AP® English Language and Composition-English 11 Honors
Course Syllabus
This course “…engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of
periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a
variety of purposes… [S]tudents write in both informal and formal contexts to gain authority and
learn to take risks in writing.”
~AP® English Language and Composition Course Description, AP Central
Course Objectives:
This AP® English Language and Composition course is designed to prepare students for collegelevel writing through an intensive study of language and its uses. By examining modes of
rhetoric and components of style, students will engage in an intensive language study that
emphasizes writing skills, sharpens critical and evaluative awareness, and develops a sense of
mastery in both reading and composition. Students in this course deepen their understanding of
the importance of merging content with purpose, tone, and audience (the rhetorical scenario) by
reading varied works of non-fiction prose and by applying that understanding in frequent
writings, both timed and formal. This course stresses the importance of autonomous and selfdirected revision of a writer’s own awareness of purpose, tone, and audience that is critical in the
composition of effective prose. Above all, students will discard the formulaic (read: fiveparagraph) mode of composition and embrace risk in their search for style.
Expectations and Rigor
Students engage in all types of prose—argumentative, analytical, informative, expository,
reflective, and personal—both as readers and as writers. Readings include essays, letters,
biographies, editorials, narratives, and even some short fiction; all readings model good prose
and represent a wide range of voices. Students examine structure, syntax, diction, rhetorical
devices, purpose, and tone in every reading, and reading-response activities include discussion
(both guided and small-group), blog-responses, emulations (i.e., write an essay like Raymond
Carver or Gretel Ehrlich), timed writings, and formal papers. Student work should be timely, of
course, but also of high quality. Emphasis is also placed on the students’ ability to synthesize
multiple works by examining rhetoric and style and creating connections in well-written
compositions. Students must follow MLA guidelines for citation and documentation when
synthesizing multiple works. Finally, students will engage in activities designed to deepen
appreciation for gathering, interpreting, and presenting information with style, confidence, and a
sense of professionalism. This includes visual (image-based) information. Students will learn
how to discern credible, legitimate sources, especially when using the Internet. The major
outcome will be a research paper of 5-7 pages in length with at least three primary sources and
three secondary sources—all cited properly according to MLA guidelines.
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Course Texts and Reading Resources
As per the English Department’s Eleventh Grade requirements, students will read at least six
novels and fifteen short stories (selections listed later in the syllabus) over the course of the
school year, and those are read independently with outcomes completed outside of the regular
structure of the class. Class time, therefore, is devoted to scholarly discussion and examination
of effective prose and rhetoric, and the core selection of readings is listed below (note that some
short fiction is included with these works of nonfiction prose, as they serve as strong examples of
how authors use language to create meaning):
 Many of the essays and stories below appear the course’s main text, A Writer’s Reader,
Ninth Edition (Donald Hall and D.L. Emblen, Eds.).
 Sven Birkerts, “Objections Noted: Word Processing”
 Gretel Ehrlich, “About Men”
 Ralph Ellison, “On Becoming a Writer”
 Ernest Hemingway, “Hills Like White Elephants”
 Maxine Hong Kingston, “Silence”
 Phillip Lopate, “On Shaving a Beard”
 John McPhee, “The Search for Marvin Gardens”
 Nancy Mairs, “The Unmaking of a Scientist”
 George Orwell, “Politics and the English Language” and “A Hanging”
 Camille Paglia, “Cats” (good supplement: T.S. Eliot’s “The Naming of Cats”)
 Edgar Allan Poe, “Instinct Versus Reason: A Black Cat” (companion piece to Paglia’s
essay) and “The Fall of the House of Usher”
 Ishmael Reed, “America: The Multinational Society”
 Jonathan Swift, “A Modest Proposal”
 Henry David Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience,” “Where I Lived and What I Lived For,” and
“Life Without Principle”
 Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance” (supplement with poem “Hamatreya”)
 Mark Twain, “Baker’s Bluejay Yarn” and “Was the World Made for Man?”
