Advanced Placement English Language & Composition
Class Information and General Syllabus
Course Description & Objectives
Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition is a college level course that
deals in recognizing, analyzing, and expressing ideas. Students will spend the semester
considering important ideas advanced throughout history as they test their own ideas against
those of others. Due to the challenging nature of Advanced Placement coursework, this course
demands each student’s best effort, all the time.
Specifically, AP English Language is intended to engage students in becoming skilled readers
of prose from various periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled
writers who compose for a variety of purposes. It brings into focus the interactions among a
writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects, as it promotes examination of the
conventions and resources of language that contribute to effective writing.
Students in AP English Language and Composition will work towards an appreciation of the
rhetorical and aesthetic dimensions that contribute to rich and effective writing. Students will
take the AP examination in May (possibly earning scores that lead to college English credit)
and will continue to develop as appreciative life-long readers and effective writers who think
deeply and analyze critically. According to guidelines promoted by the The College Board,
students should be able to do the following upon completion of this course:
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analyze and interpret samples of good writing, identifying and explaining an author’s use
of rhetorical strategies and techniques;
apply effective strategies and techniques in writing;
create and sustain arguments based on readings, research, and/or personal experience;
write for a variety of purposes;
produce expository, analytical, and argumentative compositions that introduce a
complex central idea and develop it with appropriate evidence drawn from primary
and/or secondary sources, cogent explanations, and clear transitions;
demonstrate understanding and mastery of standard written English, as well as stylistic
maturity in writing;
demonstrate understanding of the conventions of citing primary and secondary sources;
effectively research, draft, revise, and reflect upon personal writing;
analyze image as text; and,
evaluate and incorporate references into researched essays using an established
format.
- Course Description: Advanced Placement English, The College Board (2006).
Grading System:
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Essays 30%: Most essays are first written as in-class essays and graded as rough drafts.
Rough drafts are self-edited and peer edited before students type the final copies. Final copies
make up 30 percent of the nine weeks’ grade. Rough drafts and editing assignments are part of
the daily work, which is 20 percent of the nine weeks’ grade. Students must submit all drafts
with final copies. Graded final copies are kept in a portfolio that counts as part of a final major
grade for the semester.
Tests 25%: Most tests consist of multiple-choice questions based on rhetorical devices and their
function in given passages. Some passages are from texts read and studied in class, but some
passages are from new material that students analyze for the first time.
Quizzes 25%: Quizzes are used primarily to check for reading and basic understanding of a
text. Each unit has at least one quiz on vocabulary from the readings. Also, each unit has at
least one quiz on grammatical and mechanical concepts reviewed in daily tasks as well as from
discussions and/or annotations of syntax from the readings.
Daily 20%: Daily assignments consist of a variety of tasks. Some of these tasks involve
individual steps leading to a larger product, such as plans, research, drafts, and edits for an
essay. Other daily tasks consist of grammar reviews, vocabulary exercises, annotation of texts,
and fluency writing.
Most lessons begin with a warm-up or anticipatory task. These focus on a grammatical or
writing concept that connects to the day’s reading assignment. Students do these exercises
during the first five minutes of the class period.
Course Organization
The course is organized by themes. (See syllabus.)
Each unit requires students to acquire and use rich vocabulary, to use standard English
grammar, and to understand the importance of diction and syntax in an author’s style.
Therefore, students are expected to develop the following through reading, discussion, and
writing assignments:
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a wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively;
a variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination and
coordination;
● logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence, such as
repetition, transitions, and emphasis;
● a balance of generalization and specific illustrative detail; and
● an effective use of rhetoric including controlling tone, establishing and maintaining voice,
and achieving appropriate emphasis through diction and sentence structure.
For each reading assignment students must identify the following:
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Thesis or Claim
Tone or Attitude
Purpose
Audience and Occasion
Evidence or Data
Appeals: Logos, Ethos, Pathos
Assumptions or Warrants
Style (how the author communicates his message - rhetorical mode and rhetorical
devices, which always include diction and syntax)
Organizational patterns found in the text (i.e., main idea detail, comparison/contrast,
cause/effect, extended definition, problem/solution, etc.)
