SYLLABUS FOR AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION
2014-2015
MS. SATO
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COURSE:
AP English Language and Composition takes as its primary theme the complex relationship between
language and the social construction of identity. The course begins with an introduction into the
study of rhetoric, the aspects of argument, and the methods of close reading, and then turns to
analyze these elements in a series of essays that explore the extent to which individual and collective
identities are shaped. Students are invited to study works from various authors in order to enhance
their appreciation of rhetoric and literary form, to envision themselves as beginning scholars who
have something to contribute to academic discourse, and to engage in the complex reading that is
required in order to write thoughtful persuasive, analytical, and synthetic essays. This course involves
extensive reflective and critical reading and writing, both in class and at home, with the primary
purpose to help students develop confidence in grappling with challenging, complex texts, and
producing persuasive analytical essays that demonstrate a mastery of the elements of scholarly
composition. By the end of the course, students are more adept at reading deeply and writing
effectively in order to take the AP Language and Composition exam, and to manage the mature
level of reading and writing that is expected in a college-level writing course.
UNIT INFORMATION:
Basic Outline of the Course (Subject to change and/or revision)
I. IDENTITY AND THE INDIVIDUAL
First Marking Period- September 3- November 14, 2014 (approx. 10 weeks)
Understanding One’s Identity and Perception- Finding One’s Voice
Focus:
How Does One Shape Identity? What Role Does One’s Use of Language Play
in the Forming of One’s Identity? How does One’s Perception Influence
Identity?
TEXTS:
Summer Reading:
Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner and The Tipping Point by
Malcolm Gladwell
ESSAY:
Sample Essay: Compare the arguments of the writers of both books in terms of what main
factors motivate people to act i.e. Incentives, Greed, One’s External Environment/
Influences, Morals, Interests, etc.
TEXTS:
Cathy Davidson, “Project Classroom Makeover” (NF)
Daniel Gilbert, “Immune to Reality” (NF)
David Foster Wallace, “This is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered in a Significant
Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life” (NF)
Oliver Sacks, “The Mind’s Eye: What the Blind See” (NF)
Charles Siebert, “An Elephant Crack-up?” (NF)
Martha Stout, excerpt from “When I Woke up Tuesday Morning, it was Friday” (NF)
William Golding, Lord of the Flies (F)
ESSAY:
Expository Essay: Comparing ideas about motivation look at two/three of the works and
answer the following question: How does the cause of one’s motivation affect one’s
perception, and furthermore affect his identity and understanding of reality?*
*This essay will be reviewed and revised by the teacher before the final essay is submitted.
MLA format will also be introduced prior to the final copy of this essay.
VOCABULARY:
Sadlier-Oxford- Level G Units 1-2
Students will use the vocabulary words from each unit to write an in-class essay about the
current material being studied. Specific text/s will be decided upon by the teacher.
AP EXAM REVIEW:
One practice test will be reviewed per marking period.
Essay types: Persuasion, Analysis, and Synthesis
II. THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE COMMUNITY
Second Marking Period- November 17, 2014- January 30, 2015 (approx. 10 weeks)
Understanding One’s Relationship to Others
Focus:
What Influences the Individual’s Relationship to the Community?
What Factors Affect This Relationship?
TEXTS:
Martin Luther King Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (NF)
Scott Brown, “Facebook Friendonomics” (NF)
Malcolm Gladwell, “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted” (NF)
Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner (F)
ESSAY:
Looking at two or three works, how does the community influence the individual? What
factors in the community and in one’s environment affect the way the individual views the
world and himself?
VOCABULARY:
Sadlier-Oxford- Level G Units 3-4
Students will use the vocabulary words from each unit to write an in-class essay about the
current material being studied. Specific text/s will be decided upon by the teacher.
III. SOCIETAL ROLES
Third Marking Period-February 2, 2015- April 15, 2015 (approx. 10 weeks)
Understanding One’s Role In Society
Focus: What is the Impact of Socially Created Roles on the Independent Individual?
How is the Individual Influenced by Societal Pressures to Fit Into a Certain
Role?
