Cory Smith
csmith@kaufmanisd.net
972-932-2811
AP Language & Composition
Course Syllabus
Course Overview
The AP Language and Composition course overview and description are taken from the
College Board’s AP English Course Description May 2007, May 2008 and AP Central.
The course expectation is that students will read, write, and think critically across the
curriculum from a local, national, and global standpoint to include their visual world.
Written and visual texts are selected from the representative lists of authors provided
therein as well as outside sources. The reading list for this course is primarily non-fiction
with the exception of Macbeth, Othello, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” and a few
poetry selections that are paired with non-fiction texts. A list of textbooks, passages,
websites, films, photographs, and cartoons is located within the description of each six
weeks unit and/or in the Teacher Resources section at the end of this syllabus.
Course Planner
The duration of the course is one year. The fall and spring semesters are divided into 6
six- week units. Our courses operate on a 50-60 minute time period each day. The units
are concept-based using Lynne Erickson’s Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction
roughly. All texts, written and visual, are thematically linked. Essay questions taken
from the AP Language and Composition Released Exams are strategically selected to
connect to the unit of study. In addition, AP released multiple choice exams are
integrated into each six weeks unit. The AP Released Language and Composition Exams
serve as curriculum power pieces as they prepare students for the reality of the rigor and
challenge expected from the course and the AP Language and Composition Exam. Our
district expects great and wonderful things form our AP students, they pay, in full, each
students’ fees to take any/all AP exams.
Close Reading Strategies
The course focuses on developing the literacy skills necessary for reading, understanding,
and analyzing a variety of texts. Here, close reading skills such as SOAPSTone,
developed by Tommy Boley, become an integral part of the curriculum. In addition,
students learn strategies for effectively annotating texts.
Students are taught to use strategy when confronted with text and to choose a close
reading application appropriate for that text. For example, if the text is a photograph,
they should use the Photograph Deconstruct strategies; if the text is a poem, they should
use TP-CASTT (TP-CASTT is a poetry analysis method I learned at an AP Summer
Institute in 2008. It is an acronym meaning theme-paraphrase-connotation-attitude-shiftstitle-theme).
Outside Reading and Dialectical Journal
In addition to the many passages assigned from On Writing Well and other sources,
students are assigned four outside readings. The outside reading assignments (ORA)
include the following selections: A Passage to India by E.M. Forster, Angela’s Ashes by
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csmith@kaufmanisd.net
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Frank McCourt, Othello by William Shakespeare, and one other selection of their choice
off of a pre-made reading list. In addition to reading the work, students are required to
write in a dialectical journal, which is a two column note-taking journal. Students are
required to document details in one column and commentary in the other. Sometimes I
ask students to document the writer’s techniques as the details and to provide
commentary addressing those techniques. Other times, I ask students to document content
detail and to comment on those pieces. The dialectical journal forces students to read
closely and to make sense of what they are reading.
Style And Rhetorical Analysis
Using close reading strategies, students develop the skills necessary to write effective
style and rhetorical analysis. Students learn to view style as a component of rhetoric
rather than some “alien” or separate element. Students learn to discern the connection and
nuances between purpose, meaning, style, effect, and structure. The oftentimes
challenging task of moving students from close reading application to the actual writing
of analysis paragraphs and essays led me to create an analysis helper packet entitled,
“SOAPSTone to Style Analysis Paragraphs and Essays.” We use these packets
throughout the course, as they remind students that analysis is not the mere identification
of the writer’s techniques, but rather the effect of those techniques. Here also, students
learn to realize that writers are using various techniques and devices to achieve their
purpose and that this is the backbone of analysis. The helper packets break analysis into
manageable “ingredients” that must present and be sustained throughout their analysis.
Through these packets students learn a great deal about diction, syntax, and tone.
Formulaic writing is discouraged, but we realize that some students still need their food
cut up for them. Through continued work with our Pre-AP/ AP Vertical Team, we have
managed to scaffold style and rhetorical analysis strategies to seventh and eighth grade in
the hope that we can wean students from patterns and formulas sooner than their arrival
into high school and the AP Language and Composition course.
