Advanced Placement English Language & Composition
CLASS INFORMATION & GENERAL SYLLABUS (2014-2015)
Mr. Todd Watts
Todd.Watts@mason.kyschools.us
Mason County High School
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 year 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 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).
REQUIRED TEXTS & MATERIALS
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Primary Texts: The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric,
Renee H. Shea, Lawrence Scalon, and Robin Dissin Aufses, editors
(Beford/St.Martins, 2007) and 50 Essays, Samuel Cohen, editor
(Bedford/St.Martins, 2004) [Teacher resource Teaching Nonfiction in AP
English, Renee H. Shea and Lawrence Scanlon (Bedford/St. Martins, 2005)
used with 50 Essays]
Supplemental Texts and Resources: The Lively Art of Writing, Lucille Vaughn
Payne (Mentor Books, 1965); Letters of a Nation, Andrew Carroll, editor
(Broadway Books, 1999); and various instructor-provided handouts and texts
(to include guides essays, stories, poems, speeches, journal entries, letters,
and assorted photographs, cartoons, and illustrations)
Novels and Plays: [Note: Novels and plays will may be individually checked,
purchased, or provided by instructor from class sets]
Loose-leaf paper and binder with the following sections:
 Vocabulary
 Notes
 Handouts
 Homework
Pencils
Ink pens (black ink only, please)
Highlighters (several colors)
Other materials as needed for projects
ACTIVITIES & ASSIGNMENTS OVERVIEW
This class will be structured to integrate reading, composition, and discussion with a
series of topical workshops addressing various factors relevant to written and oral
expression. Readings each quarter will primarily include essays, speeches, letters,
and non-fiction selections arranged in two thematic units per quarter. Some poetry
and fiction, including at least one novel or play will also be covered each quarter.
While class discussion will often focus on critical analysis strategies applied to
current reading, instructional time will be also be devoted to composition,
vocabulary, and relevant study of historical, biographical, and cultural information.
Composition
1) Informal writings, such as ungraded free-writes, reaction papers, and journal
entries, will provide regular and frequent opportunities to engage in informal
exploratory writing. They also allow for reflective writing that connects
reading to personal experience and enables students to examine the
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process of their own writing. Composition books (“in-class journals” that will
remain in the classroom) will be used for frequent free-write responses to
prompts related to class reading. Students will also use these journals to
analyze and reflect on weekly quotations and visual texts (cartoons, paintings,
graphs, and illustrations) that are often related to thematic reading.
Special writing assignments coordinated with writing workshops will enable
students to practice rhetorical strategies, sentence combination,
subordination/coordination, paragraph organization, and the use of
transitions. Particular emphasis in these workshop activities will be placed on
balancing generalization and specific illustrative detail and incorporating direct
quotes. These components of effective composition will also be reinforced in
regular peer-revision activities and instructor feedback response. The
analysis and effective use of voice and tone will often be reviewed and
practiced through in-class journal exercises from Voice Lessons (Nancy
Dean) and other activities.
Students will complete Critical Reading Portfolios (CRPs) for each novel and
play. Each portfolio requires students to engage in analysis, reflection, and
evaluation. Students examine structure, style, tone, characterization, plot,
theme, imagery, and symbolism. Students are also expected to explain
biographical, social, and historical concerns and values that are relevant to
the novel/play. The final sections of the CRP require students to select and
comment on important quotes and evaluate the work and its significance.
During each quarter students will write a minimum of three essays, some of
which will be timed, in-class essays. At least one of these per quarter will be
composed in conjunction with a writing workshop and will be revised following
peer-editing and instructor feedback. These essays will include expository,
analytical, and argumentative assignments. Scores for all essays, with the
exception of the formal researched essay, will be based upon the general AP
rubric provided.
Students are required to write one formal MLA-format extended essay that is
persuasive in nature and answers a question at issue by synthesizing
researched support.
In the spring semester students will select compositions that will be used to
build a portfolio. Required writings will include college application essays, the
research essay, and several analytical and evaluative essays. Portfolios
should also include sample projects and a written reflection that will be
completed prior to taking the AP exam.