 Gore Vidal, “Drugs”
 Edith Wharton, “Roman Fever”
 O. Henry, “A Municipal Report”
 Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
 David Hume, “Of Personal Identity”
 Immanuel Kant, “First Principles of Morals”
 E. B. White, “Once More to the Lake”
 Amy Tan, “In the Canon, For All the Wrong Reasons” and “Two Kinds”
 Margaret Atwood, “Alien Territory”
 Toni Morrison, “Nobel Lecture”
 Virginia Woolf, “If Shakespeare Had Had a Sister”
 Gerald Early, “Life With Daughters: Watching the Miss America Pageant”
 Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream”
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Web-based Resources:
 http://share.umasd.org/groups/20122013english11honorsap/ (Class web page)
 www.washingtonpost.com (for editorials, opinion pieces, and cartoons)
 www.VirtualSalt.com (great reference for rhetorical devices)
 Podcasts:
o Onion Radio News (satire)
o Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Grammar Tips (contemporary, upbeat grammar
lessons)
o NPR (great for contemporary news stories and editorials)
Common Core Standards Alignment
Each relevant task below is tagged with Common Core Standards. Refer to Appendix of this
document for explanation of each standard tag.
Overview of Relevant Tasks and Applications to Extend Mastery:
 BLOGS: opportunities for more thoughtful responses to readings, though informal
enough to allow for sincerity and free-expression. W.11-12.4, W.11-12.6, W.11-12.10
 Media Projects: Students engage in creative processes to enhance meaning and
understanding in relevant projects using media software. W.11-12.7, W.11-12.8, SL.11-12.2,
SL.11-12.4, SL.11-12.5, SL.11-12.6
 Letters to the Editor: A culminating project; just before the AP® Exam, students hone
their abilities to create arguments in a legitimate, real-world context (with real outcomebased incentive). Students read editorials and respond with the hopes of having letters
published. W.11-12.1, W.11-12.4, W.11-12.5, W.11-12.6, W.11-12.10
 Personal Application Essays: Students emulate writers and apply concepts to personal
areas of their lives; all essays are subject to reflective revision. W.11-12.3, W.11-12.4,
W.11-12.5, W.11-12.6, L.11-12.1-L.11-12.6
 Scholarly Analysis Papers: Formal papers based on readings that analyze form and
content in relation to purpose and audience; students rewrite every paper after peers and
instructor provide suggestions for revision. W.11-12.1, W.11-12.2, W.11-12.4, W.11-12.5,
W.11-12.6, W.11-12.7, W.11-12.8, W.11-12.9, W.11-12.10, RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.2, RL.11-12.3,
L.11-12.1---L.11-12.6
 Rhetorical Devices: Students become familiar with various rhetorical devices by applying
them in their own writing. VirtualSalt.com is a good resource where students can
discover terms for and illustrated examples of rhetorical devices. L.11-12.1---L.11-12.6
 AP®-style Prompts: timed AP-style writing
 Practice AP® MC and Essay Questions: Year-long exposure to and discussion of sample
exam questions.
 Vocabulary: exposure to new words in context (from the readings); quizzes and
applications—such as usage in writing—reinforce new words. L.11-12.3---L.11-12.6
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Curricular Outline: Four major units, one per marking period. (This is merely a guide.)
Unit One
 Concepts for Mastery: Rhetorical Modes, Strategies, and Devices—the rhetorical
scenario (purpose, tone, audience); the rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos); rhetorical
terms; expository, argumentative, narrative, and analytical modes; image-based media as
alternative text
 Selected Readings from above that illustrate varied rhetorical modes, such as “Objections
Noted: Word Processing” and “In the Canon, For All the Wrong Reasons”
 Writings: Blog responses, in-class timed writings (AP® style), and Papers #1 and #2
 AP® Practice: practice MC’s, sets 1 and 2; practice free-response question #1
 Vocabulary: Quiz and application
 Image-based Media: Thanks to the availability of laptops in my classroom on a daily
basis, my students have access to the largest image-dependent resource on the planet: the
Internet. My students access the Internet in my classroom regularly, and we spend a
good deal of time analyzing images for a variety of evaluative purposes—including, but
not limited to:
o Usage in multi-media projects
o Reliability of representation (the Photo Shop phenomenon)
o Empirical value of the image
o Rhetorical purpose of the image (is it another type of “text”?)