From Reflective Journals to Timed Writings
Students write one journal per week on a topic that is linked to the unit theme. Students
can be presented a cartoon, graph, photograph, or prompt that relates to the theme then
respond in writing in a timed setting. These responses transform into texts for Spenser
Kagan’s Think-Pair-Share activities and eventually to discussions in Socratic seminar or
Inner/Outer Circles. The end product is the timed writing where students take their ideas,
assert positions on issues, and compose well-constructed, well thought-out arguments.
Discussion (Listening and Speaking)
Discussion is a key component of the course. Students participate in Think-Pair-Share,
Socratic seminar, and Inner/Outer Circle discussions throughout the course. Students
learn to develop their listening and speaking skills and to make relevant contributions to
these conversations. During these activities, students are provided with a variety of texts
such as film, speeches, letters, essays, research, and photographs. Students learn to
identify the assertions made in the texts and to take positions, ask questions, and share
ideas. This process includes refuting the ideas of others, accepting the ideas of others, and
meaningfully engaging in conversations that lead them to be better listeners, speakers,
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and writers. Discussions are student or teacher lead. Divergent thinking and multiple
viewpoints are encouraged.
Visual Literacy
Throughout the course, students learn to read their visual world. Students are introduced
to photographs, political cartoons, graphics, and film. Visual texts are paired with
thematically linked written texts. To help develop visual literacy skills, I created a
Cartoon Deconstruct Helper and Photograph Deconstruct Helper that students use in the
same way they use SOAPSTone with written texts. Film is also used and analyzed as text
using visual literacy strategies.
Research
Throughout the course, students are expected to conduct research and are given
opportunities to locate primary and secondary sources to support their written arguments
as well as class discussions. Research topics are linked to the unit theme. Students are
taught how to deconstruct their research articles using a graphic organizer. Students learn
to evaluate, synthesize, and cite sources for their researched arguments. The citation
format used in the course is MLA. Students write one researched argument essay in the
fall semester and one in the spring semester. In addition, students learn to respond to the
new synthesis question using the College Board sample prompts located on AP Central
(“Television and U.S. Presidential Elections” and “Invasive Species”). Students also
respond to teacher-made synthesis prompts.
Argumentative Writing Skills
The introduction, development, and refining of argumentative writing skills serve as a
curriculum power piece throughout the course. Due to our open enrollment policy, these
skills are introduced, taught, re-taught, reinforced and re-fined each six weeks. Students
are taught the Toulmin as well as Zinsser’s model of argumentation as they are
introduced in On Writing Well and handouts. This process includes learning the
terminology such as syllogism, data, claim, warrant, logos, ethos, pathos, concession,
refutation, etc. More importantly, students learn to view the rhetorical triangle as the
relationship between speaker, audience, and text. Further, students learn to SOAPSTone
their own arguments and to use strategy in order to construct an effective argument.
Students participate in interactive writing intensive workshops in order to develop their
argumentative compositions. Here, students read and discuss the works of authors from
the reading list as well as peer respond to student samples from AP Language and
Composition Released Exams. These activities include perusing the Chief Reader
commentary provided on AP Central and reviewing the AP scoring guides. Students learn
to revise and refine their drafts modeling the good work of others as well as by using the
writing process. Student-generated samples from within the class are also used as
“masterpiece” models. The competition and desire to create a “masterpiece” serve as an
incentive to strive for improvement.
Narrative, Expository, and Descriptive Writing
Opportunities to write in the argumentative mode are balanced with assignments that
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csmith@kaufmanisd.net
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require students to use narrative, expository, and descriptive writing. Most of the writing
takes place in an on-demand, in-class timed setting; however, some writing assignments
are completed as homework. Students are given the opportunity to model the style of
authors such as Sullivan Ballou, Frank McCourt, E.M. Forster, Shakespeare, etc. The
style modeling assignments are described in detail in the unit descriptions. Major essay
assignments require students to use the writing process and to show evidence of this
process through pre-writing and drafts. Following all major writings, students are
required to reflect, revise, and refine their work.
Sentence Composing
During the revising and refining of drafts, students learn to deconstruct and rebuild their
own writing. This step is a sentence-by-sentence process. Here, we teach the value and
power of sentence variety and techniques for constructing simple and compound
sentences into complex structures. Here, we teach the use of polysyndeton, asyndeton,
gerunds, infinitives, inverted sentences, loose sentences, period sentences, etc. We
analyze the sentence structures of some of the representative authors and require students
to model their techniques. These imitation exercises help them when they are assigned
full-blown style-modeling essays discussed later in this course description. A source that
has proven to be helpful and student-friendly is On Writing Well by William Zinsser.