Vocabulary
1) Students will maintain a vocabulary journal in their class notebooks, defining
and correctly using in sentences five unfamiliar words from reading selections
each week. Word root discussions and mnemonic stories will be used to
enhance vocabulary awareness and usage skills.
2) Each week an average of ten terms (a combination of student-submitted
words and instructor-provided relevant rhetorical terms and words commonly
appearing on AP and SAT exams) will be added to vocabulary journals.
These lists will be the basis for vocabulary quizzes (mostly sentence
completion and paragraph composition) administered four to five times per
quarter.
3) Appropriate word choice and correct use of vocabulary is expected in written
assignments. The use of wide-ranging denotative and richly connotative
language is rewarded.
Other Projects and Assessments
1) Homework will usually consist of reading and informal writing assignments,
including SOAPStone analyses, journal entries, and reaction papers.
2) Students should expect regular reading checks and quizzes that require a
working knowledge of textual details from assigned reading. Quizzes will
often provide opportunities answer multiple choice questions that require
students to answer reading passage questions similar in approach and format
to those on the AP English Language exam.
3) Tests, administered quarterly, will be similar in format to the AP English
Language examination and will include multiple choice passage analysis
items and in-class essay response.
4) Students will occasionally prepare projects and presentations to enhance
class experience and foster greater appreciation of reading selections and
their historical, social, and cultural significance. Students are encouraged to
incorporate technology (power point presentations, digital photography, and
digital video) and art (illustration, music, and, dramatic performance) into
projects when appropriate.
QUARTERLY SCHEDULE
Readings are grouped thematically around two or three broad issues each quarter
and will primarily include essays, speeches, and letters. Often these will be
supplemented by the viewing of various non-print media resources. Poetry, short
stories, and a novel and/or play are also included each quarter to help demonstrate
how various effects are achieved through rhetorical and linguistic choices made by
writers. A number of workshops aimed at helping students understand and apply
rhetorical theory, grow as readers, and enhance writing skills will be provided
throughout the year. Rhetorical strategies, vocabulary, and composition skills
explored in workshops will be applied and practiced in a variety of formal and
informal writing assignments. Listed below is a quarterly breakdown of some of the
focal works students will read, workshops that will be facilitated, and representative
writing assignments that will be completed. Some of these works may change
with/without notice depending upon class needs:
INTRODUCTORY UINT:
“The Basics of Rhetoric, Composition, & Style”
“Everything’s An Argument”
“Close Reading: The Art and Craft of Analysis & Synthesizing Sources”
FIRST QUARTER
Theme 1: “Education and Society”
Major Novel: Waiting for Superman
Readings: For Julia in Deep Water (John N. Morris); I Know Why the Caged Bird
Cannot Read (Francine Prose); A Talk to Teachers (James Baldwin); Superman and
Me (Sherman Alexie); This is Water: Some Thoughts Delivered on a Significant
Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life (David Foster Wallace); College Is a
Waste of Time and Money (Caroline Bird)
Theme 2—“War, Peace, and Politics”
Major Novel: The Crucible
Major Novel: All the King’s Men
Readings: The Things They Carried (Tim O’Brien); “The War Prayer” (Mark Twain);
“Introductory Notes to The Crucible” (Arthur Miller); excerpts from The Prince
(Niccolo Machiavelli);,”Thoughts on Peace in an Air Raid” (Virginia Woolf); “National
Prejudices” (Oliver Goldsmith); “Military-Industrial Complex Speech/1961 Address to
Congress” (Dwight D. Eisenhower); “Politics and the English Language” and
“Shooting an Elephant” (George Orwell); “Every Dictator’s Nightmare” (Wole
Soyinka); “The Gettysburg Address” (Abraham Lincoln); other instructor-selected
essays, letters, and speeches; student-selected essay(s); counterpoints and
miscellaneous readings
Theme 3—“On Writing”
Readings: Excerpts from One Writer’s Beginnings (Eudora Welty); excerpts from On
Writing (Stephen King); “How to Write a War Story” (Tim O’Brien); selected sections
from The Lively Art of Writing (Lucille Vaughn Payne); excerpts from On Writing Well
(William Zinsser); “How to Say Nothing in 500 Words” (Paul McHenry Roberts);
other instructor-selected essays, letters, and speeches, student-selected essay(s);
counterpoints and miscellaneous readings
First Quarter Workshops:
o “The College Board and the AP Examination”—Information about the
program, format of the AP exam, and use of the scoring rubric;
students will take a diagnostic AP exam from released materials.
