English 11 AP Language and Composition – Course Syllabus
Glen Allen High School 2014-2015
T.N.Towslee – Rm. 213
tntowslee@henrico.k12.va.us
The following is a general overview of things you need to know to have a successful and productive
year. This document and any updates will be available in the course resources folder and on the class
web page:
http://blogs.henrico.k12.va.us/aplanguage
I also regularly post supplementary readings and reminders on Twitter: @tntowsleeAPLang
Philosophy:
It is Glen Allen High School’s mission to provide a rigorous curriculum focusing on twenty-first century skills geared
toward creativity, innovation, and literacy. While we will prepare students for standardized tests, that is not the end goal
of instruction. All too often, we look at the products of great innovation, but we seldom get to see the rough drafts, flawed
prototypes, and complete failures that sent the greatest thinkers and designers back to their drawing boards and
workshops. Standardized tests follow this model: they ask for the right answer, but completely disregard the handful of
obstacles and wrong answers that students have to overcome in order to get to those right answers. This class is
specifically designed to prepare students to think beyond the bubble sheet in order to solve more real-world, open-ended
problems, providing students with opportunities to take risks with their thinking and learn from their mistakes. Creativity,
innovation, and literacy are not instinctual; they have to be honed through practice, trial, and error. It is through this
practice, trial, and error that we will find and feed our natural talents. That said, please do not be afraid to be wrong; it is
an important part of the learning process.
Course Description:
The AP Language and Composition course at Glen Allen High School follows requirements established by the College
Board in order to ensure that the course meets the expectations and standards of colleges and universities throughout the
world. Students in AP Language and Composition read and carefully analyze a broad range of nonfiction prose selections,
deepening their awareness of rhetoric and how language works with the same level of skill and sophistication of thought as
they would in a first-year composition course in college. Through close reading of a variety of prose styles and genres and
frequent expository, analytical, and argumentative writing assignments, students develop their ability to work with
language and text with a greater awareness of purpose and strategy, while strengthening their own composing skills.
Students will examine and work with essays, letters, speeches, cartoons, paintings, advertisements, and other primarily
nonfiction texts. Students will also prepare for the AP English Language and Composition Exam. This course prepares
students for success in college coursework across many fields of study and, with a qualified score of 3 or better on the AP
Exam, replaces the introductory composition course at many colleges and universities worldwide. Students choosing to
take AP English Language and Composition must understand that the course is designed to give students the opportunity
to take a college-level course while still in high school.
AP Language and Composition Exam – May 13, 2015
Texts:
The following texts will be supplemented with readings from various newspapers, magazines, websites, and other sources.
Several units will be supplemented with viewings of documentary films and television footage.
Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood. 1965. New York: Vintage, 1994.
Cohen, Samuel. 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology. Boston: Bedford St. Martin’s, 2004.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. New York: Scribner, 2004.
Killgallon, Don. Sentence Composing for College. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1998.
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. 1951. New York: Little, Brown, 1991.
Shea, Renee, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. The Language of Composition. Boston: Bedford St. Martin’s,
2008.
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 1885. New York: Signet Classics, 2008.
Course Plan (Readings and Dates subject to change):
Marking Period 1
Overview of AP course/Introduction to rhetoric (Week 1-3)

Readings
o
Ch. 1-2 Language of Composition
o
“We Choose to Go to the Moon” by JFK (handout)
o
“The Value of Science” by Richard Feynman (handout)
o
“The Bird and the Machine” (p. 601 LOC)
o
“The Method of Scientific Investigation” by T.H. Huxley (p.609 LOC)
o
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (summer reading)

Tools
o
SOAPSTone
o
P.I.E. (Purpose, Issue, Evidence)
o
Rhetorical Seismograph
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o
Say What?/So What?
In-class writing assignments
o
Responses to readings
o
Rhetorical Analysis
Major Paper #1
o
Into Thin Air analysis and commentary (extension of Summer Reading)
The World Around Us – What is the relationship between the individual and the world? (Week 4-9)