TEXTS:
Stephen Jay Gould, “Women’s Brains” (NF)
Virginia Woolf, “Professions for Women” (NF)
Paul Theroux, “Being a Man” (NF)
Judy Brady, “I Want a Wife” (NF)
Matthais R. Mehl, “Are Women Really More Talkative Than Men?” (NF)
Anna Quindlen, excerpt from “The C Word in the Hallways” (NF)
William Shakespeare, Hamlet (F)
ESSAY:
Argumentative/Expository Essay: Examining print ads from the 1950-60’s and 21st century
ads, write an argumentative/expository essay analyzing the ways these visual texts constrain
or possibly emancipate women or men. Integrate one of the works we read this marking
period as support for your argument.
VOCABULARY:
Sadlier-Oxford- Level G Units 5-6
Students will use the vocabulary words from each unit to write an in-class essay about the
current material being studied. Specific text/s will be decided upon by the teacher.
IV. POPULAR CULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Fourth Marking Period-April 16, 2014- June 17, 2014 (approx. 10 weeks)
Understanding One’s Responsibility to Oneself, Society, and the World
Focus: How Does Popular Culture Reflect or Not Reflect Society’s Values?
What Responsibility Does the Individual Have to Society, to the
Environment, to Oneself?
TEXTS:
Nicholas Carr, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” (NF)
James McBride, “Hip Hop Planet” (NF)
Steven Johnson, “Watching TV Makes You Smarter” (NF)
Rachel Carson, excerpt from Silent Spring (F)
Chief Seattle, “Message to President Franklin Pierce” (NF)
Ralph Waldo Emerson, excerpt from Nature (F)
George Orwell, 1984 or
Aldous Huxley, Brave New World (F)
ESSAY:
Research Essay: Research the work of anthropologist Donna Haraway and her 1991 treatise
"A Cyborg Manifesto," and evaluate the extent to which her assertion that humans are
becoming part "machine" has proven true today. Research will include studies of the
effects of technology on today's teenagers.*
*At this time, students will be introduced to research skills, i.e. evaluating sources and using
citations, and reminded of how to utilize MLA format properly.
VOCABULARY:
Sadlier-Oxford- Level G Units 7-8
Students will use the vocabulary words from each unit to write an in-class essay about the
current material being studied. Specific text/s will be decided upon by the teacher.
SKILLS:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
-Use MLA format properly
-Understand the use of Rhetoric
-Understand Rhetorical Terms- The Language of Language
-Comprehend the parts of an Argument- Ethos, Logos, Pathos
-Understand elements of Satire
-Understand SOAPStone
-Distinguish between Diction and Syntax
-Analyze the speaker’s or writer’s purpose and style
-Engage in Close Reading through
-Annotation
-Dialectic Journal
-Graphic Organizer
-Write Synthesis Essays
-Write Thesis Statements- Open, Closed and Counterargument Thesis Statements
-Peer-Edit
-Understand how to Evaluate Sources and Use Citations
-Understand the Denotation/Connotation of words
-Understand the Etymological Breakdown of Vocabulary Words- Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes
-Use proper Grammar
All of the above skills will help in preparation for the AP Language and Composition Exam
BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE COURSE:
You will have at least one Academic (Expository, Analytical, Argumentative, Research) Essay per
Marking Period, with one rough and one revised draft
No essays will be accepted in my mailbox or through e-mail without prior approval
Late papers will be marked down 10% for each day late
Students are responsible for finding out what work was missed when absent- it is the student’s
responsibility, not the responsibility of the teacher
Plagiarized papers or papers that are not strictly written by the student and properly cited, will result
in a ZERO
Grades are based on a point system with essays and projects worth 100 points, peer-editing worth 50
points, homework worth 10-50 points, and class participation worth 100 points
Class participation involves actively engaging in class discussions, making thoughtful contributions,
actively listening, and engaging in class-related activities
Communicate with me regularly about your comprehension and progress in the class
Communicate with me if you know you are going to be absent or out of class
TEXTBOOKS
Title:
The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, and Rhetoric
Authors:
Renee H. Shea, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses
Title:
The New Humanities Reader-Fifth Edition
Authors:
Richard E. Miller and Kurt Spellmeyer
WORKBOOK
Title:
Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop- Level G
Author:
Jerome Shostak