o “Rhetorical Foundations”—An examination of Aristotle, the rhetorical
triangle, rhetorical appeals, rhetorical strategies, and rhetorical modes;
students will recognize logical, ethical, and emotional appeals in formal
writing and popular media; students will also be able to analyze and
evaluate rhetorical strategies in essays.
o Composition Workshop I: “Responding to the Prompt”—A look at the
process of turning a statement prompt into a question that can be
answered in a clear and specific thesis statement; students will
practice responding to prompts in short writing assignments, then
apply skills to essay assignments.
o Composition Workshop II: “Getting Organized”—Suggestions for going
beyond the five-paragraph theme and writing strong introductions,
conclusions, and transitions; students will apply strategies to in-class
and out-of-class essays.
o Composition Workshop III: “A Balancing Act: General Ideas/Specific
Details”—An in-depth consideration of the importance of going beyond
plot summary by supporting abstraction and general ideas with textual
reference and concrete details; students will examine an essay and
use four colored highlighters to mark generalizations, abstractions, and
textual references made through paraphrase and direct quotation;
students will then revise the essay, demonstrating the ability to balance
generalization and details, correctly incorporating direct quotes.
o Composition Workshop IV: “The College Application Essay”—
Discussion of the college application process and particulars of the
application essay; students will bring in sample college application
essay prompts, brainstorm ideas, and begin essays for at-home
completion.
Compostion Prompts:
o Informal Writing/Visual Image Response: Find three magazine or
newspaper advertisements, each of which illustrates at least one of the
three basic appeals (logic, ethics, emotion). Clip the ads and write an
analysis of how the advertiser appeals to the public.
o Informal Writing: A good poem may be similar to a good essay in the
way it uses images and literary or rhetorical devices to make a point
about an issue. Identify an issue Robert Lowell addresses in “For the
Union Dead” and analyze his use of images and strategies in the
development of his ideas. 1) What is the question you are to answer?
2) What is your answer? 3) Write a one-two sentence answer to this
question. Be sure your answer is specific and insightful. 3) Write a
bulleted list of supports/quotes. 4) Why is the issue addressed in the
poem important? How is it relevant today? How can you or others
connect to this issue?
o Informal Writing: How are most politicians perceived today? Why are
they perceived in these ways? Discuss your thoughts in a sevenminute free-write. [connect to Orwell’s “Politics and the English
Language”]
o Informal Writing: For next class, respond in writing to our weekly quote
by explaining the point it makes and discussing whether you agree or
disagree with the opinion expressed. List and explain your reasons.
Quote: “What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and
the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name
of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?”–Mahatma
Gandhi (1869-1948), "Non-Violence in Peace and War"
o Out-of-Class Essay: In paragraph seven of “Shooting an Elephant”
George Orwell observes that “when the white man turns tyrant it is his
own freedom that he destroys,” and that “He wears a mask, and his
face grows to fit it.” Consider the implications of these statements
about human nature and write an essay in which you support, refute,
or qualify Orwell’s paradox and metaphor. Use your own reading,
knowledge, and/or experience to support your argument.
o Creative Writing: Write an essay that is imitative of Tim O’Brien’s “The
Things They Carried” and details the things that you carry as a student,
son, daughter, or young adult.
o Timed In-Class Essay: Compare and contrast paragraph fourteen of
“Politics and the English Language” with the paragraph from Toni
Morrison’s 1993 Nobel Prize acceptance speech (see page 541,
Language of Composition).
o Revision: Revise your timed in-class essay to correct mechanical
problems noted in peer and instructor feedback. Using strategies
discussed in our composition workshop, strive in your revision to
improve organization and provide more detailed textual support of
generalizations.
