AP English Language and Composition
Archived Lessons 2012-2013
Monday, October 15: Gender statements and introductions. Handout "I Want a Wife." HW: Read handout and write
1-2 paragraphs in which you identify the argument and analyze the essay's rhetorical effectiveness. Additionally,
POST your personal essay to turnitin.com by 8AM Friday morning and PRINT two (2) copies of your essay for class.
Tuesday, October 16: Turn in "I Want a Wife" responses. Model editing of personal essay. Peer Edit. Final draft of
Personal Essay due Monday. HW: edit your personal essays.
Wednesday, October 17: No Class PSAT
Thursday, October 18: Distribute personal essays and discuss overarching strengths and weaknesses. Break down "I
Want a Wife" argument: discuss audience shifts and transitions in tone. Handout vocabulary for tone worksheet. HW:
Using Brady as a model, complete the phrase "I Want A ______" and finish the definition as Brady does in her essay.
NOTE: your choice should focus on a gender role, not an abstract noun. Length should be a minimum of 5
paragraphs but no more than 10. And it must be typed and posted to turnitin.com by 8AM Friday morning.
Friday, October 19: Share Brady responses. Tone ppt. HW: Final drafts of personal essay due Monday to turnitin.com
by 8AM. Please add a paragraph to the end of your essay noting the changes you made to this draft and your
reasoning behind those changes.
Monday, October 22: Tone ppt: "The Purple Bathing Suit." Tone vocab sheet. HW: Assign tone word and scenario.
Write a response in assigned tone.
Tuesday, October 23: Focus on organization and tone. Read "The Female Body" by Atwood. HW: Essentially both
essays criticize the objectification of women, write a response that compares and contrasts the ideas and styles of
the two essays (approx 5 paragraphs incorporating explicit support from the essays).
Wednesday, October 24: Focus on organization, appeals, and tone. Begin to read "Women's Brains" by Gould pp
349-355 in Lang of Comp book (BRING TO CLASS THE REST OF THE WEEK). HW: Finish rhetoric questions 4, 5, 6, 8,
9, 10 and 12, and Jolliffe wksht
Thursday, October 25: Gould discussion: Focus on use of appeal to authority and its effect on tone.
Friday, October 26: Give twenty tone words. Handout Rhet. Framework wksht as we read Theroux's "Being a Man."
HW: Write a reflection in which tone shifts are obvious AND finish reading Theroux's "Being a Man" (pp. 378-380 in
Lang of Comp). Upon completion of the reading write a one page tone analysis in which you answer: What
rhetorical strategies Theroux uses to reveal the tone of his argument? NOTE: You must address three points in your
thesis--the use of rhetorical strategies (remember the magic of 3s), appropriately naming a tone, and identify
Theroux's argument/purpose (consider incorporating the rhetorical situation to your introduction). Remember the
rhetorical choices an author makes reveals tone and purpose.
Monday, October 29: Discuss/debate Theroux's argument. Begin reading Dave Barry's intro to his "Guide to Guys":
note tone and strategies. No homework.
Tuesday, October 30: Finish Dave Barry. Handout Adams' packet. HW: Complete analysis of John and Abigail Adams
letters.
Wednesday, October 31: Adams' letters. Tone words. HW: Begin to memorize tone words/definitions for quiz on
Friday. You will need Freakonomics soon so please purchase a copy if you haven't already.
Thursday, November 1: Political rhetoric. "Love is a Fallacy." HW: Prep for tone quiz: you will be given an essay to
analyze. You will be prompted to complete a tone map by paragraph, underlining support for your choices. Then you
will be asked to write a cohesive analysis, identifying an overarching tone regarding the author's purpose (which you
must identify) as seen through specific rhetorical strategies--just like tone exercise #2.
Friday, November 2: Tone quiz. Logical fallacies continued. NO TEST ON MONDAY. HAVE A NICE WEEKEND!!!