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Reading a Non-Fiction Book! Last part of the yearlong CIP project.

By Tim Pappageorge

Non-Fiction Book -- Final Research Installment in your Conceptual Inquiry Project

What’s this?  
During the second part of this quarter, you will select and read a full non-fiction book of your choice.  Again, like the audio blogs, this book choice may explore the topic directly, obliquely or in some tangential way that we do not anticipate.  We can recall from the history of the Syntopicon project that they had already spent $1M (in 1952!) and did not see a way through to completing the project and were tempted to sell the printing plates as junk!  According to the history of the project: “Adler persevered, however, having spent the previous eight years of his life on the project. He single-handedly raised funds by selling more expensive `Founders Editions’ of the sets, and disobeyed the order to fire his entire staff. There were times, during the process when he admitted: `the question was could we sell the plates for junk! Could we dispose of the plates as old metal?’”  Likewise, you may be tempted to devalue the amazing work that you have done on your own CIP by seeing the road ahead as somewhat challenging, but realize that you are about to create something unique and revolutionary in your final project after the AP test, 4th quarter.

Library and Help!
Both the W--- LRC and the D--- Libraries have been alerted about this project.  The librarians are there to help you, so please contact the librarians on the 4th floot at the D--- Library who have a bookshelf for you called, “M--- AP Conceptual Inquiry Project.”  Also, you can consider checking out reviews of your topic on Goodreads, Amazon (e.g. teen reads non-fiction link), or Shelfari and then venture over to Halfprice books or your favorite bookstore to get a personal copy--probably worth the investment.   Here is a photo from my favorite booksore at U of C, 57th Street Books! 


Due dates:
Book Selection: Select and bring a copy of your book to class; write a paragraph explaining why you picked it, including full MLA info about the book.  3/13/15
½ Book Completed for Class Literature Circle: 3/27/15, Friday
Full Book and Write-up Completed for Class Literature Circle: 4/10/15, Friday (note: spring break reading may be avoided or planned into your schedule.)

Write-Up Requirements
Short paragraph connecting the book to the course material.  Maybe see a comparison to Frederick Douglass, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Animal Farm, etc.  It’s important to make connections that may not seem readily apparent, as this kind of divergent and integrative thinking is central to success on the AP Argument and Synthesis essay prompts.
MLA Entry, 3 quotes and a quick blurb about each.  The main point of this project is reading and thinking, so we are trying to downplay the amount of required writing.  That said, some work with quotations will help every writer to do a fantastic final project during 4th quarter.
Rhetorical Comment.  Without going into a full-blown rhetorical analysis, think about the book rhetorically.  Underneath it all, what seems to be his or her purpose?  What choices in style does he or she make?  What types of anecdotes, facts, comparisons, etc., does she marshal into place?


That’s it!  This is meant to be a shorter write-up, as you can see from the student sample below!  Make sure to keep good track of all of your CIP writings, as these will be the raw materials for your project 4th quarter.

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