SECOND QUARTER
Theme 4—“Humor and the Art of Satire”
Major Novel: Animal Farm
Readings: “A Modest Proposal” (Jonathan Swift); “The Rape of the Lock” (Alexander
Pope); “Hasty Pudding” (Joel Barlow); Lady Windermere’s Fan (Oscar Wilde); “Lost
in the Kitchen” (Dave Barry); selected essays from The Onion; selected excerpts
from comic routines by Andy Sedaris, Jerry Seinfeld, Lewis Black, and other
comedians; other instructor-selected essays, letters, and speeches; student-selected
essay(s); counterpoints and miscellaneous readings.
MAJOR RESEARCH PROJECT (5-7 page paper) (DUE LAST DAY OF
SEMESTER)
Theme 5—“Women and Society”
Major Novel: The Awakening
Readings: “Women’s ‘Brains” (Stephen J. Gould); “There is No Unmarked Woman”
(Deborah Tannen);”Ain’t I a Woman?” (Sojourner Truth); “Barbie Doll” (Marge
Piercy); Trifles (Susan Glaspell); “I Want a Wife” (Judy Brady); (Virginia Woolf);
“The Yellow Wallpaper” (Charlotte Perkins Gilman); other instructor-selected essays,
letters, and speeches; student-selected essay(s); counterpoints and miscellaneous
readings
Theme 6— “The Nature of Art”
Readings: “The Writing Life” (Annie Dillard); “Listening” (Eudora Welty); “In Praise of
a Snail’s Pace” (Ellen Goodman); “Introduction to Poetry” (Billy Collins); “The Ways
We Lie” (Stephanie Ericsson); “The Death of the Moth” (Virginia Woolf); “Speech to
the Graduating Class” (Tim O’Brien); “The Idea of Order at Key West” (Wallace
Stevens); “Show and Tell” [graphic essay] (Scott McCloud); other instructor-selected
essays, letters, and speeches; student-selected essay(s); counterpoints and
miscellaneous readings
Second Quarter Workshops:
o Composition Workshop V: “Words, Words, Words”—Consideration of
the importance of rich and varied vocabulary that conveys meaning
and establishes clear voice and appropriate tone; students will analyze
their class writing up to this point, focusing on word choice and
recognition of pet words and vague diction, then rewrite
passages/essays to improve clarity and voice.
o Composition Workshop VI: “The Sentence”—Examination of syntax,
sentence combination, and sentence emphasis, paying particular
attention to coordinating equal ideas and subordinating less important
ones; students will practice strategies in a current essay assignment.
o Composition Workshop VII: “How to Write a ‘9’ Essay”—Exploration of
AP essay prompts, including a look at strategies for each question;
students will write timed AP essays and practice scoring using the
general AP rubric.
o Composition Workshop VIII: “Format and the Critical Essay”—A
review of research and synthesis strategies that involves work with
MLA format and considers other format styles; students will consider
potential topics through exploratory free-writing, and begin work on
their formal persuasive synthesis essays.
o “Images and Graphics as Text”—An exploration of various visual arts
and graphic illustration as alternative texts; students will view, analyze,
and respond in writing and art to a wide variety of images and
graphics.
Composition Prompts:
o Out-of-Class Essay/Visual Image Response: Read/view the graphic
essay from Show and Tell by Scott McCloud. Respond to the following
prompt from Language of Composition: 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
“highbrows” are right, they are a “form perfectly suited to our dumbeddown culture and collective attention deficit.” Based on your
consideration of McCloud’s graphic essay, how might he respond to
McGrath and the “highbrows”?