Use of detail to develop a general idea
Primary Teacher Resources
Shea, Renee, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. The Language of Composition:
Reading, Writing, Rhetoric. Second Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2013.
Pearson Common Core Literature Georgia: The American Experience. Pearson. 2015.
Other resources will be specified within the reading or viewing sections of the syllabus.
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Syllabus: AP English Language and Composition
Spring Semester
Unit 1: Introduction: AP English Course Description, Class Rules and Responsibilities, Grading
System, Rhetorical Terms (Definitions), Rhetorical Modes, Rhetorical Devices, Close Reading
Focus 1: An Introduction to Rhetoric
Reading:
● Gehrig, Lou, “Farewell Speech”
● Cofer, Judith Ortiz, “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria”
● Waters, Alice, from “Slow Food Nation”
● Nixon, Richard, from “The Checkers Speech”
● Marcus, Ruth, from “Crackberry Congress”
Viewing:
● Nixon, Richard, “The Checkers Speech”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9LcAJOsFGg
● Toles, Tom, “Rosa Parks” (cartoon)
Focus 2: Close Reading
Reading:
● Queen Elizabeth, “Speech to the Troops at Tilbury”
● Ellison, Ralph, from “On Bird, Bird-Watching and Jazz”
● Didion, Joan, “The Santa Anna Winds”
● Marx, Groucho, “Dear Warner Brothers”
Viewing:
● Dodge, “It’s a Big Fat Juicy Cheeseburger in a Land of Tofu” (advertisement)
● Girl Scouts, “What Did You Do Today”?
Assessments:
● Quizzes: Students are given a quiz on most readings. These check for understanding of
meaning and strategies.
● Quiz: Vocabulary from readings
● Quiz: Grammar (from warm-up exercises, syntax discussions, and/or reading
annotations)
● Test: Definitions of rhetorical modes and devices
● Composition:
○ Memoir Prompt: Select a moment from memory, an experience that has stayed
with you. In a well-written essay, recreate that experience, and then analyze it,
figuring out what it means to you.
○ Compare/Contrast Prompt: Read and analyze the following three pieces and
develop a thesis statement for an essay that compares and contrasts the styles
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of the three documents, focusing on how they convey the legacy of John F.
Kennedy.
■ Kennedy, John F., “Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961”
■ Clift, Eleanor, “Inside Kennedy’s Inauguration, 50 Years on”
■ United States Army Signal Corps, “Inauguration of John F. Kennedy
(photo)
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Original Visual:
○ Prompt: Create a 5-inch object, sculpture, or painting that reflects the central idea
of your memoir. These will be displayed in the classroom. Write a short essay in
which you either explain how your sculpture reflects the main idea of your
memoir, OR how the sculpture serves as an alternative form of text that “says”
the same thing as your memoir.
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UNIT 2: Analyzing Arguments
Reading:
● Domini, Amy, “Why Investing in Fast Food May Be a Good Thing”
● New York Times Editorial Board, “Felons and the Right to Vote”
● Oladipo, Jennifer, “Why Can’t Environmentalism Be Colorblind?”
● Santiago, Fabiola, “In College, These American Citizens Are Not Created Equal”
● Thomas, Dana, “Terror’s Purse Strings”
● Jefferson, Thomas “The Declaration of Independence”
Viewing:
● Toles, Tom, “Crazed Rhetoric” (cartoon)
● Polyp, “Rat Race” (cartoon)
● Striglitz, Alfred “The Steerage (photo)
● Theme-related photos video clips, and/or cartoons from current periodicals will be
analyzed as these become available. Students may contribute selections for viewing
with teacher’s approval.
Assessments:
● Quizzes: Students are given a quiz on most readings. These check for understanding of
meaning and strategies.
● Quiz: Vocabulary from readings
● Quiz: Grammar (from warm-up exercises, syntax discussions, and/or reading
annotations)
● Composition: Argumentative/persuasive essay on current event of student choice.
○ Prompt: Students will use “Essay in Progress” prompts as students read the
chapter to go from the process of Selecting a Topic, Staking A Claim, Developing
a Thesis, Using Evidence, Shaping an Argument, and writing a First Draft.
