APUSH Summer Reading
You will be reading 2 books this summer- 1 on slavery and 1 on the Vietnam War. Both of these books will teach you a lot about 2 topics that we will not have time to discuss in depth in class. We will discuss the books when we get to them at their historic point during the school year.
For the book on slavery you may chose between:
Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington
OR
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
I do not suggest choosing between the two books based on length, many students have
found they prefer the book that is longer.
The book on the Vietnam War is titled The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. It is a fictional book but based on O’Brien’s experiences as a war veteran.
There are two elements for you to complete for each book:
As you are reading: Keep a piece of paper in the book or use some similar method to write down facts you learn about the topic (of slavery, of life after slavery, or of Vietnam). I will check these notes in whatever form you create them at the beginning of the school year. It will be important to hold unto them for when we have a class discussion on the books a few months into the school year.
After you have completed each book: Complete the prompts below on a google doc and submit at the beginning of the year on google classroom. These answers should be around 1 paragraph each (not one sentence).
How would you summarize the point of view of the author? (their attitude towards the subject matter)
What seems to be the author’s purpose in writing this book? (why did these write the book)
Why do you think this book is one of the few used to learn about this topic in US History?
What is your opinion of the book? Are there any particular passages that stood out to you?
Once google classroom has been generated for the fall, I will make a spot for you to put all of this work. It will be due the day after Labor Day weekend. If you have questions please contact Mrs. Dollard at mdollard@plumsteadchristian.org.