o Timed In-Class Essay: From talk radio to television shows, from
popular magazines to Web blogs, ordinary citizens, political figures,
and entertainers express their opinions on a wide range of topics. Are
these opinions worthwhile? Does the expression of such opinions
foster democratic values? Write an essay in which you take a position
on the value of such public statements of opinion, supporting your view
with appropriate evidence. (2006 AP Language and Composition
exam)
o Informal Writing/Visual Image Response: Examine the “Cathy” cartoon
by Cathy Guisewite on page 405 in your Language of Composition
text. Briefly discuss the “story,” then state the point Guisewite is
making in this strip. The cartoon is clearly meant to be funny, but
should the humorous tone be described as more ironic, acerbic,
sarcastic, witty, or amusing? Explain.
o Extended Formal Essay: Identify a local, regional, national, or global
question at issue to analyze in an eight-ten page essay formatted
according to MLA guidelines. Evaluate, use, and cite appropriate
sources that support an opinion you are persuading your audience to
accept as a “solution” to this issue. References to a minimum of five
outside sources should be correctly incorporated and cited.
o Revision: Revise one timed in-class essay to correct mechanical
problems noted in peer and instructor feedback. Use strategies
discussed in our composition workshops to improve diction and
eliminate vague or less than effective word choice.
THIRD QUARTER
Theme 7: “The Individual Spirit”
Readings: “This I Believe” essays (National Public Radio); “Self-Reliance” (Ralph
Waldo Emerson); “Resistance to Civil Government” (Henry David Thoreau);
“Learning to Read” (Malcolm X); “Learning to Read and Write” (Frederick Douglass);
“Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” (Walt Whitman); other instructor-selected essays, letters,
and speeches; student-selected essay(s); counterpoints and miscellaneous readings
Theme 8: “Science & Nature”
Readings: Excerpts from Sand County Almanac (Aldo Leopold); excerpts from
Bartram’s Travels (William Bartram) excerpts from A Walk in the Woods (Bill
Bryson); excerpts from Silent Spring (Rachel Carson); excerpt from Nature (Ralph
Waldo Emerson); “Message to President Pierce” (Chief Seattle); “Against Nature”
(Joyce Carol Oates); “The Method of Scientific Investigation” (Thomas Henry
Huxley); “The Reach of Imagination” (Jacob Bronowski); other instructor-selected
essays, letters, and speeches; student-selected essay(s); counterpoints and
miscellaneous readings
Theme 9: “Race and Culture in America”
Readings: “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (Martin Luther King, Jr.); Love Medicine
(Louise Erdrich); “Aria: Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood” (Richard Rodriguez);
“What You Pawn, I Will Redeem” (Sherman Alexie); Fences (August Wilson);
excerpts from Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison); other instructor-selected essays, letters,
and speeches; student-selected essay(s); counterpoints and miscellaneous readings
Workshops:
o Third Quarter workshops will include reviews and advanced work in
areas of concern or difficulty for students.
o Composition Workshop IX: Individual Conferences—One-on-one
reviews of student work up to this point; students will meet with
instructor to discuss individual work.
Composition Prompts:
o Informal Writing (from Weekly Quote Board): Ralph Waldo Emerson
writes in Self-Reliance that “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of
little minds, adored by little statesmen, philosophers, and divines.”
Free-write on what this assertion means to you and whether you agree
with it or not. Explain and illustrate your thoughts with examples from
your experience, reading, or awareness of social/political issues.
o In-Class Writing (from Vocabulary Quiz): Use five of your vocabulary
words for this week in a cohesive paragraph that demonstrates your
understanding of the meaning and usage of each term.
o Out-of-Class Essay: Using our reading of “This I Believe” essays that
aired on National Public Radio, write your own essay which expresses
a belief important to you. Follow guidelines for submission provided by
NPR.
o Timed In-Class Essay: Some novels and plays seem to advocate
changes in social or political attitudes or traditions. Note the particular
attitudes or traditions that Ralph Ellison apparently wishes to modify in
Invisible Man. Then analyze the rhetorical techniques Ellison uses to
influence the reader’s or audience’s views.
o Timed In-Class Essay: Read the following speech delivered by Alfred
M. Green in Philadelphia in April 1861, the first month of the Civil War.
African Americans were not yet permitted to join the Union Army, but
Green felt that they should strive to be admitted to the ranks and
prepare to enlist. Read the speech carefully. Then write an essay in
which you analyze the methods that Green uses to persuade his fellow
African Americans to join the Union forces. (2003 AP Language and
Composition exam)
o Revision: Revise one timed in-class essay to correct mechanical
problems noted in peer and instructor feedback. Use strategies
discussed in our composition workshops to establish clear voice and
appropriate tone.
