June 1, 2010
Dear
AP Student for 2010-11,
Welcome to AP Summer 2010. Attached
you will find a textbook packet that covers some of the early colonial material
for the AP exam. In order to cover the AP material in sufficient depth for the
exam next spring, we need to review and deepen your knowledge of the colonial
era and move quickly into the Constitutional/Federalist time period.
In addition to the textbook
material, you are required to complete the essay prompt below through the
reading of In the Devil's Snare: The
The book gives a new spin on the causes of the
witch hysteria that swept Salem in the 1690s. This, when contrasted with Arthur
Miller’s The Crucible, will provide
food for thought for you as you work through the issues of Puritan
Massachusetts. The colonial era represents another 10% of the questions on the
AP exam. Your task with this book is twofold. In addition to looking at the
facts, you will also be looking at the methodology and arguments present in the
text.
Your job is to both read and understand the events
that took place and to evaluate the scholarship in this book. Does the author
have a good idea? Did she support it in a way that you find convincing? Do her
new ideas shed any new light for you on the Salem Witch Trials? Do you think
that she is right?
The
Question:
Do
you find that the arguments presented in this book to be convincing and well
thought out? Do they, perhaps, present a rational explanation for the witch
hysteria? Why or why not? Explain your choice.
o
To
complete this effectively, you should make sure that you have the following:
§
A
solid thesis statement that answers the question.
§
3
– 5 support paragraphs from the book that support your thesis.
·
Within
those paragraphs you should be convincing about why you find these arguments to
be either sound and supportive of the author’s thesis or not. Your goal is to
either “prove” that the book was written from valid research and that the
conclusions make sense – or was the author simply trying to find an escape for
the girls in question – i.e. it wasn’t their fault.
§
A
solid conclusion that wraps up your argument.
o
Be
sure to use concrete examples from the book in your essay.
o
Be
sure to evaluate the plausibility of the author’s argument against your own
knowledge of the trials and the material presented in your textbook.
˛ Grading for your essay
will be based on the following basic criteria:
o
Thesis
(20%)
o
Content
(60% total, divided as indicated below)
§
Supportive
of your thesis (20%)
§
Backed
by evidence from the books (20%)
§
Logical
progression of the main arguments, including any concessions that you feel are
appropriate (20%)
o
Mechanics
(10%, Spelling, Diction, Grammar)
o
Documentation
(10%, this is solely for Works Cited and parenthetical documentation practice)
o
Due
on the first day of school – Late Penalties: 10 points for the first day and 5
points for each day thereafter and/or possible dismissal from the course.
(Please note exceptions to this policy below.)
In addition to your summer reading for APUS, you
are also responsible for your American Literature titles for grade 11. In order
to do well on AP exam essay questions you find it helpful to remember and be
able to use the content from My Antonia,
Native Son, The Scarlet Letter, The
Crucible, and Slaughterhouse 5. If you have not already read these, or do not
have to for your section of American Lit., the summer is probably the best time
to do it, especially for the chronologically earlier texts. Another book that
some of you are familiar with is Michael Shaara’s Killer Angels, a fictional account of the battle of
If you have any questions, please feel free,
e-mail me or call me at school as you are working on these assignments. Again,
the essay will due on the first day of school. Failure to complete either the
essay or the textbook portion of the summer assignment on time may result in
your being dropped from the course list. If you have extenuating circumstances
that prevent you from completing this work in a timely manner, you MUST discuss the situation with me and
obtain approval before the start of
school in September, via e-mail (recommended), or via phone.
Sincerely,
Mr.
Ames, A.P.