 Persuade
 Market
 Inform
 Clarify
 Enhance
 The Transcendentalist Project:
o Research American Transcendentalism using JSTOR, ProjectMuse, and other
scholarly resources. Print out findings as needed. Students should be able to: (a)
define it, (b) qualify its founding (that is, address why its founders perceived its
need), and (c) catalogue notable Transcendentalists.
o Students will read Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous essay, “Self-Reliance” and
apply understanding of transcendentalism to Emerson’s essay. They will describe
how the essay describes or illustrates transcendental thought.
o Students will find evidence in Thoreau’s work (“Civil Disobedience” or “Where I
Lived and What I Lived For”) of transcendental thought.
o Address this question in your presentation: Does transcendentalism have any
relevant modern applications?
 Synthesize all of this into a well-designed, media-rich presentation.
o Students MUST include a Works Cited slide in presentations.
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Unit Two
 Concepts for Mastery: Building an Argument—qualification, defense, and rejection;
purpose, tone, and audience; persuasive models; diction and syntax; satire
 Selected Readings include “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” “A Modest
Proposal,” “First Principles of Morals,” “Baker’s Bluejay Yarn,” “Harrison Bergeron,”
“Politics and the English Language,” “Drugs,” editorials from washingtonpost.com,
Onion Radio News
 Writings: Blog Responses, in-class timed writings, and Papers #3 and #4.
 AP® Practice: practice MC’s, sets 3 and 4; practice free-response question #2
 Vocabulary: Quiz and application
 Letters to the Editor: read editorials from washingtonpost.com and respond to any TWO;
revise and choose ONE to send to the editor.
 Onion Radio News Podcast: Create your own podcast.
Unit Three
 Concepts for Mastery: Structure, Sound, and Sense –expository and argumentative modes
continue to be emphasized here; form and function merge; vocabulary and usage
 Selected Readings include “The Unmaking of a Scientist,” “The Search for Marvin
Gardens,” “Hills Like White Elephants,” “Alien Territory,” “About Men,” “Once More
to the Lake”
 Writings: Blog Responses, in-class timed writings, and Papers #5 and #6
 AP® Practice: practice MC’s, sets 4 and 5; introduction to synthesis essay
 Vocabulary: Quiz and application
 Creative Application Project: The Modernists. Open application in any creative style that
demonstrates synthesis and evaluation of Modernist ideas in Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and
Faulkner
Unit Four
 Concepts for Mastery: Final Prep for Exam; The Research Paper—Synthesizing Ideas,
Arguments, and Sources; Literary Criticism
 Selected Readings include “On Becoming a Writer,” “Instinct versus Reason: The Black
Cat,” “America: The Multinational Society,” “Silence,” “If Shakespeare Had Had a
Daughter,” “Self-Reliance,” “Nobel Lecture” (all of these readings have supplemental
reads or connections to other works/authors, which emphasizes the synthesis skill set)
 Writings: Blog Responses, in-class timed writings, and Papers # 7 and #8
 AP® Practice: Practice AP® Exam (full exam)
 Vocabulary: Quiz and application
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 The Junior Research Project:
o Objectives: Find and read three total works by three different American authors
who illustrate a selected topic; develop a thesis that unifies the works under the
selected topic in the form of an assertion (argument); write a paper of given length
in response to thesis using textual support, literary criticism, and your own critical
ideas.
Procedure:
1. Choose a topic from the Synthesized Topic Evaluation List (on a separate
sheet). Bear in mind that some topics may blend or intersect (such as greed
and wealth), and that is fine; just be sure that the THEME (in the form of a
thesis statement) you explore in your paper is definitive and concrete.
2. Find three works by American authors that illustrate your chosen topic. Be
sure to find three different authors. Also, vary the genre. Ideally, you should
find one novel, one short story, and one poem. However, you may read two
novels and a short story, or one novel and two short stories if you are having
trouble finding a poem. You must read AT LEAST ONE NOVEL. The
second and third works may be either a novel, a short story, a play, or a poem.
3. Read your works. Read early. Read actively. Read with your focus in mind.
As you read, develop and refine the THEME you wish to explore; this will
eventually become your THESIS statement.
4. Research recognized literary criticism on your works. You will need at least
THREE scholarly articles to support this paper. Be sure to note and keep
track of bibliographic information.
5. Draft your paper. Your target length is 5-7 pages—double-spaced, MLA
style. As you draft and research, you will write PROGRESS REPORTS,
which the instructor will use to offer constructive advice and check your
progress.
