AP English Language and Composition
Course Overview
AP Language and Composition is a course designed with University level content using
methods and pedagogy designed for adolescents. The course will involve a variety of
readings and writings in various authentic genres. In addition to compliance with the
College Board’s AP Language and Composition Course Description, this course will
concurrently provide opportunity for students to fulfill the required Kentucky State
Writing Portfolio.
Required readings will encompass personal letters and essays, analytical, expository, and
argumentative texts from a diverse selection of authors and time periods. This will also
include forays into non-traditional texts such as film, cartoon strips, and other selections
from the realm of popular culture.
Required writings will include the following endeavors.
 Reflective writing (e.g., letters, personal essays and personal journal entries)
 Personal expressive writing (narrative, personal essays, memoirs)
 Transactive writings (expository, persuasive, argumentative)
 Analytical writings ( reviews, comparative, technical writings, researched
argumentative)
Process writing: Students will be given instruction and opportunity to implement the
writing process as follows:
 Prewriting (brainstorming, idea web, bullets, lists, outlines.)
 Thesis development
 Drafting
 Proofreading
 Revising (re-visit all steps above with feedback from peers and instructor)
 Publishing
Final publishing “products” will be evaluated using the AP rubric and specific feedback
from instructor.
Grading Procedures:
Writings and projects
Quizzes and Tests:
Daily activities:
Grading Scale/Weights
A:
100-93
5.0
B:
92-84
4.0
C:
83-74
3.0
D:
73-66
2.0
F:
65-0
50%
30%
20%
Overview:
First Quarter (Nine Weeks)
Week one: Examining writing dynamics: Metaphor, analogy and allegory: Country Girl
Shift and contrast. Shadeflower
Assignments: Letter of introduction, Read: (Silverman-Rader 19-61)
Vocab. List #1
Week two: Applied review of “process writing”; A Focus on audience, purpose and
content. Quiz:(Silverman-Rader pp.19-61)
Assignment: Comparative analysis essay: Apply the concept of the folk/pop/elite cultural
paradigm to an artwork you are familiar with. 5 paragraph minimum. Intro to AP test
format: A Summer Life
Test: Vocab. #1
Week three: Elements of style. Thesis everything is an argument /everything is
metaphor. Introduction to reflective writing; journaling, letters and essays. Read:
(Kitchen and Jones: pp.1-55) Person and Tense. Focus on journaling as part of process
writing. AP prompt: Pink Flamingos
Vocab List #2
Week Four: Personal essays (Silverman-Rader PP.543-554, Readings Q’s 1-5. Due
Friday 9/3. The Coolhunt; PP.569-580 Weasel Words Quiz Monday 9/6)
In-class response essay concerning pop culture and consumerism.
On Demand writing.
Phrases, clauses: Fixing run-on/fused sentences/comma splices.
Conjunctions and Conjunctive adverbs.
Test: Vocab. #2
Week Five: Movie Reviews: Read handout supplement examples Develop draft of pop
culture commentary. Peer evaluations. Revisions.
Vocab. List #4
Week Six: Introduction to personal narratives and memoirs: (Silverman-Rader pp.239266) Develop draft of personal narrative or memoir. Peer evaluations.
AP Multiple choice: Locomotive piece.
Test: Vocab #5
Week Seven: Personal narrative or memoir. Podcast: A Dog’s Life
Focus on transitional elements.
Read aloud/peer evaluation week. Choose one piece to read aloud in class.
Vocab list #4
Week Eight: Introduction to transactive writing: Informing, and persuading.
Rhetorical technique: “All about the tone” Diction, Parallelism, Repetition, Tenses, The
Historical Present, Alliteration, (Shakespeare: Julius Ceasar, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I
have a dream) Identify techniques in various genres/pieces. The Salmon Trout Roars
AP Multiple choice.
Test: Vocab #8
Week Nine: Transactive Writing. Letter to Editor. Recipe for Happiness.
Letter 1st quarter Anonymous evaluation of teacher/course
Second Quarter
Week Ten: Write/peer evaluate argumentative essays. Read Silverman 169-189. Quiz on
readings Friday 10/22.
Vocab. List #9
Week Eleven: Transactive writing continued: The “Rule of Three”, Humor/hyperbole,
First and second person, Questions and exclamations, Placing emphasis through rhythm
and meter. AP Test Prompt: Pink Flamingo. Essay: Recipe for Happiness.
