Summerlin Academy Plagiarism and Summer Reading Assignment AP Language Follow all directions, explicitly
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Summerlin Academy Plagiarism and Summer Reading Assignment
AP Language
Follow all directions, explicitly
Students in Advanced Placement classes are enrolled in college level coursework with the same rigors and
expectations of the university courses for which they qualify. This plagiarism lesson is drafted from a variety of
plagiarism and academic integrity policies.
1. Students will view the plagiarism video at Rutger’s University website. These are humorous renditions
of some very serious issues. Please take notes. You will use these notes to complete the assignments in
Attachments A and B
https://library.camden.rutgers.edu/EducationalModule/Plagiarism/
a. What are the differences between MLA formatting and Footnotes?
b. What type of citations does MAJ (hon) Kearns require?
c. Give an example of each type using the same sample text. (note: by doing so, you have cited the
source, so you are NOT plagiarizing)
d. take the quiz.
http://library.camden.rutgers.edu/EducationalModule/Plagiarism/plagiarism_quiz.html
e. How many “Guacamoles” did you win. Share on Office 365 a screenshot to susan.kearns@polk-
fl.net
2. Students will complete 5 Editorial and 5 matching topic OP ED assignments. See attachment A.
3. Students will read In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. See attachment B.Attachment A:
Read and respond to Five editorials with Five corresponding OP ED’s. Please note: These must be kept for the
remainder of the year to develop a researched based portfolio assignment. Not having them done will limit your
success throughout the year. Each editorial should be written by recognized, syndicated columnists, not letters to the
editor or local news stories. An editorial is an opinion based article written by someone on the writing staff of the
newspaper. An op-ed is the “Opposite of the Editorial” written by an author NOT employed by that newspaper. Each
are based on the author’s opinion; editorials typically do not have an author listed because they represent the
viewpoint of the entire newspaper, while op-eds typically do have an author listed and represent the viewpoint of the
individual author. Each entry must include a printed copy of the editorial/op-ed and the following bibliographical
information: title of the editorial, author, name of newspaper or publication, date of publication, and page number (if
applicable). An example has been included for your reference.
Below you will find a list of possible publications in which you may look for editorials (you may not use The Ledger).
This list is a small representation of the columnists you will find available to you, so please don’t limit yourself to just
these publications:
The New York Times Slate.com
Newsweek/The Daily Beast
The Washington Post
Huffingtonpost.com
The Miami Herald
The Tampa Tribune
USA TodayFormatting for the Written work
1. For each Editorial/Op-Ed piece, you will identify the following:
a. An MLA citation (see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/ for correct citation
format).
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Publication. Date published. Medium. Date retrieved.
b. Vocabulary—To practice learning new words, identify five words that are unfamiliar or unknown.
DO NOT say that there are no unknown words. If there are no new words, the editorial you are
reading is too easy! For each word:
i. Quote the sentence from the article, underline the word
ii. Define the word using a dictionary
iii. Discuss the connotation of the word (positive, negative, neutral)
c. Identify the author’s assertion. The purpose of an editorial is to present a viewpoint on a particular
topic—that’s what makes it different from a regular news story that just presents information.
Identify the line in the editorial that you feel best represents the author’s assertion, then
paraphrase.
i. Quote
ii. Paraphrase
d. Identify at least two points the author makes to support his or her assertion and explain how they
do so.
i. Quote
ii. Explanation
e. Identify at least three writing techniques that the author uses. (Refer to your Frayer models for
writing techniques!) Write the quote and an analysis sentence, using your AP VERBS (highlighted in
bold).
i. Quote
ii. Explanation/Analysis sentence
f. Do you agree or disagree with the author’s assertion? Why or why not? This response should be
at least a paragraph in length.Editorial /OP-ED Sample Assignment
1. MLA Citation (10 Points)
“Florida’s Gun Law Morass.” Editorial. The New York Times. 9 July 2012. Web. 10 July 2012.
2. Vocabulary (15 points)
a. Quote: “Florida’s Gun Law Morass”
Definition: A confusing or troublesome situation, especially one from which it is difficult to free
oneself
Connotation: Negative
b. Quote: Mr. Zimmerman initially walked free, but after a public furor he was charged with
second-degree murder…”
Definition: a general outburst of enthusiasm, excitement, controversy, or the like
Connotation: Negative
c. Quote: “…a demonstration of the law’s dangerous vagaries, which have left courts, prosecutors
and police fumbling with contradictory interpretations that abuse justice, more than ensure it.”
Definition: unpredictable or erratic actions, occurrences, courses, or instances
Connotation: Negative
d. Quote: “The law, which has been copied in more than a score of states, scrapped the traditional
duty to retreat from a threat when possible…”
Definition: a group or set of twenty
Connotation: Neutral
e. Quote: “The Florida law reached the level of Wild West farce when one judge freed two gang
members, ruling he had to grant immunity because it could not be proved that they fired first —
rather than in claimed self-defense — when they sprayed 25 rounds outside an apartment
complex.”
