AP English Language and Composition (EN 70)
Course Syllabus Fall 2015
Course Objective/Description: This is a weighted AP course in English Language and
Composition designed to engage students in becoming skilled and critical readers of prose
written in a variety of rhetorical contexts and in becoming skilled participants in discussions as
well as writers who compose for rhetoric and the interactions among a writer’s purposes,
audience expectations, and subjects, as well as the way genre conventions and the resources of
language contribute to the effectiveness in writing while improving their skill and confidence in
composition (The College Board 2010).
AP Language Objectives and Skills: Students will learn/improve (including, but not limited
to) vocabulary, terminology, grammar, mechanics, syntax, diction, denotation, connotation, tone,
mood, analytical voice, mature prose style, close reading skills, command of rhetorical modes,
multiple choice reasoning, organizational skills for timed writing, visual literacy, rhetorical
analysis, personal expository, argumentative and persuasive writing skills, research skills, ability
to synthesize research, development of mature perspective and classical rhetoric.
Writing Expectations: This course teaches students to analyze texts, with a heavy emphasis on
non-fiction, and write both take-home and timed writings that address key aspects of argument,
persuasion, and rhetoric with focus on
*Purpose, style, and structure
*Social and historical significance reflected and implied
*AP Language Skills
The course also addresses and reflects the recent reforms made on the AP Language test that
includes writing a document-based synthesis essay.
Reading Expectations: There is a lot of reading in this class and a lot of independent work.
Texts will represent both a World Literature survey study, with emphasis on use of rhetoric in
non-fiction, as well as many modern examples of essays and other non-fiction, including current
events, reflecting various audiences, purposes, genres, and experiences. Students are expected to
keep up with the reading and will often be quizzed on the reading.
Critical Thinking and Discussion Expectation: Students are expected to come to class ready
with reading and writing assignments completed on time, ready to contribute observations and
insight, ask questions and participate actively in discussions. Students are expected to approach
the material and discussions with an appropriate and acceptable level of maturity when
discussing topics. Inappropriate, disrespectful, vulgar, and rude language, attitudes, insults, and
behavior will not be tolerated.
Fall Semester
The fall semester is focused on introducing a shift in analytical techniques and focus from a pure
literature basis to a more literary focus with a wider variety of texts and rhetorical emphasis. The
course begins by addressing critical thinking skills and techniques, rhetorical terminology and
key concepts, as well as prompt deconstruction, comparative analysis, analysis of visual rhetoric,
purpose and perspective.
Strategies
Students receive an introduction to rhetoric and strategies of both analyzing and writing about
rhetoric with a specific focus on prompt deconstruction and comprehension as well as on timed
writing. As part of the introduction, students are taught to use the SOAPStone strategy from the
“Pre-AP: Interdisciplinary Strategies for English and Social Studeies.” Additionally, during the
fall semester, students receive introductory instruction on alalyzing and using style, purpose,
audience, social exigence, tone/attitude, syntax, word choice, and concrete detail.
Grammar
Students receive instruction and drill practice on various grammatical devices including, but not
limited to, the proper use of the appositive, colon, semicolon, dash, parenthesis, subordination,
coordination, complex and simple sentences.
Vocabulary
Students work to strengthen their understanding and appropriate usage of vocabulary in two
specific areas: general SAT-style vocabulary to broaden academic lexicon and AP Language
terminology to deepen their comprehension and analysis of texts (both fiction and non-fiction).
1.
Orgel, Joseph R. Building an Enriched Vocabulary. New York: Sadlier-Oxford,
1999.
2. Independent vocabulary development from the course’s readings.
3. AP Language Terminology. Students research and present 2 to 3 terms and examples
to present to the class. In addition, students will find examples in outside readings of
these terms and add them to their Composition Book.
Discussion
A significant portion of the course instruction and analysis is accomplished through whole class
and small group discussion (including Socratic Seminars), collaboratively practicing skills taught
and modeled as part of reading comprehension and analysis.
