AP® English Language & Composition



AP Language and Composition

Course Overview

The overview and objectives for this course are taken from the AP® English Course Description published by the College Board. Many of the texts/essays used in this course are from writers found on the representative authors list. Because the state requires that 11th graders be introduced to representative works of American literature, most of the longer works read in this class will be from the American canon, but each will be investigated beyond the summarizing of plot and themes. Students will be able to analyze these works for their use of language and style. Other writings that will be encountered are largely nonfiction in the form of essays and immersion journalism. Paper assignments are varied and frequent.

Course Objectives

Students in AP Language and Composition will do the following things:

• Focus on American Literature. Students will analyze American literature as it reflects social perspective and historical significance.

• Select a college-bound pathway. Students in this class are self motivated and self learners and are expected to be prepared for each class.

• Read lengthy text selections from the Concise Anthology of American Literature and The Informed Argument. The anthology book is a chronologically arranged book with the full texts of two novels. Students will have multiple outside readings in this text to fulfill the requirements of the state curriculum for American Literature.

• Study and analyze current events. Especially in the second and third quarters, students will receive weekly assignments to read articles and essays that deal with current issues. Political cartoons and editorials are common and will be provided by the instructor.

• Read outside of class eight – five novels and non-fiction texts of the teacher’s choice from the reading list. Please refer to the reading list for each term.

• Write 6 to 8 essays per term. Approximately half of these essays will be timed essays that will be written in class within a 45 minute timeframe. Students will sometimes be allowed to “rewrite” essays to work on revision processes, but essays that are given as out of class assignments will usually require conferencing and multiple drafts. Students will often have peers read their essays in reading circles to provide feedback and constructive criticism. Teacher will use a rubric adapted from the AP style rubric used for grading essays on the AP test. Teacher comments and errors will be tracked by student.

• Enter this level with mastery of parts of speech, sentence types, all aspects of grammar, and sentence writing.

• Produce multi-draft, rhetorical analysis, argumentation, synthesis essays based on fiction and non-fiction texts.

• Develop research skills: note taking, paraphrasing, summarizing, MLA documentation, thesis writing, and research terminology. The fourth quarter will also be the time for the major research paper, usually done after the AP exam.

• Differentiate between the genres of fiction and non-fiction. Students will read many essays by contemporary writers as well as the nonfiction texts Nickel and Dimed and Fast Food Nation. Students will explore the issues surrounding these texts and conduct research on their own as well as react to the approaches taken by these writers.

• Develop a sophisticated style of responding to text. Students will learn to match voice to form. Students will become more natural in their responses as their focus and development becomes more refined, their fluency of sentences becomes more mature, and use of conventions becomes more sophisticated.

• Recognize and respond to writers’ rhetorical strategies. Students will be familiar with a wide variety of rhetorical devices and be able to recognize their use by writers in texts investigated.

• Understand and respond to argumentation in writing. Students will learn the basic strategies of the art of argument including the Rogerian, Toulmin, and Aristotelian (classical) approaches. Students will take part in debates and learn about logical fallacies.

• Become an informed citizen through the independent study of current events. Students will write reflection papers and opinion papers about events that occur in their world.

• Develop an enriched vocabulary. SAT words and quizzes are conducted quite frequently.

• Analyze primary documents and synthesize with personal opinions. Students will learn to distinguish primary documents from secondary documents and how to use each as support and evidence for a viewpoint.

Grading Calculations

1. The Stokes County Public School grading scale will be used.

2. Because each grade is important, all assignments are equally valued:

A. Tests and Major Compositions – 75%

B. Final Exam – 25%

3. Not every assignment is graded; however, each assignment is vitally important for the development of skills needed. AP students are expected to be dependable, independent learners who are ever striving to learn more and perfect skills!

4. All assignments are due on the assigned date. Late assignments (except those due to an excused absence) are not accepted. Major assignments are announced well in advance of the due date.

5. Make up work is the responsibility of the student. See Student Handbook for the absentee policy. A class notebook is kept in the front of the room. This notebook contains copies of handouts for absent students. An absent student MUST assume the responsibility of speaking with me before or after class concerning missed work and for making up work within the allotted time. The handbook policy regarding absences will be followed!