Readings
o
“On the Duty of Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau (p. 939 LOC)
o
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr. (p.260 LOC)
o
“Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell (p.529 LOC)
o
“Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted” by Malcolm Gladwell (handout)
o
“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift (p.914 LOC)
o
Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
o
Various Political Cartoons (handout & online)
o
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (excerpt)
o
“Light Out, Huck, They Still Want to Sivilize You” by Michiko Kakutani (handout)
o
“Send Huck Finn to College” by Lorrie Moore (handout)
o
Political Cartoon on Huckleberry Finn by Mike Luckovich (handout)
o
Illustrations from original publication of Huckleberry Finn
o
60 Minutes - “Huckleberry Finn and the N-Word” (video)
o
“Harper’s Index” (handout)

In-class writing assignments
o
Responses to readings
o
Visual Text Analysis
o
AP Language Exam Prompts

Follow the Columnist #1&2 due at end of marking period

Major Paper #2
o
Rhetorical Analysis of one selection from The Best American Magazine Writing 2013 (extension of summer
reading)
Marking Period 2
Identity and Voice – What is the relationship between language and identity? (Week 10-13)

Readings
o
Chapter 3 from Language of Composition, 2e (handout)
o
“Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell (p.979 LOC)
o
“Two Ways to Belong in America” by Bharti Mukherjee (p. 272 50E)
o
“There is No Unmarked Woman” by Deborah Tannen (p. 409 50E)
o
“Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space” by Brent Staples (p.362 50E)
o
“The ‘F Word’” by Firoozeh Dumas (handout)
o
“The Terminal Check” by Pico Iyer (handout)
o
“On Being a Cripple” by Nancy Mairs (p. 231 50E)
o
“Notes of a Native Speaker” by Eric Liu (p. 205 50E)
o
“What are Homosexuals For? by Andrew Sullivan (p. 380 50E)

In-class writing assignments
o
Responses to readings
o
AP Language Exam Prompts

Major Paper #3
o
Language and Identity – argument essay
Education – To what extent do our schools serve the goals of a true education? (Week 14-18)

Readings
o
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read” by Francine Prose (p. 89 LOC)
o
from Education by Ralph Waldo Emerson (p. 102 LOC)
o
from Experience and Education by John Dewey (handout)
o
“A Talk to Teachers” by James Baldwin
o
“Learning to Read and Write” by Frederick Douglass (p. 100 50E)
o
“Learning to Read” by Malcolm X (p. 245 50E)
o
“Three Reasons College Still Matters” by Andrew Delbanco (handout)
o
“Tuning in to Dropping Out” by Alex Tabarrok (handout)
o
“Not All College Majors are Created Equal” by Michelle Singletary (handout)
o
“Best in Class” by Margaret Talbot (p. 113 LOC)
o
“School” by Kyoko Mori (p. 130 LOC)
o
“Misplaced Priorities: It’s Time to Invest in Schools, Not Prisons” by Karen Thomas (handout)

In-class writing assignments
o
Responses to readings
o
AP Language Exam Prompts

Documentary Film Study
o
Waiting for Superman and criticism

Follow the Columnist #3&4 due at end of marking period

Major Paper #4
o
Argument essay on value of public education
Marking Period 3
Justice – Does our society distribute justice fairly and/or equally? (Week 19-22)

Readings
o
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
o
“Execution” by Anna Quindlen (handout)
o
“The Execution of Tropmann” by Ivan Turgenev (handout)
o
“Trial by Fire” by David Grann (handout)
o
“The Innocent Man” by Pamela Colloff (from summer reading)
o
“Beyond the Prison Bubble” by Joan Petersilia (handout)
o
“Raise the Crime Rate” by Christopher Glazek (handout)
o
Various arguments for and against the death penalty

In-class writing assignments
o
Responses to readings
o
AP Language Exam Prompts

Major Paper #5
o
Synthesis essay on In Cold Blood (synthesis/researched argument)
Work – How does our work shape or influence our lives? (Week 23-27)

