AP Novel and Commercial Project

Goal

Explore a novel of literary merit with a reading that is both self-directed and highly analytical, carefully considering the elements that make the novel an exemplary choice for use in successfully writing highly-scored Question 3 prompt on the AP Literature and Composition exam.

Overview

You will choose a book of appropriate literary merit to read independently, without the assistance or collaboration of class. If, after completing the novel, you believe it to be an exemplary choice for use on the AP Exam Question 3, you will craft an original question 3 prompt, a response to this prompt, and a video commercial for the novel that extols its virtues as a source of AP analysis.

Components and Points

Novel Selection (10 points) Due:_____________

You must get approval from me before you formally choose a novel. Your choice must be a novel that you have read this school year, and not one read for any class. Only novels previously referenced on AP exams are guaranteed to be approved.  You can change your novel later, with new approval.

AP Prompt and Response (70 points) Due: The first day of Semester 2.

(a - 20/70 points) Create an original AP question 3 prompt that you believe your selected novel is especially suited to answer. This should be formatted like an official AP prompt. The prompt should not directly reference your selected novel. I encourage you to review previous AP prompts to determine the elements and format that are appropriate to an AP question 3 prompt.  

(b - 50/70 points) Write a response to your AP prompt that represents the thoughtful and comprehensive analysis of the responses we have done this year. This will be graded as an AP essay.

Commercial for your Novel of Literary Merit (100 points) Due: The first day of Semester 2.

Create a commercial or brief infomercial that extols the virtues of your novel as a source of AP analysis. Like any commercial, you are making an argument: take this action because it will satisfy a need that you have. In this case, you want to persuade your audience that your novel is dense with material to answer an AP question 3 prompt. Consider the concepts the AP exam focuses on, such as literary devices, and character and situational archetypes (review past AP prompts to determine what matters). 
This will be turned in as a video file that we can, as a class, watch when we return from the winter holiday break. No longer than 3 minutes in length (most successful commercials are 30 seconds to 1 minute long, so I would encourage you to aim for this). You might use your phone to film, and much of your editing can be done using YouTube or any number of other free services. The YouTube file can be shared for submission. You are required to participate in at least one other student’s video in some capacity. This may be in helping to record, edit, or perform. I encourage you to participate in more than one.

EXTRA CREDIT! Read another student’s AP novel independently and complete their AP prompt.

After we view the commercials, you may choose to read one of the featured novels independently. If you do and complete the related AP prompt, you will receive 20 POINTS of extra credit (the only extra credit I will offer you all year). The creator of the commercial will have the option of scoring your response like an AP essay. If they do this, they will receive 20 POINTS of extra credit themselves. You may only read and respond to ONE other student’s novel for extra credit.. There is no limit to the extra credit you can receive if other students read your novel and provide you with an AP response to score.

THE RUBRIC!

(well, more of a series of guiding questions, really)

• How effectively does the commercial provide a synopsis that garners your interest in the novel without spoiling significant events?
• How effectively does the commercial identify thematic topics significant to answering question 3 of the AP exam?
• How effectively does the commercial identify situations or relationships significant to answering question 3 of the AP exam?
• How effectively does the commercial identify characters and settings significant to answering question 3 of the AP exam?
• How effectively does the commercial identify literary and rhetorical devices (like figurative language, types of imagery, symbolism, etc) significant to answering question 3 of the AP exam?
• How effectively does the commercial engage a viewer through the use of images, video clips, music, and/or sound effects?
• Overall, how comprehensively do you believe the commercial shows your understanding the work?
• Overall, how effective is this novel shown to be in answering question 3 of the AP exam?
• Overall, how convincing is the commercial to an audience?