Welcome to AP Lang! 

AP Language and Composition is a course focused on non-fiction texts. The texts we will read this  year will typically be shorter in length than full length novels and will come from a wide variety  of contexts. Understanding the context – both historical and social – of the texts will be a key  component to your analysis and preparation for the AP exam. During the year you’ll be  required to expand your background knowledge through reading, watching and listening to  texts in a variety of subject areas. I encourage you to consider starting this process this  summer. Although the following is not required, beginning to read from this list over the summer will help you both in class, on your AP Exam, and as an informed human. 

As an AP Lang student and generally well-informed person, you need to be curators of  knowledge. The different areas of knowledge we will discuss can be summarized with the  acronym CHORES – current events, history and art, our experiences, reading, entertainment,  sports and science.  The idea is to explore content areas outside of your comfort zone.

As an AP Lang student and generally well-informed person, you need to be curators of knowledge. Here  is a list of podcasts to help you learn more about the world. 

One of your AP Exam essays is an Argument essay; you can use anything for your evidence. The more you know about current events, the better you will perform. Consider the following categories:

Step 1: Look at the six podcast categories below. Choose any ONE podcast and listen to at least one episode and take notes. You can use these notes for your first major assignment of the year. Notes can be online (Google Docs or on paper. Just don’t lose them!) Note - if you find a current podcast that fits into any of the six categories below, feel free to use it instead. 

Current Events Podcasts 

• Throughline – on Apple Podcasts Ramtin Arablouei and Rund Abdelfatah, the hosts of  NPR’s new podcast Throughline, are here to remind us that we must heed the past as  we consider what it means to live in the present.  

• Global News Podcast – on Spotify The day’s top stories from BBC News. Delivered  twice a day on weekdays, daily at weekends 

• Dear Hank & John – on Spotify Hosts John and Hank Green (authors and YouTubers)  offer both humorous and heartfelt advice about life’s big and small questions. They  bring their personal passions to each episode by sharing the week’s news from Mars  (the planet) and AFC Wimbledon (the fourth-tier English football club). 

• Let’s Be Real with Sammy Jaye on iHeartRadio Let’s Be Real, hosted by GenZ change  maker Sammy Jaye, is all about having powerful and candid conversations with  celebrities, activists, athletes and influencers, while discussing real-life issues – from  mental health and political activism to pop culture and more.  

• RadioLab - on Spotify Radiolab is on a curiosity bender. We ask deep questions and use  investigative journalism to get the answers. A given episode might whirl you through  science, legal history, and into the home of someone halfway across the world.  

• This American Life – on Spotify With fascinating, in-depth reporting on the phenomena  that make up our lives, This American Life is a great family listen. A public-radio  institution, it features slices of life that center around themes that unite them. 

• Wait, Wait...Don’t Tell Me! - on Spotify NPR's weekly news quiz. Have a laugh and test  your knowledge with today's funniest comedians. And if you can't get enough, try our  new mid-week show, Everyone & Their Mom. Each Wednesday, host Emma Choi takes  the story everyone's talking about and uses it as an excuse to hang out with culture  makers, Wait Wait panelists, and hilarious new comedians. 

History & Arts

Podcasts 

• Backstory – on Apple Podcasts U.S. historians Ed Ayers, Brian Balogh, Nathan Connolly  and Joanne Freeman of Virginia Humanities endeavor to look at today’s headlines  through the lens of American history. They assure their listeners that these are the  stories they “want to learn,” not the ones they “had to learn” in history class. 

• Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History – on Apple Podcasts He dramatically narrates some of the  most epic moments in human history with such color that Hollywood producers looking  for new material ought to take notice.  

• More Perfect – on Apple Podcasts Each episode of More Perfect delves into a specific  Supreme Court case and tries to get inside the justice’s heads to understand why they  made the decisions that have had decades- or even centuries-long ripple effects in  American society.  

• Presidential – on Apple Podcasts Lillian Cunningham dives into the life and legacy of a  different American president. The show often focuses on the tension between how we  perceive these historical figures and who they actually were — as in one running joke in  which Cunningham asks historians what it would be like to go on a blind date with  various presidents. 

• Revisionist History Malcolm Gladwell – on Apple Podcasts His podcast reexamines  “overlooked” moments in history, like why a famed basketball player made the illogical  decision to favor a worse free throw form or why an artist who broke the glass ceiling  only ended up reconfirming gender biases. Gladwell comes alive when tackling societal  injustices that are particularly irksome to him. 

• Not Past It – on Spotify Ever wonder why the world is the way it is? Like, 1000s of years  of humanity and this is the version of the world we came up with. This one? Same. Each  Wednesday on Not Past It host Simone Polanen will pick a moment from that very same  week in history -- and tell you how it shaped our lives today. 