6. Conference with instructor periodically.
7. Culminate your argument with swift and careful prose, ample and relevant
support, and a clear and concrete purpose. Take risks, but measure the
reward. Find your voice; construct your argument with style and confidence.
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American Literature
All assignments and papers relevant to novels and short fiction ask the students to
focus on language and how it is used to create meaning in imaginative ways.
Therefore, most of the papers described below do not require, per se, traditional literary
analysis as much as devoted consideration of how language functions and serves the
varied purposes of its authors.
Novels:
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Short Fiction:
“Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne
“Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway
“A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” by Ernest Hemingway
“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
“The White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett
“A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
“Barn Burning” by William Faulkner
“A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor
“Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather
“Babylon Revisited” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
“A & P” by John Updike
“Blood Burning Moon” by Jean Toomer
“Long Distance” by Jane Smiley
“Where I’m Calling From” by Raymond Carver
“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut
“Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates
“The Way We Live Now” by Susan Sontag
“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
“The Way to Rainy Mountain,” N. Scott Momaday,
“The Man to Send Rain Clouds,” Leslie Marmon Silko
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Literary Theory:
Presentation, discussion, and application of foundational concepts in the following literary
theories: formalist criticism, reader-response theory, deconstructionist criticism, gender
criticism, biographical criticism, psychological criticism, historical criticism, sociological
criticism, mythological criticism and cultural studies.
The Papers:
Students read literature outside of class and participate in blog-response sessions to address
relevant literary analysis questions. Students write two formal papers per marking period
based on literature readings. Each paper asks students to synthesize ideas from multiple
literary works, and each paper must demonstrate evidence of proper MLA-style
documentation and formatting. All papers must be scholarly enterprises that demonstrate
style while controlling a central, unified assertion (thesis). All papers must be 2-3 pages in
length. All papers are subject to at least ONE re-write after receiving instructor feedback.
Re-writes are complete revisions based on instructor and peer feedback—they are not simply
editing exercises (fixing spelling and grammar). Re-writes examine content, support, and
argument and seek ways to improve each in the context of the thesis statement (or unifying
critical assertion).
Paper #1: American Voices—Hawthorne and Miller and Witch Hunts. Discuss how
Nathaniel Hawthorne and Arthur Miller use language (separated by 100 years) to advance
similar themes regarding prejudice, ignorance, and fear.
Paper #2: Toward a Modern World—Early 20th Century Prose Fiction. Ernest Hemingway,
F. Scott Fitzgerald, and William Faulkner embraced new techniques of constructing
narratives that broke from literary traditions. Compare and contrast the different ways each
author utilizes structure, syntax, and diction to construct their stories.
Paper #3: Apocalypse… Now? Vonnegut and O’Brien and Sontag present visions of a world
torn apart by violence, disease, and value degradation—explore these ideas from the
perspective of the authors’ presenting an argument that calls for an “upgrade” of human
civility and morality.
Paper #4: Hang Philosophy… on Some Literature. Apply Kantian ideas of morality to the
texts of As I Lay Dying, “Barn Burning,” “That Evening Sun,” and/ or “A Rose for Emily.”
Consider duty and will as Kantian terms; consider pure (a priori) and empirical (a posteriori)
moral conceptions; consider the roles of instinct and reason; consider any Kantian aspect of
the principles of morals that you think applies to or defines Faulkner.
 Use textual support (quotes) from Kant’s “First Principles of Morals” and from
Faulkner to support your claims. You may discuss any or all of the above Faulkner
works in your paper.
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 Helpful tip: choose one aspect of Kant’s philosophy and apply it to several of
Faulkner’s characters, OR choose one of Faulkner’s complex characters and apply
Kantian morality to him/her. Of course, you may choose another approach if you
desire.
Paper #5: The Ennui of a Post-Modern Existence. Examine the works of Carver, Cheever,
Sontag, and Oates for evidence of melancholy or despair. What syntactical, structural, or
linguistic elements contribute to this effect?
Paper #6: Waking Up. Updike, Jewett, Chopin, and Gilman seemed concerned with those
moments in life that we cite as “defining” or, to wit, “epiphanic.” Cite the epiphanic moment
from each work and describe how each other presents his or her respective moment
linguistically.
