Using Facebook
to Prepare for
the AP
Persuasive
Essay
Milton Alan Turner, NBCT
Saint Ignatius High School
mturner@ignatius.edu
http://faculty.Ignatius.edu/turner/
Overview
Introduction to AP French Language & Culture Exam
• AP Central Website
• Free-Response Section Tasks
• 2013 French Persuasive Essay
• Persuasive Essay Rubric
• Authentic Resources
• French-language Media Web Sites
• French-Language Media Apps for
smartphones/tablets
• AP French Language & Culture Facebook Group
•
AP Central
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com
• Course Description
• Planning Guide
• Teacher Community
• Free-Response Questions
•Scoring Samples and
Commentary
AP French Language & Culture Exam
“The AP course provides students with opportunities to
demonstrate their proficiency in each of the three modes in
the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced range.”
Overarching Premise
“When communicating, students in the AP French
Language and Culture course demonstrate an
understanding of the culture(s), incorporate
interdisciplinary topics (Connections), make comparisons
between the native language and the target language and
between cultures (Comparisons), and use the target
language in real-life settings (Communities).”
AP French Language & Culture Course and Exam Description Effective Fall 2011
AP Cultural Themes
L’esthétique
La science et la
technologie
La famille et la
communauté
Les défis
mondiaux
La vie
contemporaine
La quête de
soi
AP French Language & Culture Exam Format
Section
# of
Questions
% of
Final
Score
95
minutes
Section I: Multiple Choice
Part A
Interpretive Communication:
Print Texts
Interpretative Communication: Print
and Audio Texts (combined)
Part B
Interpretative Communication: Audio
Texts
30
questions
35
questions
40
minutes
50%
Interpersonal Writing: E-mail reply
Task 2
Presentational Writing:
Persuasive Essay
Task 3
Interpersonal Speaking: Conversation
Task 4
Presentational Speaking: Cultural
Comparison
55
minutes
85
minutes
Section II: Free-Response
Task 1
Time
1 prompt
15
minutes
1 prompt
55
minutes
50%
5 prompts
5
minutes
1 prompt
7
minutes
Task 2: Persuasive Essay
Students must write a persuasive essay on a given
topic clearly indicating their own viewpoint and
defending it thoroughly
• The essay topic is based on three sources
1. Printed article
2. Printed graph/chart/map
3. Audio source (podcast/interview)
• Students have 6 minutes to read the print sources
(article and graph) and 6 minutes to hear the audio
source twice
• Students have 40 minutes to write the essay
•
Task 2: Persuasive Essay Scoring Rubric
Holistic scoring (“Alan’s shoulders”)
• Task oriented
• Progressive
• integrates vs. summarizes information
• Number of sources referenced
• effective vs. suitable vs. unsuitable information
• Multiple ways to successfully use sources
• 2012 Scoring samples and commentary available at
•
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/
exam_information/4559.html
Preparation Suggestions
Regular exposure to authentic resources from
Day 1 Level 1
• Web sites
• Podcasts
• Apps
• Social media
• Le Grand Concours
• Practice Tests
• Course and Exam Description
• Practice Test (AP Audit)
•
Authentic Resources
•
My AP French Language & Culture Web Site
http://faculty.ignatius.edu/turner/apfrenchlang.htm
•
French-language Media on Facebook
• Le français avec TV5MONDEhttps://www.facebook.com/tv5mondelanguefrancaise
• Le Monde- https://www.facebook.com/lemonde.fr
• Les Observateurs de France 24https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.Observateurs
• TV5 Monde- https://www.facebook.com/tv5mondeofficiel
• La Presse (Canada)- https://www.facebook.com/LaPresseFB
• Canoë.ca- portail francophonehttps://www.facebook.com/canoe-francais
• Le Point- https://www.facebook.com/lepoint.fr
• L'Express- https://www.facebook.com/LExpress
• Agence France Presse- https://www.facebook.com/AFPfra
• Libération- https://www.facebook.com/Liberation
Authentic Resources
French-language Media on Facebook (continued)
• RTL Info (Belgique)https://www.facebook.com/RTLInfo
• RTL (France)- https://www.facebook.com/RTL
• TF1 News- https://www.facebook.com/TF1News
• France Infohttps://www.facebook.com/France.Info
• Le Figaro- https://www.facebook.com/lefigaro
• Le Nouvel Observateurhttps://www.facebook.com/lenouvelobservateur
• Smartphone Apps
•
Why Use Facebook?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Almost all students are on Facebook anyway.
Facebook is available on multiple platforms (smartphones,
tablets), not just computers. Students can easily access
resources on the go.
Facebook supports audio and video well. Students can find and
access audio and video from French-language media sites to
practice their interpretive listening as well as reading skills.
Students can "like" and then the articles will show up in their
news feeds. The students don't really have to go hunting for
articles, articles are pushed to them. Any articles in their news
feeds can be easily shared with the group.
If the students find articles on their own, most sites have a
Facebook button for sharing articles. Too cumbersome to cut
and paste links into a Haiku LMS discussion board and the
chances of making a mistake were too great.
Creating Facebook Groups
• Facebook
Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/apfrenchlang/
• From
Facebook home page,
select “Create Group”
• Name your group
• List at least one member
• Privacy (Open, Closed, or
Private)
Creating Facebook Groups
• Membership
approval (admin
or any member)
• Group address
• Group Description
• File with AP Themes
• Posting Permissions/Post
Approval
Presentational Writing
70%
59%
60%
54%
50%
46%
40%
35%
30%
20%
10%
0%
6%
0%
Lowest Fourth
0%
Second Fourth
2012
Third Fourth
2013
0%
Highest Fourth
Facebook Group Considerations
• Group
size
• Member limits
• Sharing media sites
• Verification
• Suggestions
• Q&A