AP Literature & Composition (AP Students) ***UPDATED: June 20, 2025

Assignment 1: Read Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt. If you cannot purchase a book, the PDF is available online.

Assignment 2: Write your College Essay.

College Essay Directions:

Step A: Optional Reading Resources

1. Article 1, “How to Write a Personal Essay for Your College Application” by Amy Allen.

2. Article 2, “14 College Essay Examples From Top-25 Universities (2024-2025)” by Shemmassian Academic Consulting.

College Essay Composition:

Step B: Writing

1. Write 2 essays. Ensure that each essay is structured, engages, and features your personality, experiences, and goals effectively.

2. Choose 2 peers, parents, or adults to provide handwritten feedback on both essays.

3. Revise essay based on feedback and KEEP the drafts (you will need these for submission).

4. Submit typed FINAL copy and drafts in class on August 14th (B-Day) and 15th (A-Day).

AP/IB Readings (IB Students)

• The Handmaid's Tale by Atwood

• Things Fall Apart by Achebe

• The Awakening by Chopin

AP English Composition (AP Students)

• AP English Lang:  Elements of Style (4th edition) by Strunk & White

  • On Writing by Stephen King

AP English Composition (IB Students)

• Essays that Worked for College Applications (2003)

• Candide

• The Odyssey

• English / Language Arts

How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Foster)
All Quiet on the Western Front  (Remarque)

• AP World

Unit 0 Review and Scavenger Hunt (Research these using the internet or academic sources…will be discussed and due day 2 in all AP World classes)

1. Define the following thematical terms as they relate to “history”:

• Social

  • Political

  • Interaction with the Environment

  • Culture

  • Economic

  • Technology

1. Build a socio-political connection for the term (as in how is this concept social AND political together)

2. What countries make up “East Asia”?

3. What is the “Mandate of Heaven”? 

4. List a few economic “greatest hits” for East Asia…pre 1200 CE.

5. If you had to discuss social issue in East Asia pre-1200…what would you discuss?

6. Describe the 5-6 most important elements of Confucianism and Buddhism.

7. When I say “South Asia” you say _______________.

8. Name 2 empires that united large chunks of area in South Asia pre-1200…and 3-5 innovations between them.

9. Refer to the main (2-3 minimum) socio-cultural legacies of pre-1200 South Asia that are still influential today.

10. How does South Asia connect economically to Afro-Eurasia?

11. Explain what a caliphate is and how they happened pre-1200.

12. Europe…pre-1200…write me 2 paragraphs of summary of the “story of Europe”. Start with Alexander the Great. P.S. this “story” should include 5-6 themes in it.

13. America…what is stopping America from being more of a “thing” pre-1200?

14. What is going “well” for the Americas pre 1200…as in explain the important review type of items.

15. In Africa, why is North more “advanced” than the South pre-1200?

16. Why is 15 not true and demonstrate that through some details.

17. Time to define:

• Diaspora

• Filial Piety

• Dharma

• Nirvana

• Moksha

• 5 Pillars

• Animism

• Patriarchal

• Trans-Saharan

18. Reflect and connect

1. Discuss 3 “general” causes for the “Classical Civilizations” to collapse pre-1200

2. In what ways are the 3 monotheistic religions alike?

3. Describe how trade networks cause religions/belief systems like Islam or Buddhism to spread.

19. Pre-essay set up:

1. Define the term contextualization

   • Define the term thesis

   • Define the term complexity

   • Define the terms groupings AND sourcing

   • Define the term analysis

   • Define the term point of view

   • Define the term purpose

• French AP/IB HL

  • Colonel Chabert, by Honoré de Balzac

  • Carmen, by Prosper Mérimée

• Spanish AP Literature

  • Read “La casa de Bernarda Alba”. List and describe each character. In your opinion, who is the protagonist?