AP Language and Composition Course Syllabus
Blue Springs South High School 2014-2015
Mrs. Nixdorf
E-mail: wnixdorf@bssd.net
Room: 113
Plan Hour: 1st
COURSE OVERVIEW: The AP Language and Composition course offers students opportunities to improve their skills in
reading a variety of print and visual texts; in responding critically to what they read; in analyzing the rhetorical strategies
writers use to develop their claims and themes; and in evaluating what they read in terms of its relevance, insights, and
persuasiveness. The course also helps them develop their ability to write more effectively for various purposes and
audiences, especially their ability to explain, analyze, and persuade in the texts they compose. Finally, the course
enhances their understanding of themselves and their culture through offering them opportunities to read, discuss, and
respond in various ways to diverse print and visual texts on relevant topics such as work and education in our society;
international environmental, economic, and political issues; popular culture and the media’s influence on our society;
American diversity and values; and major institutions in American life such as religion and government.
Students will explore these topics by reading texts in the following genres: essays; political documents; journalistic
pieces; ads; films; fiction; speeches; critiques; reviews; political cartoons; photographs; and songs. They will develop
essential reading skills such as determining author’s purpose and main idea; they will continually practice analysis of the
rhetorical and stylistic devices writers use to address their audience and achieve their intended purpose. They will also
use some of the texts they read as models for their own writing. They will write for various purposes, such as exploring
issues, problem-solving, analyzing situations and texts, decision-making, and persuading. They will use research as a
basis for forming opinions, synthesizing information and ideas, and composing effective arguments about personal,
political, and societal issues.
They will write informally and formally and will develop a writing process that involves organizing ideas and information,
drafting, revising in response to feedback, and editing. They will improve their skills in generating ideas, creating a wellstructured argument that makes and develops a claim, using varied sentence structure, using relevant and sufficient
details to develop their argument, using appropriate and effective diction, and using a voice and tone that suit their
topic, purpose, and audience. They will practice revising with purpose and audience in mind.
The course will be organized thematically and will focus on American culture and texts, including several classic literary
texts and many current written and visual arguments about significant American themes, values, and issues. The major
formal writing assignments will be ordered so that the students respond to single texts and issues early in the course
and then respond to multiple texts on a particular issue or synthesize information from multiple texts to make an
argument later in the course.
Instructional Strategies Used Throughout the Course:
 Teacher-led whole-group reading of portions of texts; guided reading
 For various texts, whole-group analysis of the argument and the rhetorical means used to develop the argument
and appeal to the audience
 Small-group analysis of various assigned readings
 Informal written response to the assigned readings (summarizing, journaling, notetaking, etc.)
 Teacher and peer feedback on the students’ writing at several stages of each formal writing assignment: prewriting/planning; drafting; revising; editing
Summer Assignment: Students will choose one of three nonfiction articles to read and take notes in the form of a
reading log which is due when school begins. They should use the provided list of rhetorical terms in their analysis logs,
paying attention to how the author develops his or her central claim.
POSSIBLE MAJOR TEXTS:
Everything’s an Argument, with Readings. 5th ed.
The Crucible – Miller
Outliers—Gladwell
All Over but the Shoutin—Bragg
The Great Gatsby – Fitzgerald
Inherit the Wind – Lawrence & Lee
Of Mice and Men –Steinbeck
Feed—Anderson
A Streetcar Named Desire—Williams
Non-fiction selection(s) of student’s choice
In Cold Blood—Capote
FREE-READING POLICY: Students who have concerns about a particular text can select an alternative of comparable text
complexity that addresses the objectives of the course and unit of study. The student, his/her parents, and the teacher
must agree on the chosen text.
*Because the assigned texts in AP courses are ones which appear on the AP List of Recommended Texts, AP
students need to be aware that requests for alternative texts may prove a disadvantage to them on the AP
Exam.
CLASSROOM POLICY: Work hard and maintain a positive attitude!