Writing Portfolios
Student writings are compiled into an in-class writing portfolio. At the end of the year,
students select two pieces of their best work to file in their portfolio. The writing
portfolio moves with them to their next teacher. The portfolio is a district-wide ELA
requirement that follows the student from seventh through twelfth grade. At the end of
the senior year, students are given the portfolio to take home.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary development is another one of the curriculum power pieces taught in every
unit. Our Vocabulary program takes a systemic approach to the teaching and
development of vocabulary. Most of the vocabulary comes from the content of the texts;
however, literary terms (from the Pre-AP/AP Vertical Teams Guide for English) and SAT
vocabulary (from KNOWSYS) are also taught. A variety of strategies are used to develop
vocabulary. Some of these include flash cards, Vocabulary Episodes, student-generated
vocabulary lists, sentence completion activities, and analogies.
Semester I
Unit One: Culture Clash & Imperialism/Intro to the Synthesis Question
Duration – 6weeks
Primary Text- A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
Thematic Links:
Puritans & Native Americans
“My Generation” by The Who
Photographs Comparing British and Indian Peoples
“Naked Imperialism” Intro by John Bellamy Foster
Letter by Joshua Patty
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csmith@kaufmanisd.net
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Cartoons (Luann, B.C., Pearls Before Swine, etc.)
Gandhi Quote
Heart of Darkness Excerpts
In this unit, students explore the issue of culture clash caused by imperialism at the local,
national, and global level. Research topics include cultural imperialism, international
imperialism, global imperialism, culture clash, economic imperialism, as well as many
other topics. Students read A Passage to India as a piece of imperialistic literature and
discuss the assertions that E.M. Forster makes concerning the issue of imperialism and
the effects it brings with it. In addition, students analyze the stylistic and rhetorical
techniques Forster uses to drive his point. Here, students analyze Forster’s use of
narrative, style, and point of view. Students reinforce their understanding of culture clash
caused by imperialism by reading the Thematic Links. The Thematic Links foster
profitable class discussion as well as serve as springboards for reflective journals and
quick-write analysis paragraphs. Students complete a timed writing using 2002 AP
Released Question 1 (Gabler) and 2004 AP Released Question 2 that I twisted into a
synthesis question. They are required to synthesize six of the sources listed in the
Thematic Links list.
Unit Two: War: Protest, Patriotism, and Peace/The Synthesis Question
Duration 6 weeks
Outside Reading: Othello – (To be started week two)
Thematic Links:
from “Hiroshima” by John Hershey
“Losses” by Randall Jarrell
“Dulce et Decorum est” by Wilfred Owen
Queen Elizabeth’s Tilbury Speech
Letter to Sarah by Sullivan Ballou
Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address
“War” by Edwin Starr
“I Am A Patriot” by Pearl Jam
“Fortunate Son” by Creedance Clearwater Revival
“Imagine” by John Lennon
“Imagine” Video by A Perfect Circle
Hiroshima photographs
Armed Conflicts 1999-2004 graph
Saving Private Ryan movie clip
Political cartoons- Oliphant, Herblock, and Levine
Presidential Candidate Speeches
This unit uncovers the many dimensions of war. Students are exposed to a variety of
documents to include letters, political cartoons, photographs, songs, poems, and graphs.
Here, students come to a deep understanding of war and the concepts of protest,
patriotism, and peace. Socratic seminar and Inner/Outer Circle discussions take center
stage as well as Think-Pair-Share activities. In addition, students complete a stylemodeling task in which they write a letter to Sullivan Ballou from Sarah. Here, the
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csmith@kaufmanisd.net
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student must model the style of Sullivan Ballou. Prior to this assignment, students read
and analyze the stylistic and rhetorical techniques in Ballou’s letter to Sarah. For this
activity, they use a modified version of SOAPSTone .
This unit requires students to conduct research on topics such as the Vietnam War, World
War II, The Atomic Bomb, Nagasaki, conscientious objector, and the Nuclear Arms Race
(to name a few). Students share their research in class discussions and deconstruct their
documents using a graphic organizer.