Definition: foolish show; mockery; a ridiculous sham
Connotation: Negative
3. Author’s Assertion (10 points):
a. Quote: “The law is a dangerous disaster that should be repealed if state politicians could ever
muster courage to retreat from the macho fantasies of the gun lobby.”
b. Paraphrase: The author clearly does not support the Stand Your Ground law, and feels that it
should be repealed; furthermore, the author feels that its continued existence is due in large
part to Florida’s legislators lacking the backbone to stand up to the gun lobbyist (and possibly
lose funding in the process).
4. Writing Techniques (15 points)
a. Quote: “In the boom in self-defense claims caused by the 7-year-old law, some killers in drug
shootouts, gang wars and street brawls have walked free while comparable crimes end withlong prison sentences in neighboring local jurisdictions, according to a detailed study of nearly
200 cases by The Tampa Bay Times.”
Explanation: Logical appeal; by referencing this study, and including the specific statistics in the
following paragraphs, the author provides a factual, verifiable basis for his assertion.
a. Quote: “The Florida law reached the level of Wild West farce when one judge freed two gang
members, ruling he had to grant immunity because it could not be proved that they fired first —
rather than in claimed self-defense — when they sprayed 25 rounds outside an apartment
complex.”
Explanation: Allusion; the author’s reference to the Wild West relies on the reader’s
understanding of a historical time when laws were not as strictly enforced as they are today,
and it was often difficult or impossible to prove true innocence or guilt (often the only
“evidence” was the testimony of one or more people involved in the incident). By calling it a
“farce,” the author also implies that the people who are participating in this “show” are foolish.
b. Quote: “No wonder defense lawyers quickly exploited the law, even claiming immunity in minor
incidents, as in cases in which a man shot a bear, a protected species, and another beat a dog.”
Explanation: Hyperbole; even though the author is citing actual cases, by choosing cases that
are so ridiculous, he emphasizes the over-the-top, exaggerated effects that this law might have
on the legal process.
5. Agree/Disagree (10 points):
I don’t think there’s an easy answer to this question. On the one hand, I believe that if someone is
attacking me and I am afraid for my life or the life of my family or child, I should not have to retreat
and should be able to defend myself. I can, however, see where the law might be exploited, as in
the cases referenced in the editorial. I do believe that there should be a reasonable line that is
drawn between self-defense and pointless violence; if someone shoots a gun at you, shooting back
is one thing, but “spraying 25 rounds outside an apartment complex” goes beyond self-defense.
There is quite a difference between “standing your ground” (defending your life) and using the law
as a shield to commit further violence, and I believe that, whatever the ultimate fate of the law, that
difference should be closely examined and applied in the courts system.Attachment B:
In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote
As you read, remember, this is a non-fiction book about a true event. You will need to take detailed
notes from each section following the following guided questions. I strongly suggest you take notes
within the pages of the book. If you did not purchase the book, you may use post-it notes to keep track
of the information. Hint: put the page number on the post it notes, just in case they fall out.
If there are words you do not understand, in the instructions, the assignment sheets, or in the piece,
itself, it is incumbent upon YOU to know them before you submit substandard work. All assignments
will be typed into separate pages within the same MS Word Document, CLEARLY titled by section and
saved to a flash drive or shared to me at susan.kearns@polk-fl.net. Remember to write section titles and
cite page numbers for each quotation.
(1) Read the first few paragraphs of section 1 describing Holcomb, KS. What literary devices does
the author use? How do these convey a theme or begin a motif?
(2) Take notes on the characters as they develop and advance through the story and for each section.
(3) Who does Capote seem to focus on? How does this advance the plot?
(4) What information does he provide about the characters? Give details, be specific.
(5) Does Capote appear to have a bias to any particular characters?
(6) Does he leave you with questions about others?
(7) Concentrate on Perry Smith, Richard (Dick) Hickock, Bobby Rupp, Alvin Dewey. Don’t ignore
the other characters, though.
(8) Part of your notes should include how you feel about the characters and upon what event,
actions, descriptions you base these feelings. Use text evidence of evocative language to support
these feelings. Use your own evocative language and purpose specific vocabulary to convey your
emotions.
(9) Do you find that your feelings change one way or the other through the story? How is this
achieved? Example: Capote details the psychological profiles of the killers to juxtapose
paradoxical sympathy and horror in his reader.
(10) On a separate sheet, type or if you can find it online, copy and paste three specific text passages
(with page numbers), and then, in your own words, explain how they shaped your opinion on the
way Truman Capote treats the characters and the topic of the story.
There will be a multiple choice test and essay on the novel in the first week of school. You may use
your annotations to answer the test questions.You can also read
