AP Language and Composition Syllabus 2013-2014
Instructor: Kristel Lehner
Email: klehner@bloomington.k12.mn.us
Course Objectives: The purpose of this course is “to enable students to read complex texts with understanding and to write
prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate effectively with mature readers” (The College Board). The
course will follow the requirements listed below.
Course Requirements:
1.
The course teaches and requires students to write in several forms (e.g., narrative, expository, analytical, and
argumentative essays) about a variety of subjects (e.g., public policies, popular culture, personal experiences).
2. The course requires students to write essays that proceed through several stages or drafts, with revision aided by
teacher and peers.
3. The course requires students to write in informal contexts (e.g., imitation exercises, journal keeping, collaborative
writing, and in-class responses) designed to help them become increasingly aware of themselves as writers and of
the techniques employed by the writers they read.
4. The course requires expository, analytical, and argumentative writing assignments that are based on readings
representing a wide variety of prose styles and genres.
5. The course requires nonfiction readings (e.g., essays, journalism, political writing, science writing, nature writing,
autobiographies/biographies, diaries, history, criticism) that are selected to give students opportunities to identify
and explain an author's use of rhetorical strategies and techniques. If fiction and poetry are also assigned, their
main purpose should be to help students understand how various effects are achieved by writers' linguistic and
rhetorical choices. (Note: The College Board does not mandate any particular authors or reading list, but
representative authors are cited in the AP English Course Description.)
6. The course teaches students to analyze how graphics and visual images both relate to written texts and serve as
alternative forms of text themselves.
7. The course teaches research skills, and in particular, the ability to evaluate, use, and cite primary and secondary
sources. The course assigns projects such as the researched argument paper, which goes beyond the parameters of
a traditional research paper by asking students to present an argument of their own that includes the analysis and
synthesis of ideas from an array of sources.
8. The course teaches students how to cite sources using a recognized editorial style (e.g., Modern Language
Association, The Chicago Manual of Style, etc.).
9. The AP teacher provides instruction and feedback on students' writing assignments, both before and after the
students revise their work, that help the students develop these skills:
a. A wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively
b. A variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination and coordination
c. Logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence, such as repetition, transitions,
and emphasis
d. A balance of generalization and specific, illustrative detail
e. An effective use of rhetoric, including controlling tone, establishing and
maintaining voice, and achieving appropriate emphasis through diction and sentence structure
AP Test:
The AP Language and Composition test consists of two sections: critical reading of non-fiction selections with 45-55
multiple-choice questions and three essay tests. The essay prompts ask students to analyze the rhetorical strategies that an
author uses to persuade his or her audience in a passage, to make an argument using given sources, and to make an
argument using examples from life and readings. Students who earn a passing score (3 or higher) may be able to earn
credit for Freshman Composition. This year’s exam is the morning of Friday, May 9.
1
Routines/Expectations for the Year:
1.
In-Class Essay Tests: Students can expect to write five to six in-class AP essay tests per trimester. The prompts
used are actual AP essay questions and students will have forty minutes to complete each essay. The general focus
for the essay questions and essential standards will be as follows:
Trimester One: Rhetorical Analysis
Trimester Two: Argument
Trimester Three: Argument with Sources
2. Evaluations: After each unit, students will write an evaluation of their learning and set a concrete goal to achieve in
the next unit. These evaluations comprise a major part of the summative assessments.
3. Formal Essays: Students can expect to write and revise two formal essays per trimester.
JFK Attendance Policy:
Per TERM – A student who has accumulated four or more unexcused absences in a class will not earn credit for that class
unless the student makes up the academic time. Absences can be recovered after school on Tuesday in the media center or
by appointment with your teacher.
Instructional Philosophy:





Students will demonstrate high levels of authentic achievement as measured by essential standards and formative
and summative assessments.
I will set demanding expectations and give students the support they need to achieve these expectations.
I will interact personally with each student on a regular basis.
I will foster collaboration and critical inquiry in a student-centered learning environment.