A highlight of this unit is an activity I developed called Tone Rocks! Here, students listen
to and analyze the song lyrics of “Fortunate Son,” “ War,” “Imagine,” and “I Am A
Patriot.” Students use SOAPSTone techniques to annotate, deconstruct, and analyze
meaning, purpose, and style. At the end of the activity students complete quick-write
analysis paragraphs on tone, diction, imagery, etc. They also identify and discuss the
assertions made by the songwriters.
This unit includes the analysis of poetry. The poetry selections are thematically linked to
the theme of war. Students use the close reading application for poetry, TP-CASTT.
Here, students learn to identify the assertions made by poets. Students write quick-write
style analysis paragraphs.
Additionally, students deconstruct political cartoons and photographs. These selections
are also linked to the theme of war. Students identify and discuss the assertions made by
cartoonists and photographers. Students analyze these texts using the Cartoon and
Photograph Deconstruct sheets. Here too, they complete quick-write analysis paragraphs.
Together, with all the documents, students learn that any text has the power to assert a
message to an audience-that everything is an argument. The unit ends with a teachermade synthesis question about war in which students must synthesize six of the Thematic
Links sources. Students may also use any of the documents from their assigned research.
Unit Three: The Power of Media/The Synthesis Question
Duration -6 weeks
Outside Reading: Othello (To be finished the 3rd week)
Thematic Links:
Speeches from Presidential Candidates
Documents from College Board Sample #1 Synthesis Question as
They appear on AP Central (T.V. and U.S. Presidential Elections)
“Photography” by Susan Sontag
Powerful Photographs (Album compiled from student research)
“The Letter that Changed My Life” by Dennis Smith
Vietnam Memorial photograph by CORBIS
“VJ Day Kiss” photograph Alfred Eisenstaedt
This unit is devoted to developing and refining argumentative and synthesis skills. Here,
students explore the power of media and media images. Students are assigned to research,
locate, and print one powerful photograph from the past or present. They must cite the
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csmith@kaufmanisd.net
972-932-2811
source of the photograph and complete a photograph analysis using the Photograph
Deconstruct Helper. The photograph analysis is followed by Think-Pair-Share circuit
discussions. Circuit discussions springboard into Socratic seminars about the album of
photos compiled by the class. These activities are followed by a timed writing using the
2001 AP Released Question 3 ( Sontag).
Each week, in preparation for the synthesis practice question, students are introduced to
one of the six documents. Students are given five minutes to briefly read and annotate the
source. Then, they are assigned to locate research on topics from those documents such as
Ted Koppel, Richard Nixon, CBS, Nightline, Nielsen Ratings, etc. The research findings
are discussed in Socratic seminar discussions where students are required to take notes
and ask questions. The unit ends with students responding to the AP sample synthesis
practice essay about television and U.S. Presidential Elections. Students may synthesize
any of the documents from Thematic Links but must use three from the AP documents.
Semester II
Unit Four: Power, Politics, and Leadership
Duration: six weeks
Outside Reading: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Thematic Links:
“Training for Statesmanship” by George F. Kennan
“The World’s 10 Worst Dictators” by David Wallechinsky
“Be Ruthless and Win” by Martin Miller
From Testaments Betrayed by Milan Kundera
“I Have A Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The concepts of power, politics, and leadership are the focal point of this unit. Here,
students come to a clear understanding of the terms but also of how power, politics, and
leadership function at the local, national, and global level. Students write in reflective
journals about their ideas concerning these concepts. Students read the Thematic Links
sources and discuss the assertions and concepts in Think-Pair–Share and Socratic
seminar. Students will also keep a dialectical journal over Macbeth. The unit ends with an
objective test over the key concepts in Macbeth. Additionally, students complete the 2002
AP Released Question 3 (Kundera) and the 2004 AP Released Question 2 (Kennan).
This unit is paired with our state exam practice blitz. Therefore, students are also taking
benchmark tests in reading and writing. Here, we focus on developing writer’s voice and
refining the narrative essay. In addition to the journals and the Kennan and Kundera
timed writing, students read “My Name” by Sandra Cisneros and write a narrative
exploring their own names. The “My Name” essay is a major writing/imitation exercise
that begins with many preliminary activities to include conducting research on the
meaning of their name, writing a “My Name” journal, and creating “My Name in A
Box.” From these activities, students use the writing process to compose a draft. After
the first draft, students are required to give and receive a peer response. The scoring
criteria includes focus and coherence, writer’s voice, development, organization, and
conventions. These essays are taken from pre-writing to final drafts. After these essays
are scored, students revise and refine their drafts in writing workshop. This process is
used for a second assignment. Students read N. Scott Momaday’s “The Way to Rainy
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csmith@kaufmanisd.net
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Mountain.” Their task is to write a narrative about their special place and person. Here,
they must model the stylistic techniques Momaday uses in his narrative. Close reading,
using annotating and SOAPSTone serve as a preliminary step to this assignment.