Paper #7: The Replicator. Write a personal narrative or an original short story that emulates
the style of ANY of the authors we read this year. Don’t indicate the style—your instructor
and your peers will have to guess.
Paper #8: Read, Respond, Deconstruct… Or Whatever. Examine ANY four works from the
lens of any of the Literary Theories (or a legitimate combination thereof) discussed in class.
Use at least one scholarly article for support.
Final Exam Policy: As long as each student receives a score of 3 or better on the practice
AP® English Language and Composition Exam there will be no required final for this course.
Any student who does not score 3 or better will write a scholarly analysis paper in lieu of a
final exam.
Contact Mr. Darnell for any reason: jdarnell@umasd.org
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Appendix
Common Core Standards
ELA Writing:
Standards in this strand:
The CCR anchor standards and high school grade-specific standards work in tandem to define college
and career readiness expectations—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional
specificity.
Text Types and Purposes
W.11-12.1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
◦
Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s),
distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that
logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
◦
Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence
for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that
anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
◦
Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text,
create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between
reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
◦
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and
conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
◦
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument
presented.
W.11-12.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
◦
Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element
builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g.,
headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding
comprehension.
◦
Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended
definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to
the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
◦
Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create
cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
◦
Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile,
and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
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◦
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and
conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
◦
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or
explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.11-12.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in
standards 1–3 above.)
W.11-12.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a
new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
W.11-12.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared
writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.11-12.7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a
self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize
multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
W.11-12.8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using
advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task,
purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas,
avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.
W.11-12.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Range of Writing
W.11-12.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes
Key Ideas and Details
RL.11-12.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
RL.11-12.2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over
the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex
account; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.11-12.3. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a
story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced
and developed).
Craft and Structure
RL.11-12.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including
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words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include
Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
RL.11-12.5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the
choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to
its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
RL.11-12.6. Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly
stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.11-12.7. Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production
of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at
least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)
RL.11-12.8. (Not applicable to literature)
RL.11-12.9. Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational
works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or
topics.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.11-12.10. By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and
poems, in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high
end of the range.
By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the
high end of the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
ELA Reading Informational
Standards in this strand:
The CCR anchor standards and high school grade-specific standards work in tandem to define college
and career readiness expectations—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional
specificity.
Key Ideas and Details
RI.11-12.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
RI.11-12.2. Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course
of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an
objective summary of the text.
RI.11-12.3. Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals,
ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
Craft and Structure
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RI.11-12.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative,
connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term
or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
RI.11-12.5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition
or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
RI.11-12.6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly
effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.11-12.7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats
(e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
RI.11-12.8. Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of
constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and
dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist,
presidential addresses).
RI.11-12.9. Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century foundational U.S. documents of
historical and literary significance (including The Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the
Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address) for their themes, purposes, and
rhetorical features.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.11-12.10. By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 11–CCR text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 11–CCR
text complexity band independently and proficiently.
ELA Speaking and Listening
Standards in this strand:
The CCR anchor standards and high school grade-specific standards work in tandem to define college
and career readiness expectations—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional
specificity.
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.11-12.1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on
others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
◦
Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly
draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the
topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
◦
Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals
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and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.
◦
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and
evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify,
or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.
◦
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence
made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what
additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the
task.
SL.11-12.2. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g.,
visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the
credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
SL.11-12.3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing
the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.11-12.4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct
perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are
addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose,
audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
SL.11-12.5. Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive
elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add
interest.
SL.11-12.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English
when indicated or appropriate.
The CCR anchor standards and high school grade-specific standards work in tandem to define college
and career readiness expectations—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional
specificity.
ELA Language
Standards in this strand:
Conventions of Standard English
L.11-12.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.
◦
Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is
sometimes contested.
◦
Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary of English Usage, Garner’s Modern American Usage) as needed.
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L.11-12.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
◦
Observe hyphenation conventions.
◦
Spell correctly.
Knowledge of Language
L.11-12.3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to
make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for guidance as
needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading.
L.11-12.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based
on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or
function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of
speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).
Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries,
thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or
clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage.
Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the
inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
L.11-12.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word
meanings.
Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the
text.
Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
L.11-12.6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases,
sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level;
demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase
important to comprehension or expression.
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