The Advanced Placement English Language and Composition ...



“Students look at rigor as daunting at first, but when given the tools and strategies to achieve outcomes, they are surprised, proud, and expect more of the same” (Lynn Demmons, College Board).

The Advanced Placement English Language and Composition course is authorized by the College Board to offer juniors a rigorous, college level study of rhetoric and language and to prepare them not only for success on the AP Language and Composition test, but also for successful writing in future college courses. Students are expected, by the completion of the course, to “write effectively and confidently in their college courses across the curriculum and in their professional and personal lives” (The College Board, AP English Course Description, May 2008, p. 6). It is the expectation for all students enrolled in an AP course to take the AP Exam on Friday, May 13, 2015. This exam has two primary areas of focus: language, and writing.

Language Focus

The course requires students to read critically, think analytically, and communicate clearly in both writing and speech. Students learn to read critically and communicate both orally and in written form their opinions about the reading. Students engage in Socratic discussions, creative projects, informal debates, and AP-style multiple choice analyses of selected readings.

Students in this course will develop and apply the following language-based skills:

|Identifying and Analyzing the Effect of Rhetorical Strategies |

|irony |metaphor |analogy |

|metonymy, synecdoche |diction |allusion |

|imagery |point of view |symbol |

|time shifts (foreshadowing, etc.) |euphemism |onomatopoeia |

|anecdote |allegory |paradox |

Writing Focus

In this course, students will thoroughly examine the writing process and learn to develop thesis statements that include five specific elements: topic, claim, direction, universal idea, and qualifier. To become proficient college-level writers (and to prepare for the AP exam), students will write analysis, persuasive, and synthesis essays.

Students in this course will develop and apply the following writing skills:

|Analyzing and Writing in Rhetorical Modes |

|thesis and claim |organization |causation |

|logos, ethos, pathos |voice and tone |persuasion |

|varied sentence structure |evidence and data |satire |

|purpose and audience |diction and syntax |narration |

|assumptions |definition and classification |refutation and concession |

Course Materials and Resources

▪ Clark, Irene. The Genre of Argument. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1998.

▪ Cohen, Samuel. 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology. Boston: Bedord/St. Martins, 2004.

▪ McDougal and Littell. The Language of Literature. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000.

▪ C. Glenn and L. Gray. The Writer’s Harbrace Handbook, 3rd Edition. Thompson Wadsworth, 2007.

Course Supplies

2-inch Binder with 6 sections (VIP- very important papers, Vocab, Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4)

Several reams of loose-leaf

5 highlighters (different colors)

2 two-pocket folders (one for Multiple Choice prompts and reflections/ one for essays and reflections) These folders will stay in the room.

Post it Notes and/or Tabs

Attendance, Participation, and Class Leadership

Students are expected to contribute to whole class and small group discussions and activities. Among other things, students will be assessed on their ability to positively shape class discussions through critical question posing, active listening, and reflective thinking. Class participation involves a combination of attendance and timeliness to class, appropriate behavior during activities, completion of assignments, and active listening.

AP Language and Composition Grade Weights and Descriptions

Composition- 50% (Essays, Research Paper)

Projects and Quizzes- 40%

Vocab Quizzes- 100 points

Multiple Choice Quizzes- 100 points

Grammar Quizzes- 50 points

Projects (Tear Art, Independent Reading, etc.)- 50 points

Daily Classwork and Homework- 10%

Current Events- 20 points

Annotations, homework, etc.- 10 points

Absences and Make-Up Work

When returning from an absence, students are expected to seek out assignments and/or materials missed. I will abide by the school’s policy concerning the time frame in which missing work should be submitted. Revisions and Reflections must be turned in within one week of the original assignment being returned to students.

Late Work Policy

As this is a college course, late homework and classwork assignments are not accepted under any circumstances. Extended projects (ie., independent reading projects) will only be accepted late without penalty under extenuating circumstances of which the teacher is aware of prior to the original due date. If an extended project is turned in late without any extenuating circumstances, there will be a 20% penalty EACH school day, until the assignment is a zero (5 days).

Thoughts about Cell Phones and other Electronic Devices

Cell phones and electronic devices (IPods, MP3 players, etc.) should not be turned on, displayed, or in use during the school day (8:45 – 3:45). The current school policy will be enforced should the student not be in compliance.