Unit Five: The Argumentative Essay: Re-visited and Refined
Rhetorical Analysis: Revisited and Refined
Duration: Three Weeks for argument/Three weeks for style
Outside Reading: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Thematic Links:
“The Penalty of Death” by H.L. Mencken
“ The Unquiet Death of Robert Harris” by Michael Kroll
“ Welcome to Cyberbia” by Heidi Pollock
“ Cyberspace for All” by Esther Dyson
Fahrenheit 451 (movie)
Supreme Court/Hazelwood High school AP Released Question
Why We Can’t Wait by Martin Luther King
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King
AP Released Questions:
2005 The Onion Q2
1996 Question 2 (Lady Mary Monague)
2004 Question 1 (Lord Chesterfield)
1989 MLK Q2
For the first three weeks of this unit, students work at refining their argumentative essays.
Students review the Toulmin and Zinsser methods. I remind them of the ingredients for
constructing an argument. I quote Chief Reader David Joliffe and discourage students
from writing “examination answers” and encourage them to “enter into conversations
with their audience.” We work at refining assertions, reasons, evidence, concession, and
conclusions. I encourage them to use their own organic structures using all the strategies
that they have learned rather than to use a formulaic approach. Many opportunities for
timed writings are given on topics such as the death penalty, censorship, and
entertainment. After they write their essays and after their essays are scored, students
participate in writing workshops. Here, they must deconstruct their essays using a
teacher-made deconstruct graphic organizer. The graphic organizer proves to be a
valuable tool for student self–assessment because it helps them identify what is missing
from their arguments as well as pin points their weaknesses and strengths. Writing
workshops include reading and peer responding to the AP released sample essays,
reviewing the scoring guides, and gleaning what they can from the Chief Reader
commentary. The three weeks ends with 2003 AP Released Question 1(Gabler).
The last three weeks of this unit focuses on refining rhetorical analysis essays. Here,
SOAPSTone comes into play once again. Students review the elements of style such as
tone, diction, syntax and imagery, but an emphasis is placed on how these elements help
to create the irony, understatement, sarcasm, and satire of a piece that students often fail
to recognize. Here, we analyze and discuss the techniques Martin Luther King uses to
create logos, ethos, and pathos in passages from Why We Can’t Wait and “Letter from
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csmith@kaufmanisd.net
972-932-2811
Birmingham Jail.” Students are reminded to read on the line, between the line, and off the
line. They are reminded that analysis must be taken above and beyond the mere
identification of techniques. Here, we work at identifying techniques coupled with
creating sentences of commentary addressing the effects of those techniques.
At this point in the year, students have responded to numerous AP Release essay
questions representing works from pre-twentieth century to contemporary authors.
Historically, our student have not done well at all on the free response section of the AP
exam, the plan is to blitz them with both pre-20th century and contemporary authors to
ensure their understanding of authors near and far. Hopefully this will prove to be
beneficial and interactive for them.
Unit Six: The Power of Language: A Closer Look at Style and Rhetoric (3 weeks)
Literature in Film (3 weeks)
Duration: Six weeks
Completion of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Passages from AP Released Essay Questions
James Baldwin 1995 Question3
Coke Letters 2005
Pink Flamingo 2006 Question 1
Gallapagos 1990 Question 1
Okefenokee Swamp1999 Question 1
Audabon/ Dillard 2003 Question 3
Cripple Nancy Mairs (question number and year unknown)
Neil Postman Question 3 Orwell/Huxley
Film Unit (Last 3 weeks)
Alfred Hitchcock
Blade Runner
Batman
The first three weeks of this unit focuses on refining style analysis by reading and
analyzing passages from the AP Released Exams. Here, students read, annotate, and
discuss the techniques the writers are using to achieve their purpose. Sometimes students
work individually, but most of the time, they are working in Think-Pair-Share groupings
of two or three students. This activity fosters interactive negotiating about the writer’s
techniques and the effects of those techniques. Long passages or multi-passage selections
are divided into manageable pieces since students are given a set time for the activities
and since they must present their analysis to the class. These activities are followed by
mini-timed writings where students may be asked to construct just an introduction, or
conclusion, or a paragraph analyzing a specific element such as the satire of the piece.