Materials Required

1. One three ring binder (at least three inches) with a minimum of four dividers.

2. Black pens

3. Number two pencils

4. Loose leaf notebook paper (college ruled)

5. Highlighters in at least four different colors

6. Composition notebook (teacher will explain in class)

7. Students will benefit from purchasing various assigned novels so that they can annotate the texts. The first required novel is The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Students will need this novel immediately. The school owns copies of this text, and AP students may borrow them; however, annotation unquestionably aids comprehension. Other required novels and non-fiction selections will be assigned well in advance of the time needed. A list will be given to students early in the school year.

8. AP students are expected to be aware of current events. Reading newspaper or news magazine articles, watching or listening to reliable news reports, and discussing current events are vitally important for an AP student to become globally minded.

Term System

The course will be loosely controlled by the term system. The first three terms will have a different focus on each of the three primary modes of writing that are tested for on the AP Exam. The last term will be spent reviewing for the exam as well as conducting extensive research for the major research papers due before the end of May.

• Term 1: Prose Analysis – Multiple texts will be used.

• Term 2: Argumentation – Informed Argument text is focused on with emphasis on the Rogerian, Classical and Toulmin models of argumentation.

• Term 3: Synthesis – Synthesis essays will be constructed around current issues.

• Term 4: Exam Review and Research – This is in accordance to the requirements of the local and state curriculum as well as College Board.

Types of writing will not be entirely exclusive to the term theme; we will continuously be reviewing and exploring all types of texts throughout the semester honing skills already obtained and acquiring new ones.

Advanced Placement English Language and Composition - Explanation of Exam

The AP English Language and Composition Exam is divided between a multiple choice section (60 minutes) and an essay portion which requires students to answer three prompts in various rhetorical modes. In the past, the essay section allowed for 40 minutes to construct a response for each prompt. However, this year the College Board has instituted a new “synthesis” question which requires that students read primary documents and utilize them (citation, etc) in their responses. With this new development in the exam, students are now to be allotted an extra 15 minutes for the reading of documents along with the usual 40 minutes for writing for the lone synthesis question.

Students and parents should know that the AP English Language and Composition Test is taken in May and results are reported to both the student and the school before the end of the summer break. Students may designate that certain colleges (that are of interest to the student) receive the test scores as well. College credit is usually given for high grades on the actual AP exam. In the case of AP English Language and Composition, the student will usually receive credit for a prerequisite freshman composition course. Scores for the exams range from a 1 to 5 and are briefly described as follows (from ):

5  Extremely well qualified*

4  Well qualified*

3  Qualified*

2  Possibly qualified*

1  No recommendation**

*Qualified to receive college credit or advanced placement

**No recommendation to receive college credit or advanced placement

Performance on the multiple-choice part of the exam counts for 45 percent of the student’s exam score. The essay portion counts the other 55 percent. As always, the essay portion of the exam is scored by both college and high school educators trained specifically for the tasks given.

Each essay is graded according to a rubric that awards individual essay scores ranging from a “-“(no-score) to a 9 (highest). Even number scores are usually considered to be the anchor cut scores for performance. The odd numbered scores actually allow for raters to assign a range of grades to a paper. For example, if a paper is scored as “Adequate” but possesses some of the characteristics of an “Effective” paper, then the score would be a 7 instead of a 6. Another way of explaining the scores is that a 7 is considered a “high 6” or a “low 8.”

