For all you “regular AP” folks:
You will have to take the AP test at the end
of the year to receive college credit for my
course. You can earn up to six hours just
like the dual credit peeps.
 We will spend lots of time getting you ready
for this test. I’ll give a full-length practice
test on March 10 to simulate the real
setting of the test. We will also focus on
the three major essay types on the test as
well as the multiple choice portion.

Dual Credit Peeps-
You’ll be doing the same exact work at
the same time as everyone else. But
there are some housekeeping things
you may need to know…
Registration Cont’d
If you need to drop a class, you will
need to fill out TWU’s ADD/DROP Form
and have your high school teacher sign
it and turn it into the Registrar’s office
on/or before the deadlines.
 If you are interested in information
regarding payment plans, please visit
the Bursar’s Website.

Registration Woes

Pay for your class on time so you don’t get
dropped!

Pay attention to drop dates:
September 9 is the last day to drop and
receive a refund.
October 1 is the last day to drop without
academic penalty and no refund.
THINK AHEAD
 Registration
opens for Spring
2015 on November 24. Don’t
forget to enroll for the second
half of my class or you’ll only
get credit for one semester!!!
TWU ID

Make sure you go to the second floor of
Jones Hall and get a TWU Student ID.
While this is not mandatory for my class,
it’s a good idea to take advantage of
your tuition. You may use their fitness
centers, swimming pools, Write Site,
and library. The library will also allow
you to check out a laptop if you have
your ID on you. Download the TWU app
on your Smartphone.
Evaluations

As part of your course, you’ll need to
complete an online evaluation of the
class each semester (not me, but the
course itself). This will be sent to your
TWU e-mail, so please check it
regularly.
Class Work

Some of what I’m having you do this
year will be sent to TWU and examined.
Please keep in mind that other people
will be seeing your work, so always do it
to the best of your ability. Also, there are
deadlines for when TWU wants this
work, so due dates are not always
flexible.
The future awaits…

Please remember that the grade you
receive for my class will follow you
through the rest of your academic
career. Your college transcript will
reflect the grade you receive from me.
Make it count!
AP Test Format
- Multiple Choice (45%)- 60 minutes to
answer 55 questions
 -10 minute break between Section 1 and
2
 - Three Essays (55%)- 55 minutes for
synthesis essay, 40 minutes for analysis
essay, and 40 minutes for a essay

The 3 Prompts will Be:
Synthesis Essay
 Analysis Essay
 Argument Essay


The description of each comes from Kevin McDonald
Synthesis Prompts


These prompts place students in the role of
rhetorician, providing them with a controversy to
discuss; however, students are expected to manage
resources provided through the exam.
They clearly combine both analysis and argument as
students are presented with an assertion and several
texts (both print and non-print) that they must read
and analyze in an attempt to evaluate assertions.
Students will have to provide evidence for their
evaluation based on the information they find in the
sources, as well as information they may already
possess. Students will have to reference some, but
not all, of the sources for support within their writing.
Analysis Prompts

These prompts place students in the
role of analyst, asking students to take a
position on “why” an author wrote a text
(his/her purpose– BIG question) and
“how” do they know this (the rhetorical
strategies used—LITTLE question). As
analyst, students need to make the text
“obvious” to a reader who does not
understand it.
Analysis Types
Direct address– Speech, letter, sermon, etc. Anything with a
stated, specific audience (though there may be additional
audiences students should consider). The texts normally ask
the reader/listener to “do” something.
 Indirect address– This style of writing is often introspective and
reflective. The piece is not lacking a target audience, but
students will need to imagine the audience that is implied
through the text. These texts normally ask the reader to
“understand” the author’s perspective on a subject, or ask the
reader to “believe” something.
 Compare and Contrast– These prompts take the above
concepts and then juxtapose pieces that either similar in style or
content. These prompts may move into “evaluation” if the
purpose of the texts is revealed in the prompt (for example, if
students are told that the passages are marriage proposals,
their purpose becomes rather evident; therefore, students may
be asked to analyze how each proposal was made ANDwhich
might be more effective).

Argument Prompts

These prompts place students in the
role of rhetorician as well, asking
students to take a position on an ethical
or moral dilemma, expecting students to
provide appropriate evidence to support
his/her purpose.
Argument Prompts

Create Your Own Argument– There are
different variations on this prompt, but
essentially students are provided with a
prompt that they re asked to use as a basis
for creating their own argument. Close
reading skills and strong comprehension
are necessary, but rhetorical analysis of the
excerpt in the essay is not. Instead, these
function as a “springboard” into the
student’s own thoughts on a given topic,
which they must present in a persuasive
fashion.
Argument Prompts


Agree, disagree, qualify– Students will be presented
with a controversial position (sometimes a singlesentence quote, sometimes a short passage) with
which students are asked to “agree, disagree, or
qualify.” After students establish a position, they
must provide tangible, concrete evidence to support
their position. Through this, the students must show
readers why they believe what they believe in
relationship to the presented position.
Develop a position- Synthesis-like in nature, these
prompts will give students the opinions of typically
famous thinkers/philosophers on some debatable
topic, then ask students to develop their own position
on the topic.
Look for the underlying points
Ex. The Onion
A Modest Proposal
Reading the background information given to you in the
directions will always help you identify satire
Avoid immaturity in your writing,
like:
-“shows” – go deeper
 -“positive” or “negative”
 -Writing, “In conclusion…” in your
conclusion
 -Restating the thesis exactly in both your
intro and conclusion