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Unit 3: Man versus Society
Independent Reading: Hawthorne, Nathaniel, The Scarlet Letter
Students do an annotated reading of this novel. they are responsible for identifying and
understanding its elements: characterization, setting, initial incidents, conflicts, climaxes,
resolutions, and conclusions, as well as identify and comment on the rhetorical and stylistic
choices that the author makes.
Reading:
● The Scarlet Letter, Chapter 1, “The Prison Door”
● The Scarlet Letter, Chapter 2, “The Market Place”
● Staples, Brent. “Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space”
(textbook 541-546)
● Edwards, Jonathan, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (Pearson textbook)
● Gelsey, Zara, “Who’s Reading over Your Shoulder?”
(http://jupiter.plymouth.edu/~sshirley/wpPatriot3.htm) or
(http://faculty.washington.edu/jernel/551/wk504hum.htm)
Readings on Current Events:
● Theme-related articles, articles that reflect claims or central ideas made by the authors
studied in this unit, submissions from students with teacher’s approval
Viewing:
● Joffe, Roland, The Scarlet Letter, starring Demi Moore, Gary Oldman, and Robert Duvall
● Senator Joseph McCarthy attacks Edward R. Murrow on CBS, video clip,
www.AmericanRhetoric.com
● “Good Night and Good Luck”, video clip, www.AmericanRhetoric.com
● Theme-related photos and/or cartoons from current periodicals will be analyzed as these
become available. Students may contribute selections for viewing with teacher’s
approval.
Assessments:
● Quizzes: Students are given a quiz on most readings. These check for understanding of
meaning and strategies.
● Quiz: Vocabulary from readings.
● Quiz: Grammar (from warm-up exercises, syntax discussions, and/or reading
annotations)
● Test: The Scarlet Letter
● Composition: Analysis (choice of Prompt 1 or Prompt 2)
○ Prompt 1: Read the following passage (paragraph 3, “I might be, … martyrdom.”)
from The Scarlet Letter, chapter 5, “Hester at Her Needle.” Then write an essay
showing how Hawthorne depicts Hester’s inner turmoil. Consider such rhetorical
devices as diction, figurative language, syntax, irony, and tone.
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Prompt 2: Read the following passage (paragraph 7, “Hester sought not… wrong,
beneath.”) from The Scarlet Letter, Chapter 5, “Hester at Her Needle.” Then write
an essay analyzing the author’s use of clothing to reveal Hester’s self-perception,
the attitude of Hester’s neighbors, and the nature of her daughter’s conception.
Consider such rhetorical devices as diction, imagery, syntax, irony, and tone.
Composition: Comparison/Contrast
○ Prompt: Read the following passages from The Scarlet Letter. Passage 1 is from
Chapter 2, “The Market-Place” (paragraph 11, “The young woman… by herself”).
Passage 2 is from Chapter 3, “The Recognition” (paragraphs 1 and 2, “From this
intense… his lips”). Then write a carefully reasoned and fully elaborated analysis
of Hawthorne’s attitude toward these two characters. Consider allusion, irony,
imagery, syntax, organization of details, and other rhetorical devices.
Composition: Analysis
○ Prompt: Read Chapter 9, “The Leech,” from The Scarlet Letter, Then write an
essay analyzing how Hawthorne uses setting, allusion, metaphor, irony, diction,
and tone to reveal character.
Composition: Analysis
○ Prompt: Read Chapter 22, “The Procession,” from The Scarlet Letter. Then write
an essay analyzing how Hawthorne uses rhetorical devices, including irony and
extended metaphor, to reveal the conclusion.
Composition: Argumentation letter to the editor.
○ Prompt: Using Jonathan Edwards’ sermon as a model, write a letter to the editor
of our school newspaper using fear tactics to deter your audience from doing
something.
Composition: Journal Entry
○ Prompt 1: Write a journal or diary entry reflecting on a time when you felt isolated
from society. -OR○ Prompt 2: What does guilt imply about free will and choice? If we had no free will
and choice, how would guilt likely affect us?
Composition: Synthesis
○ Prompt: Who are considered outsiders in our society? Why are they in this
position? How does society treat them? Should society be more tolerant of them?
Using at least three sources from this unit, including The Scarlet Letter, write an
essay that discusses the position of the outsider in society. You must also find
and use two additional sources in support of the topic. These sources should be
credible and represent both primary and secondary sources. Remember to
attribute both direct and indirect citations, using MLA format. Refer to the sources
by authors’ last names or by titles. Avoid mere paraphrase or summary.
