Hialeah Senior High School



AP English Language and CompositionThe Course The best way to characterize the Advance Placement Language-Composition Course and Examination is to say it is tough but fair. If students are to earn additional points (GPA) and college credit through the Advance Placement (AP) Exam, then it logically follows that the class and test must reflect that students have mastered the skills/concepts of a college student. (Information gathered at apstudents) I. IntroductionAn AP course in English Language and Composition engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer's purposes, audience expectations, and subjects as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effective writing. II. PurposeThe purpose of the course is to enable students to read complex texts with understanding and to write prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate effectively with mature readers. The course will help students move beyond programmatic responses as the five-paragraph essay. Students will be taught to place emphasis on content, purpose, and audience and to allow such focus to guide the organization of their writing. Ill. GoalsUpon completing the AP English Language and Composition course, then, students should be able to:analyze and interpret samples of good writing, identifying and explaining an author's use of rhetorical strategies and techniques;apply effective strategies and techniques in their own writing;create and sustain arguments based on readings, research, and/or personal experience;write for a variety of purposes;produce expository, analytical, and argumentative compositions that introduce a complex central idea and develop it with appropriate evidence drawn from primary and/or secondary explanations, and clear transitions;demonstrate understanding and mastery of standard written English as well as stylistic maturity in their own writings;demonstrate understanding of the conventions of citing primary and secondary sources;move effectively through the stages of the writing process, with careful attention to inquiry and research, drafting, revising, editing, and review;write thoughtfully about their own process of composition;revise a work to make it suitable for a different audience;analyze image as text; andevaluate and incorporate reference documents into researched papers.IV. The ExamYearly, the AP English Language Development Committee prepares a three-hour exam that gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of the skills and abilities previously described. The exam employs multiple-choice questions to test the students' skills in analyzing the rhetoric of prose passages. Students are also asked to write several essays that demonstrate the skills they have learned in the course. AP Exams are an essential part of the AP course experience, and helpstudents:Stand out in the admission processEarn academic scholarships and awards from colleges and universitiesExperience college-level academics now, while they're still in high schoolsave time and money once they get to college, providing them with more study options and allowing them to move directly into upper-level courses in their field of interestEarn AP Scholar Awards, an academic distinction granted each September by the College Board to students with exemplary AP Exam scores.Length: Three Hours and Fifteen MinutesStructure: Two SectionsSection I: Multiple Choice (45 questions), 60 minutesGenerally, expect four reading passages that represent a variety of rhetorical modes: They will vary in length from about 300 to about 800 words each. The passages are followed by 10 to 15 questions based on content. As of May 2007, some questions in the multiple-choice section will refer to documentation and citation sources. Thissection will count for 45% of the entire AP test score. Beginning with the May 2011 AP Exam administration, total scores on the multiple-choice section will be based only on the number of questions answered correctly. Points will no longer be deducted for incorrect answers and, as always, no points will be awarded for unanswered questions.Section II: Free Response-Essay Section (3 essays), 2 hours and 15 minutesThe suggested time for writing each essay is 40 minutes, the additional 15 minutes are exclusively allotted for reading the passages in the synthesis essay. You must complete all three essays within the 2-hour writing time limit. Essays must be written in black or blue ink. Each of the essays is equally weighted at one-third of the total essay score. The total for the essay portion equals 55% of the entire AP test score.V. GradingA. Academic Grade: The Miami Dade County Grading Scale will be used to evaluate your performance in this class. Assignments not turned in will count as a zero.B. Effort Grade: Reflects class participation, homework, and class work.Students with exceptional effort will receive a one, average effort two, and poor effort three.C. Conduct Grade: The environment in the classroom must be conducive to learning. Students that are disruptive will be dealt with accordingly.Gradebook BreakdownAssignments (Homework, Class work, and Projects)30%Timed AP Essays 20%Timed AP Multiple-Choice20%Quizzes15%Participation10%Journal 5%Total100%VI. Assignments and TasksA. It is the student's responsibility to listen and follow instructions.B. Papers are to be labeled with student name, teacher name, period, and date on the top left hand corner of the first page. Any title must be centered on the top line of the paper (MLA format).C. Students must turn in neat, clean, and legible work at all times.D. If there is no specific homework assigned on a given night, the student is expected to spend some time reviewing class notes and the summer packet.VII. Class Preparation/ Attendance PolicyA. All assignments must be completed in blue or black ink unless otherwisespecified.B. Individual students are solely responsible for their materials.C. As per Miami Dade county Public Schools the following are the only absences consideredexcused1. student illness2. scheduled medical or dental appointment3. death in the family4. required court appearance or subpoena by a law enforcement agency5. observance of a religious holiday or service6. school sponsored event or activity previously approved by an administratorStudents are required to submit the appropriate documentation (i.e., doctor's note, letter from parent, etc.) to the attendance office within three days upon returning to school in order for the designation of "excused" to be considered. Students will then make arrangements to make up missed assignment.VIII. Performance StandardsA. Students will be seated in their assigned seat before the last bell rings signaling the beginning of class.B. The school dress code will be enforced.C. Behavior should reflect professionalism at all times:1. Respect of self and others2. Respect for public property3. Appropriate language at all timesD. Cheating and copying will not be tolerated under any circumstance. All copied pieces will receive a zero and parents of involved students will be notified. (See X)IX. Materials? 1 plastic three ring binder ( 1" or larger )? set of dividers (5 tabs: Assignments, Grammar, Handouts, Notes, and Vocabulary)? highlighters ( any color)? notebook paper ( college ruled)? white unlined paper? plenty of pens (black or blue ink only)? pencils? 1 composition notebookX. Cheating and PlagiarismI sincerely hope that you are not considering taking the easy way out when the going gets tough. This is where life as you know it will change dramatically, at least in this class. Offenses: You will receive a zero for the assignment and your parents and administrator will be notified. Do not expect me to write you a letter of recommendation for a college, and do not expect me to lie to a college recruiter if contacted. I will tell them the truth, and it will not be pretty.One HUGE misconception that students have is that rewriting something is not plagiarism, because they are "putting it in their own words." Well, if the source is not officially acknowledged, IT IS PLAGIARISM. Copying and pasting actually accounts for only a small percentage of plagiarism. The majority of plagiarism is a result of text manipulation. The accessibility of the Internet makes plagiarism very tempting, and unintentional plagiarism springs from this as well. Simply stated,plagiarism Is using someone's work without giving the appropriate credit. This can mean several things ... 1. Copying and pasting text from on-line media, such as encyclopedias is plagiarism.2. Copying and pasting text from any web site is plagiarism.3. Transcribing text from any printed material, such as books, magazines, encyclopedias or newspapers, is plagiarism.4. Simply modifying text from any of the above sources is plagiarism. For example, replacing a few select words using a Thesaurus does not constitute original work.5. Using photographs, video or audio without permission or acknowledgment is plagiarism.6. Using another student's work and claiming it as your own, even with permission, is academically unethical and is treated as plagiarism. This is known as "collusion."7. Acquiring work from commercial sources is academically unethical and is treated as plagiarism.-117042506480Student, Guardian, and Teacher ContractI have read and understood the above Class Policies and agree to follow them accordingly.___________________________________________________________Student NameStudent Signature___________________________________________________________Teacher SignatureParent/Guardian Signature___________________________________________________________Parent/Guardian EmailParent/Guardian Telephone Number ................
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