FOURTH QUARTER
Theme 10: “Faith & Reason”
Major Novel: Things Fall Apart
Readings: Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe); excerpts from Decolonising the Mind
(Ngugi wa Thiongo); “The Second Coming” (W.B. Yeats); “Body Ritual Among the
Nacirema” (“Horace Miner”); “Salvation” (Langston Hughes); “Allegory of the Cave”
(Plato); “The Lowest Animal” (Mark Twain); “A Good Man is Hard to Find” (Flannery
O’Connor); other instructor-selected essays, letters, and speeches; student-selected
essay(s); counterpoints and miscellaneous readings
Theme 11: “Fact, Fiction, Journalism, & Memoir”
Major Novel: In Cold Blood
Readings: “Graduation” (Maya Angelou); excerpts from In Cold Blood (Truman
Capote); “Corn-Pone Opinions” (Mark Twain); excerpts from Walden (Henry David
Thoreau); “On Being a Cripple” (Nancy Mairs); “Mt. Holyoke Commencement
Address” (Anna Quindlen); other instructor-selected essays, letters, and speeches;
student-selected essay(s); counterpoints and miscellaneous readings
Workshops:
o “Oral Presentation”—Discussion of speech delivery and oral
presentation strategies; students will practice and incorporate
guidelines and strategies into class presentations of persuasive essay
topics.
o “Exam Preparation Review”—Recap of multiple choice and essay
strategies related to each type of essay question (defense/
refutation/qualification, analysis of rhetorical strategies, and synthesis);
students will take a released exam that may be used as a final exam
for the class.
o Composition Workshop X: Final Individual Conferences—One-on-one
reviews of student work up to this point; students will meet with
instructor to discuss individual work.
Composition Prompts:
o In-Class Timed Essay: Read the excerpt from a letter written by the
eighteenth-century author Lord Chesterfield to his young son, who was
traveling far from home. Read the passage carefully. Then, in a wellwritten essay, analyze how the rhetorical strategies that Chesterfield
uses reveal his own values. (2004 AP English Language and
Composition exam)
o In-Class Timed Essay: Using the seven print and non-print sources in
the packet provided, write a synthesis essay on how important
individuality is in a democratic society. You must synthesize at least
three of the sources for support.
o Out-of-Class Essay: In preparation for our final individual conferences,
write a two-page reflection on the writing you have done in this class.
Have you grown as a writer? If so, how? What are some problem
areas that may still require conscious effort on your part as you write?
How do you feel about your literary analysis skills at this point?
o Revision: Revise one timed in-class essay to correct mechanical
problems noted in peer and instructor feedback. Use strategies
discussed in our composition workshops to improve sentence structure
and subordination/coordination issues.
GRADING
Grades assigned in AP English Literature & Composition will be categorized by type
and weighted according to three ”levels,” as indicated below. Unless otherwise
noted, essays will be scored using the AP general rubric and homework, and project
work will be scored using activity-specific rubrics.
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Level One Grades (homework and classwork)
Level Two Grades (reading checks and quizzes)
Level Three Grades (essays and tests)
20%
30%
50%
Mid-Term & Final Exams count as 10% of each semester grade. Be sure to note the
grade weighting used for AP classes as specified in the state grade point average
conversion table provided in your school handbook.
POLICIES & PROCEDURES NOTES
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Primary texts, current works being studied, notebook, and pen/pencil
should be brought to class each day unless otherwise instructed.
Levels One and Two assignments will not be accepted late. Level three
assignments will be subject to the English Department policy for late
assignments (10 points deducted per day); no major assignments or test
make-ups will be accepted after one week past the due date without
approval.