Readings
o
from Serving in Florida by Barbara Ehrenreich (p.179 LOC)
o
from In the Strawberry Fields by Eric Schlosser (handout)
o
“The Atlanta Exposition Address” by Booker T. Washington (p.191 LOC)
o
“Guest Workers and the U.S. Heritage” by Jay Bookman (handout)
o
“We Don’t Need ‘Guest Workers’” by Robert J. Samuelson
o
“The Traveling Bra Salesman’s Lesson” by Claudia O’Keefe (p.205 LOC)
o
“On Dumpster Diving” by Lars Eighner (handout)
o
“The Surgeon as Priest” by Richard Selzer (p.197 LOC)
o
“The Case for Working with Your Hands” by Matthew B. Crawford (handout)

In-class writing assignments
o
Responses to readings
o
AP Language Exam Prompts

Follow the Columnist #5&6 due at end of marking period

Major Paper #6
o
Entering the Conversation
Marking Period 4
Play – To what extent do our leisure activities reflect our society’s values? (Week 28-30)

Readings
o
“High School Confidential: Notes on Teen Movies” by David Denby (p. 709 LOC)
o
“I was a Member of the Kung Fu Crew” by Henry Han Xi Lau (handout)
o
“We Talk, You Listen” by Vine Deloria, Jr. (p. 727 LOC)
o
Reel Injun (film)
o
“Godzilla vs. the Giant Scissors” by Brent Staples (p. 723 LOC)
o
“Television: The Plug-In Drug” by Marie Winn (p. 465 50E)
o
“Lights and Wires in a Box” by Edward R. Murrow (handout)
o
“Hip Hop Planet” by James McBride (handout)
o
“Dreaming America” by Danyel Smith (p.734 LOC)
o
“Retreat into the iWorld” by Andrew Sullivan (handout)
o
“My Zombie, Myself: Why Modern Life Feels Rather Undead” by Chuck Klosterman (handout)

In-class writing assignments
o
Responses to readings
o
AP Language Exam Prompts
AP Language Exam Prep – How can we put it all together to show the AP exam who’s boss?

Readings
o
Released AP Language exam passages (handouts)

In-class writing assignments
o
Released AP exam rhetorical analysis, argument, and synthesis essays

Major “Paper” #7
o
Research Argument Presentation
Crash Course in 20th Century American Literature: How does Literature model society? (Week 31-36)

Readings
o
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
o
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

