Advanced Placement Language and Composition 2010-2011 Kathie Steele steele_kathie@asdk12.org Welcome to AP Language and Composition. This college level class is the equivalent of an introductory college composition class. We have a mission in this class—to prepare for the College Board Advanced Placement Language and Composition test which you will take in May. I can’t guarantee that you’ll earn college credit—that’s up to you—but I will promise that you will be wellprepared for further AP classes and college classes. I promise to help you become a skilled reader, writer and thinker. You will be intellectually challenged and stimulated. I assume that you willingly accept the rigor the mission requires and that you will give nothing but your best effort. AP Language is a rhetoric class. Rhetoric is the “art of crafting effective texts for specific audiences” (Jolliffe). In this class you learn to: Read texts critically (usually prose, from several disciplines and time periods) to see how an author produces an effect on a particular audience. Write texts in which you accomplish your purposes for a specific audience. Develop research skills that allow you to evaluate sources, both primary and secondary, and synthesize key information from them in order to support your researched argument, complete with citations in MLA (Modern Language Format) format. Every assignment and activity will help you practice these highly complex skills. There will be no “busy” work. Each piece is a building block to get you to reach your goal. It is important that you are present every day so that you do not miss a critical component. We’ll study five canons of rhetoric—invention, arrangement, style, memory and delivery—and apply them to short, non-fiction selections and current issues. You will need to know your current events in this class. We will read some fiction to analyze the author’s linguistic and rhetorical choices, but our main focus is non-fiction. There are no entrance requirements for this class; you simply need a desire to challenge yourself and satisfy your intellectual curiosity. The texts we will read this year may include: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser Writing Well by Donald Hall and Sven Birkerts The Elements of Style by Strunk and White Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean “On Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift On Writing by Stephen King The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien The Language of Composition by Scanlon, Shea, and Aufses “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream. . . “ by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “The Allegory of the Cave” by Plato from The Republic “JKF Inaugural Address” by John Fitzgerald Kennedy Released items from previous AP Language test Supplemental newspaper columns, political cartoons, advertisements, film clips, artworks, websites, poems, articles, graphs and charts The class work we’ll do this year includes but it not limited to: Discussing what we’ve read in large (Socratic Seminars) and small groups Using protocols for text-based analysis Practicing rhetorical analysis in timed writes Taking and writing multiple choice tests Analyzing previous AP exams Acquiring new vocabulary Learning to identify and apply rhetorical devices Expressing ideas in writing and speech Remediating problems with the conventions of grammar and spelling Taking practice exams Responding in writing to non-verbal texts paired with written texts, or as texts themselves Responding in non-verbal ways to written texts Close-reading of texts Documenting your own research and analyzing the documentation of the research of published authors Crafting argument and analyzing the rhetoric of written argument Writing essays of several kinds: narrative, expository, analytical, synthesis, compare/contrast, argumentative Practicing the writing process: pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing publishing Learning strategies of both peer and self-analysis of your own writing Writing to think and writing to learn: journals, reader-response, free-writes, imitation of style, collaborative writing, quick writes Learning advanced research skills, using both primary and secondary sources Evaluating sources, and artfully synthesizing information from sources Using MLA format for research Reviewing grammar (through subordination and coordination) as necessary to analyze syntax and write a variety of sophisticated sentences Practicing effective use of rhetorical modes, genre, and time periods by both canonical and minority authors You will be expected to: Thoughtfully complete reading and writing assignments Word-process work, submit work on time, and to be prepared to present information in an exact manner Be courteous and attentive while listening to discussions so that everyone’s opinion can be heard and valued Be organized and study skillfully Put forth your best effort Maintain a good attitude and