Use Effective Verbs –WRITE
THESE DOWN
(present tense focusing on what the author is doing)

Conveys, reveals, connotes, delineates,
emphasizes, accomplishes, advocates,
represents, presents, implements,
enhances, contrasts, demonstrates,
reflects, asserts, contributes, creates,
permeates, flows, illustrates, alludes,
displays, paints
Timed Writing

Introduction: Get to the point immediately! Don’t worry about lead-ins.
Answer the question (or prompt) directly. (Instead of saying, “In this
poem the speaker clearly shows his attitude toward love…” say, “The
speaker shows a very cynical attitude toward love…”)
Material: Be sure to use specific details from the text to support your
general answer. Do not quote long passages, but do make specific
references to the text and include short quotations.
Organization: Although ideally you’d like to set up perfectly logical
paragraphs and coherent analysis, time restraints may make this
impossible. Try to plan your general structure ahead of time, but feel
free to stray from the plan if it’s necessary to cover the material. Your
reader will understand your time constraints. Essentially, the first
paragraph will directly answer the question or prompt, the middle
paragraphs will provide specific details to support that position, and the
final paragraph will tie ideas together. {Tell me…show me…tie it
together!}
Timed Writing Cont’d

Transitions: Try to provide logical flow between
paragraphs, but do not be afraid to break the flow if
you discover important ideas that need to be added.
Here you can use conversational transitions to bring
in addition material: “Let me back up for a minute to
clarify a point made earlier…”
Tone: Tone tends to be more conversational, though
you want to be as formal as reasonably possible.
You are trying to show that you understand the
question or prompt.
Title: Not needed. Don’t waste the time.
Timed Writing Cont’d

Drafts: One draft is all you have time to do. Make
your writing as legible as is reasonable to expect in
the limited time allotted. Do not use valuable time
trying to recopy the essay. Be sure to use blue or
black ink. Whiteout takes time and breaks the flow of
ideas. Neatly cross out errors and keep writing.
Readers will tolerate a few spelling or punctuation
errors because of the time restraints. However, if
errors are too frequent they will hurt the flow of the
reader and give the impression that you have poor
language skills. Be careful but not obsessive.
Source: J. McGinley/DeForest High School (Thanks
to Gregory Galica’s The Blue Book.)

Remember…
Your essays will be graded holistically
 5 is considered passing.
 To receive an 8 or a 9, you must
demonstrate either control of language
or a brilliant perspective/argument

General Rubric
9-8 Superior papers specific in their references, cogent in
their definitions, and free of plot summary that is not
relevant to the question. These essays need not be
without flaws, but they demonstrate the writer's ability to
discuss a literary work with insight and understanding and
to control a wide range of the elements of effective
composition. At all times they stay focused on the prompt.
 7-6 These papers are less thorough, less perceptive or
less specific than 9-8 papers. These essays are wellwritten but with less maturity and control than the top
papers. They demonstrate the writer's ability to analyze a
literary work, but they reveal a more limited understanding
than do the papers in the 9-8 range. Generally, 6 essays
present a less sophisticated analysis and less consistent
command of the elements of effective writing than essays
scored 7.

Rubric Cont’d


5 Safe and “plastic,” superficiality characterizes these essays.
Discussion of meaning may be pedestrian, mechanical, or inadequately
related to the chosen details. Typically, these essays reveal simplistic
thinking and/or immature writing. They usually demonstrate
inconsistent control over the elements of composition and are not as
well conceived, organized, or developed as the upper-half papers. On
the other hand, the writing is sufficient to convey the writer's ideas and
stays focused on the prompt.
4-3 Discussion is likely to be unpersuasive, perfunctory,
underdeveloped or misguided. The meaning they deduce may be
inaccurate or insubstantial and not clearly related to the question. Part
of the question may be omitted altogether. The writing may convey the
writer's ideas, but it reveals weak control over such elements as diction,
organization, syntax or grammar. Typically, these essays contain
significant misinterpretations of the question or the work they discuss;
they may also contain little, if any, supporting evidence, and practice
paraphrase and plot summary at the expense of analysis.
Rubric Cont’d

2-1 These essays compound the
weakness of essays in the 4-3 range
and are frequently unacceptably brief.
They are poorly written on several
counts, including many distracting
errors in grammar and mechanics.
Although the writer may have made
some effort to answer the question, the
views presented have little clarity or
coherence.
Stamina
Eat and sleep right the TWO days
before the test (including the day of the
test, which is May 11)
 You don’t want to burn out by the last
section of the multiple choice or by the
last essay

 This could make a difference between a 3
and a 4 or a 2/3
What to bring
Be in the gym by 7:30 AM on Friday the
11 of May
 You must bring : a blue or black pen, a
couple of sharpened #2 pencils, and a
highlighter is optional.
 DO NOT BRING CELL PHONES.
 Dictionaries and thesauri are not
allowed either.

Ask me in class, ask me during tutorial, or e-mail me:
kcarver@dentonisd.org