Vocab#10
Week Twelve: Transactive writing. Read various editorial letters or letters to legislators,
or corporations. (Various periodicals, The Proud Highway: Dr. Hunter S. Thompson)
Draft: Letter to persuade/inform, using rhetorical techniques.
Vocab. List #11
Week Thirteen: In-class transactive writing. On-demand writing in various authentic
forms. Read aloud symposium/peer evaluations. Revise your best piece of the week.
Test: Vocab #12
Week Fourteen: Introduction to research technique.
Researched essays:(Silverman-Rader) Is Tupac Really Dead?: Fouzia Baber p.645-48,
Handout: Text as Mask: Gender and Identity on The Internet: Brenda Danet
Review:APA vs. MLA citations (When in doubt, look it up!)
Vocab. List #13
Week Fifteen: Begin 5 page researched essay!
Peer evaluations.
Test: Vocab #14
Week Sixteen: Revise 5 page researched essay! (Silverman-Rader p.634-644 Musical
Cheese, p.448-456 No Name Woman Maxine Hong Kingston)
Vocab: List #15
Week Seventeen: Reading Film: (Silverman-Rader p.331-411)
Roger and Me: Michael Moore, Outfoxed: Robert Greenwald
2-4 page paper comparing techniques used in both documentaries
Test: Vocab #16
Week Eighteen: Reading Film:
Review thesis development, coordination/subordination, rhetorical techniques.
Peer evaluate/revise comparative paper.
Semester exam: AP College Board Practice test.
Second semester!
Third Quarter
Week Nineteen: Analytical/Technical writing
5 page paper of artist profile. Choices:
Research and develop thesis about how an artists’ early formative experiences may have
influenced their works (authors, musicians, visual artists, athletes.)
Or research and develop a thesis analyzing said artists’ works and stating which part of
the cultural paradigm they come from (Folk, Pop, Elite) and how they may have
influenced other areas of the paradigm. Cite sources MLA style.
Vocab. List #9
Week Twenty: Analytical/Technical writing: peer evaluations/revisions
Submit draft for teacher evaluations at the end of the week.
Test: Vocab. #9
Week Twenty One: Teacher feedback/review of Thesis/Focus/Rhetorical techniques/
Varied sentence structure/ proper citation.
Vocab List #10
Week Twenty-Two: Final revision of Analytical/Technical piece. Begin reading Silent
Spring: Rachael Carson.
Test: Vocab #10
Week Twenty-Three: Facilitate discussion/ reflective journaling of Silent Spring.
Portfolio development: Begin revising pieces in various genre for state portfolio
requirements.
In-class essay: Silent Spring
Vocab List #11
Week Twenty-Four: Continue state portfolio development. Facilitate discussion etc.: InClass essay: The legacy of Silent Spring. AP synthesis essay prompt: Influence of
Television.
Vocab Test #11
Week Twenty-Five: Teacher evaluates state portfolio “candidate” pieces. Students pick
“Final four”, one from each genre/category.
1) Reflective Writing (Letter, Personal essay)
2) Personal expressive or literary writing. (Personal narrative, memoir, personal
essay, story, poem, script or play.)
3) Transactive writing (Various authentic genres)
4) Transactive with analytical or technical focus (Various authentic genres)
Week Twenty-Six: Final revisions of portfolio pieces. Pick groups/books for literary
circles.
Fourth Quarter
Week Twenty-Seven: Interpreting visual texts: Fine art, cartoons, news media. (Various
sources).
Week Twenty-Eight: Work on multi-media presentations for literary circles
Week Twenty-Nine: Multi-Media Presentations.
Week Thirty: Critiquing Film, Music and other arts. (Various sources)
AP Prompts: Essay and Multiple Choice.
Vocab List#12
Week Thirty-One: Begin Critical review papers. Teacher feedback/peer evaluate draft.
AP Prompts: Essay and Multiple Choice
Test Vocab #13
Week Thirty-Two: Begin media infrastructure study. Big-Time players and the public
reality. Divide “Big Ten” media conglomerates and study their cross-media influences.
Begin cooperative group report.
AP prompts: Essay and Multiple choice.
Vocab List #14
Week Thirty-Three: Presentations on “Big-Ten” media conglomerates.
Week Thirty-Four: 3-5 Page paper: Media and Citizenship; research and analyze a
magazine, newspaper, radio, television network, or web-based media. Present findings
concerning impartiality or evidence of apparent bias.
AP prompts: Essay and multiple choice.
Test: Vocab#14
Week Thirty-Five: Exam week. Reflective in-class essay.