Style
Because understanding and using particular writing styles is a specific aspect of text analysis and
essay writing in the AP Language and Composition course, there is a heavy focus on literary and
rhetorical terminology as well as sentence style and development. Students are expected to
understand, identify, reference, and/or use specific techniques provided from a thorough list of
terms drawn from a variety of AP sources, including The Language of Composition, The AP
English Literature & Composition Exam, and Everyday Use (including but limited to): allegory
alliteration, allusion, analogy, anaphora, anastrophe, antiphrasis, antistrophe, antithesis,
aphorism, apostrophe, chiasmus, conceit, connotation, denotation, epithet, eponym, euphemism,
euphony, homily, hyperbaton, hyperbole, imagery, induction, inference, invective, irony, litotes,
metaphor, metonymy.
Additionally, instruction in writing skills includes a focus on subordination and coordination and
sentence types: simple, compound, complex, compound-complex, periodic, cumulative,
loose. In direction correlation, there is a review of descriptive phrases (appositives, participle,
absolute) and clauses (independent and dependent).
Active Reading
As part of guiding students in rhetorical analysis, students are taught active reading skills which
include and focus annotative reading in the fall semester. This form of active reading directs to
students to “read with a pencil in hand” and encourages them to respond to what they read by
making marginal notes in the texts. They are directed to respond with questions on both context
and style, personal comments and connections, bridging comments to previous or in-class
learning and concepts, vocabulary reflection, and analytical and summary notes. In this way,
students are engaging in the reading and the understanding of the texts.
Writing
The AP Language and Composition course requires expository, analytical, and argumentative
writing, including synthesis writing as well as some creative writing and poetry (in order to aid
students in developing voice), based on readings, research, discussion, and developing
independent understanding. Ideally, each quarter will emphasize one of the traditional AP
Language writing styles while still including exposure to the others. Assignments will include
both mimicking of certain readings/texts as well writing tasks that require original and unique
compositions. Each writing assignment will involve emphasis on various steps of the writing
process: proposal, planning, drafting, feedback, revision from peers, revision from teacher, and
final draft.
Guidelines and scoring for the majority of the writing assignments are based upon an AP
Language and Composition rubric with scoring expectations increasing each quarter.
Short Writings
Close reading, including but not limited to, Analyzing Style, Talking with the Text,
Annotation, Dialectical Journal, Graphic Organizers, Style analysis for purpose and audience
Listed below are a few of the short pieces AP students will read first quarter:
Albert Einstein’s “Letter to Phyllis”
Lou Gehrig’s “Appreciation Day Speech” 1939”
Jody Heyman’s essay “We Can Afford to Give Parents a Break”
Arthur Schlesinger’s essay “Cult of Ethnicity” - social and cultural groups and norms
Excerpt from Joan Dideon’s “Los Angeles Notebook”, dialectical journal
Sandra Cisneros’ short story “Eleven” with emphasis on diction, purpose, audience
Aristotle’s “Pleasure and Happiness” compared and contrasted to Mihely Csikszentmihaly’s
essay “Happiness and Creativity: Going with the Flow”
Judy Brady’s essay, “Why I Want a Wife” – emphasis on tone, attitude, audience, purpose
Reading for different purpose and audience regarding Princess Diana’s death:
1) BBC news report
2) Queen Elizabeth’s Televised Speech
3) Earl Spenser’s Eulogy for Diana
4) Wikipedia entry
Jonathan Swift “A Modest Proposal” – analyze for satire (Also, students write vocabulary
sentences practicing vocabulary words with rhetorical devises as they wrap the ideas in their
sentences around the content of “A Modest Proposal”)
Analysis of Visual Rhetoric (Political Cartoons), In-class Rosa Parks; out-of-class, ongoing
assignment.
Analysis of John F. Kennedy’s “Inaugural Speech”, analyze for rhetorical devices and write full
essay.
Independent novel assignment, George Orwell’s 1984 emphasis on how themes in the novel
relate to current events.