You do not need to copy the question, simply restate the question in your answer.Answer the questions for each episode as you listen (the questions for episodes 1 & 2 are quite long however, the questions get significantly shorter for the other episodes).In total you can expect approximately a 9 hour commitment, so plan accordingly. The episodes are also available in the podcast app if you would like to download the episodes and listen to them on the go.
Episodes are available online here (scroll down past the July 2016 update and begin at Episode one). The high school scene, the shifting statements to police, the prejudices, the sketchy alibis, the scant forensic evidence - all of it leads back to the most basic questions: How can you know a person’s character? How can you tell what they’re capable of? In Season One of Serial, she looks for answers" (This American Life).
She discovered that the trial covered up a far more complicated story than the jury – or the public – ever got to hear. Sarah Koenig sorted through thousands of documents, listened to trial testimony and police interrogations, and talked to everyone she could find who remembered what happened between Adnan Syed and Hae Min Lee. Some people believe he’s telling the truth. But Adnan has always maintained he had nothing to do with Hae’s death. The case against him was largely based on the story of one witness, Adnan’s friend Jay, who testified that he helped Adnan bury Hae's body. Her 17-year-old ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was arrested for the crime, and within a year, he was sentenced to life in prison. "A high-school senior named Hae Min Lee disappeared one day after school in 1999, in Baltimore County, Maryland. A month later, her body was found in a city park.
Serial won a Peabody Award in April 2015 for its innovative telling of a long-form nonfiction story” (Sarah Larson, The New Yorker ).Įxcerpted from The Serial Podcast Website: Serial ranked number one on iTunes even before its debut and remained there for several weeks. The series was co-created and is co-produced by Koenig and Julie Snyder and developed by This American Life. “Serial is an investigative journalism podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig, narrating a nonfiction story over multiple episodes. This will introduce you to nonfiction writing and will show you that nonfiction is not boring at all! The podcast we will listen to, Serial, is by far one of the best podcasts and has been consistently rated #1 on iTunes and independent lists. Podcasts can be made by anyone, and as you’ll see if you do some research, some are better than others. Many students stereotype nonfiction writing as “boring.” This summer, your first assignment will be to listen to a form of nonfiction writing, called a podcast. Transitioning from reading mostly fiction to nonfiction is rough for most students.
AP English focuses on nonfiction writing and persuasive writing. I will periodically check my email and get back to you. If you have questions about your summer assignment, email me.