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Unit 4: Community: What is the relationship of the Individual to the community?
Reading:
● King Jr., Martin Luther, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
● Thoreau, Henry David, “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”
● Goodman, Ellen, “The Family That Stretches (Together)”
● Alvord, Lori Arviso, “Walking the Path between Worlds”
● Mengestu, Dinaw, “Home at Last”
● Brown, Scott, “Facebook Friendonomics”
● Gladwell, Malcolm, “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted”
Readings on Current Events:
● Theme-related articles, articles that reflect claims or central ideas made by the authors
studied in this unit, submissions from students with teacher’s approval
Viewing:
● Rockwell, Norman, “Freedom from Want” (painting)
● Chast, Roz, “The Last Thanksgiving” (cartoon)
● Nissan Motor Company, “The Black Experience Is Everywhere (advertisement)
● Theme-related photos and/or cartoons from current periodicals will be analyzed as these
become available. Students may contribute selections for viewing with teacher’s
approval.
Assessments:
● Quizzes: Students are given a quiz on most readings. These check for understanding of
meaning and strategies.
● Quiz: Vocabulary from readings.
● Quiz: Grammar (from warm-up exercises, syntax discussions, and/or reading
annotations)
● Composition (Suggestions for Writing p. 295)
● Composition: Philosophical Essay
○ Prompt: Using the reflective style of Thoreau, write your own philosophical essay
entitled “Where I Live, and What I Live For” (note present tense).
● Composition: Argumentative Essay
○ Prompt: Explain why you agree or disagree with the following assertion that
Brown makes: “Friends are the currency of the socially networked world;
therefore, it follows that more equals better. But the more Friends you have, the
less they’re worth - and, more to the point, the less human they are. People
become mere collectibles…” (paragraph 3)
● Composition: Journal
○ Prompt: Chast imaginary dinner guest in the cartoon “The Last Thanksgiving” are
quite different from those in Rockwell’s painting “Freedom from Want”. Yet in
what ways does Chast’s depiction of Thanksgiving reflect the same American
values that Rockwell’s does?
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Composition: Synthesis Essay
○ Prompt: what is the individual’s duty to his or her community? What is the
community’s duty to the individual? In an essay that synthesizes and uses for
support at least four of the readings from this unit, discuss the obligations of
individuals within a community. You must also find and use two additional
sources in support of the topic. these sources should be credible and represent
both primary and secondary sources. Remember to attribute both direct and
indirect citations. Refer to the sources by authors’ last names or by titles. Avoid
mere paraphrase or summary.
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Unit 5: The Economy
Independent Reading: Fitzgerald, F. Scott, The Great Gatsby
Students do an annotated reading of this novel. they are responsible for identifying and
understanding its elements: characterization, setting, initial incidents, conflicts, climaxes,
resolutions, and conclusions, as well as identify and comment on the rhetorical and stylistic
choices that the author makes.
Reading:
● Ehrenreich, Barbara, from “Serving in Florida”
● Washington, Booker T., “The Atlanta Exposition Address”
● Eighner, Lars, “On Dumpster Diving”
● Crawford, Matthew B., “The Case for Working with Your Hands”
● Zakaria, Fareed, “How to Restore the American Dream”
Readings on Current Events:
● Theme-related articles, articles that reflect claims or central ideas made by the authors
studied in this unit, submissions from students with teacher’s approval.
Viewing:
● Luhrmann, Baz, The Great Gatsby, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan
● Parker, Jeff, “The Great GAPsby Society” (cartoon)
● Tomorrow, Tom. “This Modern World: A “Handy” Guide to the Housing Market” (cartoon)
● Theme-related photos and/or cartoons from current periodicals will be analyzed as these
become available. Students may contribute selections for viewing with teacher’s
approval.
Assessments:
● Quizzes: Students are given a quiz on most readings. These check for understanding of
meaning and strategies.
● Quiz: Vocabulary from readings.