an open mind Adhere to classroom rules Be generous with your intellectual contributions to all group work Maintain honesty and integrity in all class transactions I will promise to: Come to class well-prepared Treat you fairly and in your best educational interest Stay organized and keep accurate records Strive to make every lesson interesting and understandable Provide a rigorous course in which all students can succeed Post grades regularly to keep both you and your parents informed of your progress Return constructive feedback on your writing in a timely manner Stay current in the profession of teaching AP Language Enforce both school and classroom policies fairly Offer multiple opportunities for master of content Month-by-Month Classroom activities, major assignments and assessments: Summer 2010 Reading Omnivore’s Dilemma and Tuesdays With Morrie Summer Journal on Omnivore’s Dilemma and Tuesdays With Morrie Writing skills: teacher diagnosis based on several writing samples in a variety of modes September: Analyzing style: The Language of Composition Reading inventory Introduction to rhetorical vocabulary Introduction to writing to a prompt (released AP Language questions and created questions similar to AP prompts) Close-reading strategies Writing strong sentences: avoiding passive voice, vague reference, shifts in point-of-view, pronoun antecedent agreement Voice in writing Tone ”Allegory of the Cave” by Plato revisited from 9th grade October: Understanding Diction and Point of View: Tuesdays With Morrie and hand-outs Writing skills: sentence, paragraph structure (Language of Composition) Peer revision/self-analysis of writing Understanding Tone (Tuesdays With Morrie and various selected short pieces) “Voice Lessons” (Voice Lessons by Nancy Dead) Socratic discussion (Into the Wild and “To Build a Fire”) Narrative Writing November: Writing analysis of non-fiction and fiction texts (tone, diction) Understanding imagery: Frankenstein Write an essay employing imagery Practice timed writes (released or created free-response questions) Continue work on writing skills: embedding quotations The Five Canons of Rhetoric December: Writing a persuasive research report (synthesis of information) Frankenstein, Dead Man Walking Research of primary and secondary documents Note-taking strategies Organization of a research paper (MLA) Learning proper forms of citation (MLA) Plagiarism Examining synthesis writing: death penalty, evolution vs Creationism, local issue researched January: Preparing a debate on the local issue/examining both sides Writing compare and contrast essays Writing skills: effective transitions Introduction to multiple choice items Understanding and creating satire (“A Modest Proposal”; write a satirical essay on a current local or national issue Rhetorical analysis: “Letter to Birmingham Jail” Understanding syntax: “JFK Inaugural Address” February: Visual literacy Study of classical rhetoric Writing persuasion/argument Developing speech using specific forms of persuasion/argumentation Analyzing persuasion: “I Have a Dream . . . “ Writing persuasively Writing skills: coherence, fluency, and exactness March: AP Test deconstruction: The Things They Carried Multiple choice practice/analysis Effective support in writing Continue rhetorical analysis (“On Civil Disobedience”) Writing skills: convincing evidence and support Rhetorical appeals April: AP practice exam Continues synthesis, argument, analysis study Rhetorical Terms practice Test strategies Take practice exam Author’s craft (putting it all together) May: Score and review practice exam AP exam Analyzing literature: Book of choice Oral presentation Writing college essays: personal statement, college essay, biographical, and creative piece College application, letters of recommendation, college website research The following are integrated throughout the year: vocabulary, public speaking, spelling, grammar, reading quizzes, discussions, free-writing, close-reading, and analysis of author’s craft. This time-line is subject to change. Assessments and Grading: The work that you do in this course will enhance your abilities as writers, readers, and thinkers. As a result, many of your assignments are formative assessments—to assess your skill level and adjust our instruction to suit your needs. I encourage you to take risks with your writing, reading, and thinking. I will evaluate your skills when we believe you have enough practice with a skill or concept. You have opportunities to rewrite sections of papers once we have discussed your writing to improve your summative score. We will continue to work on mastery throughout the year. These summative assessments include: Timed writes Process writing: research argument, compare/contrast, satire, style analysis, exposition, narrative, and persuasion. Reading, grammar, and vocabulary quizzes Weekly vocabulary checks Independent book analyses Participation in discussion Student projects Non-verbal responses to reading.