“PHONES” POLICY: Cell phones and headphones are not to be used in the classroom, unless specifically permitted.
TARDY POLICY: Students must be in the classroom when the bell rings or they will be counted tardy. The 3rd tardy will
result in disciplinary action.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Students should commit themselves to act with honesty, responsibility, and integrity in all areas
of their academic lives. Students are accountable for everything they say and write and for the integrity of their work.
Students should not misrepresent their work by using the work of another and representing it as their own, nor should
they give or receive unauthorized aid. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, bringing answers into a
testing area, copying work from another student, providing answers for another student, or using unauthorized notes or
technology. Academic dishonesty will result in a zero on the assignment, and a report to the student’s principal.
MAKE-UP WORK: Students are responsible for obtaining make-up work the day they return to class. In the event of
illness or emergency, students have one day for each day absent to turn in work or to make an appointment with the
instructor before or after school to make up tests/quizzes. Students with pre-excused absences must get their work
before the absence and turn in any major assignments in advance.
LATE WORK: Ample time will be given for students to complete assignments, and due dates will be clearly
communicated. As a result, work needs to be turned in on time. 50% credit can be earned by any student who turns in
an assignment within one week of the original due date.
EVALUATION:
Informal Writing Assignments: Students will receive anecdotal feedback, spoken and written, responding to
their ideas, organization, and development with specifics and details.
Formal Writing Assignments: Students will be evaluated on their following a process that involves prewriting,
drafting, revising, and editing. Their essays will be evaluated for both deep structure traits (ideas, organization, voice)
and surface structure traits (diction, syntax, and conventions), but the emphasis will be on ideas and organization:
essays with a strong, well-developed argument that shows insight, has a balance between generalizations and relevant
specifics, shows awareness of audience and projects a voice and tone suited to that audience, and achieves the writer’s
purpose will receive an “A” unless the surface structure traits make the expression unclear; in that case, students will
revise to eliminate diction, syntax, and conventions problems and can raise their grade to an “A.” There will be 3 formal
writing assignments each semester, and students are encouraged to schedule individual conferences before or after
school with the instructor for help with these. Students must come to conferences prepared with a typed draft near
final form as well as specific questions for feedback.
Exam Practice: Throughout the course, students will continually practice with both multiple choice and free
response questions taken from former AP Language and Composition Exams. They will also have quizzes on the
following:
 rhetorical and literary terms
 identifying types of arguments, appeals, and organizational strategies (e.g., pathos, ethos, logos; causal;
definition; problem-solution; comparison-contrast)
 identifying fallacies in arguments (e.g., ad hominem, begging the question)
Tests and Quizzes: Students will be tested on their reading of the novels, plays, and some of the shorter
writings. The tests will focus on the students’ understanding of the techniques and devices the writers use to engage
the reader’s interest, to develop theme(s), to organize the text effectively, to project voice and tone, and to achieve
their purpose.
GRADING:
(Students may see
their grades any
time before or
after school.)
A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F = 0-59%
Grades are based on cumulative points and are distributed
such that formal writing assignments will be the largest
contributors to the overall semester grade; tests and quizzes
will count less; informal writings will count the least.
DAILY REQUIRED MATERIALS: 2 pocket folders, pen/pencil, paper, flashdrive, assigned text
CLASS FOLDERS: Students are expected to keep all of their work each semester as handouts will be used as references,
essays will be revised, and class work will be collected periodically. Folder 1 should be organized in this way:
Test Practices
Important
Resources
(handouts and
notes that will be
used all year)
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION: The most effective communication is accomplished face-to-face, so students should
make an effort to ask questions and seek help before or after school. If this isn’t possible, e-mail will provide the next
fastest response time. Students should not ask questions on Edmodo, as this site will be used only for turning in certain
assignments and major essays.
Edmodo.com
Login: ______________________
Password: ___________________
We understand the policies and expectations outlined in Mrs. Nixdorf’s AP Language and Composition syllabus.
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