Students will be expected to read longer works mostly outside of class,
take appropriate notes, answer assigned questions, prepare a Critical
Reading Portfolio (CRP) entry, and be prepared for class discussion by
the specified date.
Most essays grades will be evaluated using our AP English Language &
Composition General Rubric.
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Class discussion in AP is extremely important. Each student is expected
to keep up with all assignments and contribute to class discussion as
much as possible.
Students and parents should be aware of the challenging nature of AP
coursework. Parents and students are encouraged to contact the
instructor if there are any questions or concerns about the class or our
syllabus.
WEB RESOURCES
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html
AP Central: Information for students and parents about AP courses and testing
college information
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
An online writing lab
http://www.usd.edu/engl/resources_ac.html
Links to online writing labs, Thesaurus, dictionaries, research tips, and timed writing
tips
http://www.bartleby.com/141/
Stunk and White’s Elements of Style
http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citation.htm
Best site for documentation guidelines; includes APA, MLA, and other citation styles;
includes guidelines for incorporating documentation into an essay
http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
Grammar review for specific areas of language usage; allows for individualized
instruction on grammar usage
http://www.wordcounter.com/
Type in a paper and the software will analyze it paper for overused words
AP English Language & Composition
Critical Reading Portfolio Guidelines
For each novel and drama we read in class, you will prepare a Critical Reading
Portfolio (CRP) entry. It is important to read each work of literature with pen and/or
highlighter in hand to take notes in the text or in your notebook. You will use your
notes to prepare CRP entries, which should be word-processed and turned in for
Level 2 grades by each submission deadline. Please print TWO copies of each
entry—one for your own portfolio, and one for a class portfolio. These CRP entries
will be used for class discussions and writings, but they will also come in handy as
review material to use prior to the AP Exam. Each entry should have the following
ten numbered and labeled sections:
Section I: Significance of Title
Briefly discuss the significance of the title. Is it an allusion to an event or another
work? How is the title thematically connected to the body of the work? Does it have
multiple meanings? Explain.
Section II: Author
Briefly discuss the author and how the work reflects the concerns of its creator. Who
is the author? What are his/her major themes issues? How does the work
demonstrate concerns important to the author and the social issues, values, and
culture of his/her time?
Section III: Setting
Describe the time and place in which the action occurs. How is it related to the time
period in which the work was written? What is significant about the setting? How is
the setting connected to thematic concerns?
Section IV: Plot
Briefly summarize the plot, using standard formats of basic plot structure as they
may apply: exposition, initial incident, rising action, turning point, climax, falling
action, and resolution. Discuss conflict and any other devices that significantly
impact plot.
Section V: Point of View
From what perspective is the story told? From what perspective does the author
approach the story? How does point of view affect your understanding of the work?
How does the choice of narrator impact the theme(s) of the work?
Section VI: Characterization
Identify the characters in order of importance (starting with protagonist and
antagonist) and describe them and their roles in the work. Discuss any characters
that have a significant impact on the work. Be sure to include physical and
psychological details in your descriptions.
Section VII: Theme
What are some of the issues presented? Identify and discuss any important
messages and ideas the author communicates in the work. Remember that themes
are important ideas conveyed—in order for an idea to be important (and, therefore,
thematic) it must be repeated.
Section VIII: Symbols & Literary Devices
Identify and discuss symbols and literary devices used in the work. How did these
affect your understanding of the work? How are they important in their connection to
theme and meaning in the work? You should consider such devices as symbolism,
diction, metaphor, imagery, irony, and humor whenever they have a meaningful
impact on any part of the work.
Section IX: Quotes
Select and list three to five quotes that illustrate an important theme or idea in the
work. Discuss the element of theme, plot, setting, or literary device connected to
each quote. Be sure to use quotation marks and include a page number.
Section X: Response
Discuss your response to this work. Did you enjoy it? Why/Why not? What
elements of the book did you enjoy/not enjoy? What is your appraisal of the work
and its place within the canon of world literature? Would you recommend it to
someone else? What type of person would enjoy this work most? Most importantly,
what connections are there between this work and the world that you live in?