Writing Assessment Rubric

All major writing assignments will be assessed using the 9 point AP assessment scale:

|AP Score |Class Score |Description |

|9 |100/A+ |Essays scoring at this level are clearly outstanding. They offer creative and original ideas and insights that are |

| | |extensively elaborated and refreshing. They go beyond general commentary, referring to texts (explicitly or implicitly) |

| | |and offering specific detail to support their analyses. These essays offer compelling connections between technique and |

| | |effect/purpose. The introduction grabs the reader’s attention, and the writer makes use of transitional sentences and |

| | |clauses to navigate ideas. The conclusion discusses the significance of the thesis. The writer makes use of sophisticated|

| | |vocabulary, sentence variety, and parallel structure. The language is concise and lucid, the verbs active, and the |

| | |punctuation effective. |

| | | |

| | |Synthesis essays earning a score of 9 are especially sophisticated in their argument, integrate source material seamlessly,|

| | |and/ or demonstrate particularly impressive control of language. |

|8 |95/A |Essays scoring at this level meet most of the criteria for a score of 9. |

|7 |90/A- |Essays scoring at this level are proficient. They provide a clear thesis with organized paragraphs. The ideas are |

| | |developed, but there may be problems with the textual examples, i.e. essays may refer to texts (explicitly or implicitly) |

| | |but offer less detailed and/or less convincing explanation and/or less sufficient development. More often, the quotes from|

| | |textual sources are not blended into the analysis. The introduction attempts to entice the reader, but may need additional|

| | |work. The writer makes use of transitions, but the transitions may be more rudimentary than subtle. The conclusion |

| | |provides more summary than insight. Although the essay may be mechanically accurate, more attention should be given to |

| | |sentence variety, precise vocabulary, active verbs, and focus. |

|6 |87/B+ |Essays scoring at this level meet most of the criteria for a score of 7. |

|5 |82/B |These essays are acceptable, yet provide a thesis that contains minimal analysis and little insight. The analysis tends to|

| | |border on summary; the writer offers quoted material in place of analysis or commentary. The introduction needs attention; |

| | |perhaps a tighter connection between context, strategy, and thesis. The writer has made some attempt at organization, but |

| | |the organization does not link the ideas/directions with the thesis. The conclusion only summarizes main points and/or the|

| | |thesis. This writer of this essay should focus more on revision: topic sentences, sentence variety, redundancy, |

| | |punctuation, weak verbs, wordiness, transition, and vocabulary. |

|4 |75/C |These essays are unacceptable for the student seeking college credit. The thesis often restates the question without |

| | |providing a claim, direction, or organizational pattern. The ideas are not developed and they offer little or no textual |

| | |evidence (although there may be summary). The essay may be illogical or immature, marked by a less than adequate reading |

| | |or analysis of the text or subject. The introduction does not interest the reader in the topic, and the conclusion, if |

| | |present, does not advance the idea any further. Although the writer’s ideas may be conveyed, the essay does not |

| | |demonstrate control of sentence variety, punctuation, vocabulary, verb choice, or focus. |

|3 |70/C- |Essays earning a score of 3 meet the criteria for 4 papers but demonstrate less success in support or less control of |

| | |writing. |

|2 |65/F |These essays are unacceptable. A thesis is not established. They may summarize or make the most general observations |

| | |about texts. There is little evidence or textual support and, if offered, the support does not relate to a clear purpose. |

| | |The essay may be one paragraph. There is not a clear introduction and/or conclusion. Often these essays are described as |

| | |“vague” or “simplistic.” These problematic essays are compounded by serious errors in sentence structure, paragraphing, |

| | |transition, punctuation, and vocabulary. |

|1 |60/ Re-write |No attempt to write an essay was made or the essay is completely off topic. |

Course Organization

Every unit of study requires students to identify, analyze, and use rhetorical modes of expression; understand the importance of diction and syntax in an author’s writing style; and gain deep textual and contextual knowledge of important literary periods.

These unit outlines are meant to be a general guide to class materials; I reserve the right to change class readings and/or writings depending on the individual needs of students and the progress of the class.