|“-“ |0 |

|9 |Papers earning this score meet the criteria of an 8 paper, and, in addition, are especially full or apt in their analysis or |

|(97-100) |demonstrate particularly impressive control of language. Vocabulary is of a high level and varied. |

|8 – Effective |This score is given to a paper that effectively analyzes rhetorical strategies. Papers may refer to passage both implicitly |

|(93-96) |and explicitly and a wide range of elements of effective writing is shown. The paper is not flawless. Vocabulary is of a high|

| |level and varied. |

|7 |These papers fit the description of a 6 paper but provide a more complete analysis and/or demonstrate a more mature prose |

|(90-92) |style. Varied vocabulary used correctly. |

|6 – Adequate |The 6 papers adequately analyze rhetorical strategies used. Papers may refer to passage both implicitly and explicitly. |

|(85-89) |Writing may contain lapses in diction or syntax, but generally prose is clear. Vocabulary is a little more general but used |

| |correctly. |

|5 |Papers in this range analyze rhetorical strategies, but do so unevenly, inconsistently, or insufficiently. Writing may have |

|(82-84) |lapses in diction and syntax, but overall meaning is conveyed. Vocabulary is general. |

|4 – Inadequate |These papers inadequately respond to the prompt. There may be little discussion of rhetorical strategies used, |

|(77-81) |misrepresentation of these strategies, or incorrect analysis. There is an overall idea conveyed, but there may be some |

| |immature writing. Wide use of vocabulary is missing. |

|3 |Papers in this score range meet criteria for a 4, but are less perceptive of the rhetorical strategies used. These papers may|

|(75-76) |also exhibit less control of standard conventions. Word choice is weaker and extremely general. |

|2 – Little Success |These papers demonstrate little success in analyzing rhetorical strategies. These papers may have misunderstood the prompt, |

|(70-74) |offered vague generalizations, offered pure summary or just listed strategies used. These papers also exhibit weakness in |

| |writing. Word choice is weak. |

|1 |These papers meet the criteria of a 2 but are underdeveloped, simplistic, and/or very weak in their control of language. |

|(60) | |

|0 |These merely repeat the prompt. |

|“-“ |Off topic |

General Rubric for Argumentative Response

|Score Point |Comments |

|9 |Papers earning this score meet the criteria of an 8 paper, and, in addition, are especially sophisticated in their argument |

|(97-100) |or demonstrate particularly impressive control of language. Vocabulary is of a high level and varied. |

|8 – Effective |This score is given to a paper that effectively characterizes opposing positions. Evidence used is appropriate and convincing|

|(93-96) |and a wide range of elements of effective writing is shown. The paper is not flawless. The paper is not flawless. Vocabulary |

| |is of a high level and varied. |

|7 |These papers fit the description of a 6 paper but provide a more complete explanation and argument and/or demonstrate a more |

|(90-92) |mature prose style. Varied vocabulary used correctly. |

|6 – Adequate |The 6 papers adequately characterize opposing positions. Evidence used is appropriate. Writing may contain lapses in diction |

|(85-89) |or syntax, but generally prose is clear. Vocabulary is a little more general but used correctly. |

|5 |Papers in this adequately characterize opposing positions, but do so with uneven, inconsistent, or limited explanations. |

|(82-84) |Writing may have lapses in diction and syntax, but overall meaning is conveyed. Vocabulary is general. |

|4 – Inadequate |These papers inadequately respond to the prompt. They may have difficulty characterizing opposing positions on topic. |

|(77-81) |Evidence is insufficient. There is an overall idea conveyed, but there may be some immature writing. Wide use of vocabulary |

| |is missing. |

|3 |Papers in this score range meet criteria for a 4, but characterize opposing positions less These papers may also exhibit less|

|(75-76) |control of standard conventions. Word choice is weaker and extremely general. |

|2 – Little Success |These papers demonstrate little success in characterizing opposing positions. These papers may have misunderstood the prompt,|

|(70-74) |failed to characterize positions. These papers also exhibit weakness in writing. Word choice is weak. |

|1 |These papers meet the criteria of a 2 but are underdeveloped, simplistic, and/or very weak in their control of language. |

|(60) | |

|0 |These merely repeat the prompt. |

|“-“ |Off topic |

General Rubric for Synthesis Response

|Score Point |Comments |

|9 |Papers earning this score meet the criteria of an 8 paper, and, in addition, are especially sophisticated in their argument |

|(97-100) |and synthesis of cited sources or demonstrate particularly impressive control of language. Vocabulary is of a high level and |

| |varied. |

|8 – Effective |This score is given to a paper that effectively takes a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies a claim. They |