In-class writing assignments
o
Responses to readings

Major Paper #8
o
Literary Analysis of The Great Gatsby and/or The Catcher in the Rye
Writing/Research:
As this is a composition course, we will spend a great deal of time with the structure and craft of writing this year. We will
be writing several expository, analytical, and argumentative papers, many of which will rely on research as evidence in
supporting said argument. We will work to hone research methods and documentation (MLA, APA, and Chicago styles)
throughout the year. The Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) is an invaluable reference in these areas. Students
can expect to write no fewer than eight major papers over the course of the year. These major papers will result from work
across several stages of the writing process from planning to drafting to revision. Students will work independently, with
peers, and with their instructors through each of these steps to produce polished, college-level work.
In addition to more structured writing assignments, there will be many informal and timed writing assignments intended
to help students develop personal writing styles through modeling, react to texts in a thought-provoking manner, and
reflect on individual development as an informed citizen. All in all, students can expect to write in class nearly every day
on some level.
Reading/Discussion/Accountability:
It has been proven time and again that one of the best ways to become a great writer is by being a great reader.
Furthermore, research shows that well-honed reading and writing skills provide students with advantages not only in high
school (in classes and on standardized tests), but in college and career worlds as well. Throughout the year we will read a
wide variety of nonfiction essays, articles, biographies, editorials, letters, etc., both in and outside of class. Students are
expected to read ALL assigned texts prior to class discussion. We will have discussions on all class readings in
forms ranging from the less formal open discussion to the more formal Socratic seminar. Students are responsible for
preparing notes for ALL readings prior to class in order to participate in these discussions. These notes will
be checked from time to time (once or twice per quarter, at random) for daily grades. Students will also demonstrate
thorough analysis and understanding of assigned readings through accountability checks, typically through short, closedbook passage explications (analysis of a selection of text in context of the piece as a whole).
Always Be Cognizant (There is a quarterly assignment included in this section, so don’t skip it):
Keeping abreast of current events and newsworthy topics is essential to becoming an informed citizen of the world. In
order to achieve this goal, students will read, analyze, and comment on two editorial columns from reputable major
newspaper, magazine, or online sources in a continuing Follow the Columnist project. Ideally, students will seek out a
columnist that they find engaging and then follow him or her for the duration of the school year. For each column,
students will annotate for SOAPSTone elements, write a rhetorical précis, and provide a 300-500 word analysis with
commentary. More information on the Follow the Columnist project is available in the course resources.
Student Organization:
Students are required to keep their notes and class materials organized. Since this is a college-level course, students are
expected to take personal responsibility for this organization, so there will not be a grade assigned to the notebook, nor
specific requirements for its organization. Many documents will be delivered digitally, but some will come to you in
hardcopy. Due to the course’s rigor and time constraints, all distributed documents should be deemed important to the
course.
Google Drive:
Students will submit most assignments digitally via the Google Drive. Students will create folders and share them with
their teacher as soon as laptops are available. Assignments are not considered submitted until they are in the
appropriately shared folder. All assignments must be submitted to the student folder by the beginning of class on the due
dates; any assignments turned in after the beginning of class (even if the student is absent) are considered late and subject
to the late work policy. Any assignments may be turned in on paper, on time, without penalty. If you have trouble with
submitting assignments to Google Drive, come ask for help before your assignments are due. No late
work will be accepted because of technology issues. When in doubt, print it out (or, better yet, e-mail it).
Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics:
We will address grammar primarily for rhetorical effect and style using exercises closely aligned with class readings. In
addition, we will work on honing syntactic skills with exercises from Killgallon’s Sentence Composing for College and from
The Language of Composition, which students are expected to integrate into their own writing.
Students are expected to demonstrate proper grammar, usage, and mechanics at this point in their high school education.
There are several excellent online resources available for grammar reference and remediation if needed. The Purdue
University Online Writing Lab (OWL) or one of the handbooks listed with the class texts are good resources for this
purpose. If students are unfamiliar with any grammatical concepts, they should look them up; if they are still unclear, they
should ask their teacher about them. Claiming that previous teachers “never taught grammar” is not an excuse for
ignorance of these basic writing skills.
Vocabulary:
Students will receive several vocabulary lists and practice exercises throughout the year (approximately three per quarter),
which they are encouraged to study throughout the year. In addition to these lists, students will receive lists of contentspecific rhetorical terms. Understanding of these vocabulary lists and rhetorical terms will be assessed periodically with
prior notice given for daily grades. Students must devise a method for studying these terms and provide evidence
(flashcards, written notes, completed exercises, etc.) that they have done so on assessment days.
Student Evaluation:
The standard HCPS grading scale (90-100 – A, 80-89 – B, 70-79 – C, 65-69 – D, ≤65 – F) applies to this class. In addition
to the usual grading scale, unsatisfactory completed writing assignments may receive a grade of R, at the teacher’s
discretion, indicating that it may be revised or reworked, then resubmitted for a grade without penalty. In order to
resubmit these assignments for a new grade, students must schedule and attend a conference with me. Late or incomplete
work is always subject to penalty. Any student who is unhappy with his or her grade on a major paper may schedule a
conference to discuss the paper. After this conference, the student may rewrite the paper for a new grade as long as it is
submitted within the current marking period.
As mentioned several times throughout this syllabus, this is a college-level course, and as such there are fewer graded
assignments than in typical high school courses. Since there are relatively few assignments, each assignment carries a
heavy weight. Not all assignments are graded; sometimes students practice skills just because they are an essential part of
education. Please understand that your effort is appreciated, but it is not a criterion for your grade; I expect that all
students are always working hard. The following guide is provided to help students understand how to plan accordingly to
get the grades that they expect:
Grade
Expectations
 Students working at this level engage fully every assignment and demonstrate a willingness to examine their own thinking and