● Quiz: Grammar (from warm-up exercises, syntax discussions, and/or reading
annotations)
● Test: The Great Gatsby
● Composition: Argumentative
○ Prompt: In “Evaluation,” the final chapter of Nickel and Dimed, Ehrenreich
observes:
■ Some odd optical property of our highly polarized and unequal society
makes the poor almost invisible to their economic superiors. The poor can
see the affluent easily enough - on television, for example, or on the
covers of magazines. But the affluent rarely see the poor or, if they do
catch sight of them in some public space, rarely know what they’re
seeing, since - thanks to consignments stores and, yes, Wal-Mart - the
poor are usually able to disguise themselves as members of the more
comfortable classes.
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○ Write an essay supporting or challenging Ehrenreich’s analysis.
Composition: Compare/Contrast
○ Prompt: The Great Gatsby uses contrasting places to represent opposing forces
or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Write an essay explaining
how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast
contributes to the meaning of the work.
Composition: Analysis
○ Prompt: Novels and plays often include scenes of weddings, funerals, parties,
and other social occasions. Such scenes may reveal the values of the characters
and the society in which they live. Select a scene from The Great Gatsby and in
a focused essay, discuss the contribution the scene makes to the meaning of the
work as a whole.
Composition: Synthesis
○ Each of the following texts presents a view of the individual’s responsibility to the
community.
○ Sources:
■ Andrew Carnegie, from “The Gospel of Wealth”
■ Bertrand Russell, from “The Happy Life”
■ Garrett Hardin, from “Lifeboat Ethics”
■ Peter Singer, from “The Singer Solution to World Poverty”
■ Zapiro (Jonathan Shapiro), “World Economic Forum” (cartoon)
■ Christian Science Monitor Editorial Board, “Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and
the Billionaire Challenge”
■ Der Spiegel Online, “Negative Reaction to Charity Campaign
○ Prompt: How can “the good life” be lived well? Explain your position, first by
defining the term and then by presenting your own view within the context of the
sources. Support your argument with references to at least three of the seven
sources.
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Unit Six: Popular Culture
Reading:
● Twain, Mark, “Corn-Pone Opinions”
● McCloud, Scott, from “Show and Tell” (graphic essay)
● Denby, David, “High School Confidential: Notes on Teen Movies”
● Johnson, Steven, “Watching TV Makes You Smarter”
● Klosterman, Chuck. “My Zombie, Myself: Why Modern Life Feels Rather Undead”
Readings on Current Events:
● Theme-related articles, articles that reflect claims or central ideas made by the authors
studied in this unit, submissions from students with teacher’s approval
Viewing:
● Warhol, Andy, “Myths” (painting)
● Tansey, “The Innocent Eye Test” (painting)
● Theme-related photos and/or cartoons from current periodicals will be analyzed as these
become available. Students may contribute selections for viewing with teacher’s
approval.
Assessments:
● Quizzes: Students are given a quiz on most readings. These check for understanding of
meaning and strategies.
● Quiz: Vocabulary from readings.
● Quiz: Grammar (from warm-up exercises, syntax discussions, and/or reading
annotations)
● Composition: Analysis
○ Prompt: Write your own version of “Corn-Pone Opinions,” giving examples from
contemporary culture and politics. Do you end up making the same argument as
Twain, or do you think Americans are more independent thinkers now? Explain
why.
● Composition: Analysis
○ Charles McGrath, an editor of the New York Times Book Review, wrote in a 2004
essay, “Not Funnies,” that comic books are “what novels used to be - an
accessible, vernacular form with mass appeal.” He says that if the “highbrows”
are right, they are a “form perfectly suited to our dumbed-down culture and
collective attention deficit.” How might McCloud respond to McGrath and the
“highbrows”? How does McCloud address the gap between high and low culture?
● Composition: Synthesis
○ Each of the following documents comment directly or indirectly on the effects of
exporting american pop culture to the rest of the world.
○ Sources:
■ Friedman, Thomas L., “The Revolution is U.S.”
■ Havrilesky, Heather, “Besieged by “Friends””
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Straughan, Deirdre, “Culture Hegemony: Who’s Dominating Whom?”
Appiah, Kwame Antony, from “The Case for Contamination
Joffe, Josef, “The Perils of Soft Power”
Nye Jr., Joseph S., “The U.S. Can Reclaim “Smart Power””
Ammar, Hassan, “Slovakian Soccer Fan at 2012 World Cup in South
Africa” (photo)
Prompt: Write an essay explaining why the export of American culture has either
a positive or a negative effect on the cultures and societies that adopt it. Support
your argument with references to at least three sources.