• This is Where It Gets Interesting – on Spotify Here’s Where It Gets Interesting finds the  stories of America you probably haven’t heard. Host Sharon McMahon, a longtime  teacher and one of today’s most influential voices, will ignite your curiosity about the  fascinating stuff that wasn’t in history textbooks. She’s joined by notable thought  leaders who share insights about history, culture, and politics, and inspire us to grow  into more thoughtful, well-informed citizens. 

• Lore – on Spotify Lore is a bi-weekly podcast (now also a TV show and book series)  about dark historical tales. Each episode explores the mysterious creatures, tragic  events, and unusual places that fill the pages of history. Because sometimes the truth is  more frightening than fiction. 

Reading Podcasts 

• The Moth – on Spotify Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of  true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. 

Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful  of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared  experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. 

Entertainment/Pop Culture Podcasts 

• Cocaine & Rhinestones – on Apple Podcasts This obsessively researched, essayistic show  examines the history of country music and some of its icons. Even those who have never  donned a cowboy hat will appreciate the sordid and controversial history of the genre.  

• Mogule – on Apple Podcasts The series covers the life and death of Chris Lighty, a  manager who represented Missy Elliott, 50 Cent and Busta Rhymes, and, in following his  story, traces the history of hip-hop. Host Reggie Ossé, a former industry lawyer who  knew Lighty, brings passion to the story of his old friend. 

• Armchair Expert – on Spotify Hi, I’m Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am  endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are  vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I  invite you to join me as I explore other people’s stories. We will celebrate, above all, the  challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment. What qualifies  me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology  and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human “truths” without any  laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th century scientists, an Armchair Expert. 

• Smartless – on Spotify "SmartLess" with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, & Will Arnett is a  podcast that connects and unites people from all walks of life to learn about shared  experiences through thoughtful dialogue and organic hilarity. A nice surprise: in each  episode of SmartLess, one of the hosts reveals his mystery guest to the other two. 

Sports Podcasts 

• 30 for 30 – on Apple Podcasts This audio spinoff of ESPN’s famed 30 for 30 documentary  series, hosted by Jody Avirgan, explores sports stories from history exclusively in the  podcast format. Most episodes cover a different sports saga, with the exception of a few  mini-series that dive deep into one person or topic. 

• Nobody Asked Us With Des & Kara - on Spotify Once competitors and Olympic  teammates, now friends and podcast partners, Des Linden and Kara Goucher share their  hot takes about all things running with a little bit of life-stuff sprinkled in too. Come for  the insights on running and stay for the inspiration from two legends in the sport. No  filter needed. 

• The Lowe Post – on Spotify ESPN's Zach Lowe talks to various basketball people about  various basketball things basketball. 

Science Podcasts

• RadioLab - on Spotify Radiolab is on a curiosity bender. We ask deep questions and use  investigative journalism to get the answers. A given episode might whirl you through  science, legal history, and into the home of someone halfway across the world.  

• Science Friday – on Spotify Science Friday, or "Sci Fri" to the initiated, is another podcast for  science lovers: It focuses more on current events, and the scientific concepts that are in the  news. 

• The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe – on Spotify The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe is  produced by SGU Productions, LLC – dedicated to promoting critical thinking, reason, and  the public understanding of science through online and other media.  

• Curiosity Daily – on Spotify The award-winning Curiosity Daily podcast from  CuriosityDaily.com will help you get smarter about the world around you. In less than 10  minutes, you’ll get a unique mix of research-based life hacks, the latest science and  technology news, and more. Nate Bonham and Calli Gade will help you learn about your  mind and body, outer space and the depths of the sea, and how history shaped the world  into what it is today. 

• I Know Dino: The Big Dinosaur Podcast – on Spotify The big dinosaur podcast. News,  interviews, and discussions about dinosaurs. 

Step 2: Nonfiction Reading 

The following  is a list of nonfiction titles that will help you broaden your bank of background knowledge for the Argument Essay on your AP Exam. You don't have to read something from this list, but these are excellent options. You want to be sure you are reading a nonfiction text. Many are  available in the public library or via SORA (ebooks). You are strongly encouraged to purchase your book so that you can bring it to class in the Fall. 

Annotate your chosen text using sticky notes or Google Docs. Annotate for the following:

• Claims or assertions made by the author
• Passages that describe the setting or context of the text
• Diction and or vocabulary choices that convey tone
• Any elements in your text that reflect any part of the CHORES categories for analysis. 
• Anything that truly strikes you about the writing itself. 

Again, while this is not required, the reading of THIS text CAN be the required reading for your first major project next year. DO IT OVER THE SUMMER. You will want to hug yourself when you realize how much time you have saved in the Fall. 

Please read through the entire pdf for all the information. 

 

APLanguageandCompositionSummerReadingOpportunities-2023.pdf