This three-week unit ends with students responding to the Coke letters from 2005.
By the last three weeks of the course, students have already sat for The AP Language and
Composition Exam. They are ready to decompress from the rigor. The year ends with a
mini-film unit discussing its role in literature. The different techniques used for shot,
style, purpose, etc. will all be discussed and viewed. AP Language is conducted during
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csmith@kaufmanisd.net
972-932-2811
the students’ senior year in high school so college is the only thing awaiting them after
this point. Students will close the year with a song interpretation where they bring in the
lyrics to a song that is school appropriate and analyze and interpret it in front of the class.
This has proved to be highly effective in past years.
Student Evaluation
Student grades are divided into two categories: daily and major work. Daily work is
comprised of homework assignment, journals, class work, informal discussion, and
research. Major assignments include timed writings using AP released questions, reading
comprehension tests using AP released exams, major essays, research papers, SAT
vocabulary tests, major class discussion, and presentations. As described in the syllabus,
students also participate in peer assessment as well as self-assessment as they work
through the writing process. Timed writings are scored using the scoring guides,
commentary, and student samples as they appear on AP Central. Daily grades count as
50% of a student’s grade, and major grades count 50% of a student’s grade, as mandated
by the school board.
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csmith@kaufmanisd.net
972-932-2811
Teacher Resources
Course Texts
Borroff, Marie. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. New York: W.W. Norton &
Company,
2001.
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Dover, 1990.
Forster, E.M. A Passage to India. Florida: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1984.
Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004.
Miller, Robert. The Informed Argument. 7th ed. Kentucky: Heinle & Heinle, 2006.
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Clayton, Delaware: Prestwick House, 2005.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Clayton, Delaware: Prestwick House, 2005.
Zinsser, William. On Writing Well. 6th ed. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.
Course Supplements
Allen, Janet. Words, Words, Words. Maine: Stenhouse Publishers, 1999.
Baym, Nina. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 6th ed. New York: W.W.
Norton & Company, 2003.
DiYanni, Robert and Hoy, Pat. Frames of Mind. 2nd ed. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage
Learning, 2008.
Edwards, Jonathan. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Christian Classics Ethereal
Library [online database]. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Calvin College.
www.ccel.org/e/edwards/sermons/sinners.html. Accessed August 24, 2003.
Graff, Gerald and Birkenstein, Cathy. They Say/I Say. New York: W.W. Norton &
Company, 2007.
Graham, Don. Lone Star Literature. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2003.
Swovelin, Barbara. Cliffs AP English Language and Composition. 3rd ed. Indianapolis:
Wiley, 2006.
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csmith@kaufmanisd.net
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Shea, Renee H., and Lawrence Scanlon. Teaching Nonfiction in AP English. Boston:
Bedford/St.Martin’s, 2005.
References
College Board. AP English Course Description. New York: The College Board, 2005.
College Board. The AP Vertical Teams Guide for English. New York: The College
Board, 2005.
College Board. The Official SAT Study Guide: For the New SAT. New York: The
College Board, 2004.
College Board. AP English Language and Composition: 2006-2007 Professional
Development Workshop Materials. New York: The College Board, 2006.
College Board. AP English Language and Composition: Writing Persuasively. New
York: The College Board, 2006.
College Board. AP English Language and Composition Teacher’s Guide. New York: The
College Board. 1998.
Erickson, Lynn. Stirring the Head, Heart and Soul: Redefining Curriculum and
Instruction. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, 2001.
Erickson, Lynn. Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction: Teaching Beyond the Facts.
Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, 2001.
Online Sources
www.collegeboard.org
www.timemagazine.com
www.newsweekeducation.com
www.apcentral.com
www.rhetoric.com
www.tea.state.tx.us
www.politicalcartoons.com
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/6556
* In addition to the above teacher sources, I developed the course using my notes from
AP Summer Institutes from 2008, various AP syllabi from accredited teachers, and AP
Summer Reading 2008.
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