|Unit 1 |Building the Foundation with Rhetorical Analysis |

| | |

|Essential Questions |What is rhetoric? |

| |How do authors purposely use rhetoric to create meaning? |

| |How do we interpret and analyze a text? |

| |What are universal ideas and how can writers use them to connect to the “conversation of the world?” |

| |What is shift and contrast and how does it affect a writer’s purpose? |

| | |

|Readings |Farewell Speech, by Lou Gehrig |

| |Einstein’s Letter to Phyllis Wright, by Albert Einstein |

| |Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy |

| |Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln |

| |In Praise of Bats, Diane Ackerman |

| |Heaven and Earth in Jest and The Fixed, Annie Dillard |

| |More than just a Shrine: Paying Homage to the Ghosts of Ellis Island, by Mary Gordon |

| |Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood, by Richard Rodriguez |

| |Girl Moved to Tears by ‘Of Mice and Men’ Cliffs Notes, The Onion |

| |A Victim, by Bruno Bettelheim |

| |On Dumpster Diving, by Lars Eighner |

| |Open Letter in Support of Obama, by Toni Morrison |

| |Who’s Watching: Reality TV and Sports, by Frank Deford |

| |Coca Cola Letters |

| | |

| |Independent Reading Project #1: SIFT Outline of Fiction Novel, due October 17th |

|Unit 2 |Crafting and Analyzing Arguments |

| | |

|Essential Questions |What are persuasive techniques and how do writers effectively use them? |

| |How do persuasive writers formulate, support, and justify their stance on a topic to achieve their purpose in writing? |

| |In what ways can student perspectives be introduced into their own persuasive pieces? |

| | |

|Readings |Of Plymouth Plantation, by William Bradford |

| |City on a Hill, by John Winthrope |

| |Narrative of a Captive, Mary Rowlandson |

| |Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, by Jonathan Edwards |

| |The Minister’s Black Veil, by Nathaniel Hawthorne |

| |Speech in the Virginia Convention, by Patrick Henry |

| |Letter to John Adams, by Abigail Adams |

| |Arriving at Perfection, by Benjamin Franklin |

| |The Speech of Polly Baker, by Benjamin Franklin |

| |On Ben Franklin’s Virtues, by D.H. Lawrence |

| |What is an American? by de Crevecoeur |

| |The Declaration of Independence, by Thomas Jefferson |

| |Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, by Elizabeth Cady Stanton |

| | |

| |Independent Reading Project #2: Quote Response Journals for Non-Fiction Book, due December 19th. |

|Unit 3 |Developing and Crafting Synthesis |

| | |

|Essential Questions |How is the developing American persona evident in the works of important authors? |

| |How do the elements of “romantic” writing connect to an argumentative stance? |

| |How do authors use synthesis to create meaning? |

| |How did notions of self-reliance and nonconformity influence social and political developments in this era? How are these |

| |notions reflected in our world today? |

| | |

|Readings |Self-Reliance, by Ralph Waldo Emerson |

| |Excerpts from American Scholar, by Ralph Waldo Emerson |

| |Civil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau |

| |Where I Lived and What I Lived For, by Henry David Thoreau |

| |Once More to the Lake, by E.B. White |

| |The Lowest Animal, by Mark Twain |

| |The Gettysburg Address, by Abraham Lincoln |

| |What, to a Slave, is the 4th of July, by Frederick Douglas |

| |I Have a Dream, Martin Luther King, Jr. |

| |How It Feels to be Colored Me, by Zora Neale Hurston |

| |Letter to Garrison, by Harriet Beecher Stowe |

| |The Story of an Hour, by Kate Chopin |

| |The Yellow Wallpaper and Why I Wrote “The Yellow Wallpaper,” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman |

| |I Want a Wife, by Judy Brady |

| |What are Women’s Brains For? By Stephen Jay Gould |

| | |

| |Independent Reading Project #3: Documented Research Paper, due March 12th. |

|Unit 4 |Applying Rhetoric to Create Meaning |

| | |

|Essential Questions |How can satire be used to evoke change? |

| |How can we use analysis, argument, and synthesis to understand the world around us? |

| | |

|Readings |Advice to Youth, by Mark Twain |

| |A Modest Proposal, by Jonathon Swift |

| |Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell |

| |Hat in the Arena, by Teddy Roosevelt |

| |Fear Itself Speech, by Franklin Delano Roosevelt |

| |Old Soldiers Never Die, by George MacArthur |

| |D-Day Speech, Dwight Eisenhower |

| |Announcing the Death of MLK, by Robert Kennedy |

| |Excerpts from Anarchism and A Menace to Liberty, by Emma Goldman |

| |Every Man a King, by Huey P. Long |

| |Port Huron Statement, by Tom Hayden |

| | |

| |Independent Reading Project #4: Prose to Poetry using Short Stories, due June 1st. |

-----------------------

AP English Language and Composition

2014 – 2015

Mrs. Suzanne Raque

Room 110, (502) 241-6681 ext. 110

suzanne.raque@oldham.kyschools.us

[pic]

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

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

Google Online Preview   Download