I will give effective feedback on assessments to help students know what they need to do in order to reach AP
targets.
Office Hours:


Monday through Friday 7:15-7:40
Due to my part-time status, I am usually unable to meet with students after school.
Parent Communication:



Email is the best way to reach me: klehner@bloomington.k12.mn.us
You also can leave me voicemail at 952.681.5257.
Grades are always available on the SchoolView website. Call 952-681-5009 to sign up for this online access to your
student’s grades and attendance information.
Opportunities for Extra Help:




I am available in C225 for extra help during my scheduled office hours. If a student cannot meet me during these
posted times, please see me to set up another time.
Students also have the opportunity to receive extra help during the school day during Academic Seminar on
Thursdays.
There is tutoring available to all students every Tuesday after school in the Media Center from 2:30 – 3:30. There
is an after school bus available on Tuesdays.
Students can email me and I will respond to them at home.
GRADING
2
Grading Policy:
Weight of Each Category:
Summative Work (includes self-evaluations and unit assessments): 80%
Formative/Practice Work: 20%
Summative Assessments:
The Self-Evaluation
One of the primary concerns most AP students have about their writing is “How am I graded?” In this class,
however, students will not initially receive grades on the essay tests and formal papers. Essay tests will be scored
on the zero-to-nine AP rubric, and in all cases, students will receive feedback on the one or two items they need to
do in order to better their writing. For formal papers, students will receive a score on the 1-4 rubric as well as
written feedback. Students are responsible to actively receive this feedback and make progress as the year
continues. After each unit, students will write an evaluation of their work thus far. They will reflect on their
specific growth and challenges as a writer and argue for the score they have earned based on effort, completion,
improvement and scores.
Unit Assessments
Unit tests will often mimic the reading portion of the AP test. Students will have to critically read a
variety of passages and articles related to the unit content. Then they will answer multiple-choice
questions related to tone, purpose, organization, vocabulary and rhetorical strategies.
Scoring: Each assignment will be graded out of 4 points and recorded as an individual component in the
grade book.
Sample Rubric:
Learning Goal
Recognizing a
character’s
techniques
4
Accurately names
the most notable
techniques the
character uses;
includes the best
examples of the
techniques
3
Accurately names
techniques the
character uses;
includes appropriate
examples of the
techniques
2
Names some
techniques the
character uses;
includes some (but
not enough)
examples or
examples are too
long.
1
Refers to the
techniques and
examples
inaccurately or only
in general terms.
Calculating the grade: By the end of the trimester, the grade book will have a large number of entries
corresponding to the learning goals of the class. I will use the following grading scale to report a final grade.
Letter Grade Minimum Score to Earn Grade Corresponding Percent
A
3.75
93.75
A-
3.5
87.5
B+
3.25
81.25
B
3
75
B-
2.75
68.75
C+
2.5
62.5
3
C
2.25
56.25
C-
2
50
D+
1.75
43.75
D
1.5
37.5
D-
1.25
31.25
F
1
25
To further illustrate the grading calculation, please consider the following sample scores from the grade book:
Learning Goal 1: 3 / 4
Learning Goal 2: 3 / 4
Learning Goal 3: 4 / 4
Learning Goal 4: 4 / 4
Learning Goal 5: 2 / 4
Learning Goal 6: 4 / 4
The student’s score would be 20 out of 24 which is 83%. Also, the average score on learning goals would be 3.33.
Both of these measures show the student at a B+ and SchoolView will show the current grade accurately.
Student’s signature ___________________________________________ Date _____________
Parent or guardian’s signature ___________________________________________ Date _____________
Proposed Reading and Assessment Schedule for 2013-2014
TRIMESTER ONE
UNIT I: Understanding Why and How We Read and Write – 1 week
Skill Focus: annotating the text
Assigned Essays: “Superman and Me” by Alexi, “How I Trumped Rudolf Steiner and Overcame the Tribulations
of Illiteracy, One Snickers r at a Time” by Stevens, “The Most Human Art” by Sanders
Formal Writing: narrative
Unit Assessment: effectively annotating chapter 12 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin
UNIT II: Identifying rhetorical strategies in African-American Texts– 5 weeks
Skill Focus: Identifying and analyzing rhetorical devices
4
Assigned Texts: Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream,” and “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Sojourner Truth’s
“Ain’t I a Woman?” Jean Toomer’s “Blood-Burning Moon,” Gwendolyn Brooks’ “We Real Cool,” selections
Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, and Pinckney’s “Big Changes in Black America?”