|(93-96) |effectively support their position by effectively synthesizing and citing at least three of the sources. Also, a wide range |

| |of elements of effective writing is shown. The paper is not flawless. The paper is not flawless. Vocabulary is of a high |

| |level and varied. |

|7 |These papers fit the description of a 6 paper but provide a more complete and purposeful argument and synthesis of cited |

|(90-92) |sources, and/or demonstrate a more mature prose style. Varied vocabulary used correctly. |

|6 – Adequate |This score is given to papers that adequately take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies a claim. They adequately|

|(85-89) |support their position by effectively synthesizing and citing at least three of the sources. Argument is generally convincing|

| |and citations generally support, but the argument is less developed and less cogent than higher scoring essays. Writing may |

| |contain lapses in diction or syntax, but generally prose is clear. Vocabulary is a little more general but used correctly. |

|5 |This score is given to a paper that takes a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies a claim. They support their |

|(82-84) |position by synthesizing and citing at least three of the sources. but do so with uneven, inconsistent, or limited |

| |explanations. Argument is generally clear and sources are somewhat limited. Links between sources and argument are strained. |

| |Writing may have lapses in diction and syntax, but overall meaning is conveyed. Vocabulary is general. |

|4 – Inadequate |This score is given to a paper that inadequately takes a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies a claim. They |

|(77-81) |attempt to support their position by synthesizing and citing at least two of the sources but may misunderstand or |

| |oversimplify the argument or the sources cited. Links between sources and argument are weak. There is an overall idea |

| |conveyed, but there may be some immature writing. Wide use of vocabulary is missing. |

|3 |Papers in this score range meet criteria for a 4, but demonstrate less understanding of cited sources. Position taken by |

|(75-76) |writer is not really developed. These papers may also exhibit less control of standard conventions. Word choice is weaker and|

| |extremely general. |

|2 – Little Success |These papers demonstrate little success in taking a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies a claim. They may merely |

|(70-74) |allude to knowledge gained from the sources rather than citing the sources themselves. These papers may have misunderstood |

| |the prompt and/or failed to develop a position. These papers also exhibit weakness in writing. Word choice is weak. |

|1 |These papers meet the criteria of a 2 but are underdeveloped, simplistic, and/or very weak in their control of language. |

|(60) | |

|0 |These merely repeat the prompt. |

|“-“ |Off topic |

WRITING CODES SHEET

Last Name & Page #

(on all pages)

Name

Teacher

Course (Class)

Day Month Year (no commas)

Title of Paper

Margins should be one inch on each side (top/bottom & right/left). Student should put name on all pages with their last name and page number placed on the top of the page at the right margin (ex. Egan 1). On the title page, each student should put their name, teacher’s name, name of the class, and the date (27 August 2005) flush with the left margin. The title should be centered and the font should be 12 pt. Times New Roman. Each line is double spaced.

On the left side of the page, the teacher will give comments for revising the paper. The right side of the page will have comments for editing (grammar, usage, etc). These will be communicated with codes and will be placed on the same line where the mistake was made. Please refer to the following legend.

|Code |error |Code |error |

|sp |spelling |Case/Number |error with case, number |

|awk |awkward |AP |apostrophe |

|cap |capitalization |FS |fused sentence |

|c |comma |WC |word choice |

|dev |details needed |WW |wrong word |

|FR |fragment |tense |tense of verb |

|CS |comma splice |??? |What are you talking about? |

|S/V |subj/verb agreement |paragraph mark |start new paragraph |

|P/A |Pronoun agreement |VAR |Sentence variation is not evident |

|ORG |Organization is weak | | |

Primary Texts

Yagelski, Robert P. and Robert K. Miller. The Informed Argument, 6th edition.

Boston: Thomson Wadsworth, 2004.

McMichael, George and James S. Leonard. Concise Anthology of American

Literature, 6th Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2006.

Texts to be bought by students or borrowed from school repositories:

Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne

Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway

Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck

The Crucible, Arthur Miller

Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain

All other texts will be in the forms of handouts.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download