AP European History. 2013 Summer Reading Assignment: Sophie's World by
Jostein Gaarder. The AP European history course follows three aspects of ...
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AP European History 2013 Summer Reading Assignment: Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder The AP European history course follows three aspects of European history: 1) political/diplomatic; 2) social/economic; and 3) cultural/intellectual history. Perhaps the most challenging and thought-provoking of these aspects is intellectual history. Therefore, to give you a general background on the foundations of European intellectual history, you will read Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder this summer. Sophie’s World is a novel about the history of philosophy. Not only will this book cause you to ponder the most significant philosophical ideas of western civilization, but it will also provide you with an intriguing story about a fifteen-year-old Norwegian girl who receives instruction in philosophy from a mysterious, anonymous “philosopher.” Sophie’s World is available in the Arlington County library system, or it can be purchased for between $8-13 from your favorite bookseller. While reading Sophie’s World, you will need to take notes about the plot and the philosophy presented. You will be given an open-notes test on the book during the first quarter. I recommend organizing your notes as shown below, but you are free to use any style of note-taking you prefer. You don’t need to write detailed notes from every chapter; rather, it would be useful to group three to five chapters together in your summary notes. I have provided an example from the first five chapters below. Chapter
Notes including a plot summary, philosophy and personal reflection
1. The Garden of Eden
plot summary: Sophie Amundsen, a 15 year old Norwegian girl, finds puzzling questions, a mysterious postcard for someone named Hilde, and packets about the history of philosophy in her mailbox. Sophie’s mother suspected that the mysterious letters were from Sophie’s boyfriend, but they were actually from an anonymous philosopher. Sophie ponders the basic building blocks of nature, and how Legos are like atoms. Is there some invisible material that is immortal? Do humans have an immortal soul?
2. The Top Hat
3. The Myths
4. The Natural Philosophers
5. Democritus
philosophy: Philosophy is the search for truth and meaning in life. It attempts to answer the basic questions of where the world came from, what happens to us after we die, and how people should live their lives. Philosophers are like children because they are willing to look at the world with wonder. They are compared to beings clinging to the tip of a rabbit’s fine hair looking in wonder at the universe around them and taking risks instead of burrowing into the fur. People first tried to explain the world around them through mysteries. Greek philosophers tried to prove myths wrong by finding natural reasons for unexplained occurrences. Thus, scientists were called natural philosophers until quite recently. Greek natural philosophers sought answers about the transformations they observed in the world around them. Is there a single basic substance? Do substances remain the way they were created or are they in a constant state of flux? The answer to these questions requires reason and sensual perception. The Greeks developed the idea of basic elements (earth, air, fire and water) and the atom (Democritus). personal reflection: I wonder how this book can combine both a story and the history of philosophy and how well my students can grasp the philosophical issues from this book. I also wonder whether my students will enjoy this book. It’s interesting but a little confusing to consider philosophical questions – especially when they don’t seem to have a clear answer. I think I’m going to enjoy this book.
Note: Some chapters are more focused on plot and others on philosophy. It is more important to take notes on the philosophy discussed in the book than on the plot summary or the personal reflection.
Assignment: Besides reading and note-taking, you will be required to complete one assignment from each of the three categories below: Category 1: Visual Product (complete ONE of the following - 25 points) • • •
Make a collage poster based on the plot of the story or the philosophy you learned Put together a brown paper bag that contains 8 to 10 objects that are relevant to the story and be able to explain the contents of your bag to the class Create some other visual product that incorporates the themes, characters and/or plot of the book
Category 2: Written Product (complete ONE of the following - 25 points) •
•
Write a dialogue between three philosophers from different time periods that you read about in the book. The dialogue should include a discussion/argument that expresses their opinions about a philosophical topic presented in the book. Write an essay in which you compare and contrast two of the philosophers that you read about. Be sure to start with a thesis statement that expresses your opinion about the philosophers. The body paragraphs are to support the thesis: body 1 – describe the philosophy of the first philosopher you chose; body 2 – describe the philosophy of the second philosopher; and body 3 – compare the similarities and differences of the two philosophers. End with a short conclusion that emphasizes the opinion from your thesis.
Category 3: Expanded Research (25 points) •
After reading the book, choose the one philosopher who was the most intriguing to you and do some additional research about him. Compile information from at least three additional resources (encyclopedia, internet sites, books, etc.) and be able to explain what you learned about this philosopher in class next fall.
Grade: Besides the three assignments selected from the above list, you will have an open-notes test worth 40 points on Sophie’s World during the first quarter. Therefore, your overall grade for this book will be 115 points which will make up approximately 15% of your 1st quarter grade! Due Date: The book and completed assignments are due on the first day of school. I will ask students to share their visual, written and research products during the first weeks of school. The open-notes test will be given during the first quarter in place of a chapter quiz at a time of the student’s choosing. Questions: If you need to contact me during the summer, I can be emailed at
[email protected].
Enjoy your summer and have fun reading and thinking about philosophy!