Viewing: paintings by Aaron Douglas
Writing Exercise: rhetorical analysis
Formal Essay: Columnist Assignment
Unit Assessment: Identify and analyze three rhetorical strategies in “I Have a Dream”
UNIT III: Examining themes and literary elements in The Great Gatsby – 6 weeks
Skill Focus: writing rhetorical analysis essays
Essays to Read in Conjunction with the Major Work: “Women’s Brains” by Gould and “There Is No Unmarked
Woman” by Tannen
Viewing: “The Great GAPsby Society” cartoon and advertisements from the 1920s
Writing Exercises: Writing effective rhetorical analysis essay tests
Unit Assessment: literary analysis of a section in The Great Gatsby
TRIMESTER TWO
UNIT I: What Is the Meaningful Life in America? - Evaluating Arguments in Into the Wild – 5 weeks
Skill Focus: Recognizing claims, counterarguments, warrants and data in an argument
Essays to Read in Conjunction with the Major Work: “Can a Playground Be Too Safe?” by Tierney, an excerpt
from Last Child in the Woods by Louv, “An Entrance to the Woods” by Berry, Chief Seattle’s Message to
President Franklin Pierce, and “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For” by Thoreau
Short Stories/Poems to Read in Conjunction with the Major Work: “To Build a Fire” by London and “America” by
Hoagland
Viewing: excerpts from Grizzly Man and Romantic era paintings
Writing Exercises: Writing effective argumentative essay tests
Formal Essay: Proposal Paper
Essays to Model the Proposal Paper: “A Modest Proposal” by Swift and “The Singer Solution to World Poverty”
Unit Assessment: multiple-choice reading test
UNIT III: The Crucible: Argument through Allegory – 6 weeks
Skill Focus: evaluating arguments in fiction
5
Essays to Read in Conjunction with the Major Work: “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Edwards, “On
the Duty of Civil Disobedience” by Thoreau, and background information on McCarthyism
Poem to Read in Conjunction with the Major Work: “Upon the Burning of Our House” by Bradstreet
Writing Exercises: Practice rhetorical analysis essay tests again.
Viewing: The Crucible film
Formal Essay: rhetorical analysis of a particular character in the play
Unit Assessment: multiple-choice reading test
TRIMESTER THREE
UNIT 1: John Steinbeck’s Case in Of Mice and Men – 2 weeks
Skill Focus: synthesize sources in speaking
Essays to Read in Conjunction with the Major Work: letters and essays by John Steinbeck
Unit Assessment: present research on a topic from Of Mice and Men
UNIT II: Parenting and Woman Warrior – 6 weeks
Skill Focus: synthesize sources in writing
Essays to Read in Conjunction with the Major Work: Chua’s “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior,” Tsing Loh’s
“Sympathy for Tiger Moms,” and Gottlieb’s “How to Land Your Kid in Therapy”
Writing Exercise: Writing effective argument with sources essay tests
Writing Exercises: argument with sources essay tests
Formal Essay: Research Paper on Parenting
Unit Test: multiple-choice reading test
UNIT III: American Film Research Paper – 4 weeks
(Students will also choose a book to read in literary circles during this unit.)
Formal Essay: The Research Paper
Essays to Model the Research Paper: student samples from Diana Hacker and a review of “Is Google Making Us
Stupid?”
UNIT IV: Writing the College Application Essay – 1 week
Formal Essay: Narrative
Essay to Model the Narrative Assignment: “Let It Snow” by Sedaris and samples from the College Board
6
7