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Research Paper: the Documented Essay
Task and Prompt:
● Choose a current event that reflects on of the themes that we studied this semester.
● Research the topic through different types of sources (newspapers, magazine, news
stories, interviews, online sources, radio broadcasts, visuals, etc.) evaluating sources for
credibility and appropriateness.
● Take careful notes, making sure that you cite your sources accurately using MLA format.
● Develop an argument about this topic.
● Establish a claim.
● then integrate a variety of sources into a coherent, well-written essay.
● Use the sources to support your position; avoid mere paraphrase or summary.
● Your argument should be central.
● Remember to attribute both direct and indirect citations using MLA format.
● Create a Works Cited page using MLA format.
● Plagiarism will result in a zero.
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Calendar
Date
Description of Student Goals
& Activities
Homework (Tonight’s Reading)
6-Jan
Introduction: AP English
Course Description, Class
Rules and Responsibilities,
Grading System
reading of syllabus
7-Jan
UNIT 1: Review Fall reading;
review of Rhetorical Terms
(Definitions), Rhetorical
Modes, Rhetorical Devices
p. 1-6 TEXTBOOK
8-Jan
p. 8-17 TEXTBOOK
9-Jan
Practice AP test - multiple
choice
p. 18-38 TEXTBOOK
12-Jan
Memoir Prompt
review of Rhetorical Terms
13-Jan
Quiz Rhetorical Terms
p. 39-47 TEXTBOOK
14-Jan
Submission of visual
p. 48-68 TEXTBOOK
15-Jan
Compare/Contrast Prompt
p. 69-77
78-80 TEXTBOOK
16-Jan
Practice AP test - multiple
choice
review of Style Elements
20-Jan
Quiz Style Elements
p. 85-97 TEXTBOOK
21-Jan
UNIT 2: Analyzing Claims Types of Claims
p. 98-111 TEXTBOOK
22-Jan
Presenting Evidence
p. 112-130 TEXTBOOK
23-Jan
Induction, Deduction,
Toulmin Model
p. 131-140 TEXTBOOK
26-Jan
Visual Texts as Arguments
p.141-144 TEXTBOOK
27-Jan
Submission of
Persuasive/Argumentative
Essay
p. 160-164 TEXTBOOK
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28-Jan
Quiz: Argument Terms and
Fallacies
p. 166-174 TEXTBOOK
29-Jan
Writing a Synthesis Essay
UNIT 3: Man versus Society - Begin reading
“The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne
30-Jan
Practice AP Test - multiple
choice
2-Feb
Close reading analysis of
“The Scarlet Letter”
3-Feb
Peer group discussion
4-Feb
Peer group discussion
5-Feb
Peer group discussion
6-Feb
Staples, Brent. “Just Walk on
By: A Black Man Ponders His
Power to Alter Public Space”
9-Feb
The Scarlet Letter: Peer
group discussion
10-Feb
Peer group discussion
11-Feb
Peer group discussion
12-Feb
Edwards, Jonathan, “Sinners Composition Essay: Argumentation Letter to the
in the Hands of an Angry
Editor
God”
Conclude reading The Scarlet Letter over the
winter break
17-Feb
Test: The Scarlet Letter
Composition Essay: Analysis of chapter 22
passage
18-Feb
Viewing critically analysis
Composition: Journal Entry
19-Feb
Gelsey, Zara, “Who’s
Reading over Your
Shoulder?”