A
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B
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C
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D
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F
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assumptions. All work reflects a level of thinking far beyond the obvious and the superficial. Students come to class fully prepared to
discuss assigned readings and to participate actively in all phases of the course. All assignments are submitted on time and all
makeup work from authorized absences is managed in a timely fashion. Obviously, all work is the student’s own.
Every writing assignment has undergone meaningful revisions in content, diction, syntax, and style. Writing conferences are
marked by the student’s understanding of the assignment’s goals.
Reading checks indicate not only the questions and problems a student has while working with a text but an honest attempt at
logical answers and solutions. They also move far beyond the superficial identification of rhetorical and literary devices and provide
a full and rich argument on the student’s reading of the text. They address all parts of the assignment. Finally, reading checks are
completed on time.
Students make and keep appointments with me.
Students working at this level competently engage every assignment and consistently attempt to examine their own thinking and
assumptions. The majority of the student’s work reflects a level of thinking beyond the obvious and the superficial. Students come to
class fully prepared to discuss assigned readings and to participate actively in all phases of the course. Most assignments are
submitted on time and most makeup work from authorized absences is managed in a timely fashion. All work is the student’s own.
All writing assignments have undergone meaningful revisions in content, diction, syntax, and style. Writing conferences are marked
by the student’s understanding of the assignment’s goals.
Reading checks indicate not only the questions and problems a student has while working with a text, but also an honest attempt at
logical answers and solutions. They also provide an adequate argument on the student’s reading of the text. Reading checks are also
generally completed on time.
Students make and keep appointments with me.
Students working at this level do not yet engage every assignment and inconsistently demonstrate a willingness to examine their
own thinking and assumptions. Only a minor portion of the student’s work reflects a level of thinking beyond the obvious and the
superficial. Students are reluctant to challenge themselves beyond what they have already accomplished in reading and writing and
thus show little or no growth in those areas. Students come to class minimally prepared to discuss assigned readings and to
participate actively in all phases of the course. A majority of assignments are submitted on time and most makeup work from
authorized absences is managed in a timely fashion. All work is the student’s own.
Writing assignments have not undergone meaningful revisions in content, diction, syntax, and style. Some papers have not met the
minimum revision standards, and some ignore the specific requirements set in class for the assignment.
Reading checks often indicate the questions and problems a student has while working with a text, but the student makes only
minor attempts at logical answers and solutions. In addition, the reading checks provide only an opinion of the text or a personal
reflection, not a supported argument on the student’s reading of the text. Reading checks are not completed on time and/or are
often incomplete.
Required conferences with me are sometimes ignored. Conferences require considerable help from me and often lack focus.
Students often seem confused about the goals of the assignments in both reading and writing.
Students working at this level seldom engage any assignment and consistently demonstrate an unwillingness to examine their own
thinking and assumptions. The student’s work reflects a level of thinking that is obvious and superficial. Students come to class ill
prepared to discuss assigned readings and to participate actively in the course. Several assignments are submitted late; some
assignments may be missing completely. Make-up work from authorized absences may be missing or seriously late. All work is the
student’s own.
Writing assignments have not undergone meaningful revisions in content, diction, syntax, and style. Some or all papers have not
met the minimum revision standards, and some revisions ignore the specific requirements set in class for the assignment.
Reading checks might indicate the questions and problems a student has while working with a text, but the student seldom attempts
logical answers and solutions. He or she may deal with only a portion of the text or address the entire text on only a surface level
(perhaps offering a plot summary or personal connections to a story line or character). In addition, the reading checks provide only
broad judgmental statements of the text, not a supported argument on the student’s reading of the text. Many of the required
