's theme.  What is his point?

Booktalk with Lenses

AP Lit Independent Reading

Lit Analysis Booktalk

Assignment:
Prepare and give a 10-minute booktalk in which you give a BRIEF synopsis of your book, analyze an element of the book, and show how the author uses that element to create his/her theme.  This should be essentially what you did for your lit analysis, only you’re doing it orally.  This means you still need evidence. Rather than having to write, go through the process, and worry about MLA citation and grammar, you’re challenged with the task of making it comprehensible to your peers in only 10 minutes.  Therefore, focus on ONE aspect of the novel, just as you did in your lit analysis essay.

Objectives:

• Continue working on lit analysis (theme, analysis of an element, and evidence to back claims)
• Apply critical lenses to a novel
• Demonstrate excellent public speaking skills

Items to be Sure You Include:

• Title and author
• BRIEF plot synopsis
• Analysis of the element you’ll be focusing on
• Argument of the theme of the book and how your element contributes to it
• Evidence from the text to back up your claims

Critical Lens Aspect
To help deepen your analysis, you’ll also need to apply critical lenses to your reading of the text.  EVERYONE will be using reader response (you can’t avoid it) and formalist (because this is AP Lit and ALL interpretations MUST be grounded in the text).  In addition, you should consider your novel from another perspective:  historical, biographical, feminist, psychological, Marxist, etc.  Use the lens to help you better understand the argument the author is making by considering the context or what he/she may be saying about society.  

In order to do this well, you may need to do some brief research on your author, the time period, psychology, etc.  If you use outside sources to help deepen your understanding and to give more credibility to your analysis, you should cite your sources ORALLY during your booktalk.

One note about lenses:  They are not "a thing."  You're not going to talk about "the lens" in your booktalk.  Lenses are a way of looking at literature.  I will be able to tell which lens you are using just by listening to your interpretation and your evidence.  No critic ever says "Using the psychological lens..." so you shouldn't either.

Grading
I will grade you using the rubric found here.