Composition: Synthesis Analysis Unit 3
20-Feb
AP PRACTICE TEST: Writing
Prompts 1 and 2
Composition Essay: Compare/Contrast over
chapters 2 and 3 passages
Composition Essay: Analysis of chapter 5
passage
Composition Essay: Analysis of chapter 9
passage
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23-Feb
UNIT 4: Community - Martin
Luther King Jr. “Letter from
the Birmingham Jail”
24-Feb
Critical analysis
25-Feb
Thoreau, Henry David,
“Where I Lived, and What I
Lived For”
26-Feb
Critical analysis
27-Feb
Goodman, Ellen, “The
Family That Stretches
(Together)”
2-Mar
Rockwell, Norman, “Freedom
from Want” (painting)
Chast, Roz, “The Last
Thanksgiving” (cartoon)
3-Mar
Brown, Scott, “Facebook
Friendonomics”
4-Mar
Gladwell, Malcolm, “Small
Change: Why the Revolution
Will Not Be Tweeted”
5-Mar
Alvord, Lori Arviso, “Walking
the Path between Worlds”
6-Mar
Mengestu, Dinaw, “Home at
Last”
Composition: Synthesis Essay
9-Mar
UNIT 5: Economy
Begin reading The Great Gatsby
10-Mar
Close reading analysis of
The Great Gatsby
11-Mar
Washington, Booker T., “The
Atlanta Exposition Address”
12-Mar
Close reading analysis of
The Great Gatsby
13-Mar
Ehrenreich, Barbara, from
Composition: Philosophical Essay - Thoreau
Composition: Journal over Visual works
Composition: Argumentative Essay
Composition: Argumentative over quote by
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“Serving in Florida”
16-Mar
Close reading analysis of
The Great Gatsby
17-Mar
Eighner, Lars, “On Dumpster
Diving”
18-Mar
Close reading analysis of
The Great Gatsby
19-Mar
Crawford, Matthew B., “The
Case for Working with Your
Hands”
20-Mar
AP PRACTICE TEST:
Multiple Choice
23-Mar
Close reading analysis of
The Great Gatsby
24-Mar
Zakaria, Fareed, “How to
Restore the American
Dream”
25-Mar
Close reading analysis of
The Great Gatsby
26-Mar
Close reading analysis of
The Great Gatsby
27-Mar
Test - Gatsby
6-Apr
Unit 6: The Popular
Culture - Denby, David,
“High School Confidential:
Notes on Teen Movies”
7-Apr
Tansey, “The Innocent Eye
Test” (painting)
8-Apr
AP Test Practice: Essay
Prompt 1 and 2
9-Apr
Twain, Mark, “Corn-Pone
Opinions”
Ehrenreich
Composition: Compare/Contrast - Gatsby
Composition: Analysis - Gatsby
Composition: Synthesis Essay in MLA format
Composition: Analysis
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10-Apr
Johnson, Steven, “Watching
TV Makes You Smarter”
13-Apr
Klosterman, Chuck. “My
Zombie, Myself: Why Modern
Life Feels Rather Undead”
14-Apr
AP Test Practice: Essay
Prompt 3
15-Apr
McCloud, Scott, from “Show
and Tell” (graphic essay)
16-Apr
AP Test Practice: Multiple
Choice
17-Apr
analysis of readings
20-Apr
analysis of readings
21-Apr
AP Practice Test: Multiple
Choice
22-Apr
UNIT 7: THE
DOCUMENTED ESSAY
Choose a current event that reflects on of the
themes that we studied this semester
23-Apr
research
Research the topic through different types of
sources
24-Apr
AP Practice Test: Prompt 1
and 2
27-Apr
research
28-Apr
AP Practice Test: Prompt 3
29-Apr
research
Take careful notes, making sure that you cite your
sources accurately using MLA format
30-Apr
research
Take careful notes, making sure that you cite
your sources accurately using MLA format
1-May
AP Practice Test: Prompt 1
and 2
4-May
research
Composition: Analysis - McCloud
Composition: Synthesis - The Popular Culture
Research the topic through different types of
sources
Develop an argument about this topic
20
5-May
AP Practice Test: Prompt 3
6-May
research
Establish a claim
7-May
research
integrate a variety of sources into a coherent,
well-written essay
8-May
AP Practice Test: Multiple
Choice
11-May
research
integrate a variety of sources into a coherent,
well-written essay
12-May
research
Create a Works Cited page using MLA format
13-May
AP TEST
14-May
GEORGIA MILESTONES
TEST - date TBA
Polish Portfolio and research paper
15-May
GEORGIA MILESTONES
TEST - date TBA
Polish Portfolio and research paper
18-May
Research paper and portfolios Due
19-May
Portfolio Presentations
20-May
Portfolio Presentations
21-May
Portfolio Presentations
22-May
Portfolio Presentations
21