elements are incomplete or missing.
Required conferences with me are sometimes ignored by the student, or the student is not prepared to discuss the reading or
writing skills identified in class.
This level of work is obviously unacceptable. Work is often not submitted, or the student may completely ignore the requirements of
the assignment, or the student is in violation of the Henrico County Public Schools Honor Code.
Grading Categories:
Daily Grades (classwork, vocabulary quizzes, draft proposals, participation, etc.) – 20%
Minor Grades (reading checks, in-class essays, minor writing assignments, major paper drafts, etc.) – 40%
Major Papers (two per marking period) – 40%
Attendance and Make-up Work:
The Henrico County Public Schools attendance policy applies to this class as it does to all others. If the student is absent,
it is his or her responsibility for making up any missed work and collecting any missed handouts, announcements, etc. in a
timely manner (within the number of days equal to the number of days absent plus one day). All agendas and assignments
are posted on SchoolSpace and Google calendars. It is expected that all students will keep up with missed assignments and
classroom activities while they are out. There will also be a folder in the classroom with copies of any non-digital
handouts.
Late Work:
Any daily assignments not turned in accordance with deadlines will be accepted one day (not class period) late for half
credit. Students will receive no credit for assignments turned in more than one day late. Missed minor and major
assignments must be completed in a timely manner according to the attendance and make-up work policy; otherwise, late
minor and major assignments will be penalized ten points per day (24 hours, not class period) past the due date. Citing
computer issues does not release students from their responsibility to turn work in on time.
Extra Credit:
Students should make every effort to keep up with their assignments and ask for help when they need it. Since this is a
rigorous course and making mistakes and learning from them is a vital part of education, I will offer one minor grade
replacement activity per quarter. Students may choose to complete one of the following per marking period for minor
grade replacement:
 Participate in Glen Allen High School Open Book Society (varsity book club) discussions. The club chooses a
different text per marking period, so make sure to read the selected title and attend the meeting. See my board or
visit the Open Book Society website for more information (www.blogs.henrico.k12.va.us/openbooksociety).
 Students may attend a lecture, visit a museum, view a documentary or critically-acclaimed film, read a nonfiction
book on a topic that interests you (I will mention several throughout our discussions), or seek out some other
academic or cultural event for personal growth. Students must submit a proposal for approval before
attending/visiting/viewing/reading/etc., and a one-page reflection of the experience upon completion. Reflections
must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the end of each marking period, so plan ahead.
Mock Exam:
As in previous years, we will offer a mock exam early in the second semester. Because the exam will take approximately
four hours, it must take place on a Saturday. Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this is valuable
opportunity, so please make every effort to attend.
 Mock Exam – TBD (most like a Saturday in February)
Conferences/Additional Help/Make-Up Work:
Students are encouraged and expected to schedule conferences with me as needed. I am available by appointment before
school, after school, and during directed study. Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to make an
appointment. Because I am involved in several school activities before/after school and during directed study, is
imperative that you let me know in advance if you wish to meet with me. A short e-mail reminder is nice.
We will all work together (students, parents, and teacher) toward a successful and productive year in
AP Language and Composition. The best way to get in touch with me is through e-mail
(tntowslee@henrico.k12.va.us), but please be advised that while I respond to e-mails as soon as I
possibly can, I may not be able to respond for several hours, especially during class time. Also, if you email me after school hours, I may not be able to respond until the following school day. You may also
reach me by calling GAHS at (804)501-3300.
Parents,
Please e-mail me sometime in the next couple of days to let me know that you have read over these guidelines with your
son or daughter. Please put his or her name and the block that they have English class as the subject of your e-mail. These
e-mails help me open lines of communication from the beginning, and I will use these e-mails to build a parent database
so that we can keep in touch throughout the school year. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to
include them in your e-mail.
All the best,
P.S. If you don’t have access to e-mail, a note or a phone call will suffice.